University of Rhode Island EDC 452

A process of:  Providing high-quality instruction and intervention matched to student needs and  Using learning rate over time and level of performance to inform educational decisions

 2 goals: 1. Prevent academic problems ◦ Attend to skill gaps early ◦ Provide interventions/instruction early ◦ Close skill gaps to prevent failure 2. Identify students with LD ◦ Pattern of inadequate response to interventions may result in referral to special education ◦ Student intervention response data are considered for SLD eligibility

1. 2 or more tiers of increasingly intense interventions. 2. Use a problem solving model or standardized treatment protocol for intervention tiers. 3. Implementation of a differentiated curriculum with different instructional methods.

4. Varied duration, frequency, and time of interventions, and 5. Explicit decision rules for judging learners’ progress.

 Allows (in RI it requires) schools to intervene early to meet the needs of struggling learners.  Documents and analyzes specific instructional strategies found to benefit a particular student. This information is helpful to both teachers and parents.

 “Test score discrepancy model” 1. A student with significant academic delays is administered a battery of tests (including an IQ test and academic achievement test).

 “Test score discrepancy model” 2. If the student is found to have a substantial gap between a higher IQ score and lower achievement scores, a formula is used to determine if that gap is statistically significant and ‘severe’.

 “Test score discrepancy model” 3. If the student has a ‘severe discrepancy’ [gap] between IQ and achievement, he or she is diagnosed with a Learning Disability.

 This method is based on a ‘deficit model’  “Traditionally, disability is viewed as a deficit that resides within the individual, the severity of which might be influenced, but not created, by contextual variables.” (Vaughn & Fuchs, 2003)

 Requires chronic school failure BEFORE remedial/special education supports can be given.  Fails to consider that outside factors such as poor or inconsistent instruction may contribute to a child's learning delay.  A ‘severe discrepancy’ between test scores provides no useful information about WHY the student is doing poorly academically.

 Different states (and even school districts within the same state) have often used different formulas to diagnose LD, resulting in a lack of uniformity in identifying children for special education support.

 Created guidelines that schools (states) must follow when identifying children for special education services  The new USDOE regulations: ◦ Explicitly ALLOW states to use RTI to identify LD ◦ FORBID states from forcing schools to use a ‘discrepancy model’ to identify LD

1. Students receive high quality, research-based instruction by qualified staff in their general education setting. 2. General education instructors and staff assume an active role in students’ assessment in that curriculum. 3. School staff conduct universal screening of (a) academics and (b) behavior.

4. School staff implement specific, research-based interventions to address the student’s difficulties. 5. Continuous progress monitoring of student performance occurs (weekly or biweekly). 6. School staff use progress-monitoring data and decision rules to determine interventions’ effectiveness and needed modifications. 7. Systematic assessment of the fidelity or integrity with which instruction and interventions are implemented.

Intervention Levels:  Two or more tiers  Tiers include increasing levels of intensity of interventions ◦ Primary Instruction -- differentiated curriculum and instruction for all students ◦ Secondary Interventions -- Targeted interventions for students at-risk ◦ Tertiary Interventions -- Strategic/Intense interventions for students with intensive needs

17 Primary Instruction (~80%) School-/Classroom-wide Systems for All Students, Staff and Settings Secondary Intervention (~15%) Specialized Group Systems for Students with At Risk Performance Tertiary Intervention (~5%) Specialized Individualized Systems for Students with Intensive Needs ~80% of Students ~15% ~5% Continuum of School-Wide Instruction Adapted from”What is School-Wide PBS?”

 Content for this presentation adapted from: Collection/advanced/rti-advanced-ppt.ppt