Response to Instruction/Intervention (RTI 2 ) for Alaska Schools: Scaling Practices to Meet Local Needs Rachel Brown-Chidsey, Ph.D. University of Southern Maine

22 Overview What is RTI 2 ? How does RTI 2 help students? What are the steps in RTI 2 ? What are Alaska's challenges? Resources © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

3 What is RTI 2 ? RTI 2 stands for Response to Instruction/Intervention It is a comprehensive model for supporting all students in schools RTI 2 includes multiple tiers of support

4 Alaska's RTI Triangle: Tier 1: Universal Instruction (80%) + Tier 2: Targeted Instruction (15%) + Tier 3: Intensified Instruction (5%)

5 Alaska's Definition of RTI 2 © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

6 Another Triangle © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

7 How Does RTI 2 Help Students? RTI 2 helps students by providing scientifically-based instruction for all students on a universal basis For students who need additional instruction, Tiers 2 and 3 include instruction matched to their needs This is a prevention-focused model because it puts instruction first – No more waiting to fail About 95% of students in a school will be successful with Tier 1 plus Tier 2 © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

8 What Are the Steps in RTI 2 ? At each Tier there are two main steps – Scientifically-based instruction – Assessment Tier 1 is the most important part of RTI 2 Tier 1 reaches all students Tier 1 needs to be effective with at least 80% of students because it's not possible to provide Tiers 2 and 3 to more than 20% of students © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

9 + Will This Work? Using tiers 2 and 3 to meet the needs of all students is like bailing the Titanic with a thimble © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

10 Start with a Focus on Tier 1 because... All students participate in Tier 1 Tier 1 happens every day Tier 1 is the least restrictive environment Tier 1 is the first and best opportunity to ensure that all students have access to effective instruction © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

11 Tier 1 Instruction Universal core curricula Scientifically-based practices Teaching fidelity Differentiation in the classroom © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

12 Tier 1: Universal Core Curricula This is the program and/or practices adopted at the district level for use with all students Important because it ensures that students have equal access and opportunity to learn It is the building block for all other supports © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

13 Tier 1: Scientifically-Based Practices The core program needs to incorporate scientifically-based teaching materials and practices To assist with selection and use of such practices there are a number of web- based resources Emerging standards for educational research will boost the quality of future programs © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

14 Tier 1: Web Resources What Works Clearinghouse – Doing What Works – Florida Center for Reading Research – © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

15 Tier 1: Teaching Fidelity An important part of Tier 1 success is fidelity of instruction This means that the instruction happens in the way it was designed and tested in research Fidelity needs to be checked and verified – Teacher self-review – Peer review © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

16 Tier 1: Differentiation Tier 1 needs to include ways to teach students according to their specific needs This ensures that the Tier 1 instruction is as effective as possible Examples include: – Daily small group instruction time – Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

17 Tier 1 Assessment Universal screening 3 times a year Identifies students at risk Points out instructional needs © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

18 Tier 1: Universal Screening Includes brief assessments of every student in the school – DIBELS – AIMSweb Important way to know which students need additional help Like taking each student's temperature to know how worried to be © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

19 Tier 1: Screening 3 Times a Year Screenings are done in the Fall, Winter, and Spring to see how ALL students are doing If screenings are done less often, we lose the chance to help kids quickly Screening data shows whether the Tier 1 core program is working – Are 80% of students on track? © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

20 Tier 1: Sample Class Data © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

21 Tier 1: Identifies Students at Risk Screening data helps identify which students need help If 20% or less of students need help, Tier 2 intervention is the next step If more than 20% of students need help, the Tier 1 instruction needs to be adjusted – Tier 1 is the most important part of RTI 2 © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

22 Points out Instructional Needs Screening data is compared with other indicators of student performance Tier 1 data helps teachers to group students according to their instructional needs: – Classroom small groups – Tier 2 interventions © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

23 Tier 2 Instruction Provided IN ADDITION to Tier 1 for students who need it Often done in small groups of 3-5 students at a time Usually abut 30 minute sessions 3-5 sessions per week Gives students ADDITIONAL instructional time and practice © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

24 Tier 2 Instructional Resources Tier 2 instruction needs to be scientifically- based just like Tier 1 Web-based resources like WWC and DWW provide information about Tier 2 interventions as well Having certain materials on hand in each school ensures that intervention can happen quickly © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

25 Tier 2 Assessment Students who need Tier 2 intervention need more frequent assessment This assessment is known as progress monitoring At Tier 2 progress monitoring needs to happen at least once a month Can be weekly or every other week © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

26 Tier 2 Progress Monitoring Progress measures need to be matched to the skill being taught – Monitor at grade level when possible – Change progress measures as needed A review of available progress measures is included at the website of the National Center on RTI: – © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

Tier 2: Interpreting Data There are two parts to interpreting the data Level = students scores compared with other students at level of instruction –If student is in second grade, but reading at K level, progress measures are K measures until student reaches 25 th percentile, then move up to grade 1 measures Slope = rate of progress –Indicates if student will reach goal –If slope is good, level has to be improving © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

Tier 2: Sample Interpretation Intervention 1Intervention 2Baseline Both slope and level not good Level improved but slope is weak Slope and level both improved Intervention is working! © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

29 Tier 3 Instruction Tier 3 is only needed for students who are not successful with Tiers When this happens, very intensive intervention is provided to see if that is what the student needs Such instruction is often done in very small groups or 1:1 Tier 3 intervention can replace Tier 1 core © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

30 Tier 3 Assessment Tier 3 assessment includes progress monitoring just like Tier 2 Progress needs to be checked more often and should be done at least weekly Another type of assessment sometimes used at Tier 3 is called Brief Educational Assessment (BEA) and compares different interventions © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

31 What are Alaska's Challenges? Alaska's schools face intense challenges in making RTI 2 happen The size differences in district populations and geography are unknown in the rest of the U.S. Urban and suburban Alaska districts need solutions which are efficient and work for many languages and cultures © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

32 Needs of Rural Schools Rural Alaska schools often have a few students over several grades Grouping students for instruction is not an option Requires entirely different way of thinking about Tiers – Continuum from highly programmed to more independent teaching © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

33 Standards-Based Teaching Standards-based instruction is one approach that is being tried Focuses on student mastery of specific learning standards Rather than variation in grouping, Tiers are replaced by the amount of time it takes to master standards – Frequent progress monitoring essential © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

34 Getting Started RTI Blueprints School and district teams Start small – It takes 3-5 years © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

35 RTI Blueprints A valuable tool for school and district planning is the RTI Blueprint These are planning templates developed by RTI veterans across the U.S. Can be accessed at: – etoInterventionRtIProject/tabid/411/Defau lt.aspx © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

36 Role of Teams RTI 2 requires collaborative teams at the school and district levels Two main types of teams that support RTI 2 are: – Grade level teams: all the teachers in a grade meet regularly to review and discuss student progress data – Problem solving teams: representatives of all grades meet regularly to review student data and help individual teachers © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

37 Start Small It's best to start with consensus building and planning It takes 3-5 years to get multiple tiers running smoothly Once the system is working for one content area or grade, it can be expanded to others © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009

38 Resources Brown-Chidsey, R., Bronaugh, L., & McGraw, K. (2009). RTI in the classroom: Guidelines and recipes for success. New York: Guilford. Intervention Central – National Center on Response to Intervention – RTI Action Network – © Rachel Brown-Chidsey, 2009