Implementing RTI through Effective Behavior & Instructional Support

A Quick Review: Core Principles of RTI  We can teach all children  Intervene early  Use a multi-tiered model of service delivery  Use a problem-solving method within the multi-tiered model  Use research-based, scientifically validated interventions/instruction, to the extent available  Monitor student progress to inform instruction  Use data to make decisions  Use assessment to screen, diagnose and monitor RtI: Policy Considerations and Implementation, National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 2005

TTSD Demographics  17 Schools, 12,000+ students 10 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high, 1 charter, 1 alternative  Special Programs participation 1,200 Special Education (10%) 1,800 English Language Learners (15%) 1,500 Talented and Gifted (12%)  Socio-economic status Title 1 in 6 elementary schools Free/Reduced ranges from 7% to 58%

7 pilot elementary schools implement EBS Board adopts EBS district- wide: 5 more schools implement Remaining (2) schools implement; ongoing training & leadership EBIS OSEP Grant: Reading & Special Education initiatives incorporated 2001 Secondary School focus utilizing Title IVa 2003 TTSD Develops the RTI Technical Assistance Manual for ODE ODE Contracts with TTSD to Train 23 School Oregon Districts to Develop & Implement RTI EBS/EBIS Implementation Timeline

Academic SystemsBehavioral Systems 1-5% 5-10% 80% 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 District-Wide Systems for Success

ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE QUALITY BEHAVIOR AND ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION AND SUPPORT All Students Are Screened for Additional Instructional Needs (Fall, Winter & Spring DIBELS, IDEL, OAKS, ODRs, etc.) Small Group Interventions are designed by teacher teams with EBIS support Interventions are further individual- ized EBIS EARLY IDENTIFICATION PROCESS Tigard-Tualatin School District, Tigard, Oregon TEAMWORK TIMELINES: EBIS teams meet fall, winter & spring to review data and make decisions about school-wide progress. EBIS teams/Grade level teacher teams meet monthly to review data, plan and adjust interventions. DECISION RULES: 80% Decision Rule: If 80% of students are not meeting benchmarks, review core program(s). 20% Decision Rule: Students below the 20 th percentile in academic skills and/or with chronic behavior needs* are placed in small group interventions. Individualize Instruction Rule: When students fail to progress after two (2) consecutive small group interventions, move to the individual level. Refer for Special Education Evaluation Rule: When students fail to progress after one individually designed intervention. Change Small Group or Individual Interventions Rule: When progress data is below aimline on three (3) to four (4) consecutive days, or when eight (8) data points produce a flat or a decreasing trendline. *More than 5 absences or more than 3 counseling or discipline referrals in a 30 day period

Daisy participates in the general curriculum EBIS Team reviews screening data and places Daisy in group intervention Daisy isn’t doing well Daisy improves Daisy improves EBIS Team determines individually designed intervention Resumes general program Daisy doesn’t improve Daisy doesn’t improve Special Education referral is initiated Daisy probably recycles Daisy may recycle Intervention is intense and LD is suspected Improvement is good and other factors are suspected as cause How RTI Works from a Student Perspective

EBIS is a structured, systematic process featuring…  Team membership  School wide planning  Identifying the 20% group  Monthly meetings  Individualizing interventions  Referral to special education  Reread Overview of EBIS (pages 1-3)pages 1-3

Team membership  Principal Leadership*  Classroom Teachers*  Title I Specialist/Reading Coach*  School Counselor*  Learning Specialist  ELL Teacher  Classified Staff *Essential team members

School-wide Planning: Is the core program meeting the needs of 80% of the students? Academic data to review three times/year:  DIBELS Data Reports Program Effectiveness  Student Achievement on OAKS-% below, at, exceeding benchmark  Sub-test performance, especially for students falling below benchmark levels  PET-R Planning & Evaluation Tool for School-wide Planning Behavior data to review three times/year:  SET-EBS School-wide Evaluation Tool  Office Discipline Referral trends Who (grade, gender, ethnic group) What Where When  Attendance trends

If the 80% Criterion is not being met: Options to consider …  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?

Change options continued...  Math: Skill grouping by class or grade? Identifying and emphasizing specific strands? Adequate allocated time for instruction each day? Fluency issues, e.g., facts?  Behavior: Is the school-wide program fully implemented?  Identifying and teaching to a small, clear set of rules?  Reinforcement systems in place?  Data being used for program/activities planning?  Systems for correction in place?

Decision Rules  Kindergarten (page 5)page 5 AND  Grades 1-5 (page 6)page 6  Activity: 10 minutes Review in school teams Write down on a sticky: 1 thing you liked and one question that you need answered

Planning for the 20% Level Students Step 1: In fall, winter and spring, the EBIS team (or representatives) meet with grade level teachers to identify students needing supplemental instruction based on rules:  Complete the EBIS Group Intervention and Planning Form (page 4)page 4  Design group interventions  Academics & Behavior: see protocols (pages 21-26) Academics & Behavior: see protocols (pages 21-26)  Plan progress monitoring (use prescribed guidelines)

Selecting Interventions  Resources ns/science_research.pdf ns/science_research.pdf  Considerations Research base Logistics Cost Training Fidelity

Planning for the 20% cont.  Activity: 30 minutes  Review and discuss the Group Intervention and Planning Form and Academic and Behavior Protocols  Record questions and comments

Monthly team meetings Step 2: EBIS teams convene monthly to evaluate the progress of all students involved in interventions to:  Analyze aimlines and/or trendlines, and :  Modify intervention when 4 data points fall below the aimline. Use the Options for Change Worksheet (pg. 20), note change, modify aimline, and implementpg. 20  If data is highly variable, maintain current intervention for another month to establish a trendline  Follow guidelines for progress monitoring  Activity: 10 minutes  Review Option Worksheet  Write down questions

An example...

Monthly meetings continued... If progress trend continues to fall below aimline for two consecutive intervention periods, individualize the student’s program

Individualizing Reminder/Decision Rules: 2 unsuccessful group interventions…  Case Manager is assigned and:  Completes the EBIS Action Plan (page 16)page 16  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 using the Individual Problem Solving Worksheet (pages 12-15)pages  Complete a Functional Behavior Assessment if needed

Individualizing continued...  If this level of individually-designed intervention is not successful, a special education referral is made.  The referral form should be accompanied by the Student Intervention Profile (page 7) and the Individual Problem Solving Worksheetpage 7

Parent Participation  EBIS meeting invitation (pages 8-9)pages 8-9  Developmental History (pages 10-11)pages  RTI pamphlet**  En español**

Daisy participates in the general curriculum* EBIS Team reviews screening data and places Daisy in group intervention* Daisy isn’t doing well Daisy improves Daisy improves EBIS Team determines individually designed intervention* Resumes general program* Daisy doesn’t improve Daisy doesn’t improve Special Education referral is initiated* Daisy probably recycles Daisy may recycle Intervention is intense and LD is suspected Improvement is good and other factors are suspected as cause RTI and Parent Participation*

Activity: 20 minutes  Review the Student Intervention Profile and the Individual Problem Solving Worksheet  Discuss and write down questions

Bottom Line … Teams review data monthly, and determine based on decision rules, if the student should:  Continue in the current intervention  Return to the core program  Have the intervention revised  Move to the individualized level  Be referred for special education

Team Structures … Let’s talk about some ideas!!!

All K-5 students are tested with DIBELS. Other data is gathered (academic, behavior, attendance) EBIS Team reviews data with each grade level teacher team to identify lowest 20%. Interventions and progress monitoring are planned by team and teachers, and implemented by teachers for 3-4 weeks. EBIS and teachers review intervention progress Revise and implement 2nd group intervention, monitor progress EBIS Team uses Problem Solving format to explore alternative explanations for lack of progress, develops individualized intervention Special Education referral is initiated + Progress - Progress Continue intervention for another cycle and monitor progress Resume general program Intervention is so intense, LD is suspected Now, what does the team think? Improvement appears related to other factors The Flow of EBIS Teamwork at Metzger Elementary From: Effective Behavior and Instructional Support: A District Model for Early Identification and Prevention of Reading and Behavior Disabilities, Sadler & Sugai, 2006, in press. Do not use without permission from author

EBIS TEAM Meets weekly Includes principal, counselor, literacy specialist, special education, ELL specialist, and teacher representatives from each grade level Monitors all students in small group and individual interventions Oversees RTI fidelity and makes referrals to special education GRADE LEVEL TEAMS Meet monthly Plan, implement and monitor interventions for 20% group, with EBIS team support EBS TEAM Meets Twice Monthly Plans & implements school-wide supports INDIVIDUAL STUDENT CASE MANAGEMENT Implements and progress monitors students in intensive interventions (RTI process) Example Team Structure: Tualatin Elementary School CONTENT AREA TEAMS Meet Monthly Recommend curriculum and instructional improvements across all content areas: Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Behavior

Process Checks/Accountability  The Role of the Learning Specialist (page 17)page 17  Checklist for LD eligibility report **  Team Implementation Checklists Gauging EBIS Implementation (page 18)page 18 Assessing and Planning EBIS team process (page 19)page 19  EBS School Wide Evaluation Tool (SET, site visit)  Planning & Evaluation Tool for Reading (PET-R)  Summative data analysis

Continued: Fidelity Checklists  10 minute activity: In teams, review the checklists we’ve provided and decide what you still need. If a program does not have a fidelity checklist developed, you may opt to create your own.

Outcomes Trends in TTSD identification rates  Students who reach formal referral nearly always turn out to be eligible.  Prior to EBIS, very few students were qualified before 3 rd or 4 th grade.

Identifying LD Earlier in TTSD Kindergarten00 First Grade812 Second Grade1949

Referral to Special Education  From EBIS Referral Packet  From Parents  Other than LD

Treasure Hunt: 15 minutes  With a partner, answer the following: What are acceptable and unacceptable roles for special education staff? How often are parents informed/included in the EBIS process? How often are students progress monitored? Name 2 reading and 2 behavior interventions used in TTSD.