How to Turn a Puzzle into a Pyramid:

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How to Turn a Puzzle into a Pyramid Fitting
Together the Interactive Pieces of Problem
Solving, SST and RTI  

• Lynn LeLoup Pennington
•   Education Consultant, President of SSTAGE
• and Frank Smith
•   GaDOE, Psychological Services SST

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• How do we create and harness the power of
  data-driven problem solving and make it the
  "glue" for integrating 
•   
• assessment
• progress monitoring
• instruction and learning
• interventions
• -in your school's Pyramid of Interventions? 

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Why the pyramid and why now?

• It can provide
• a common sense framework to continuously improve
  results for all students
• an integrated approach to service delivery that
  encompasses general and special education
• a structure for logically embedding research
  based assessment and teaching/learning practices

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Why the pyramid and why now?

• New federal and state regulations
• (have caught up with emerging defensible
  practices)
• State Special Ed rules (eff. July 1)
• have exclusionary clauses for 5 areas
• that require retrospective proof that student
  did not learn despite appropriate teaching match.

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• A child must not be determined to be EBD, ID,
  OHI, SDD
• if the primary factor for that determination is
• a. Lack of appropriate instruction in reading,
  including the essential components of reading
  instruction
• b. Lack of appropriate instruction in math
• c. Lack of appropriate instruction in writing
• d. Limited English proficiency
• e. Visual, hearing or motor disability
• f. EBD add intellectual, ID add emotional,
  OHI add both disabilities, SDD subtract
  atypical attendance history
• g. Cultural factors
• h. Environmental or economic disadvantage or
• i. Atypical education history (multiple school
  attendance, lack of attendance, etc.).

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• A child must not be determined to be a child with
  a specific learning disability if the determinant
  factor is
• a. Lack of appropriate instruction in reading,
  specifically
• (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,
  vocabulary, and comprehension)
• b. Lack of appropriate instruction in math
• c. Lack of appropriate instruction in writing
• d. Limited English proficiency
• e. Visual, hearing or motor disability
• f. Intellectual disabilities
• g. Emotional disturbances
• h. Cultural factors
• i. Environmental or economic disadvantage or
• j. Atypical educational history

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Specific Learning Disability160-4-7-.05
Appendix (i)

• (b) Supplementary instruction is provided
• (i) that lasts for a minimum of 12 weeks
• (ii) At least four data collections of progress
  monitoring occur during the twelve weeks
• (iii) the strategies used and the progress
  monitoring results are presented to the parents
  at regular intervals

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Paradigm Shift

• From - the problem is within the student
• To - the problem is due to a breakdown in the
  teaching and learning interaction
• From thinking in terms of Special Ed categories
• To - solving the problems of students
• From a wait to fail approach
• To - prevent failure, enable success
• Randy Allison Martin Ikeda

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Paradigm Shift

• From searching for pathology
• To focusing on what instructional and learning
  variables are needed for success
• From generalized discussions of students
  problems (cant read, doesnt comprehend, not
  motivated, etc.)
• To using a data-driven, decision making
  process (specifically, what is he expected to
  do and what can he do now?)
• 
  
  Randy
  Allison Martin Ikeda

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Pyramid basics What we do know

• The pieces of the puzzle include
• I. Standards-based classroom learning
• II. Needs-based learning
• III. SST-driven learning
• IV. Specially designed learning
• But how do they all work together?

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• What is the glue that holds all the pieces
  together at each of the tiers?

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Its a Data-Based Problem Solving Process!
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Data-driven problem solving is the engine within the pyramid which provides educators with the power and know-how to make informed decisions at each tier by putting together all the pieces.
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The Problem Solving Process Data-Driven
Decision Making
SEE (Steps 1 2)
(Step 6) CHECK

PLAN (Steps 3 4)
DO (Step 5)
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Problem solving in a nutshell SEE -
PLAN - DO - CHECK

• Identify problem (descriptive measurable)
• Gather information and analyze data
• Establish instructional/behavioral objectives
• Develop an educational plan (which specifies
  teaching/learning strategies and ongoing
  assessment measures)
• Implement plan
• Evaluate plan periodically, adjust as needed
• Source Student Support Team Coordinator
  Standards, PSC Endorsement (2005)

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• Data-based problem solving represents the core
  conceptual basis of addressing students academic
  and behavioral problems whether we are focusing
  on
• the entire school
• a single grade level
• one classroom
• a small group
• one student

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• Data-based problem solving has usually been
  identified as a Tier 3 and Tier 4 process, but it
  is not limited to only those two tiers.
• It MUST BE the process that guides decision
  making at every tier!
• Otherwise, we will miss the opportunity to
  have an integrated and coordinated approach to
  service delivery across the pyramid.

? ?
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• Problem solving is a cyclical process which
  repeats at each tier, but in a more formal and
  systematic way as it moves up the pyramid in
  response to the intensity of the problem and the
  intensity of the services needed to address the
  needs of the student.

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• At Tier 1, look for what are the common needs
  of students rather than looking for the
  differences.
• Problem solve on school-level, grade-level or
  course-level effects.

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The problem solving process is not about proving
whats wrong with the student.

• Its ALL about finding out
• how to teach the student
• so he can learn.
• Its discovering who that child is
• as a LEARNER.

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Who guides the processat each of the tiers and
who will answer these questions?

• Are our students learning?
• How do we know they are learning?
• Which students are not learning?
• Why arent they learning?
• What do they need in order to learn?
• What must we do to provide it? (who, when, where
  and for how long)

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Collaborative Teams and Partnerships

• Tier 1 Teams and support personnel
• Grade level teams?
• Department teams?
• Professional Learning Communities ?
• Tier 2 Teams and support personnel
• Grade level teams?
• Professional Learning Communities ?
• RTI Teams?
• Tier 3 Student Support Teams
• Other decision-making teams ?
• Tier 4 IEP/Gifted Teams

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Is one of these team members a parent?
What are we doing to engage parents and families at the different tiers? Can the framework of the pyramid and the six Student, Family, and Community Involvement and Support Standards lead us to improve how we address the needs of parents and families? Parenting Communicating Learning at Home Decision-Making Advocacy Collaborating with Community
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What is this?
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Greater Expectations for SST

• Get ready
• Data-based problem solving including
• Problem analysis
• Data gathering, diagnostic assessment,
• and interpretation
• Monitoring student performance
• Researched-based strategies and interventions
• Evidence of intervention fidelity and integrity
• Follow-up support and coaching

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Problem Solving is Systems Thinking

• We tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts
  of the system, and wonder why our deepest
  problems never seem to get solved.
  Peter Senge, The Fifth
  Discipline, 1990

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Achieving Full Scale Implementation

• It may take years of preparation for schools to
  reach the point at which they can actually use
  data to make informed decisions to guide
  intervention and learning disability eligibility
  (RTI).
• There is a developmental progression of practices
  that have to be adopted, implemented and
  eventually institutionalized (Fullan, 2001)
  before teams will have adequate assessment data
  for eligibility decisions. (Nebraska
  DOE)

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Developmental Progression Toward Full Scale
Implementation of RTI (Nebraska DOE)
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Avoiding Pitfalls to Full Scale Implementation

• Build awareness and understanding of the Pyramid
  of Interventions and the need for problem solving
  and RTI.
• How they relate to other mandates.
• How they relate to shared values in the school.
• Build infrastructure before innovation is added.
• On-going professional learning for all staff
• Time for professionals to collaborate, problem
  solve
• Re-examine roles and resources

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Do not oversimplify the innovation and the process. Some people think they understand what to do, when in reality they do not grasp the complexity and the intricacies of the innovation, in particular the data-based problem solving.
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Lessons learned from others

• Teams and schools require substantial training to
  effectively implement data-based problem solving
  (explicit training, modeling, controlled
  opportunities to apply, onsite support)
• Devote intense focus to systems change
• Requires a significant paradigm shift
• 
  (Callender Ruby)

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Where do we begin?

• Take stock of what you already have in place.
  In other words, whats your baseline or entry
  level in terms of
• Perceptions, attitudes and understanding?
• Tier 1 learning and instructional practices?
• Assessment and progress monitoring tools?
• Which students are receiving supplemental
  interventions and what are they?
• Problem solving teams?
• Roles and responsibilities?
• Resources?

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Assessment Tools

• We have more assessment data available in the
  classroom than ever before, but are we extracting
  meaning from what we already have?
• Are we using it to transform
• our instructional practices?
• Data must have instructional utility or its a
  waste of time for educators and students.

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Assessment Tools
What do we currently have available? What does it measure? For which grade level(s) is the assessment appropriate? Are we using the data from this assessment effectively? Additional information and recommendations

• Additional questions -
• When it is this assessment given and how often?
• Is the tool designed or suitable as a benchmark
  assessment, a universal screening tool, or for
  progress monitoring?
• For progress monitoring tools, use the
  evaluation criteria of the National Center on
  Student Progress Monitoring www.studentprogress.
  org

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Problem Solving is Professional Learning

• When teachers use the data-driven problem solving
  in a culture of teamwork, teachers skills grow
  and their professional knowledge deepens.
• Problem solving connects teacher learning to
  student learning.
• (Deojay
  Pennington, 2004)

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With the Pyramid of Interventions we may

• Provide increasingly more intensive interventions
• Embed systematic, collaborative, data-based
  problem solving processes
• Engage parents as partners in assisting student
  learning

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With the Pyramid of Interventions we may

• Embrace a model of prevention, not a model of
  failure
• Focus on results, not procedural and process
  compliance
• Assess to inform instruction, not to determine
  classification

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References

• Allison, R., Ikeda, M., From Theory to
  Practice Critical Considerations for Response to
  Intervention, Iowa Department of Education,
  (2006)
• Batsche, G., Elliot, J., Graden, J.L., Grimes,
  J., Kovaleski, J.F., Prasse, D., Reschly, D.J.,
  Schrag, J., Tilly III, W.D., (2005), Response
  to intervention Policy considerations and
  implementation, Alexandria, VA, National
  Association of State Directors of Special
  Education, Inc.
• Batsche, George, Problem-Solving and Response to
  Intervention Implications for Policy and
  Practice, G-CASE Presentation, 11-9-06
• Bergan, J.R. (1977) Behavioral consultation.
  Columbus, OH, Charles E. Merrill
• Brown-Chidsey, Rachel Steege, Mark W. (2005)
  Response to intervention principals and
  strategies for effective instruction. New York,
  NY The Guilford Press.
• Callender, Wayne and Ruby, Susan Getting Started
  with Response to Intervention (RTI) Big Ideas
  and Essential Components, www.k12.wa.us/conference
  s/summerinstitute2006/Materials/CallenderW2/OSPIha
  ndouts1.pdf
• Chalfant, J.C., Pysh, M.V. Moultrie, R. (1979).
  Teacher assistance teams A model for
  within-building problem solving. Learning
  Disabilities Quarterly, 2, 85-95.

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References

• Deojay, T.R., Pennington, L.L. (2004) Content
  Connecting data, professional development, and
  student achievement. In Powerful designs for
  professional learning. Easton, L. (ed.), Oxford,
  OH, National Staff Development Council
• DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., Karhanek, G.
  (2004), Whatever it takes How professional
  learning communities respond when kids dont
  learn. Bloomington, IN, National Educational
  Service
• Fullan, M. G. (1991). The new meaning of
  educational change. New York, NY Teachers
  College Press.
• Fuchs, L.S., Fuchs, D., Applying Progress
  Monitoring to RTI Prevention and Identification,,
  Vanderbilt University, www.studentprogress.org
• Jenkins, Tom, Problem Solving Model in Detail
  Preparation for Implementation, North Carolina
  Department of Public Instruction, Exceptional
  Children Division
• Hofmeister, A.M. (2000). Strategies for effective
  academic instruction What is an instructional
  program? The Utah Special Educator, 20(4), 4-5.
• Response-to-Intervention Technical Assistance
  Document, Nebraska Department of Education and
  the University of Nebraska (June 2006)
• Tilly, D. (2003, December). Heartland Area
  Education Agencys evolution from four to three
  tiers Our journey - our results. Paper presented
  at the National Research Center on Learning
  Disabilities Responsiveness-to-Intervention
  Symposium, Kansas City, MO.

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Websites

• Intervention Central, www.interventioncentral.org
• National Center for Student Progress Monitoring,
  www.studentprogress.org
• What Works Clearinghouse, www.whatworks.ed.gov
• National Research Center on Learning
  Disabilities, www.nrcld.org
• National Association of School Psychologists,
  www.nasponline.org

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To contact us

• Lynn L. Pennington
• Office 770-752-9941
• lynchpenn_at_aol.com
• Frank Smith
• Office 404-656-5805
• fsmith_at_doe.k12.ga.us