OSEP UPDATE 2006 Lou Danielson Director Research to Practice Division U.S. Office of Special Education Programs August 2, 2006

Remarks & Updates Today  Response to Intervention  Reauthorization  Scale Up / Evaluation / Sustainability  OSEP and NCSER/IES Collaboration  Performance Measures  Comprehensive Plan  Competition Update

 SEELs analysis of the 2% kids 50% LD All had markedly low achievement & low slope RTI is not just about children with learning disabilities

What is Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI)? 1. Implementation of a differentiated curriculum with different instructional methods 2. Two or more tiers of increasingly intense scientific, research-based interventions 3. Instructional intensity addressed through duration, frequency and time of interventions, group size, and instructor skill level 4. Individual problem-solving model or standardized intervention protocol for intervention tiers

What is Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI)? (continued) 5. Screening and progress monitoring to assess entire class progress and individual student progress 6. Explicit decision rules for assessing learners’ progress (e.g., level and/or rate) 7. Fidelity measures to assess consistency of instructional methods and curriculum

EIS Provides an Assessment /Intervention Framework within General Education  Early intervening services (EIS) is a process for ensuring students receive “appropriate learning experiences” in general education  The student’s response to EIS is very informative if a disability is considered as an explanation of the child’s difficulties  RTI can be used as a component of SLD determination to assure the child’s difficulties are adequately addressed

Implementing an RTI Approach: 5 Dimensions 1. Number of tiers (2-5; this example uses 3) 2. Nature of preventive intervention Individualized (e.g., problem solving) Standardized scientific research-based protocol 3. How at-risk students are identified Percentile cut on norm-referenced test (screening) Cut-point on curriculum-based measurement (CBM) with 5 weeks of CBM progress monitoring

Implementing an RTI Approach: 5 Dimensions (continued) 4. How ‘response’ is defined Final status on norm-referenced test or using a benchmark Improvement from pretest to posttest CBM slope and final status 5. What happens to nonresponders Comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation to distinguish:  specific learning disability (SLD)  behavioral disability (BD)  mental retardation (MR)  speech-language impairment (SLI)

Implications of EIS and RTI for all of the Part D Program Areas

Lessons Learned from TA&D Investments  Most schools in the U.S. are not implementing the best that we know  When strategic technical assistance support is provided, schools are successful in adopting the evidence based practices  Once schools adopt practices to criterion and see positive impact they are likely to sustain those practices over time  Investing in local demonstration and building local level infrastructures of support are critical components of the research to practice continuum

Scale Up Implementation & Sustainability

Conference  Important role of special education – Taking the time to make special education special again  Describing what high quality good innovations practices and programs look like and learning from good practice  Continuing to strive for making sure what we know to be best for kids is what is happening in schools every day

Reauthorization  Regulations will be released tomorrow  Expectations are high for the important role each of us in this room will play  Rollout Plan  Web casts, Regional Meetings, TA Materials

Reauthorization  Stakes are high – each of you will play an important role – some of you will play critical roles  Critical issues with high accountability will be top priorities at the local level and will likely drive the national focus for the next decade  NCLBAssessmentHQT Instruction & LearningEarly Intervention RTI with a focused role for special education

Research to Practice Continuum

Philosophy of Research to Practice Framework 1. Knowledge production and development; 2. Knowledge transfer and utilization such as personnel preparation and technical assistance; and 3. Knowledge implementation evaluation

Performance Measures  New Importance and Urgency  PART ratings – results not demonstrated  Be aware of Part B & C performance measures  Today’s Program Area Meetings Discussion with the Contractors from ORC/macro Information on continuation and final reports  Expect letters in January/February  Reports due in May

Comprehensive Planning  Updated you on this last year  Report is almost cleared for publication in federal register for comment  Encourage you to comment – especially positive ones – this plan will set the stage for future funding activities

Competitions  We are behind schedule Panels in mid-August for personnel preparation and leadership  We are ahead of schedule  Leadership, Personnel Preparation and Steppingstones should be announced in the next couple of weeks and be paneled before the holidays

 Next Year’s Conference Dates: July 16-18, 2007 Three full days Program area meetings  2007 Conference Planning Committee will meet in September 2006