1. Decision Rules: Models, Ideas & Resources
Presented by April Kelley

2. Introductions

3. Round The Room Survey What I know about decision rules…
What I want to know about decision rules…

4. Round the Room Survey
When I say, “Go”. Move around the room, sharing your responses from “What I want to know about decision rules…” and listen to the responses of others.
Meet as many as possible.
When I call “TIME” return to your seat and write as many of the responses as you can remember.
Honors the fact that people come with knowledge, gets the energy up. Need individual think time primes the brain, gives time to think won’t say something stupid. Provide time expectations and follow. Steps listed on the overhead so can know what to do. Model, give an example don’t write but keep track of key words. WHEN I SAY GO, WHEN I GIVE THE COMMAND 4

5. Round the Room Survey
At your table, pool and extend your lists. Designate one recorder and one reporter.

6. Essential Questions What are decision rules?
How do we write them?
How do we use them?
How do we effectively run data meetings?
How do we use decision rules?
What agenda should we follow?
How will we document interventions?

7. What are decision rules?
Read, Summarize, Share Activity
Have them read through the description and write a 1-2 sentence summary of what decision rules are. Then share out at their table their summaries.

8. How Decision Rules… Provide instructional guidance.
Review that decision rules are instructional guidance. Discuss the types of guidance they give us by asking this question and discussing it whole group

9. Decision Rules Include…
Assessments used
How data are validated
Program Placement
Criteria for making instructional decisions at each tier (identify students that need interventions)

10. Who uses the rules? Grade-level teams
Specialists (Title I, Special Education, Reading Coach, Counselor, etc…)
PLC’s
SATs
Can you think of anyone else that may use the rules?

11. Questions to Consider…
Are we reasonably confident that the student needs instructional support? (making sure it’s not an issue with: bad day, ill, shy, etc…)
What additional information from other assessments do we have?
What other knowledge do we have about the child?
Are we clear about the level of support needed?
Does the child need different levels of support?
Are there students that may not need additional intervention support but we want to monitor their progress more frequently? (bubble kids)

12. Decision Rules for Moving Between Tiers
Number of data points needed to determine effectiveness of intervention
Intervention Implementation Data
Intervention occurred at least __% of the time
Cannot proceed until student has completed __ intervention sessions
Integrity was checked _ (with what frequency) and was done with at least _% adherence

13. Effective Tier II and III Decision Rules
Consider…
Rate/Slope of progress
Level of performance
4/5 point rule
Trend Analysis

14. Model for Figuring Slope/Rate of Progress
Show them how to figure slope and average rate of progress using DIBELS. Use Doc camera. Explain that DIBELS PM graphs do this for them or they can do it on their own. Just be aware of the month you’re ending your instruction.
for grade level performance target

15. Will all students be able to achieve grade level performance targets?
Small Group Discussion
My thought is that we have to aim for this and work with the assumption that all students will get there but some may need more time and more help than others? (knowing very well that we may have to modify that final target for a very SMALL group of students) – severe and profound
Will all students be able to achieve grade level performance targets?

16. Ambitious Growth Rates
Explain growth rate chart in their packet.
Tell them that with some students, we may need to set some strategic goals along the way to help them get to their grade level performance. We have to set these strategic goals and modify their growth rates so we can measure growth toward the overall target in a realistic way. We’re watching for response to our interventions knowing that it may take us 1-3 years to fully catch them up. We may only be able to make 1.5 years worth of progress in a 1 year span and if they’re 3 years behind, it may take us 2 full years to catch them up.

17. Model for Figuring Individual Slope/Rate of Progress
Show them how to figure slope and average rate of progress using DIBELS. Use Doc camera. But show how to create individual goals. Model with ORF using Ambitious Growth Rates
for individual performance targets

18. DUAL DISCREPANCY LEVEL & RATE OF PROGRESS
Making adequate progress if...
Scores are at or above the established benchmark criteria for either performance OR rate of growth
What we must consider when looking at data is…(dual discrepancy)
Show dibels benchmark booklets and aimline, benchmark and explain where rate of growth is (aimline) and benchmark criteria.

19. DUAL DISCREPANCY LEVEL & RATE OF PROGRESS
Not making adequate progress if...
Scores fall below the criteria for both performance level AND rate of growth
Show dibels benchmark booklets and aimline, benchmark

20. Performance Level
To calculate a student's performance, compute the average of the last 3 probes.
If a student's average score is equal to or greater than the benchmark, the student is responding adequately to instruction.
If a student's average score is less than the specified benchmark, more intensive instruction may be warranted.
Sometimes data points are all over the place and we need something to help us make sense of them. Once option is to calculate an average performance.

21. Is this student making adequate progress?
Small Group Discussion
Is this student making adequate progress?

22. Is this student making adequate progress?
Small Group Discussion
Is this student making adequate progress?

23. Calculating Slope/Rate of Growth # of words/wk a student is gaining
Step 1: Collect the following: Score on first probe (p1) Score on last probe (p2) First administration time period. What week was it? (w1) Last administration time period. What week was it? (w2)
So, if they’re not making adequate progress or if we’re curious just how much progress their making, we can figure up their rate of growth to see how they’re doing.
We ask ourselves, just how much progress are they making?
Here’s how.

24. Calculating Slope/Rate of Growth # of words/wk a student is gaining
Example p1=1 p2=14 w1=1 w2=8

25. Calculating Slope/Rate of Growth # of words/wk a student is gaining
Step 2: Apply the formula Slope = p2-p1/w2-w1

26. Calculating Slope/Rate of Growth # of words/wk a student is gaining
Example
Slope = p2-p1/w2-w1
14-1/8-1
13/7
1.8
(gained 1.8 words/week)
Example p1=1 p2=14 w1=1 w2=8
Take a look at research-based growth rates. Is this good for a 1st grader? 2nd grader? 3rd grader? Etc.

27. Try One – 3rd grader Example Example P1=15 P2=55 W1=5 W2=14
Slope = p2-p1/w2-w1
55-15/14-5
40/9
4.4
(gained 4.4 words/week)
Example P1=15 P2=55 W1=5 W2=14
Let’s pretend this is a 3rd grader. Give me a Thumbs up if you think she’s made adequate growth and a thumbs down if you feel she didn’t.

28. 4/5 Point Data Rules Short-range estimate of a child’s progress
If… 4/5 successive data- points are found to lie above the aimline, consider:
Raising the goal
How to program for maintenance
Fading intervention (only if at benchmark)
Some decision rules use something called the 4/5 point rule.

29. 4/5 Point Data Rules Short-range estimate of a child’s progress
If… 4/5 successive data- points are found below the aimline at any time, decide how to change:
Pace of instruction
Materials being used or how they’re being used
# of opportunities to respond or have instruction
Reinforcements in place

30. 4/5 Point Data Rules Short-range estimate of a child’s progress
If… 4/5 data points are found to be clustered both above and below the aimline:
Determine how to motivate the child to perform more consistently
Gather enough data to determine a trend (7-8 data points)

31. Tukey Trend Line
Parallel to aimline = not on track to converge. Need make a change in your intervention in order to close gap.
aimline
trendline

32. Tukey Trend Line
Steeper than aimline = student is progressing well. Look for ways to maintain or fade intervention when appropriate.
aimline
trendline

33. Tukey Trend Line
Flatter than aimline = change is needed. Analyze performance and implementation data to determine the change that is needed.
aimline
trendline

34. What should we do with this student?
Small Group Discussion
What should we do with this student?

35. What should we do with this student?
Small Group Discussion
What should we do with this student?

36. What should we do with this student?
Small Group Discussion
What should we do with this student?

37. The old SAT process is like a door to sped and we need to change that practice.

38. Special Education Decision Rules
Resources:
Go to “Special Education”
Go to “Technical Assistance”
Look at documents such as:
Verification Guidelines: Revised SLD Section (PDF 2011)
Verification Guidelines: Questions and Answers (PDF 2008)
Verification Guidelines Disability Specific Videos
Verification Guidelines Disability Specific Power Point Trainings
Show how to navigate these resources.

39. What I know after visiting with NDE (Rose Dymacek)…
13 Special Education Verifications
See NDE’s verification guidelines
Discrepancy Model (20 pt gap) is only used for SLD
Use of the RTI data is only for SLD
For SLD verification, you may not have to use the discrepancy model (gap) to qualify kids IF you have enough data to support their qualification.

40. What I know after visiting with NDE (Rose Dymacek)…
As of November 2011, the state and feds have not set any cut scores for achievement tests to qualify students so it’s unclear how they qualify other than unresponsiveness to interventions and data, data, data.
There needs to be evidence that child is not performing according to peers

41. What I know after visiting with NDE (Rose Dymacek)…
There are no time guidelines for how long we must intervene before they can become a special education student. (No magic #)
In some cases, it might be a ½ semester or full semester.
Documentation MUST occur along the way
Parents can still request an evaluation and school districts must honor that.

42. Reporting Requirements
If you plan to use RTI to verify students for special education, then you must submit a plan to NDE.
Implementation Plan Template can be found at
Go to “Special Education”
Go to “Response to Intervention”
Go to “RTI Intervention Plan”

43. Submitting your RTI Plan to NDE
Currently 3 have submitted their plans but are making some revisions.
Use RTI implementation plan for NDE and attach additional documents.
NDE will not officially approved or not approved plans. Instead, they’ll just provide feedback to districts and ask if they’ve considered things if needed.

44. Decision Rules Reporting Requirements
See template descriptions and assurances checklist

45. Sample Decision Rules
Show Calvert’s modeled after the form. Show others.
Yorks, Calverts, Dorchester’s, Wilbers, McCools, Ralston

46. Which format do you like?
Team Discussion. Which format appeals the most to you at this time? How might you tweak it for your schools needs?

47. esu6rtiresources.wikispaces.com/
If they go to “decision rules” they can find resources. Show the wiki and how to navigate it. No need to join.

48. Team Time Options: Decision Rules Study NDE’s resources
Plan Staff Training
Give them some options to work on. Give them 2 min. to decide what they’re going to do and then report out what they’re going to work on. Explain that I’ll be around to help and assist as needed.
Work until 1:15 or 1:30

49. Effective Tier II and III Decision Rules
Decisions...
Increase goal
Maintain support
Decrease support
Increase support
After looking at the data and how they’re responding to our interventions, we must make the following decisions…

50. 5 Step Individual Student Problem Solving Agenda
Show sample agenda

51. Adjustment Options
Do we need to vary the frequency, vary the intensity of instruction or practice activities, or group based upon skill needs not overall status???

52. Intervention Tips Use data to group students
Intervention matches skill deficits
Students with most needs in smallest group (3-5 students)
30 minute intervention sessions 3-5 times/week

53. Questions to Consider…
Who will be delivering the intervention?
When will interventions be delivered?
What interventions will be delivered?
How often will interventions be delivered?
Who will be progress monitoring? (what tool & skill)
How will you communicate with parents and involve them?

54. Dorchester Data Meetings
What did you learn? What can you take back to your school after watching this?
What questions do you still have?
Show Dorchester Data Meeting Video
Explain that we’ve been meeting like this for over a year so the process goes smoothly and they won’t be able to easily identify each step on the agenda. We just work so well together now and review individual students so it flows like clockwork.

55. Paper/Pencil Spreadsheets Google Docs Data Tracking Options
Show my google docs spreadsheet
Explain that this is posted on the wiki along with the agenda.

56. Round the Room Survey ?’s

57. Team Time
Options:
Create your data meeting (student problem solving) plans including an agenda and documentation process.
Continue working on previous tasks

58. What did you accomplish?
2:40

59. Thank You!
Evaluation at: