RTI from the classroom perspective August 3, 2009 Superintendent's Summer Institute Eugene Hilton

Targets Understand RTI vs. MTI Look at RTI at the classroom level Explore the role of screening and progress monitoring assessment, core program, interventions and teaming in an RTI system

RTI is not A reading curriculum A stand-alone small group reading group DIBELS An instructional strategy A instructional methodology

Academic Systems Behavioral Systems 1-5% 5-10% 80-90% Intensive, Individual Interventions Individual Students Assessment-based High Intensity Intensive, Individual Interventions Individual Students Assessment-based Intense, durable procedures Targeted Group Interventions Some students (at-risk) High efficiency Rapid response Targeted Group Interventions Some students (at-risk) High efficiency Rapid response Universal Interventions All students Preventive, proactive Universal Interventions All settings, all students Preventive, proactive School-Wide Systems for Student Success

Defining Terms: Is a system of organizing gen. ed. curriculum and instruction to meet the needs of all students Integrates all support programs to use resources more efficiently Applies to all students Can exist without using RTI Is an evaluation procedure identified in IDEA for identifying learning disabilities Is a special education procedure that is limited to assessment Applies only to children suspected of having LD Cannot be implemented without a system like MTI in place Multi-Tiered Instruction (MTI) Response to Intervention (RTI)

Why RTI? One size doesn’t fit all We don’t have enough resources to intervene one by one We miss kids We wait too long to intervene

RTI is all about General Education! Teachers don’t fail students, systems do. RTI is a system for differentiation of instruction! RTI is a system that is predicated on the general education teachers’ skill and knowledge of instruction, assessment, curriculum, and children.

A Tale of Two Teams Does the child find the system, or does the system find the child?

Pre-referral team (CARES) reviews what teacher has tried Jessie participates in the general curriculum Jessie isn’t doing well Teacher tries again Resumes regular program Jessie doesn’t improve Jessie improves Teacher’s effort is deemed sufficient Special Education referral is initiated by the teacher Jessie’s teacher does his best to differentiate instruction and keeps anecdotal data Teacher is told to try again The pre referral/discrepancy approach Jessie is tested, usually by special education personnel, using IQ, achievement, and other tests

Daisy participates in the general curriculum Daisy isn’t doing well Second Group Intervention EBIS Team designs individualized intervention Resumes general program Daisy doesn’t improve Daisy improves Daisy doesn’t improve Daisy improves Intervention is intense and LD is suspected Improvement is good and other factors are suspected as cause Special Education referral is initiated EBIS Team reviews screening data and places Daisy in group intervention Parents Notified How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

What does this mean for my class? You need to believe all children can learn. As a classroom teacher, the RTI system will provide a system for differentiation. You may need to change how you currently do things.

Why is RTI so connected to Reading? Reading is not an optional skill Days and weeks matter Working smart to achieve differentiation Sharing responsibility

Differences Learning to Read Estimates from NICHD research (NC Dept. of Public Education) Population % Journey to Reading Instructional Requirements 5 Easy: children read before starting school Need no formal decoding instruction 35 Relatively Easy Learn to read regardless of instructional approach 40 Formidable Challenge Need systematic and explicit instruction 20 One of the most difficult tasks to be mastered in school Need intensive, systematic, direct, explicit instruction

Reading is not an optional skill Poor readers in 4 th grade struggle in literacy in Kindergarten (Torgeson, 2004) Children who struggle K-3 rarely achieve average reading skills (Torgeson, Rashotte, Alexander, 2001) Children who cannot read drop out of school In 1994, fewer than 50 percent of high school dropouts were employed (National Center for Education Statistics, as cited in Snow et al., 1998) Academic success or failure is strongly related to adaptive functioning as an adult

Reading is not an optional skill Independent Reading %tile Minutes Per Day Words Read Per Year ,358, ,823, , , , , Adapted from Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding (1988).

Really? How does that Work? “... students who get off to a fast start in reading are more likely to read more over the years, and, furthermore, this very act of reading can help children compensate for modest levels of cognitive ability by building their vocabulary and general knowledge. In other words, ability is not the only variable that counts in the development of intellectual functioning. Those who read a lot will enhance their verbal intelligence; that is, reading will make them smarter.” --Cunningham and Stanovich, 1998

The Matthew Effect For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. (Matthew 25:29) In other words, good readers get smarter while poor readers fall farther and farther behind.

Days and weeks matter Is it a skill deficit or developmental lag ? Can’t we wait for them to “bloom?” – Without intervention, kids who are behind stay behind (Juel, 1988; Francis, et al., 1996, Shaywitz, 1999) – Skill deficits can be erased—especially if you catch them early! Strong reading skills build reading AND cognitive skills!

Days and weeks matter Differentiate from the start; Continue with differentiated literacy development; Multi-faceted assessment; Predictive assessment; Ongoing accountability. NO FAILURE!

Working smart to achieve differentiation Overall, national longitudinal studies show that more than 17.5 percent of the nation's children--about 10 million children--will encounter reading problems in the crucial first three years of their schooling" (National Reading Panel Progress Report, 2000). In a 500 student school: – 400 students will do fine with a good core curriculum – 75 students will need systematic, ongoing specialized instruction – 25 students will need intensive, individualized intervention

Sharing responsibility Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. Ryunosuke Satoro

What does this mean for my class? Literacy becomes the main thing. You need a sense of urgency. Your students get additional instruction. You don’t have to do it all on your own.

Daisy participates in the general curriculum How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

Tier 1 Provide instruction on the essential skills for the majority of students

Tier I All students receive Tier I – Research-based core reading curriculum – Strong fidelity and professional development – Universal screening of all students

Figure out what is important to your system If you don’t know what is important, everything is. If everything is important, you will try to do everything. If you try to do everything you will diminish the outcomes of the high impact skills.

Big What we teach… Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension How we teach it… Classroom Organization Matching students to text Access to interesting text with choice and collaboration Writing and Reading Expert Tutoring

Essential Components of Effective Reading Instruction Explicit – Overtly teaching each step through teacher modeling and many examples (Gradual Release Model). Systematic – Breaking lessons and activities into sequential, manageable steps that progress from simple to more complex concepts and skills. Practice and Feedback – Providing many opportunities for students to respond and demonstrate what they are learning, which may include teacher modeling, rehearsal, and feedback. Mastery and Application – Generalizes what is learned in different contexts.

Instruction is more important than curriculum Lots of Active Participation Leveled Practice Vocabulary Instruction Comprehension Skills and Strategies Taught and Practiced in Connected Text Fluency Taught and Practiced Graphic Organizers Phonics Review and ELL support Writing/Drawing (K-1) in response to what is read No Round Robin Reading!!!

Small Group Instruction Text is student appropriate Conducted in small, flexible groupings The text is focused on the needs of the students Each student has their own copy of the text and they read independently while the adult observes their reading behaviors (this is not round robin reading) The adult explicitly guides the students and addresses errors the students are making After the students reads the adult leads a group discussion

How does it help a struggling reader to be in core? They need the most instruction Need to be exposed to grade level material If they miss grade level material, they will never catch up Just because there is a deficit in one area, does not mean there is a deficit in all areas of reading Interventions are limited in scope

Tier I Reading Programs for ALL students in TTSD Elementary Treasures Screened with DIBELS Middle and High School Priority standards Holt –Elements of Literature & Elements of Language Common novels Screened with OAKS percentile and MAZE

What does this mean for my class? Teach the core curriculum as it is designed. Creativity comes from HOW you teach Use assessments to group students into small flexible groups. Give students the opportunity to practice and gain mastery.

Daisy isn’t doing well How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

What is CBM? Curriculum Based Measures are usually composed of a set of standard directions, a timing device, set of materials, scoring rules, standards for judging performance, and record form or charts.

Purposes of CBMs Evaluate overall effectiveness of program Select students who need additional support Monitor progress of students A universal screener should over-identify students who might need something more!

Essential Features of CBM Tools Robust indicator of academic health Brief and easy to administer Can be administered frequently Must have multiple, equivalent forms – (If the metric isn’t the same, the data are meaningless) Must be sensitive to growth

Universal Screening Quick general outcome measures Should occur for ALL students 3x per year Used for data-based decision making about: – How to create instructional change for ALL Changes for Tier 1 – Which students need a closer look and/or intervention Changes for Tier 2

Why use a CBM to Track Progress? Reading trajectories are established early. Readers on a low trajectory tend to stay on that trajectory. Students on a low trajectory tend to fall further and further behind. Early identification leads to early intervention. The later children are identified as needing support, the more difficult it is to catch up!

Oral Reading Fluency Same measure middle of first grade through eighth grade ORF is not designed to provide an exhaustive assessment. You can be fluent enough, unless you want to be an auctioneer! Strong link to comprehension Accuracy matters!

Oral Reading Fluency 95%98%99% The Secret Life of Bees My Brother Sam is Dead1563 The Magic School Bus Oral Reading Errors per Page at Different Levels of Accuracy Richard Allington, 2009

Evaluate Overall Effectiveness of Program Are 80% of students reaching benchmarks and “on track” for next goal? Does the core curriculum need to be addressed: – Intensity – Fidelity – Targeted – Group size – Instructional skills

Evaluate Overall Effectiveness of Program Literacy: – 90 minutes of reading daily? – Protected allocated reading time each day? – Skill grouping by class or grade? – Core and supplemental programs implemented with fidelity? – More professional development needed?

Make a School Plan Who will conduct Universal Screening? Who will train the screeners? Who will prepare materials? Who will organize at the school? Where will the data go? Who will organize the data and present it to teaching teams? Who will keep track of which students are in interventions?

What does this mean for my class? Understand the purpose of CBM Deprivatize your practice You may have to give the screener to your whole class You will have to use the data to trust it

EBIS Team reviews screening data and places Daisy in group intervention How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

Team outcomes Identify causes over which you have control Prioritize and define problems using data Set specific student goals – Intervene, not just accommodate Monitor progress – Define success using data

PLC Critical Questions What exactly do we expect all students to learn? How will we know if they’ve learned it? How will we respond when some students don’t learn it? How will we respond when some students have already learned?

Select Students who are in Need of Additional Support CBMs are used as a way to begin a conversation. Other pieces of complementary assessments are used to help in decision making As a team you will use all of the assessment data available to you to place students in interventions.

Variables Related to Student Achievement Desire to learn Strategies for learning Knowledge Skills Prior content knowledge Self-efficacy/helplessness Race Genetic potential Gender Birth Order Disposition Health Physical difference IQ Disability category Personal history Quality of instruction Pedagogical knowledge Content knowledge Quality of curriculum Quality of learning environment Quality of evaluation Quality and quantity of time/content Family income and resources Family housing Parent years of schooling Mobility Members of family Family values Socioeconomic status Family history Alterable Unalterable (hard to change) Within the studentExternal to the student

ICEL Instruction Curriculum Environment Learner

Types of Teams Tier 1 meetings Meet 3 times a year after screener is given (1/2 day) Principal, Counselor, Literacy Specialist/Title 1, Grade Level... Makes team decisions about core instruction using screening data Tier 2 meetings Meet monthly on a designated day (30-60 min) Principal, Counselor, Literacy Specialist/Title 1, Grade Level... Makes team decisions about students in interventions using progress monitoring data (continue, intensify, remove)

What does this mean for my class? This is the hardest part of the RTI system. It will eventually lead to fewer meetings. A solid agenda will help these meetings run smooth.

EBIS Team reviews screening data and places Daisy in group intervention How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

Tier 2 Strategic support: Students are placed in a program that provides moderate intervention and progress monitored weekly or twice a month

Tier II Elementary 90 minutes of core plus strategic intervention Research-based intervention program Small group min. daily Progress monitoring with CBM Secondary 45 minutes of Language Arts class 45 minutes of an additional class focusing on Reading Progress Monitoring with CBM

Interventions can be: Time consuming Disconnected Difficult to schedule Expensive Requires trained personnel

Interventions work when used correctly The most critical elements of an effective program for the prevention of reading disability at the elementary school level are: (a)the right kind and quality of instruction delivered with the (b)right level of intensity and duration to (c)the right children at the (d)right time. Joe Torgesen, “Catch Them Before They Fall”, American Educator, Spring Summer 1998

Essentials of a Successful Reading Intervention Early intervention Intense instruction High-quality instruction Sufficient duration Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia

Resources Florida Center for Reading Research – What Works Clearinghouse – Shaywitz, Overcoming Dyslexia, Chapter 19

Tier II Elementary Interventions in TTSD Ladders to Literacy PA in Young Children Road to the Code Earobics Daisy Castle Triumphs Read Naturally SFA Tutoring Phonics For Reading STARS Reading Success REWARDS Six-Minute Solution

Tier II Secondary Intervention in TTSD Middle School – Soar to Success 45 minutes/day High School – Double the time of instruction – Incorporates standard LA curriculum and research based reading strategies

What does this mean for my class? Students will likely miss some other content area. The schedule matters. You may be asked to teach an intervention group. 20% group will receive 120 minutes of reading instruction

Daisy doesn’t improve Daisy improves How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

Progress Monitoring Data Accuracy rates

Progress Monitoring Quick measure of skills in area of need Is what we are doing working?!? All students needing intervention are progress monitored Frequency and level is determined by district decision rules Weekly Twice per month Monthly

Not Purposes of Progress Monitoring Diagnose educational problems Evaluate teachers Used to grade students Used to select specific instructional goals

Make a Plan Who will conduct probes? Who will graph the information? Who will draw trendlines? Who will decide whether and instructional decision needs to be made? Do you like the decision rules? What will happen when it is time to make a special education referral?

What does this mean for my class? You may need to PM your students. You will need to look at the data to make decisions. You will have to use the data to trust it.

EBIS Team designs individualized intervention How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective

Intensive support: Students are placed in an intervention that is intense and progress monitored weekly Tier 3

Tier III Elementary 90 minutes of core plus intensive intervention – Research-based intervention program – Small group 45+ min. daily – Progress monitoring with CBM Secondary 90 minutes of alternative Language Arts course – Progress monitoring with CBM

Individualizing Reminder: 2 unsuccessful group interventions… Individual data analysis and problem solving begins Team creates an intervention plan for the student Case Manager is assigned Monitors the intervention and progress monitoring Is responsible for reporting on progress at the next monthly meeting and making sure paperwork is complete Cumulative file review is completed by team

Data Analysis Purpose: Rule out possible causes for the slow progress besides a learning disability. Students are presumed “abled” until proven “disabled”! The least likely reason a student struggles academically is that he or she has a learning disability.

Tier III Elementary Interventions in TTSD ERI Language for Learning Fast Track Phonics Reading Mastery Horizons Language for Thinking Reading Success Great Leaps Corrective Reading Secondary Interventions Language! 90 minutes a day

What does this mean for my class? You no longer “bring a child” to special education teacher A tier 3 student may miss a substantial amount of content area instruction A student who is learning disabled will receive services earlier

How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective Daisy doesn’t improve Daisy improves Intervention is intense and LD is suspected Improvement is good and other factors are suspected as cause

If progress is made Intervention is intense and LD is suspected Because the intervention is SO weighted the team believes the student could not make progress without intensive support Improvement is good and other factors are suspected as cause Through individual problem solving something else came up as the cause. The team works to solve the problem and continues to monitor the student

What does this mean for my class? You will need to work closely with specialists You may need to progress monitor these students The whole process can take weeks

How RTI Works from a Student’s Perspective Special Education referral is initiated

The team must determine that the student’s lack of progress is not primarily due to: Lack of appropriate instruction Existence of another disability Limited English proficiency Environmental or Economic Disadvantage

Dual Discrepancy – Low skills (the easier part) – Slow progress despite intensive intervention (The trickier part)

Does the Student Have Low Skills? Does the student have low skills? Core Only Core + Up to 30 Minutes of Supplemental Intervention (from the TTSD Protocol) Core + 45 Minutes of Supplemental Intervention (from the TTSD Protocol) 90 th Percentile 80 th Percentile 70 th Percentile 60 th Percentile 50 th Percentile 40 th Percentile 30 th PercentileMay Need MorePossibly LD 20 th PercentileNeeds More Likely LD 10 th PercentileNeeds More Likely LD

Is the student’s progress slow? Core Only Core + Up to 30 Minutes of Supplemental Intervention (from the TTSD Protocol) Core + 45 Minutes of Supplemental Intervention (from the TTSD Protocol) More than 150% of expected rate of growth 110 – 150% of expected rate of growth Possibly LD (See below) 95 – 110% of expected rate of growth Likely LD 81 – 95% of expected rate of growth May Need More Likely LD 80% or less of expected rate of growth Needs More Likely LD

What does this mean for my class? “Slow and Low” IS a learning disability Students who need “help” will now get instruction

Lessons It’s ok to do MTI without doing RTI Don’t try to get ready and then start Eventually you will need to jump off the cliff Principals are key players Learning disability expertise is imperative Decision rules – RULE! Train, train, train, and SUPPORT People don’t know what they don’t know

A closing thought RTI is, first and foremost, about good teaching: Even before students are formally classified as having “learning disabilities,” those who need more assistance receive additional interventions…So RTI is as much a prevention model as an identification model. - Michael Hock, WestEd

RTI from the classroom perspective Dean Richards, NBCT This presentation can be found at under presentations