Building a Powerful Instructional Framework to Support All Learners

1
Building a Powerful Instructional Framework to
Support All Learners

• Regina Blair, Ph.D.
• Holly McKeag and Katie Rodriguez

3rd Annual National Reading First
Conference Reno, Nevada ? July 1820, 2006
2
Session Topics

• Prevention vs. remediation
• Scientifically based reading research and
  instruction
• Data-driven decision-making
• Ongoing and targeted professional development
• Collaboration
• Multi-level approach for instruction and
  intervention

3

• The very best teachers of children who have
  difficulties learning to read are
• Relentless
• in the pursuit of every child

(Torgesen, 2005a)
4
Remediation vs. Prevention

• It takes four times as long to remediate a
  student with poor reading skills in fourth grade
  as in late kindergarten or early first grade
• (Lyon Fletcher, 2001)
• The probability of remaining a poor reader at the
  end of fourth grade, given the child was a poor
  reader at the end of first grade was almost 90
• (Juel, 1988)

5
Preventing Reading Failure in Grades K3
The prevention of reading difficulties is a
school-level challenge

• Increase the quality, consistency, and reach of
  instruction in every K3 classroom
• Conduct timely and valid assessments of reading
  growth to identify struggling readers
• Provide research-based interventions to catch
  up the struggling readers

(Adapted from Torgesen, 2006)
6
Accomplishing the Goal of Reading Instruction

• The long-term goal of reading instruction is to
  provide students the skills necessary to
  construct the meaning from text
• Critical to constructing meaning from text is the
  ability to accurately and fluently identify the
  individual words in print

(Torgesen, 2002)
7
The Role of Each Essential Reading Component

• Fluency frees cognitive resources to focus on
  comprehension

• Phonics knowledge provides the foundation for
  identifying words

• Phonemic awareness helps the reader map the
  sounds of language to print

(National Institute for Literacy, 2001 National
Reading Panel, 2000 Torgesen, 2004)
8
The Role of Each Essential Reading Component
(cont.)
(National Institute for Literacy, 2001 National
Reading Panel, 2000 Torgesen, 2004)
9
Which components are emphasized at each grade
level?
(Simmons, Kameenui, Harn, Coyne, 2003)
10
Which features of instruction promote optimal
learning?

• Explicit instruction
• provide clear instructions and modeling
• include multiple examples (and non-examples when
  appropriate)
• Systematic instruction
• break tasks into sequential, manageable steps
• progress from simple to more complex concepts and
  skills
• ensure students have prerequisite knowledge and
  skills

(Adapted from Texas Center for Reading and
Language Arts, 2002 Vaughn Gross Center for
Reading and Language Arts at The University of
Texas at Austin, 2005b)
11
Which features of instruction promote optimal
learning? (cont.)

• Ample practice opportunities
• provide multiple opportunities for students to
  respond and demonstrate their learning
• provide sufficient guided and independent
  practice
• Immediate, specific feedback
• provide positive reinforcement and elaboration
• correct errors and provide clarification to
  prevent students from practicing misconceptions

(Adapted from Texas Center for Reading and
Language Arts, 2002 Vaughn Gross Center for
Reading and Language Arts at The University of
Texas at Austin, 2005b)
12
Video Clip Effective Instruction
13

• There is little evidence that children
  experiencing difficulties learning to read, even
  those with identifiable learning disabilities,
  need radically different sorts of supports than
  children at low risk, although they may need much
  more intensive support.
• (Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998, p. 3)

14
Factors that Increase the Power of Interventions

• More instructional time
• Smaller instructional groups
• More precisely targeted instruction at the
  students level
• Clearer and more detailed explanations (more
  explicit instruction)
• More systematic instructional sequences
• More extensive opportunities for guided practice
• More opportunities for error correction and
  feedback

(Torgesen, 2006)
15
Video Clip of Intervention
16

• What separates successful schools from those
  that will not be successful in their reform
  efforts is the use of one, often neglected,
  essential element
• DATA
• (Bernhardt, 1998)

17
Assessments

• Screeningfirst step in identifying students who
  may be at high risk for delayed development or
  academic failure
• Diagnosticused to identify a students specific
  areas of strengths and weaknesses
• Classroom-basedevaluates students learning
  based on systematic observations by teachers of
  students performing academic tasks
• (U.S. Department of Education, Office of
  Elementary and Secondary Education, 2002)
• Outcomeevaluates the effectiveness of the
  comprehensive reading program with all students
• (Reading First Assessment Committee, 2002)

18
How can we use assessment data to inform
instruction?

• Screen for risk of reading difficulties and
  identify students in need of intervention
• Address students needs in the comprehensive
  reading program and intervention

19
Example 1 Using Data to Inform Instruction
Beginning of second grade
2nd Grade Screener Oral Reading Fluency
1st Grade Outcome Comprehension
2640
2644 WCPM
125 and lt26 WCPM
Penny
Penny
Dustin
Dustin
William
Misty
Ron
gt 44 WCPM
gt 41
Adam
Adam
Misty
(Adapted from Gumm Turner, 2004)
20
Example 2 Using Data to Inform Instruction
Beginning of first grade

• Group Members
• Lara, Chris, Angie, Michael
• Small-Group Instructional Focus
• Segmenting and blending three- and four-phoneme
  words
• Integrating letters with phonemic awareness to
  begin blending letter sounds to read words
• Practicing quick and accurate reading of
  high-frequency words

• Classroom-based assessment data indicate Ms.
  Smith has four students who are struggling with
• higher-level phonemic awareness tasks segmenting
  and blending 3- and 4- phoneme words
• alphabetic principle blending letter-sounds to
  read words
• high-frequency words

21
How can we use assessment data to inform
instruction? (cont.)
Susies Oral Reading Fluency

• Monitor whether a student is making progress in
  acquiring critical skills

96
80
64
Correct words per minute
48
32
16
Sept 15 Sept 29 Oct 13 Oct 27
Progress-monitoring checkpoints
22
How can we use assessment data to inform
instruction? (cont.)
Susies Oral Reading Fluency

• Determine whether a student is making enough
  progress to reach grade-level achievement
  standards

96
80
64
Correct words per minute
48
32
16
Sept Jan May
(Adapted from Torgesen, 2005b Torgesen, 2006)
23
How can we use assessment data to address
instruction and program gaps?

• Evaluate the overall effectiveness of the
  comprehensive reading program
• Identify instructional practices that need to be
  improved or emphasized
• Identify areas of the instructional program that
  need to be strengthened
• Determine specific coaching and professional
  development needs

24
Example Using Data to Address Instruction and
Program Gaps
Teacher Valenzuela (March of first grade)
(Adapted from Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and
Language Arts at The University of Texas at
Austin, 2005a)
25
Action Plan for Addressing Instruction and
Program Gaps

• Ms. Valenzuela will observe another teacher with
  strong fluency instruction and discuss with coach
• Coach will provide additional professional
  development and in-class support on
• Utilizing small groups and partnering to
  differentiate instruction
• Making instruction explicit
• Providing instruction in phoneme manipulation
• Using progress monitoring data, particularly
  related to implementing small group instruction
  and partnering

(Adapted from Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and
Language Arts at The University of Texas at
Austin, 2005a)
26
Implementing an Effective Professional
Development Plan
Teachers need ongoing professional development
that is

• Assessment driven
• Responsive to their needs
• Timely
• Effective
• Supportive

(Adapted from Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and
Language Arts at The University of Texas at
Austin, 2005b)
27
Key Elements of a Professional Development Plan

• Scientifically based reading research
• Scientifically based reading instruction
• Assessment for instructional decision-making
• Intervention strategies
• Program specifics
• Ongoing support

(National Center for Reading First Technical
Assistance, 2004)
28
Guidelines for Professional Development

• Use student assessment data and teacher needs to
  inform professional development sessions
• Secure high-quality, knowledgeable trainers
• Coordinate grade-level attendance
• Ensure administrators and instructional leaders
  attend
• Prepare teachers to use instructional materials
  before school starts

(National Center for Reading First Technical
Assistance, 2004)
29
Improving Professional Development Outcomes
(Adapted from Joyce Showers, 2002 National
Center for Reading First Technical Assistance,
2005)
30
Collaboration

• Collaboration among classroom teachers is one of
  the most basic and effective ways to improve
  instruction.
• (Whitaker, 2003, p. 41)

31
What Collaboration Involves

• Shared focus and goals
• Shared responsibilities
• Reciprocity of ideas and teaching
• Problem solving
• Interactive communication
• Conflict resolution

(Adapted from Texas Center for Reading and
Language Arts, 2000)
32
How Administrators Can Facilitate Collaboration

• Schedule and protect collaborative time
• Make resources available
• Provide opportunities to problem solve
• Plan professional development that is purposeful
  to foster collaboration
• Ensure grade-level and school-level communication
• Use faculty meetings to discuss instructional
  matters related to curriculum and student needs

33
Suggestions for Collaborating with Colleagues

• Review progress during grade-level or team
  meetings
• Visit other teachers classrooms
• Videotape a lesson and ask a colleague to review
  with you
• Share resources with colleagues
• Attend professional meetings with several other
  teachers

(Cooper, Chard, Kiger, 2006)
34

• The committee recommends that states adopt a
  universal screening and multitiered intervention
  strategy in general education to enable early
  identification and intervention with children at
  risk for reading problems.
• (Donovan Cross, 2002, p. 366)

35
Prevention in a Multi-Level Approach
(Harn, Chard, Kameenui, MacConnell, 2005
Snow, Burns, Griffin, 1998)
36
Implementing a Multi-Level Approach
One example of a multi-level approach is the
3-tier reading model

• Primary Prevention
• Secondary Prevention
• Tertiary Prevention

Tier I Tier II Intervention Tier III Intervention
37
Percentage of Students Typically Served at Each
Level
3-tier reading model example of a multi-level
approach
Tier I (Primary)
All Students
Tier II (Secondary)
Approximately 2030
Tier III (Tertiary)
Approximately 510
(Adapted from Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and
Language Arts at The University of Texas at
Austin, 2005c)
38
Primary Prevention Tier I
3-tier reading model example of a multi-level
approach

• High quality, scientifically based classroom
  reading instruction emphasizing the essential
  components of reading
• Systematic assessment of all K3 students 3 times
  per year to identify at-risk and struggling
  learners
• Ongoing professional development for teachers,
  including coaching

(Adapted from Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and
Language Arts at The University of Texas at
Austin, 2005b)
39
What does Tier I (primary prevention) look like?
3-tier reading model example of a multi-level
approach
Instruction is data-driven and differentiated to
meet the needs of students with diverse levels of
skill and preparation for learning

• Assessment data guide instructional
  decision-making
• Instruction and support are matched to students
  needs
• A variety of flexible grouping formats is used
• Struggling learners receive targeted instruction
  in small, homogeneous groups

40
Secondary Prevention Tier II Intervention
3-tier reading model example of a multi-level
approach

• Provides additional time (e.g., 30 additional
  minutes every day)
• Is delivered in small, homogeneous groups to
  precisely target learning needs and increase
  intensity and support
• Focuses on high impact reading skills coordinated
  with core instruction
• Is more explicit, systematic, intensive, and
  supportive
• Includes frequent progress monitoring (e.g.,
  every two weeks) on targeted skills to track
  progress and inform instruction

41
How does instruction in Tier III differ from Tier
II?
3-tier reading model example of a multi-level
approach

• Tier III generally serves students who have
  already received two rounds (e.g., 1014 week
  periods) of Tier II intervention
• Instruction is more intensive than Tier II
• Smaller group size (e.g., groups of 3 or fewer)
• Increased daily instructional time (e.g., 60 min.
  of daily intervention in addition to core
  instruction)
• Additional curricular and instructional
  adaptations

(Adapted from Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and
Language Arts at The University of Texas at
Austin, 2005c)
42
Video Clip of Tier III Intervention (Tertiary
Prevention)
43
First Steps for Implementing a Multi-Level
Approach

• Focus on improving the core classroom reading
  instruction that all students receive
• Provide high-quality secondary prevention (Tier
  II) for struggling readers
• Participate in ongoing professional development
  to enhance classroom implementation of SBRR
  practices

(Adapted from Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and
Language Arts at The University of Texas at
Austin, 2005b)
44
Increasing Instructional Intensity and Support
Multi-Level Approach
Prevention
Collaboration
SBRR-Based Instruction Intervention
Ongoing Professional Development
Data-Driven Decision-Making
45
Final Thoughts

• Change takes careful planning
• Change requires adequate resources
• Change demands a strong commitment
• Change takes time

(McEwan, 2002)
46
References

• Bernhardt, V. L. (1998). Data analysis for
  comprehensive schoolwide improvement. Larchmont,
  NY Eye on Education, Inc.
• Cooper, J. D., Chard, D. J., Kiger, N. D.
  (2006). The struggling reader Interventions that
  work. New York Scholastic.
• Donovan, M. S., Cross, C. T. (Eds.). (2002).
  Minority students in special and gifted
  education. Washington, DC National Academy
  Press.
• Gumm, R., Turner, S. (2004, July). 90 Minutes
  Plus Demystifying the Reading Block. Presented
  at the National Reading First Conference in
  Minneapolis, MN Eastern Regional Reading First
  Technical Assistance Center. Available from
  http//www.fcrr.org/science/pptpresentations.htm
• Harn, B., Chard, D., Kameenui, E., MacConnell,
  K. (July, 2005). Acclerating learning rates
  Instructional and curricular features of
  intensive third tier intervention efforts with
  second graders. Eugene, OR University of Oregon.
  Available http//idea.uoregon.edu/projects/circui
  ts.html.
• Joyce, B., Showers, B. (2002). Student
  achievement through staff development (3rd ed.).
  Alexandria, VA Association for Supervision and
  Curriculum Development.
• Juel, C. (1988). Learning to read and write A
  longitudinal study of 54 children from first
  through fourth grades. Journal of Educational
  Psychology, 80, 437447.
• Lyon, G. R., Fletcher, J. (2001, Summer). Early
  warning system. Education Matters, 2329.
• McEwan, E. K. (2002). Teach them all to read
  Cathching the kids who fall through the cracks.
  Thousand Oaks, CA Corwin Press, Inc.
• National Center for Reading First Technical
  Assistance. (2004). Building a community of
  reading experts Tips for designing a high
  quality professional development program.
  Portsmouth, NH RMC Research Corporation.
• National Center for Reading First Technical
  Assistance. (2005). Leading for reading success
  Reading First coaches. Portsmouth, NH RMC
  Research Corporation.

47
References

• National Institute for Literacy. (2001). Put
  reading first The research building blocks for
  teaching children to read. Jessup, MD Author.
• 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 (NIH Pub.
  No. 00-4754). Washington, DC National Institute
  of Child Health and Human Development.
• Simmons, D. C., Kameenui, E. J., Harn, B.,
  Coyne, M. D. (2003). Institute for beginning
  reading 2. Day 3 Core instruction What are the
  critical components that need to be in place to
  reach our goals? Eugene, OR University of
  Oregon. Available from http//oregonreadingfirst
  .uoregon.edu/profdev.php
• Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S., Griffin, P. (Eds.).
  (1998). Preventing reading difficulties in young
  children. Washington, DC National Academy
  Press.
• Reading First Assessment Committee. (2002). The
  secretarys reading leadership academy
  Assessment. Eugene, OR Author. Available from
  http//www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/presenta
  tions/reading_leadership.html
• Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts.
  (2000). Coordinating for reading instruction
  General education and special education working
  together. Austin, TX Author.
• Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts.
  (2002). First grade teacher reading academy.
  Austin, TX Author.
• Torgesen, J. K. (2002). The prevention of reading
  difficulties. Journal of School Psychology,
  40(1), 726.
• Torgesen, J. K. (2004, April). Immediate,
  intensive interventions Their critical role
  within a whole school program to prevent reading
  difficulties. Presented at the Regional
  Leadership Meeting. Available from
  http//www.fcrr.org/science/pptpresentations.htm
• Torgesen, J. K. (2005a, February). The Challenge
  of Teaching All Children to Read Lessons from
  Research. Presented as part of the Public Lecture
  Series sponsored by the Collier County Reading
  Steering Committee, Naples. Available from
  http//www.fcrr.org/science/pptpresentations.htm

48
References

• Torgesen, J. K. (2005b, November). Designing and
  using assessment systems to prevent reading
  difficulties in young children. Presented at the
  Western North Carolina LD/ADD Symposium.
  Available from http//www.fcrr.org/science/pptpre
  sentations.htm
• Torgesen, J. K. (2006, March). Interventions for
  students with reading disabilities Requirements
  at the school and classroom level. Presented at
  meetings of the North Carolina Branch of the
  International Dyslexia Association. Available
  from http//www.fcrr.org/science/pptpresentations
  .htm
• U.S. Department of Education, Office of
  Elementary and Secondary Education. (2002).
  Guidance for the Reading First program.
  Washington, DC Author.
• Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts
  at The University of Texas at Austin. (2005a).
  3-Tier decision making Simulation. Austin, TX
  Author.
• Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts
  at The University of Texas at Austin. (2005b).
  Implementing the 3-Tier Reading Model Reducing
  reading difficulties for kindergarten through
  third grade students (2nd ed.). Austin, TX
  Author.
• Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts
  at The University of Texas at Austin. (2005c).
  Introduction to the 3-Tier Reading Model
  Reducing reading difficulties for kindergarten
  through third grade students (4th ed.). Austin,
  TX Author.
• Whitaker, T. (2003). What great principals do
  differently, fifteen things that matter most.,
  Larchmont, NY Eye on Education