Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: An Overview for Elementary Schools Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: An Overview for Elementary Schools Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI & Elementary Schools: Agenda… 1.RTI: An Introduction 2.Tiers 1, 2 & 3: Description 3.RTI Problem-Solving Teams 4.Review of RTI Web Resources to Support Schools

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 3 “The quality of a school as a learning community can be measured by how effectively it addresses the needs of struggling students.” --Wright (2005) Source: Wright, J. (2005, Summer). Five interventions that work. NAESP Leadership Compass, 2(4) pp.1,6.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 4 School Instructional Time: The Irreplaceable Resource “In the average school system, there are 330 minutes in the instructional day, 1,650 minutes in the instructional week, and 56,700 minutes in the instructional year. Except in unusual circumstances, these are the only minutes we have to provide effective services for students. The number of years we have to apply these minutes is fixed. Therefore, each minute counts and schools cannot afford to support inefficient models of service delivery.” p. 177 Source: Batsche, G. M., Castillo, J. M., Dixon, D. N., & Forde, S. (2008). Best practices in problem analysis. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp. 177-193).

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 5 RTI Assumption: Struggling Students Are ‘Typical’ Until Proven Otherwise… RTI logic assumes that: –A student who begins to struggle in general education is typical, and that –It is general education’s responsibility to find the instructional strategies that will unlock the student’s learning potential Only when the student shows through well-documented interventions that he or she has ‘failed to respond to intervention’ does RTI begin to investigate the possibility that the student may have a learning disability or other special education condition.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 6 Essential Elements of RTI (Fairbanks, Sugai, Guardino, & Lathrop, 2007) 1.A “continuum of evidence-based services available to all students" that range from universal to highly individualized & intensive 2.“Decision points to determine if students are performing significantly below the level of their peers in academic and social behavior domains" 3.“Ongoing monitoring of student progress" 4.“Employment of more intensive or different interventions when students do not improve in response" to lesser interventions 5.“Evaluation for special education services if students do not respond to intervention instruction" Source: Fairbanks, S., Sugai, G., Guardino, S., & Lathrop, M. (2007). Response to intervention: Examining classroom behavior support in second grade. Exceptional Children, 73, p. 289.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 7 RTI ‘Pyramid of Interventions’ Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 1: Universal interventions. Available to all students in a classroom or school. Can consist of whole-group or individual strategies or supports. Tier 2 Individualized interventions. Subset of students receive interventions targeting specific needs. Tier 3: Intensive interventions. Students who are ‘non- responders’ to Tiers 1 & 2 are referred to the RTI Team for more intensive interventions.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org NYSED RTI Guidance Memo: April 2008 Source: DeLorenzo, J. P., & Stevens, J. C. (April 2008). Implementation of response to intervention programs. [Memorandum issued by New York State Education Department]. Retrieved November 25, 2008, from http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/RTI.htm

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 9

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org The Regents policy framework for RtI: 4.Authorizes the use of RtI in the State's criteria to determine learning disabilities (LD) and requires, effective July 1, 2012, that all school districts have an RtI program in place as part of the process to determine if a student in grades K-4 is a student with a learning disability in the area of reading. “ Effective on or after July 1, 2012, a school district shall not use the severe discrepancy criteria to determine that a student in kindergarten through grade four has a learning disability in the area of reading.” [8 NYCRR section 200.4(j)] 10 Source: DeLorenzo, J. P., & Stevens, J. C. (April 2008). Implementation of response to intervention programs. [Memorandum issued by New York State Education Department]. Retrieved November 25, 2008, from http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/policy/RTI.htm

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 12 Source: New York State Education Department. (October 2010). Response to Intervention: Guidance for New York State School Districts. Retrieved November 10, 2010, from http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/RTI/guidance-oct10.pdf; p. 12

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 13 Tier 1 Core Instruction Tier I core instruction: Is universal—available to all students. Can be delivered within classrooms or throughout the school. Is an ongoing process of developing strong classroom instructional practices to reach the largest number of struggling learners. All children have access to Tier 1 instruction/interventions. Teachers have the capability to use those strategies without requiring outside assistance. Tier 1 instruction encompasses: The school’s core curriculum. Al published or teacher-made materials used to deliver that curriculum. Teacher use of ‘whole-group’ teaching & management strategies. Tier I instruction addresses this question: Are strong classroom instructional strategies sufficient to help the student to achieve academic success?

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 14 Tier I (Classroom) Intervention Tier 1 intervention: Targets ‘red flag’ students who are not successful with core instruction alone. Uses ‘evidence-based’ strategies to address student academic or behavioral concerns. Must be feasible to implement given the resources available in the classroom. Tier I intervention addresses the question: Does the student make adequate progress when the instructor uses specific academic or behavioral strategies matched to the presenting concern?

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 16 Complementary RTI Models: Standard Treatment & Problem-Solving Protocols “The two most commonly used RTI approaches are (1) standard treatment and (2) problem- solving protocol. While these two approaches to RTI are sometimes described as being very different from each other, they actually have several common elements, and both fit within a problem-solving framework. In practice, many schools and districts combine or blend aspects of the two approaches to fit their needs.” Source: Duffy, H. (August 2007). Meeting the needs of significantly struggling learners in high school. Washington, DC: National High School Center. Retrieved from http://www.betterhighschools.org/pubs/ p. 5

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 17 RTI Interventions: Standard-Treatment vs. Problem-Solving There are two different vehicles that schools can use to deliver RTI interventions: Standard-Protocol (Standalone Intervention). Programs based on scientifically valid instructional practices (‘standard protocol’) are created to address frequent student referral concerns. These services are provided outside of the classroom. A middle school, for example, may set up a structured math-tutoring program staffed by adult volunteer tutors to provide assistance to students with limited math skills. Students referred for a Tier II math intervention would be placed in this tutoring program. An advantage of the standard- protocol approach is that it is efficient and consistent: large numbers of students can be put into these group interventions to receive a highly standardized intervention. However, standard group intervention protocols often cannot be individualized easily to accommodate a specific student’s unique needs. Problem-solving (Classroom-Based Intervention). Individualized research-based interventions match the profile of a particular student’s strengths and limitations. The classroom teacher often has a large role in carrying out these interventions. A plus of the problem-solving approach is that the intervention can be customized to the student’s needs. However, developing intervention plans for individual students can be time-consuming.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 19 Tier 2: Supplemental (Group-Based) Interventions (Standard Treatment Protocol) Tier 2 interventions are typically delivered in small-group format. About 15% of students in the typical school will require Tier 2/supplemental intervention support. Group size for Tier 2 interventions is limited to 4-7 students. Students placed in Tier 2 interventions should have a shared profile of intervention need. Programs or practices used in Tier 2 interventions should be ‘evidence-based’. The progress of students in Tier 2 interventions are monitored at least 2 times per month. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 21 Tier 3: Intensive Individualized Interventions (Problem-Solving Protocol) Tier 3 interventions are the most intensive offered in a school setting. Students qualify for Tier 3 interventions because: –they are found to have a large skill gap when compared to their class or grade peers; and/or –They did not respond to interventions provided previously at Tiers 1 & 2. Tier 3 interventions are provided daily for sessions of 30 minutes or more. The student-teacher ratio is flexible but should allow the student to receive intensive, individualized instruction. The reading progress of students in Tier 3 interventions is monitored at least weekly. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 22 Team Activity: Rate Your Elementary School’s ‘RTI Readiness’ p. 5 In your elbow groups: Review the RTI implementation survey in your packet Rate your school on this survey. Discuss how ‘RTI ready’ your school is at the present time.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 1: Developing the Capacity for Classroom Teachers to Become Intervention ‘First Responders’ Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org The Key Role of Classroom Teachers in RTI: 6 Steps 1.The teacher defines the student academic or behavioral problem clearly. 2.The teacher decides on the best explanation for why the problem is occurring. 3.The teacher selects ‘evidence-based’ interventions. 4.The teacher documents the student’s Tier 1 intervention plan. 5.The teacher monitors the student’s response (progress) to the intervention plan. 6.The teacher knows what the next steps are when a student fails to make adequate progress with Tier 1 interventions alone. 25

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Engaging the Reluctant Teacher: 7 Reasons Why Instructors May Resist Implementing Classroom RTI Interventions

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 27 ‘Teacher Tolerance’ as an Indicator of RTI Intervention Capacity “I call the range of students whom [teachers] come to view as adequately responsive – i.e., teachable – as the tolerance; those who are perceived to be outside the tolerance are those for whom teachers seek additional resources. The term “tolerance” is used to indicate that teachers form a permissible boundary on their measurement (judgments) in the same sense as a confidence interval. In this case, the teacher actively measures the distribution of responsiveness in her class by processing information from a series of teaching trials and perceives some range of students as within the tolerance.” (Gerber, 2002) Source: Gerber, M. M. (2003). Teachers are still the test: Limitations of response to instruction strategies for identifying children with learning disabilities. Paper presented at the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities Responsiveness-to-Intervention Symposium, Kansas City, MO.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI & ‘Teacher Reluctance’ The willingness of teachers to implement interventions is essential in any school to the success of the RTI model. Yet general-education teachers may not always see themselves as ‘interventionists’ and indeed may even resist the expectation that they will provide individualized interventions as a routine part of their classroom practice (Walker, 2004). It should be remembered, however, that teachers’ reluctance to accept elements of RTI may be based on very good reasons. Here are some common reasons that teachers might be reluctant to accept their role as RTI intervention ‘first responders’… 28

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 29 Engaging the Reluctant Teacher: 7 Reasons Why Instructors May Resist Implementing Classroom RTI Interventions Lack of Skills. Teachers lack the skills necessary to successfully implement academic or behavioral interventions in their content-area classrooms (Fisher, 2007; Kamil et al., 2008). Not My Job. Teachers define their job as providing content-area instruction. They do not believe that providing classwide or individual academic and behavioral interventions falls within their job description (Kamil et al., 2008).

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 30 Engaging the Reluctant Teacher: 7 Reasons Why Instructors May Resist Implementing Classroom RTI Interventions (Cont.) No Time. Teachers do not believe that they have sufficient time available in classroom instruction to implement academic or behavioral interventions (Kamil et al., 2008; Walker, 2004). No Payoff. Teachers lack confidence that there will be an adequate instructional pay-off if they put classwide or individual academic or behavioral interventions into place in their content-area classroom (Kamil et al., 2008).

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 31 Engaging the Reluctant Teacher: 7 Reasons Why Instructors May Resist Implementing Classroom RTI Interventions (Cont.) Loss of Classroom Control. Teachers worry that if they depart from their standard instructional practices to adopt new classwide or individual academic or behavior intervention strategies, they may lose behavioral control of the classroom (Kamil et al., 2008). ‘Undeserving Students’. Teachers are unwilling to invest the required effort to provide academic or behavioral interventions for unmotivated students (Walker, 2004) because they would rather put that time into providing additional attention to well-behaved, motivated students who are ‘more deserving’.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 32 Engaging the Reluctant Teacher: 7 Reasons Why Instructors May Resist Implementing Classroom RTI Interventions (Cont.) The Magic of Special Education. Content-area teachers regard special education services as ‘magic’ (Martens, 1993). According to this view, interventions provided to struggling students in the general-education classroom alone will be inadequate, and only special education services have the power to truly benefit those students.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 33 Team Activity: Engaging the Reluctant Teacher…

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Building Teacher Capacity to Deliver Tier 1 Interventions: An 8- Step Checklist p. 12

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 46 Team Activity: Building Tier 1 Capacity At your tables: Consider the eight steps to building Tier 1 teacher capacity to deliver effective classroom interventions. Discuss the strengths and challenges that your school or district presents in promoting classroom teachers’ appropriate and effective use of Tier 1 interventions. Be prepared to share your discussion with the larger group!

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Implementing Response to Intervention in Secondary Schools: Key Challenges to Changing a System Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 49 Barriers in Schools to Innovations in Interventions “Factors that have been identified as barriers to … acceptance and implementation by educators [of effective behavioral interventions for at at-risk students] include characteristics of the host organization, practitioner behavior, costs, lack of program readiness, the absence of program champions and advocates within the host organization, philosophical objections, lack of fit between the program's key features and organizational routines and operations, and weak staff participation.” Source: Walker, H. M. (2004). Use of evidence-based interventions in schools: Where we've been, where we are, and where we need to go. School Psychology Review, 33, 398-407. p. 400

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 50 Preventing Your School from Developing ‘RTI Antibodies’ Schools can anticipate and take steps to address challenges to RTI implementation in schools This proactive stance toward RTI adoption will reduce the probability that the ‘host’ school or district will reject RTI as a model

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 51 RTI: Research Questions Q: What Conditions Support the Successful Implementation of RTI? Continuing professional development to give teachers the skills to implement RTI and educate new staff because of personnel turnover. Administrators who assert leadership under RTI, including setting staff expectations for RTI implementation, finding the needed resources, and monitoring the fidelity of implementation. Proactive hiring of teachers who support the principles of RTI and have the skills to put RTI into practice in the classroom. The changing of job roles of teachers and other staff to support RTI. Input from teachers and support staff (‘bottom-up’) about how to make RTI work in the school/district, as well as guidance from administration (‘top- down’). Source: Fuchs, D., & Deshler, D. D. (2007). What we need to know about responsiveness to intervention (and shouldn’t be afraid to ask).. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(2), 129–136.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 1 Case Example: Collin: Letter Identification

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Example: Letter Identification The Concern In a mid-year (Fall) school-wide screening for Letter Naming Fluency, a first-grade student new to the school, Collin, was found have moderate delays when compared to peers. In his school, Collin fell at the 15 th percentile compared with peers (local norms). Screening results, therefore, suggested that Collin has problems with Letter Identification. However, more information is needed to better understand this student academic delay. 53

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Example: Letter Identification Instructional Assessment Collin’s teacher, Ms. Tessia, sat with him and checked his letter knowledge. She discovered that, at baselline, Collin knew 17 lower-case letters and 19 upper-case letters. (Ms. Tessia defined ‘knows a letter” as: “When shown the letter, the student can correctly give the name of the letter within 2 seconds.”) Based on her findings, Ms. Tessia decided that Collin was just acquiring this letter identification skill. He needed direct- teaching activities to learn to identify all of the letters. 54

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Example: Letter Identification 55

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Example: Letter Identification Intervention Ms. Tessia decided to use ‘incremental rehearsal’ (Burns, 2005) as an intervention for Collin. This intervention benefits students who are still acquiring their math facts, sight words, or letters. Students start by reviewing a series of ‘known’ cards. Then the instructor adds ‘unknown’ items to the card pile one at a time, so that the student has a high ratio of known to unknown items. This strategy promotes near- errorless learning. Collin received this intervention daily, for 10 minutes. NOTE: A paraprofessional, adult volunteer, or other non-instructional personnel can be trained to deliver this intervention. 56 Source: Burns, M. K. (2005). Using incremental rehearsal to increase fluency of single-digit multiplication facts with children identified as learning disabled in mathematics computation. Education and Treatment of Children, 28, 237-249.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org East Carolina University Evidence-Based Intervention Project http://www.ecu.edu/cs- cas/psyc/rileytillmant/EBI- Network-Homepage.cfm Incremental Rehearsal Guidelines 57

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Example: Letter Identification Goal-Setting and Data Collection Ms. Tessia set the goals that, within 4 instructional weeks, Collin would: –identify all upper-case and lower-case letters. –move above the 25 th percentile in Letter Naming Fluency when compared to grade-level peers. The teacher collected two sources of data on the intervention: –At the end of each tutoring session, the tutor logged any additional formerly unknown letters that were now ‘known’ (that the student could now accurately identify within 2 seconds). –Each week, the teacher administered a one-minute timed Letter Naming Fluency probe and charted the number of correctly identified letters. 58

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Example: Letter Identification Outcome Ms. Tessia discovered that Collin attained the first goal (‘able to identify all upper-case and lower-case letters’) within 2 weeks. Collin attained the second goal (‘move above the 25 th percentile in Letter Naming Fluency when compared to grade-level peers’) within the expected four instructional weeks. 59

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tiers 1&2: Case Example: Angela: Reading Fluency

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 61 DIBELS Case Example: Angela Angela is a 3 rd grade student. Angela struggled in her classroom with reading fluency. Her teacher tried a series of classroom strategies to promote fluency for the student, including providing Angela with additional opportunities to listen to fluent text modeling from an adult and opportunities to read aloud with corrective feedback.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 62 DIBELS Case Example: Angela In the mid-year schoolwide literacy screening in January, Angela read 77 words per minute on the DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency measure. According to DIBELS benchmark guidelines, Angela falls within the ‘strategic intervention’ range (between 67 and 92 WPM).

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 63 Source: Good, R. H., & Kaminski, R. A. (Eds.). (2002). Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (6th ed.). Eugene, OR: Institute for the Development of Educational Achievement. Available: http://dibels.uoregon.edu/.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 64 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. After the mid-year screening, the 3 rd grade teachers, building administrator, and reading teacher gathered for a ‘data meeting’. At that meeting, the group considered the screening results and discussed how to improve core literacy instruction to assist those students who fell within the ‘some risk’ and ‘at risk’ categories. The group next sorted students from the ‘some risk’ and ‘at risk’ categories into supplemental (Tier 2) groups, according to intervention need. Teacher knowledge of the student, classroom assessments, state test results, and other information was used to supplement the DIBELS data during this sorting process.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 65 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. At the data meeting, it was decided that Angela and other students in the 3 rd grade needed supplemental intervention support to increase their reading fluency, as well as to build their phonics (alphabetics) skills. The reading teacher agreed to start a Corrective Reading group that would meet for 4 days per week in 45 minute sessions. (The Corrective Reading program met the school’s guidelines as an ‘evidence-based’ program, based on findings from the What Works Clearinghouse website.) Angela and 5 other children were placed in this Corrective Reading group.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 66 Corrective Reading: Description “Corrective Reading is designed to promote reading accuracy (decoding), fluency, and comprehension skills of students in third grade or higher who are reading below their grade level. The program has four levels that address students' decoding skills and six levels that address students' comprehension skills. All lessons in the program are sequenced and scripted. Corrective Reading can be implemented in small groups of four to five students or in a whole- class format. Corrective Reading is intended to be taught in 45- minute lessons four to five times a week. For the single study reviewed in this report, only the word-level skills components of the Corrective Reading program were implemented. …Corrective Reading was found to have potentially positive effects on alphabetics and fluency and no discernible effects on comprehension.” Source: What Works Clearinghouse. Retrieved on October 6, 2009 from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/beginning_reading/cr/c

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 67 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. BASELINE: Before Angela began the Corrective Reading group, her reading teacher collected baseline data. The teacher used grade 3 progress-monitoring probes supplied by DIBELS. The student was administered Oral Reading Fluency probes across three separate days. At baseline, Angela was found to be reading 76 words per minute in grade 3 text. This became the starting point for setting a student goal for intervention.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 68 Goal

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 69 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. GOAL-SETTING. Because Angela would be monitored using grade 3 ORF probes, it was decided to select an ambitious rate of progress. Using research norms, the reading teacher estimated that Angela should increase her reading rate by 1.5 additional words per week. Because the intervention would be in place for 6 instructional weeks, the teacher estimated that the student should read an additional 9 words per minute at the end of 6 weeks. Because the student’s baseline reading rate was 76 words per minute, her goal at the end of the 6 weeks is 85 words per minute. In other words, if the group intervention is successful, Angela should read at least 85 WPM at the end of the intervention period.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 70 Table 2: Predictions for Reading Growth by Grade

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 71 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERVENTION. When the Corrective Reading program began, Angela was assessed weekly (progress-monitoring) using grade 3 ORF probes from DIBELS. After six instructional weeks, the data team and reading teacher met to consider Angela’s progress.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 73 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. INTERVENTION CHECK-UP. At the end of 6 weeks, Angela had made ‘promising’ progress but had not quite hit her intervention goal of 85 WPM. The school kept Angela in the Corrective Reading program, but decided to add an intervention component. A high school student was recruited and trained in Paired Reading. The tutor met with Angela 3 times per week for 25 minutes and used the Paired Reading strategy. Additionally, Angela’s parent was recruited to use Paired Reading at home for at least 2 times per week. The intervention goal was reset for 94 WPM.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 74 Paired Reading The student reads aloud in tandem with an accomplished reader. At a student signal, the helping reader stops reading, while the student continues on. When the student commits a reading error, the helping reader resumes reading in tandem.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 76 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. INTERVENTION CHECK-UP 2. At the end of the second 6-week intervention, the reading teacher examined the student’s monitoring data and discovered that she had met her intervention goal of 94 words per minute.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 78 DIBELS Case Example: Angela: Cont. While the student had attained success, the school continued the intervention (Corrective Reading group and Paired Reading) for 3 more weeks to continue to strengthen Angela’s reading fluency. The school then discontinued the Tier 2 intervention. Although Angela’s teacher admitted that she was a bit anxious about the student’s ability to maintain success without the Tier 2 intervention, she was reassured that Angela would immediately be given RTI intervention support again if she were to be flagged as ‘at risk’ in a future gradewide reading screening.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI for Elementary Schools: ‘Next Steps’ Planning Exercise

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org ‘Scaling Up’: Four Stages of RTI Development Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 81 RTI Development: Four Stages of ‘Scaling Up’ 1.Preparation. Planning activities & creating readiness in the school system for the RTI component. 2.Initial Implementation. Bringing the component into the school setting. 3.Institutionalization. Institutionalizing the RTI component as a part of routine school and district practices. 4.Ongoing Development/Updating. Ensuring that the RTI component stays current with changing revisions in state and federal guidelines and emerging findings in RTI research. Source: Ervin, R. A., & Schaughency, E. (2008). Best practices in accessing the systems change literature. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp. 853-873). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 82 RTI Steering Committee: Using the Four Stages of ‘Scaling Up’ in Planning First, the RTI Steering Committee selects a series of ‘RTI Implementation Goals.’ These goals should be more general, global goals that will require attention through all stages of the RTI implementation process. The RTI Steering Committee then takes each of the general RTI Implementation Goals and breaks the global goal into a series of specific subtasks. Subtasks are sorted by stage of implementation.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 84 RTI Implementation Planning Sheet: Example Stage 1: Preparation: List any preparation steps such as development of materials or staff training. Examples of Preparation Tasks: –“Download and preview DIBELS training materials from the official DIBELS website (https://dibels.uoregon.edu/).” –“Select district-level DIBELS trainers.” –“Schedule sessions to train classroom teachers in grades K-4 to administer DIBELS assessments appropriate to their grade level.”

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 85 RTI Implementation Planning Sheet: Example Stage 2: Initial Implementation: Describe the tasks required to actually implement the goal. Examples of Initial Implementation Tasks: –“Meet with the principal to schedule 3 DIBELS benchmarking days (fall/winter/spring) across the school year.” –“Create DIBELS team of school-wide personnel to assist classroom teachers to collect DIBELS data on benchmarking days ” –“Schedule grade-level data meetings at which teachers review DIBELS benchmarking data to determine which students will require more intensive intervention services for reading delays.”

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 86 RTI Implementation Planning Sheet: Example Stage 3: Institutionalization: Once the goal is initially carried out successfully, devise a plan to weave various activities that support the goal into the day-to-day institutional routine of the school. Examples of Institutionalization Tasks: –“Set guidelines for classroom teachers to independently collect DIBELS data on any student falling significantly below grade level in reading skills and use that data to develop individualized reading interventions at Tier 1.” –“Revise the elementary school report card format to allow for the entry of DIBELS benchmarking data.”

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 87 RTI Implementation Planning Sheet: Example Stage 4: Ongoing Development/Updating: The RTI model is steadily evolving as new research indicates better methods for data collection, intervention planning, etc. The RTI Implementation Plan should include Ongoing Development/Updating tasks--ongoing activities to ensure that the district’s practices confirm to best practices over time. Examples of Ongoing Development/Updating Tasks: “Monitor the DIBELS website (https://dibels.uoregon.edu/) on a regular basis to ensure that district DIBELS monitoring practices align with those recommended by DIBELS developers.” “Monitor DIBELS research published in peer-reviewed education journals to track DIBELS standing in the research community as an RTI progress- monitoring tool.” “Visit the National Center on Student Progress Monitoring website (http://www.studentprogress.org/) regularly to stay abreast of the site’s rating of DIBELS materials in comparison to similar progress-monitoring materials from other organizations or companies.”

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI ‘Next Steps’ Planning Activity At your tables: Select one of the key RTI tasks listed to the right.. Discuss the steps needed to accomplish the task. Write down those steps on the RTI Goals Planning Sheet included in your packet. Be prepared to report out. 89 Element 1: Build Classroom Teacher Understanding & Support for RTI p.36 Element 2: Create Teacher Capacity to Deliver Effective Classroom (Tier 1) Interventions p.38 Element 3: Inventory Evidence-Based Supplemental Intervention Programs Available at Tiers 2 & 3 p.40 Element 4: Establish an RTI Problem Solving Team at Tier 3 p.43 Element 5: Select Measures for Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring to Evaluate Student Response to Intervention p.45

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Teams: Improving Problem-Solving Through Effective Case Management

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Role Meets with the referring teacher(s) briefly prior to the initial RTI Team meeting to review the teacher referral form, clarify teacher concerns, decide what additional data should be collected on the student. Touches base briefly with the referring teacher(s) after the RTI Team meeting to check that the intervention plan is running smoothly. 93

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Prior to an initial RTI Problem-Solving Team meeting, it is recommended that a case manager from the RTI Team schedule a brief (15-20 minute) ‘pre-meeting’ with the referring teacher. The purpose of this pre-meeting is for the case manager to share with the teacher the purpose of the upcoming full RTI Team meeting, to clarify student referral concerns, and to decide what data should be collected and brought to the RTI Team meeting. 94

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps Here is a recommended agenda for the case manager-teacher pre-meeting: 1. Explain the purpose of the upcoming RTI Problem- Solving Team meeting: The case manager explains that the RTI Team meeting goals are to (a) fully understand the nature of the student’s academic and/or behavioral problems; (b) develop an evidence- based intervention plan for the student; and (c) set a goal for student improvement and select means to monitor the student’s response to the intervention plan. 95

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps 2. Define the student referral concern(s) in clear, specific terms. The case manager reviews with the teacher the most important student referral concern(s), helping the teacher to define those concern(s) in clear, specific, observable terms. The teacher is also prompted to prioritize his or her top 1-2 student concerns. 96

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps 3. Decide what data should be brought to the RTI Team meeting. The case manager and teacher decide what student data should be collected and brought to the RTI Team meeting to provide insight into the nature of the student’s presenting concern(s). 97

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps 98

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 100 Team Activity: Defining the RTI Team ‘Pre- Meeting’ At your table: Discuss how your school can structure the ‘pre-meeting’ in which the case manager and teacher meet to clarify the teacher’s referral concern(s) and to decide what data to bring to the actual RTI Team meeting. Brainstorm ideas for finding the time for such ‘pre-meetings’.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 101 Tier II Resources: Maintain Flexibility by Assigning to Grade Levels If there are personnel resources available to support classroom RTI (e.g., paraprofessional time, push-in support available from a reading teacher), those resources should be allocated to the grade level, not to individual classrooms. This permits greater flexibility in moving resources around to target shifting student needs. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools: Procedures to assure scientific-based practices. New York: Routledge.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 1: Grade-Level Team or Consultant Who consults on the student case?: Choice A: The teacher brings the student to a grade-level meeting to develop an intervention plan, check up on the plan in 4-8 weeks. Choice B: The teacher sits down with a consultant (selected from a roster or assigned to the classroom or grade level). Together, consultant and teacher develop an intervention, check up on the plan in 4-8 weeks. 102

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 1: Grade-Level Team or Consultant What is the next step if the student is a non- responder?: Choice A: The student case is referred to a single ‘clearinghouse’ person in the school (e.g., reading teacher, school psychologist, assistant principal) who can review the case and match the student to any appropriate Tier 2 services if available. If the student case is unique, it may be referred directly to the Tier 3 Problem-Solving Team. Choice B [Preferred]: The student case is referred to the school or grade-level Tier 2 Data Team. The Team places the student into appropriate Tier 2 services if available—or may decide to refer directly to the Tier 3 Problem-Solving Team. 103

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 2: Data Team Who makes up the Data Team and what is its purpose?: The Data Team is a school-wide or grade-specific team that typically includes classroom teachers, a school administrator, and perhaps other participants. The Data Team reviews school-wide screening data (e.g., DIBELS NEXT, AimsWeb) three times per year to determine which students are at risk and require supplemental (Tier 2) intervention. The Team continues to meet (e.g., monthly) to review student progress and to move students out of, into or across Tier 2 groups depending on progress and classroom performance. 104

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 2: Data Team Who makes up the Data Team and what is its purpose? (Cont): The Data Team can also take Tier 1 (classroom) referrals for struggling students who were not picked up in the academic screening(s) but are showing serious academic difficulties. 105

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 106 Scheduling Elementary Tier 2 Interventions Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools: Procedures to assure scientific-based practices. New York: Routledge. Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade K Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 1 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 2 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 3 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 4 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 5 Anyplace Elementary School: RTI Daily Schedule Option 3: ‘Floating RTI’:Gradewide Shared Schedule. Each grade has a scheduled RTI time across classrooms. No two grades share the same RTI time. Advantages are that outside providers can move from grade to grade providing push-in or pull-out services and that students can be grouped by need across different teachers within the grade. 9:00-9:30 9:45-10:15 10:30-11:00 12:30-1:00 1:15-1:45 2:00-2:30

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 2: Data Team What is the next step if the student is a non- responder?: The Data Team refers the student to the Tier 3 RTI Problem- Solving Team if the student fails to make acceptable progress during at least one intervention trial. 107

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 3: RTI Problem-Solving Team How does a referral come in to the Problem- Solving Team?: Referral route A: The Tier 2 Data Team meets periodically to review student progress. If a student is found not to be making expected progress, he or she can then be referred on to the RTI Team. Referral route B: If the school lacks a ‘standard treatment’ Tier 2 intervention for a student concern (e.g., behavior, math), the student may be referred directly from Tier 1 to Tier 3 via a teacher referral. 108

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 3: RTI Problem-Solving Team Who consults on the student case?: The RTI Problem-Solving Team is a multi- disciplinary team that consults with the teacher at the RTI Team Meeting. The school may also want to have other staff (e.g., school nurse, math title teacher) available to attend RTI Team meetings on an as-needed basis for specific student cases. 109

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 3: RTI Problem-Solving Team What is the next step if the student is a non- responder?: The school district should adopt uniform ‘decision rules’ that indicate when a student should be referred on to the Special Education Eligibility Team. Example: A district decided that – across Tiers 2 and 3—a student should go through at least 3 separate interventions of 6-8 instructional weeks each before that student could be designated a ‘non-responder’ and referred to Special Education. 110

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 3 RTI Teams: Following a Structured Problem-Solving Model Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 112 Tier 3 Interventions Are Developed With Assistance from the School’s RTI (Problem-Solving) Team Effective RTI Teams: Are multi-disciplinary and include classroom teachers among their members Follow a structured ‘problem-solving’ model Use data to analyze the academic problem and match the student to effective, evidence-based interventions Develop a detailed research-based intervention plan to help staff with implementation Check up on the teacher’s success in carrying out the intervention (‘intervention integrity’)

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 113 The Problem-Solving Model & Multi-Disciplinary Teams A school consultative process (‘the problem-solving model’) with roots in applied behavior analysis was developed (e.g., Bergan, 1995) that includes 4 steps: –Problem Identification –Problem Analysis –Plan Implementation –Problem Evaluation Originally designed for individual consultation with teachers, the problem-solving model was later adapted in various forms to multi-disciplinary team settings. Source: Bergan, J. R. (1995). Evolution of a problem-solving model of consultation. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 6(2), 111-123.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 114 Team Roles Coordinator Facilitator Recorder Time Keeper Case Manager

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Step 1: Assess Teacher Concerns 5 Mins Step 2: Inventory Student Strengths/Talents 5 Mins Step 3: Review Background/Baseline Data 5 Mins Step 4: Select Target Teacher Concerns 5-10 Mins Step 5: Set Academic and/or Behavioral Outcome Goals and Methods for Progress-Monitoring 5 Mins Step 6: Design an Intervention Plan 15-20 Mins Step 7: Plan How to Share Meeting Information with the Student’s Parent(s) 5 Mins Step 8: Review Intervention & Monitoring Plans 5 Mins RTI Team Consultative Process

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Teams: Managing Those ‘RTI Emergencies’ Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 117 Managing Those ‘RTI Emergencies’… The initial teacher referral suggested that the student’s classroom needs are primarily behavioral. At the RTI Team meeting, it becomes clear that ACADEMIC concerns are probably driving the behavioral problems. You have little targeted information about the student’s academic skills. How can your team respond (or avoid this situation in the first place)?

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 118 Managing Those ‘RTI Emergencies’… When asked to state her main referral concern, the referring teacher at the RTI Team meeting declares that “The problem is that the student just can’t do the work. We need to find a better placement for him than my classroom!” How can your team respond (or avoid this situation in the first place)?

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 119 Managing Those ‘RTI Emergencies’… The referring teacher appears highly reluctant to participate in the RTI Team meeting. At one point, he says, “I am only here because the principal said that I had to refer this student.” How can your team respond (or avoid this situation in the first place)?

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 120 Managing Those ‘RTI Emergencies’… Your RTI Team feels ‘stuck’ in selecting an intervention (Step 6: Design an Intervention Plan) for a student whose referral concerns have been identified as “poor reading comprehension” and “disruptive behavior.” How can your team respond (or avoid this situation in the first place)?

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 121 Managing Those ‘RTI Emergencies’… During the RTI Team meeting, the team recommends a number of research-based intervention ideas for a student with academic delays. For each idea, the teacher says, “I’ve already tried that.” How can your team respond (or avoid this situation in the first place)?

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 3: RTI Problem-Solving Team How does a referral come in to the Problem- Solving Team?: Referral route A: The Tier 2 Data Team meets periodically to review student progress. If a student is found not to be making expected progress, he or she can then be referred on to the RTI Team. Referral route B: If the school lacks a ‘standard treatment’ Tier 2 intervention for a student concern (e.g., behavior, math), the student may be referred directly from Tier 1 to Tier 3 via a teacher referral. 122

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 3: RTI Problem-Solving Team Who consults on the student case?: The RTI Problem-Solving Team is a multi- disciplinary team that consults with the teacher at the RTI Team Meeting. The school may also want to have other staff (e.g., school nurse, math title teacher) available to attend RTI Team meetings on an as-needed basis for specific student cases. 123

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 3: RTI Problem-Solving Team What is the next step if the student is a non- responder?: The school district should adopt uniform ‘decision rules’ that indicate when a student should be referred on to the Special Education Eligibility Team. Example: A district decided that – across Tiers 2 and 3—a student should go through at least 3 separate interventions of 6-8 instructional weeks each before that student could be designated a ‘non-responder’ and referred to Special Education. 124

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 125 Discuss your current Problem- Solving Team. How closely does your current Team match the expectations of RTI? Small-Group Activity: Evaluate Your Current RTI Problem-Solving Team Effective RTI Teams: Are multi-disciplinary and include teachers among their members Follow a structured ‘problem-solving’ model Use data to analyze the academic problem and match the student to effective, evidence- based interventions Develop a detailed research-based intervention plan to help staff with implementation Check up on the teacher’s success in carrying out the intervention (‘intervention integrity’)

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Tier 2: Group-Based Interventions

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 128 Tier 2: Supplemental (Group-Based) Interventions (Standard Treatment Protocol) Tier 2 interventions are typically delivered in small-group format. About 15% of students in the typical school will require Tier 2/supplemental intervention support. Group size for Tier 2 interventions is limited to 4-7 students. Students placed in Tier 2 interventions should have a shared profile of intervention need. Programs or practices used in Tier 2 interventions should be ‘evidence-based’. The progress of students in Tier 2 interventions are monitored at least 1-2 times per month. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 129 Group-Based Tier 2 Services: How Much Time Should Be Allocated? Emerging guidelines drawn largely from reading research suggest that standard protocol interventions should consist of at least three to five 30-minute sessions per week, in a group size not to exceed 7 students. Standard protocol interventions should also supplement, rather than replace, core instruction taking place in the classroom. Sources: Burns, Al Otaiba, S. & Torgesen, J. (2007). Effects from intensive standardized kindergarten and first-grade interventions for the prevention of reading difficulties. In S. R. Jimerson, M. K. Burns, & A. M. VanDerHeyden (Eds.), Response to intervention: The science and practice of assessment and intervention (pp. 212-222). National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Child Health & Human Development, National Institutes of Health.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 130 Scheduling Elementary Tier 2 Interventions Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools: Procedures to assure scientific-based practices. New York: Routledge. Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade K Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 1 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 2 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 3 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 4 Classroom 1Classroom 2Classroom 3 Grade 5 Anyplace Elementary School: RTI Daily Schedule Option 3: ‘Floating RTI’:Gradewide Shared Schedule. Each grade has a scheduled RTI time across classrooms. No two grades share the same RTI time. Advantages are that outside providers can move from grade to grade providing push-in or pull-out services and that students can be grouped by need across different teachers within the grade. 9:00-9:30 9:45-10:15 10:30-11:00 12:30-1:00 1:15-1:45 2:00-2:30

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 131 Level Tier 2 RTI Services: Programming Tier 2 intervention programs may be group- based or computer-administered. A good source for possible Tier 2 intervention programs is the What Works Clearinghouse at: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI & Intervention: Key Concepts

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 133 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out Core Instruction. Those instructional strategies that are used routinely with all students in a general-education setting are considered ‘core instruction’. High-quality instruction is essential and forms the foundation of RTI academic support. NOTE: While it is important to verify that good core instructional practices are in place for a struggling student, those routine practices do not ‘count’ as individual student interventions.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 134 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out Intervention. An academic intervention is a strategy used to teach a new skill, build fluency in a skill, or encourage a child to apply an existing skill to new situations or settings. An intervention can be thought of as “a set of actions that, when taken, have demonstrated ability to change a fixed educational trajectory” (Methe & Riley-Tillman, 2008; p. 37).

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 135 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out Accommodation. An accommodation is intended to help the student to fully access and participate in the general- education curriculum without changing the instructional content and without reducing the student’s rate of learning (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005). An accommodation is intended to remove barriers to learning while still expecting that students will master the same instructional content as their typical peers. –Accommodation example 1: Students are allowed to supplement silent reading of a novel by listening to the book on tape. –Accommodation example 2: For unmotivated students, the instructor breaks larger assignments into smaller ‘chunks’ and providing students with performance feedback and praise for each completed ‘chunk’ of assigned work (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005).

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 136 “ ” “Teaching is giving; it isn’t taking away.” (Howell, Hosp & Kurns, 2008; p. 356). Source: Howell, K. W., Hosp, J. L., & Kurns, S. (2008). Best practices in curriculum-based evaluation. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp.349-362). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists..

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 137 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications : Sorting Them Out Modification. A modification changes the expectations of what a student is expected to know or do—typically by lowering the academic standards against which the student is to be evaluated. Examples of modifications: –Giving a student five math computation problems for practice instead of the 20 problems assigned to the rest of the class –Letting the student consult course notes during a test when peers are not permitted to do so

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Leadership Team: Setting a Course for Response to Intervention Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 139 What is the Purpose of the RTI Leadership team? The RTI Leadership Team guides the overall RTI process. The group meets periodically (e.g., monthly) on an ongoing basis to evaluate the RTI project, shape its future direction, determine what resources the project requires, and allocate those resources. The RTI Leadership Team also ensures that a standard RTI process is followed across individual schools.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org What is the Purpose of the RTI Leadership Team? The RTI Leadership Team has several functions: (1) to draft and update a district RTI implementation plan, (2) to keep all schools throughout the district in compliance with good RTI practices, and (3) to identify and make available to schools the resources required to implement RTI successfully. The RTI Leadership Team’s duties include: Drafting a multi-year plan that will guide the district in the implementation of RTI while using existing resources. The team’s RTI Plan should encompass a three-year rollout schedule. Supervising RTI implementation. The RTI Leadership Team oversees that RTI is implemented in a uniform manner throughout the school district. One caution: Be sure not to overlook ‘dissident’ voices when select RTI Leadership Team members. Members who may have some reservations about RTI but also possess experience and knowledge that would be valuable to the team. 140

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Who Should Serve on the RTI Leadership Team? Your district should assemble a multi-disciplinary team to serve as your RTI Leadership Team. The team should include influential district administrators such as those who control resources (e.g., staff development funds; instructional budgets) or supervise staff (e.g., school psychologists, reading teachers) across the district that will participate in RTI. Additionally, the team should have representatives from school buildings to help the team to keep lines of communication open with its campuses. Finally, the membership on the team should be balanced to include representatives from important stakeholder groups (e.g., building administrators, general education teachers, etc.). 141

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Who Should RTI Leadership Team Meetings Be Organized? Team meetings should follow a fixed schedule, with a standard set of meeting agenda items regularly brought up for team discussion: Regularly scheduled meetings. The RTI Leadership Team should meet at least monthly. Standing meeting agenda. In addition to those topics brought up for discussion by team members, the RTI Leadership Team should establish a small set of ‘standing agenda’ items— e.g., ‘school-wide literacy screenings’, ‘resources for classroom interventions’, and ‘update in state RTI guidelines and regulations’. Subcommittees. If the RTI Leadership Team is so large that frequent meetings are difficult to schedule and unwieldy to run, consider dividing the team’s work among subcommittees. 142

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org How Can The RTI Leadership Team Find Resources to Support RTI? The great majority of school districts that implement RTI will do so largely by using their existing resources. The RTI Leadership Team can help the school district to adopt an RTI model by systematically inventorying district and building resources (personnel, instructional and assessment materials, staff development funds, etc.) that can be made available to support RTI. 143

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Leadership Team ‘Action Steps’ Determine the team’s scope and responsibilities. At the district level, decide on what the scope, authority, and responsibilities of the RTI Leadership Team are to be. Be sure to confront potentially difficult questions such as ‘Will the RTI Leadership Team’s RTI recommendations be binding on individual schools or merely advisory?’ Review state guidelines that may impact your RTI Leadership Team. Review any relevant guidelines or regulations from your state department of education to determine whether the state offers guidance on the makeup and functioning of the RTI Leadership Team or content of an RTI district plan. 144

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Leadership Team ‘Action Steps’ Generate a recruitment list. Create a list of positions and/or personnel from school buildings and at the district level to be recruited for the RTI Leadership Team. Review the list to ensure that no important district department, school/ program, or stakeholder group has been overlooked. Schedule meetings. Create a schedule of RTI Leadership Team meetings for the full school year—and ensure that those meeting dates are shared with all team members. Draft a standing meeting agenda. Select topics to be put onto a standing meeting agenda for the RTI Leadership Team. Set time aside occasionally at team meetings to discuss items should be removed from or added to the agenda. [Optional] Develop a list of subcommittees. Divide the duties of the full RTI Leadership Team into subcommittees. For each subcommittee, select a descriptive name, define its duties, and recruit members from the larger team. 145

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Leadership Team ‘Action Steps’ Conduct an inventory of RTI resources. As one of its first acts, the RTI Leadership Team should conduct a thorough inventory of resources available to support RTI at the district level and at each school. This inventory should be updated yearly. 146

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Ideas to Build Teacher Understanding and Support for RTI p. 11

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 148 1.Offer RTI information to teachers in a series of short presentations or discussion forums A common mistake that schools make in rolling out RTI is to present their teachers with RTI information in a single, long presentation—with little opportunity for questions or discussion. Instead, schools should plan a series of RTI information-sharing sessions with teachers throughout the school year. Any large-group RTI training sessions (e.g., at faculty meetings) should be kept short, to ensure that the audience is not overwhelmed with large volumes of information. Consider using smaller instructional team or department meetings as a vehicle for follow-up presentations, discussion, and teacher questions about RTI.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 149 1.Offer RTI information to teachers in a series of short presentations or discussion forums ACTION STEP: Create a year-long RTI information-sharing plan. Determine what RTI information your school would like to present to staff, as well as the degree of faculty input and discussion needed. Then draft a year-long plan to communicate with staff about RTI. Each year, update the plan to keep faculty updated about implementation of the RTI model.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 150 2.Present RTI as a coordinated, schoolwide approach to address long-standing teacher concerns about struggling students Schools should consider framing RTI as a broad, schoolwide solution to help teachers to better instruct, motivate, and manage the behaviors of struggling learners. Teachers want fewer class disruptions, more uninterrupted instructional time, higher performing students, targeted supplemental academic help for students who need it, and better communication among educators about the needs of all students. As schools make the case for RTI, they should demonstrate how it will help teachers to manage the day-to-day challenges that they face in their classrooms.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 151 ACTION STEP: Get feedback from teachers about their classroom concerns. Find opportunities to engage teachers in productive discussions about what they see as the greatest challenges facing them as instructors. Note the teacher concerns that surface most often. For each teacher concern, generate ideas for how an RTI model in your school might help teachers with that issue. Craft these ideas for instructor support into ‘talking points’ and include them in your school’s RTI presentations. 2.Present RTI as a coordinated, schoolwide approach to address long-standing teacher concerns about struggling students

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 152 3.Solicit teacher input when building your school’s RTI model Teachers are a valuable resource that schools should tap when implementing RTI. When schools solicit teacher questions about RTI, include teachers on planning teams to help to develop the RTI process, and treat teacher objections or concerns about RTI as helpful feedback rather than stubborn resistance, those schools send the message that teachers are full partners in the RTI planning process.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 153 ACTION STEP: Include teachers on the RTI Leadership Team. One of the best ways to ensure that teachers have input into the RTI development process is to include teacher representatives on the RTI Leadership Team, the group that oversees the district’s implementation of RTI. 3.Solicit teacher input when building your school’s RTI model

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 154 4.Link all significant school and district initiatives to RTI RTI is a comprehensive, proactive model to identify and assist struggling students. Yet teachers may erroneously perceive RTI as just another ‘program’ that is likely to last for only a short time and then disappear. Any RTI training for staff should make the point that RTI is not a single-self contained program but is actually an all-inclusive and flexible framework for student support that encompasses all existing student support programs and strategies.

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 155 ACTION STEP: Organized all school programs under the RTI framework. Schools should present RTI as an elastic multi-tier problem-solving framework. First, the school lists all of its significant current programs or initiatives intended to assess or intervene with students with academic or behavioral needs. The school then assigns each of the programs or initiatives to Tier 1, 2, or 3 in the RTI framework. The message for staff is that, while specific programs may come and go, the overarching RTI model is both adaptable and durable-- and that much of the power of RTI rests on its potential to integrate a series of isolated programs into a larger unified and coordinated continuum of student support. 4.Link all significant school and district initiatives to RTI

Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: An Overview for Elementary Schools Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org.

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Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: An Overview for Elementary Schools Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org.

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