Response to Intervention Measuring the ‘Intervention Footprint’: Issues of Planning, Documentation, & Follow-Through Jim Wright

Response to Intervention 2 Elements of an Effective Intervention Plan (Grimes & Kurns, 2003) “Intervention design and implementation. Interventions are designed based on [a thorough] analysis, the defined problem, parent input, and professional judgments about the potential effectiveness of interventions. The interventions are described in an intervention plan that includes goals and strategies; a progress monitoring plan; a decision-making plan for summarizing and analyzing progress monitoring data; and responsible parties. Interventions are implemented as developed and modified on the basis of objective data and with the agreement of the responsible parties.” Source: Grimes, J. & Kurns, S. (2003). An intervention-based system for addressing NCLB and IDEA expectations: A multiple tiered model to ensure every child learns. Retrieved on September 23, 2007, from

Response to Intervention 3 Essential Elements of Any Academic or Behavioral Intervention (‘Treatment’) Strategy: Method of delivery (‘Who or what delivers the treatment?’) Examples include teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, volunteers, computers. Treatment component (‘What makes the intervention effective?’) Examples include activation of prior knowledge to help the student to make meaningful connections between ‘known’ and new material; guide practice (e.g., Paired Reading) to increase reading fluency; periodic review of material to aid student retention. As an example of a research-based commercial program, Read Naturally ‘combines teacher modeling, repeated reading and progress monitoring to remediate fluency problems’. Source: Yeaton, W. H. & Sechrest, L. (1981). Critical dimensions in the choice and maintenance of successful treatments: Strength, integrity, and effectiveness. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49,

Response to Intervention 4 Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out (p. 27) Interventions. An academic intervention is a strategy used to teach a new skill, build fluency in a skill, or encourage a child to apply an existing skill to new situations or settings. An intervention is said to be research-based when it has been demonstrated to be effective in one or more articles published in peer–reviewed scientific journals. Interventions might be based on commercial programs such as Read Naturally. The school may also develop and implement an intervention that is based on guidelines provided in research articles—such as Paired Reading (Topping, 1987).

Response to Intervention 5 Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out Accommodations. An accommodation is intended to help the student to fully access the general-education curriculum without changing the instructional content. An accommodation for students who are slow readers, for example, may include having them supplement their silent reading of a novel by listening to the book on tape. An accommodation is intended to remove barriers to learning while still expecting that students will master the same instructional content as their typical peers. Informal accommodations may be used at the classroom level or be incorporated into a more intensive, individualized intervention plan.

Response to Intervention 6 Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications : Sorting Them Out Modifications. A modification changes the expectations of what a student is expected to know or do—typically by lowering the academic expectations against which the student is to be evaluated. Examples of modifications are reducing the number of multiple-choice items in a test from five to four or shortening a spelling list. Under RTI, modifications are generally not included in a student’s intervention plan, because the working assumption is that the student can be successful in the curriculum with appropriate interventions and accommodations alone.

Response to Intervention 7 Evaluating the Quality of Intervention Research: The ‘Research Continuum’

Response to Intervention 8 Intervention ‘Research Continuum’ Evidence-Based Practices “Includes practices for which original data have been collected to determine the effectiveness of the practice for students with disabilities. The research utilizes scientifically based rigorous research designs (i.e., randomized controlled trials, regression discontinuity designs, quasi-experiments, single subject, and qualitative research).” Source: The Access Center Research Continuum (n.d.). Retrieved on June 1, 2008 from

Response to Intervention 9 Intervention ‘Research Continuum’ Promising Practices “Includes practices that were developed based on theory or research, but for which an insufficient amount of original data have been collected to determine the effectiveness of the practices. Practices in this category may have been studied, but not using the most rigorous study designs.” Source: The Access Center Research Continuum (n.d.). Retrieved on June 1, 2008 from

Response to Intervention 10 Intervention ‘Research Continuum’ Emerging Practices “Includes practices that are not based on research or theory and on which original data have not been collected, but for which anecdotal evidence and professional wisdom exists. These include practices that practitioners have tried and feel are effective and new practices or programs that have not yet been researched.” Source: The Access Center Research Continuum (n.d.). Retrieved on June 1, 2008 from

Response to Intervention Writing Quality ‘Problem Identification’ Statements

Response to Intervention 12 Writing Quality ‘Problem Identification’ Statements A frequent problem at RTI Team meetings is that teacher referral concerns are written in vague terms. If the referral concern is not written in explicit, observable, measurable terms, it will be very difficult to write clear goals for improvement or select appropriate interventions. Use this ‘test’ for evaluating the quality of a problem- identification (‘teacher-concern’) statement: Can a third party enter a classroom with the problem definition in hand and know when they see the behavior and when they don’t?

Response to Intervention 13 Writing Quality ‘Problem-Identification’ Statements: Template Format for Writing RTI Team Teacher Concerns Conditions when the behavior is observed or absent Description of behavior in concrete, measurable, observable terms During large-group instruction The student calls out comments that do not relate to the content being taught. When reading aloudThe student decodes at a rate much slower than classmates. When sent from the classroom with a pass to perform an errand or take a bathroom break The student often wanders the building instead of returning promptly to class.

Response to Intervention 14 Writing Quality ‘Teacher Referral Concern’ Statements: Examples Needs Work: The student is disruptive. Better: During independent seatwork, the student is out of her seat frequently and talking with other students. Needs Work: The student doesn’t do his math. Better: When math homework is assigned, the student turns in math homework only about 20 percent of the time. Assignments turned in are often not fully completed.

Response to Intervention 15 Evaluating ‘Intervention Follow-Through’ (Treatment Integrity)

Response to Intervention 16 Why Monitor Intervention Follow-Through? If the RTI Team does not monitor the quality of the intervention follow-through, it will not know how to explain a student’s failure to ‘respond to intervention’. Do qualities within the student explain the lack of academic or behavioral progress? Did problems with implementing the intervention prevent the student from making progress?

Response to Intervention 17 What Are Potential Barriers to Assessing Intervention Follow-Through? Direct observation of interventions is the ‘gold standard’ for evaluating the quality of their implementation. However: Teachers being observed may feel that they are being evaluated for global job performance Non-administrative staff may be uncomfortable observing a fellow educator to evaluate intervention follow-through It can be difficult for staff to find time to observe and evaluate interventions as they are being carried out

Response to Intervention 18 Supplemental Ideas to Collect Information About Classroom Implementation of Interventions Assign a ‘case manager’ from the RTI Intervention Team to check in with the teacher within a week of the initial meeting to see how the intervention is going. Have the teacher use a data tool to collect information about the student’s response to intervention (e.g., Daily Behavior Report Card) or about the implementation of the intervention itself (e.g. Teacher Intervention Evaluation Log) Include a scripted question at the RTI Intervention Team Follow-Up Meeting that explicitly asks the referring teacher or instructional team to provide details about the implementation of the intervention. Leave a notebook in the classroom for the teacher to jot down any questions or concerns about the intervention. Assign an RTI Team member to stop by the classroom periodically to check the notebook and respond to any concerns noted.

Response to Intervention 19 Intervention Script Builder: pp

Response to Intervention When Does the RTI Team Refer a Student to Special Education?

Response to Intervention 21 Evaluating the Intervention Plan of the ‘Non-Responding’ Student pp

Response to Intervention Tier II ‘Standard Protocol’ Interventions in the Middle or High School

Response to Intervention 23 RTI ‘Pyramid of Interventions’ Tier I Tier II Tier III Tier I: Universal interventions. Available to all students in a classroom or school. Can consist of whole-group or individual strategies or supports. Tier II: Individualized interventions. Subset of students receive interventions targeting specific needs. An RTI Team may assist with the plan. Tier III: Intensive interventions. Students who are ‘non- responders’ to Tiers I & II may be eligible for special education services, intensive interventions.

Response to Intervention 24 Tier II Interventions Tier II interventions are individualized, tailored to the unique needs of struggling learners. They are reserved for students with significant skill gaps who have failed to respond successfully to Tier I strategies. Tier II interventions attempt to answer the question: Can an individualized intervention plan carried out in a general-education setting bring the student up to the academic level of his or her peers?

Response to Intervention 25 Tier II Interventions There are two different vehicles that schools can use to deliver Tier II interventions: Standard-Protocol (Standalone Intervention). Group intervention programs based on scientifically valid instructional practices (‘standard protocol’) are created to address frequent student referral concerns. These services are provided outside of the classroom. A middle school, for example, may set up a structured math-tutoring program staffed by adult volunteer tutors to provide assistance to students with limited math skills. Students referred for a Tier II math intervention would be placed in this tutoring program. An advantage of the standard-protocol approach is that it is efficient and consistent: large numbers of students can be put into these group interventions to receive a highly standardized intervention. However, standard group intervention protocols often cannot be individualized easily to accommodate a specific student’s unique needs. Problem-solving (Classroom-Based Intervention). Individualized research-based interventions match the profile of a particular student’s strengths and limitations. The classroom teacher often has a large role in carrying out these interventions. A plus of the problem-solving approach is that the intervention can be customized to the student’s needs. However, developing intervention plans for individual students can be time-consuming.

Response to Intervention 26 Tier II ‘Standard Protocol’ Treatments: Strengths & Limits in Secondary Settings Research indicates that students do well in targeted small-group interventions (4-6 students) when the intervention ‘treatment’ is closely matched to those students’ academic needs (Burns & Gibbons, 2008). However, in secondary schools: 1.students are sometimes grouped for remediation by convenience rather than by presenting need. Teachers instruct across a broad range of student skills, diluting the positive impact of the intervention. 2.students often present with a unique profile of concerns that does not lend itself to placement in a group intervention. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools: Procedures to assure scientific-based practices. New York: Routledge.

Response to Intervention 27 Tier II Individual Student Intervention Plans Can Have Several Components ‘Pull-Out’: Student receives the intervention in a separate group or during a class period. Classroom: Content-area teachers implement classroom- appropriate interventions. Push-In: An adult (e.g., helping teacher, paraprofessional) pushes into the classroom setting to provide intervention support. Student-Directed: The student is responsible for accessing elements of the intervention plan such as seeking extra teacher help during ‘drop-in’ periods.

Response to Intervention Step ‘Lifecycle’ of a Tier II Intervention Plan… 1.Information about the student’s academic or behavioral concerns is collected. 2.The intervention plan is developed to match student presenting concerns. 3.Preparations are made to implement the plan. 4.The plan begins. 5.The integrity of the plan’s implementation is measured. 6.Formative data is collected to evaluate the plan’s effectiveness. 7.The plan is discontinued, modified, or replaced.

Response to Intervention 29 Caution About Secondary Tier II Standard-Protocol Interventions: Avoid the ‘Homework Help’ Trap Tier II group-based or standard-protocol interventions are an efficient method to deliver targeted academic support to students (Burns & Gibbons, 2008). However, students should be matched to specific research-based interventions that address their specific needs. RTI intervention support in secondary schools should not take the form of unfocused ‘homework help’.

Response to Intervention 30 Traditional Schedule: Tier II Intervention Delivery for ‘Standard Protocol’ Interventions Class length of minutes 6-8 classes per day Typical solution: Students are scheduled for a remedial course. Drawbacks to this solution are that students may not receive targeted instruction, the teacher has large numbers of students, and students cannot exit the course before the end of the school year. Tier II Recommendation (Burns & Gibbon, 2008): Pair a reading interventionist with the content-area teacher. The reading teacher can provide remedial instruction to rotating small groups (e.g, 7-8 students) for 30 minute periods while the content-area teacher provides whole-group instruction to the rest of the class. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools: Procedures to assure scientific-based practices. New York: Routledge.

Response to Intervention 31 Block Schedule: Tier II Intervention Delivery for ‘Standard Protocol’ Interventions Class length of 1.5 to 2 hours Four classes per day Alternating schedule to accommodate full roster of classes in a year (either alternating days –AB– or alternating semesters—’4 X 4’) Tier II Recommendation (Burns & Gibbon, 2008): Pair a reading interventionist with the content-area teacher. The reading teacher can provide remedial instruction to rotating small groups (e.g, 7-8 students) for 30 minute periods while the content-area teacher provides whole-group instruction to the rest of the class. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools: Procedures to assure scientific-based practices. New York: Routledge.

Response to Intervention Secondary RTI Teams & Student Mental Health Services

Response to Intervention 33 Secondary RTI & Linkage to Student Mental Health Services “From our perspective, it is time to take a close look at all the pieces [that make up school mental health services]. To date, there has been no comprehensive mapping and no overall analysis of the amount of resources used for efforts relevant to mental health in schools or of how they are expended. Without such a "big picture" analysis, policymakers and practitioners are deprived of information that is essential in determining equity and enhancing system effectiveness. The challenge for those focused on mental health in schools is not only to understand the basic concerns hampering the field, but to function on the cutting edge of change so that the concerns are effectively addressed.” Source: Center for Mental Health in Schools. (n.d.). Mental health in schools: An overview. Retrieved on June 30, 2008, from

Response to Intervention 34 Secondary RTI & Linkage to Student Mental Health Services “Systemic changes must weave school owned resources and community owned resources together to develop comprehensive, multifaceted, and integrated approaches for addressing barriers to learning and enhancing healthy development. Moreover, pursuit of such changes also must address complications stemming from the scale of public education in the U.S.A. Currently, there are about 90,000 public schools in about 15,000 districts. Thus, efforts to advance mental health in schools also must adopt effective models and procedures for replication and ‘scale-up.’" Source: Center for Mental Health in Schools. (n.d.). Mental health in schools: An overview. Retrieved on June 30, 2008, from

Response to Intervention 35 Secondary RTI & Linkage to Student Mental Health Services: Recommendations Establish “formal linkages with agencies to enhance access and service coordination for students and families at the agency, at a nearby satellite clinic, or in a school-based or linked family resource center” (Adelman & Taylor, 2001, p. 18). NOTE: RTI Teams can be the catalyst to set up and sustain these linkages. Create district-level (or school-level) multi-disciplinary ‘mental health unit’ that organizes personnel with expertise in youth and mental health issues to coordinate intervention plans. (This team can coordinate with RTI Teams as needed.) Source: Adelman, H., & Taylor, L. (2001). Mental health in schools: Guidelines, models, resources, & policy considerations. Los Angeles: Center for Mental Health in Schools. Retrieved on July 2, 2008, from