1. Response to Intervention
Family Guide toRtI
RtI – Important for parents to know what it is; process that schools across the country are using to make sure that ALL kids are successful and learning what they need to know
Workshop will cover:
The basics of RtI – give parents enough knowledge to ask good questions about the RtI process in their child’s school
How RtI fits into Special Education
How they can support their child in a RtI system
Response to Intervention

2. Developed by: In Cooperation With:
DPI discretionary grant - second year

3. Questions What do we want students to know?
How do we know if they know it?
What do we do if
they don’t know it?
In order for parents to better understand RtI and what that has to do with making sure that their child learns in school;
These are the three basic educational questions, this is where we start

4. CURRICULUM What is Being Taught
The answer to the first question Explain that the curriculum is what we want kids to know at each grade level. Each grade level has their own curriculum and each subject has its own curriculum. In MPS, the district is working towards making sure that every school has the same curriculum at each grade level.

5. ASSESSMENT
A process that gives teachers information about students’ knowledge and skills
The answer the second question
Emphasize that not all assessments are done with paper and pencil; that there are many different ways teachers find out what students know or don’t know (observation, conversation, computer tests, projects, group work, etc.)

6. INTERVENTION
An action or program put in place to improve the progress of students who are struggling or who need extra challenges.
The answer to the third question
Talk about the more, extra, different; most of the time in smaller groups, one-on-one, tailored to meet individual student needs, extra practice, opportunities for students to respond
Also, talk about the “more” for students who are above benchmark

7. Steps to Make Sure ALL Students Learn
Use High-Quality, Research- Based Materials and Instruction
Assess students to decide who needs extra help
Make sure educators and parents work together to make decisions
Emphasize steps, and say that the next two slides will talk about high-quality and research-based materials

8. What is High-Quality Instruction?
It is about finding out what works for each child and doing it.
This explanation implies that we have set a curriculum that meets the academic goals of the district and state for each grade level and that it can be easily differentiated (or adapted) to meet the educational needs of each and every child.

9. What does Research-Based mean?
Ways of teaching that have been proven to work to help children learn specific skills.
Read slide and FOCUS ON phrase “PROVEN TO WORK”
Depending on the needs of a community, groups, and individuals, materials and instructional methods may need to be different. We will get to data, but the data will inform us if our materials and instructional methods are effective. Start with materials and instructional methods that reach everyone.

10. Questions to Ask
What are the instructional materials being used in my child’s classroom?
What does the research say
about the effectiveness of
these materials?
What things are my child expected to learn this year?
Some questions parents can ask about the curriculum that their children are receiving, or practices/strategies being used in their child’s classroom.

11. WE MAY WISH THAT………… All students would learn everything we
try to teach
them the first
time we teach
it. BUT………
EVERY CHILD IS AN INDIVIDUAL
Talk about the importance of adopting the attitude that one size does NOT fill all. Every child is an individual and while a school’s regular course of study may reach a lot of children, in some cases it might not even reach MOST of the children. We have to rely on data or information to figure how and what we need to change or add to in order for ALL students to succeed.
Talk about that for some students they do learn the information we teach them the first time and how the RtI framework is for all students. For students who this may apply to the RtI system includes an emphasis on how to advance students as well.

12. We cannot wait for a child to fail
We cannot wait for a child to fail. We must take action when the child begins to struggle in school. We must also take action to advance students.
Action Needed!
We cannot continue to wait for students to fail before we give them the help that they need. We must take action when children first begin to struggle with academics or behaviors that interfere with learning.
We must also take action to also advance students.

13. The Process or Journey is called RtI
Explain the R = response or reaction to; t = to; I = Intervention or something more, extra, or different that we do in order to improve the progress for students who are struggling or need advancement.
Process to what? Figuring out how to support students who are struggling or who need advancement and at what level of support (a little bit – to a lot of help) to offer.

14. Building Steps of Support for All Students
Main course of study and instruction for ALL students
MORE support for struggling students
Or for students who need more challenge
MOST support for students with the most need
Or for students who need a more challenging curriculum
Main course of study and instruction is called the regular curriculum
Given the many and different needs of students, schools are building in support to better meet the needs of all students so that students who are not meeting grade level expectations are provided with more (and most) support to help them achieve expectations. This is often defined in terms of tiers, levels, or steps of supports:
Tier 1, represented here by the green dot, involves the core curriculum and instruction that all students get. The standard curriculum can typically meet the needs of students who are meeting grade level expectations.
Tier 2, represented by the yellow dot, involves supports that are provided in addition to the core for students who are at-risk or need more of a challenge
Tier 3, represented by the red dot, involves more intense supports that are provided in addition to the core for a smaller number of students with the highest level of need or who need significantly more advancement.

15. What is RtI?
Response to Intervention is a way of teaching students that makes sure ALL students receive a High-Quality Education
It includes steps to provide extra help to those students who struggle or need more challenges
The progress that students make at each step is checked often
This data (information) is used to make decisions about the next steps that need to be taken
Talk about Data - information
Talk about progress monitoring-paying close attention to how the students are doing when the extra instruction or intervention is put into place
Talk about the word fidelity- (FOI) Is the extra instruction or intervention being delivered correctly or the way it was intended to be done?
Talk about problem-solving

16. IMPORTANT!!
RtI is a REGULAR EDUCATION Process

17. Wisconsin’s RtI Vision
Use this slide as a reference point for saying that Wisconsin is one of the states that makes it a priority to pay attention to the background and culture of students when making educational decisions. In addition, Wisconsin includes collaboration or people working together (which includes parents) to support all students especially those who are struggling. Wisconsin uses a circle picture to show that, like a wheel, all parts have to be equally in balance for the wheel to roll properly (think flat tire).

18. What are the STEPS (or TIERS)?
In a RtI system, the STEPS to helping all students succeed are called TIERS.
Most school districts, including MPS, use a 3-STEP or 3-TIER system.
Use the term Tiers and tie it to the word picture of Steps

19. MPS Support System
This is the picture that MPS uses to show how their RtI system works to support students, both those who need extra help and those who need higher levels of academic challenges.

20. How Do We Decide Who Needs Extra Help?
Pay attention to and honor students’ background and culture
Assess students to find out what they know
Explain the concept of a 3-legged stool. All three things listed on the slide are needed in order to make a good decision concerning a child. If one of the pieces of information is missing, then the team will not have enough data to make a good decision. Just like a 3-legged stool, if one leg is missing, the stool will fall down.
Assessments for different purposes
Universal Screening (for all students) to see where students are at (3X a year). On a school and district level, outcome data provide information to determine how we are doing overall at the school and district level in meeting the needs of all students. Such tools include: State assessments (Illinois Standards Achievement Test, or ISAT, for grades 3-8 and the Prairie State Achievement Exam, or PSAE, for grade 11) and national assessments such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP (for grades 4, 8 and 12). Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, that we discussed earlier (under Diagnostic Assessment), can also be used to measure overall outcomes.
Progress monitoring (assessments that are taken more often 1 or more times per week) to see if students who are getting extra help are making progress
In order to determine if the instruction/intervention is a match to student needs, sometimes, students are given assessments that will help a teacher decide how best a student learns, or what topics interest a student.
On an individual student level, progress monitoring data is collected every week in order to determine how much growth the student has made with the changes in instruction/intervention. Tools are used that are designed to be sensitive to academic growth, such as, curriculum-based measures like AIMSweb and DIBELS that can be used for both universal screening (which we just discussed) and progress monitoring. In addition, common assessments are another example that typically are created collaboratively by a team of teachers responsible for the same grade level or course and are administered frequently across the school year. These assessments provide information to students and educators during the teaching/learning process and provide important information for differentiating instruction. We can also use data from progress monitoring tools to look at groups of students across time and see if a particular intervention is successful. For example, if we have had 20 students in a given intervention and none of these students “closed the gap” between where they were before receiving the intervention and where they were after a reasonable amount of time, we have to question the effectiveness of that intervention.
Identify Student Strengths and Weaknesses

21. WHAT is STEP or TIER 1? The Foundation
The Main Course of Study and Instruction that All Students Receive
Supports MOST of the Students
These are key features of Tier 1.
Tier 1 is the foundation and involves:
General curriculum, which is the main course of study and instruction that all students receive in the general education classroom
High quality instruction shown by research to be effective
Materials are used for the intended purpose, or with fidelity
Teachers differentiate instruction by using a variety of instructional methods matched to varying student skill needs within the classroom
Universal screening is used to assess student skills

22. Who’s Doing OK? Who Needs Help?
Teachers use many tools to help them find out who’s doing OK, who needs more help, or who needs more challenges.
Universal Screener
Classroom-Based Assessments
State Tests
Observations
Talk about MAP but also some other assessments that give teachers information such as classroom assessments, the WKCE or state test taken in November, observations, DIBELS, Aims Web etc.
MPS doesn’t really use the state test to determine if a student is doing ok, needs more help, or additional challenge since it doesn’t provide timely data.

23. What is the MAP Test? The MAP test is a test taken on a computer.
This test shows teachers what each student knows in the areas of Reading and Math.
The test is different for each child.
Depending on the audience, MAP may not be the universal screener for their student.
The computer builds a test for each child based upon how they answer the questions given to them.
--In order to catch students who are struggling, (or to catch students who need advancement) before it gets to be a big problem, schools screen, or test, assess, etc. student progress on basic skills (e.g., reading, math, language,)
--These data are used to identify students who are meeting or exceeding expectations/standards and students who are not meeting expectations/standards (either above or below the grade-level expectation). Screening assessments are not long and involved tests but rather are a quick way to gather data on all students. Other sources of data can include changes in student attendance rates and office discipline referrals to identify student behavioral needs.

24. How Do We Help Students Who Are Struggling or Who Need Additional Challenges?
Who is scoring above or below the benchmark?
Did the plan work?
Why is it happening?
Talk about the problem-solving process.
For example, a 1-min. test to see how many words a student can read correctly in one minute or how many math problems they can do in one minute, or how many numbers a child can identify in one minute or how many letter sounds a student knows, tools referred to as AIMSweb or DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills), which also allows for quick and easy ways to find out what a student knows.
--For students who are not meeting expectations, or who are exceeding expectations, more assessments are done to help pinpoint skill areas that need to be worked on or advanced. This information is then used to identify different ways to further develop or advance skills that they need.
--These assessments take more time to administer as they provide detailed information of strengths and weaknesses in a specified area (e.g., reading, math, behavior) from multiple sources. Examples include:
Unit benchmark tests (presenters, explain what these are);
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are computerized assessments that are used to identify what students know and what they’re ready to learn in such areas as reading and math. This test can be used for different purposes, either as a screener (refer to previous slide) or as a more involved test to diagnose (figure out) where the student needs extra instruction or to diagnose in what academic areas advancement is needed.
--While screening data give us a broad indication of who is at benchmark standards, diagnostic data help us understand more fully why these students may be above or below expectations.
What should be done about it?
(Make a plan).

25. Opportunities to Respond Skill Building Opportunities
WHAT is STEP or TIER 2?
Extra
Some Students
Step 2 is like the extra stuff you pile on top of a hamburger.
Key features of Tier 2:
More time
More explicit instruction
More support
More opportunities to respond
More opportunities for feedback
More skill building
More practice
More powerful motivational support
More frequent monitoring of progress (1X a week)
EXTRA
Time
Support
Practice
Opportunities to Respond
Skill Building Opportunities

26. HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT’S WORKING?
We MONITOR and ANALYZE DATA (or information)
We monitor (watch, pay attention to) how students are doing and analyze (look at, make decisions about) the data, (the information we are getting).
How do we know if the Key features of Tier 2 are working
More time
More explicit instruction
More support
More opportunities to respond
More opportunities for feedback
More skill building
More practice
More powerful motivational support
More frequent monitoring of progress (1X a week)
Are They Working? Use the data: Keep going or change it, add to it etc.

27. Questions About Interventions
The Extra Stuff
Who decides what interventions are right for my child?
How will I be informed?
Is the teacher trained to use the interventions?
How will the team decide if my child is making progress?
Remind audience about what an intervention is, bring back the hamburger picture (interventions are like the stuff you pile on a hamburger, the extras) emphasize that the more involved the parent is (asking questions, insisting on being informed of progress, celebrating victories) the chances that the child will make progress increases

28. Making Progress?
Tell the audience the following: This is a graph of a progress monitoring tool called DIBELS, a tool that measures reading progress (can be different things, in this case it is the number of letter sounds Oliver produces correctly in one minute; it can also measure how many words a student reads correctly in one minute).
Bottom of the graph documents the number of weeks that the intervention has been in place.
The red dotted line shows where the teacher wants Oliver to be performing by the end of 20 weeks.
The black solid line is called the Aimline a way of showing where Oliver is heading based upon the data
Blue solid line was the first aimline, but it changed in about week 14 and started heading upward so the aimline was changed.
Making progress, Yes, by week 20 Oliver had reached his goal.

29. Opportunities to Respond Skill Building Opportunities
WHAT is STEP or TIER 3?
Few Students
The MOST amount of Extra Help
EXTRA
Time
Support
Practice
Opportunities to Respond
Skill Building Opportunities
At this level, there should be a variety of people working together to assist a particular child
Important to emphasize that this level of support is similar to tier 2 only the MOST time, MOST explicit instruction, MOST support, MOST opportunities to respond and receive feedback, MOST skill building etc. Carry over ideas from Tier 2, previous slide in a summary statement…
Higher level of intensity than Tier II. Typically provided in a small group or one-on-one.
Interventions are tailored specifically to meet the needs of each student.
Progress monitoring as often as weekly.

30. Questions How can I get my questions answered?
How can I support my child at home?
Are there materials available that I can use with my child at home?
Make sure to praise your
child for any progress or
general improvement
in the areas of concern.
Talk a little about the problem solving process refer to previous slide, tell parents that they should be involved and attend these meetings

31. Support at Home Read to your child or have them read to you every day.
Play games that require your child to rhyme words, count, identify colors, add and subtract
Limit TV and video games
Talk about all of the ways parents can support learning at home including providing a place and time set aside for doing homework. Ask for more ideas from the audience.
Talk to your child

32. Where Does Special Education Fit in?
RtI is a Regular Education Initiative
Data or information from a RtI process can be used in a Special Education evaluation
Students with IEPs can receive some of the same interventions as students without IEPs
Few
Some
Talk a little bit about the triangle and how many school districts use it to demonstrate the main ideas of RtI
A student may need special education services if progress monitoring data show:
The student continues to struggle and is not making enough progress to catch up to classmates, even with a lot of interventions OR
The student is making progress, but continues to need specialized supports and services in order to keep up the progress and participate in the general education curriculum
Most

33. Questions
When can I meet with the team to find out how my child is doing?
Is the extra support working for my child or is it time to make a special education referral?
How will the data collected in the RtI process be used in the special education evaluation process?
Talk about the previous slides concerning how Rti fits into a special education evaluation. Tell parents that the RtI process cannot stop a parent from asking for a SPED evaluation if the parent or guardian requests one.

34. RtI and SPED Referrals
Does my child have to go through RtI interventions before I can make a Special Education referral?
Emphasize that while it may be in your child’s best interest to receive interventions before a SPED evaluation is made, it is not required. If you as a parent want a SPED evaluation, it is your right to ask for one.
The answer is no, you can make an evaluation request at any time.
Developed by WSPEI, revised 2/14/11

35. SPEAK UP ASK QUESTIONS
Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand something that the school is doing.
Be willing to work as a partner with the school.
Insist on being informed.
Ask if there are any questions, anything that someone wants to review or have clarified.

36. SUMMARY RtI is a process that helps ALL students learn.
RtI provides steps of support for students who are struggling or are in need of more challenges.
RtI is successful when parents
and school staff work together.
RtI cannot stop a parent from
receiving a special education
referral for their child.
Ask if there are any questions, comments, anything that someone wants to go over again

37. For More Information Visit the web @
Talk about the resources available on the internet.