RTI Teams: Following a Structured Problem-Solving Model Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

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RTI Teams Following a Structured Problem-Solving
Model Jim Wrightwww.interventioncentral.org
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Tier 3 Interventions Are Developed With
Assistance from the Schools 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 teachers success in carrying out
  the intervention (intervention integrity)

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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.
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The RTI Team Definition

• Teams of educators at a school are trained to
  work together as effective problem-solvers.
• RTI Teams are made up of volunteers drawn from
  general- and special-education teachers and
  support staff.
• These teams use a structured meeting process to
  identify the underlying reasons that a student
  might be experiencing academic or behavioral
  difficulties
• The team helps the referring teacher to put
  together practical, classroom-friendly
  interventions to address those student problems.

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Teachers may be motivated to refer students to
your RTI Team because they

• can engage in collegial conversations about
  better ways to help struggling learners
• learn instructional and behavior-management
  strategies that they can use with similar
  students in the future
• increase their teaching time
• are able to access more intervention resources
  and supports in the building than if they work
  alone
• feel less isolated when dealing with challenging
  kids
• have help in documenting their intervention
  efforts

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Team Roles

• Coordinator
• Facilitator
• Recorder
• Time Keeper
• Case Manager

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RTI Team Consultative Process

• 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 Students Parent(s) 5 Mins
• Step 8 Review Intervention Monitoring Plans 5
  Mins

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RTI Team Effectiveness Self-Rating Scale Packet
pp. 12-13
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Small-Group Activity Complete the RTI Team
Effectiveness Self-Rating Scale

• As a group, use the RTI Team Self-Rating Scale to
  evaluate your current student problem-solving
  teams level of functioning. If your school does
  not have a formal problem-solving team in place,
  rate your schools current informal
  problem-solving efforts.
• Appoint a spokesperson to share your findings
  with the large group.

• 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 teachers success in carrying out
  the intervention (intervention integrity)

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Team Activity Triggering the RTI Referral

• At your table
• Review the sample Teacher Referral Forms (p. 2,
  33)
• Design your own school RTI Team referral form
  using these examples as a starting point.
• Discuss what PROCESS your team will use to ensure
  that referrals can come from multiple sources.
• Discuss the role of case manager in following up
  to clarify a teachers referral concern(s).

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RTI Team Teacher Referral Form pp. 2-3, 33
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Secondary Level Classroom Performance Rating
Form
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Team Activity Write Your RTI Teams Intro Script

• At your table
• Review the sample RTI Team meeting introductory
  script (p. 4).
• List the main points that you believe an
  introductory script should accomplish.
• Draft your own version of an introductory script
  suitable for your school.

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RTI Team Meeting Introductory Script
RTI Team Introductory Script Share With Referring Teacher at the Start of the Initial Meeting
Welcome to this initial RTI Team meeting. We are meeting with you today to discuss concerns that you have about a student, _________________. The purpose of this meeting is for us all to work together to come up with practical ideas to help this student to be more successful in school. I am the facilitator for todays meeting. The person taking notes during the meeting will be _________________ . The case manager for this student is ___________. The time-keeper for the meeting is __________________. You can expect this meeting to last about ____ minutes. By the time you leave, we should have a complete student intervention plan put together to help address your concerns. Our team and you have a lot to do today and only limited time in which to do it. To help us to work efficiently and not waste your time, we will follow a structured problem-solving model that goes through several stages.
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RTI Team Introductory Script Share With Referring Teacher (Cont.)
Together, our team and you will Assess your major concerns about the student Help you to pick the one or two most important student concerns for us to work on today Set specific student goals for improvement Design an intervention plan with strategies to help that student improve, and Decide how to share information about this plan with the students parent(s) As the students teacher, you are the most important participant in this meeting. Please let us know at any time if you disagree with, or have questions about, our suggestions. Our meeting will not be a success unless you feel that the intervention ideas that we offer will address the students difficulties and are feasible for you to do. Our meeting notes will document the students referral concerns and the intervention plan that we come up with. These notes may be shared with others who are not here today, including childs parent(s) and the building administrator. However, we ask that everyone here keep the conversations that take place at this meeting confidential. Do you have any questions?
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RTI Team Demonstration Video
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Team Activity What Routine Data Should Be
Routinely Collected Prior to RTI Team Meetings?

• At your table
• Inventory the information commonly collected and
  stored on students in your school.
• List the core set of data from your school that
  should be routinely brought to RTI Team meetings.
  Next to each data source, note WHO is supposed to
  bring it!
• Decide on how to develop a roster of specialized
  assessment personnel (for more targeted data
  collection such as behavioral observations and
  academic fluencyCBMdata).

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Team Activity What Problem-Solving Process With
Your RTI Team Follow?

• At your table
• Discuss how your RTI Team will select a
  problem-solving structure to be followed at team
  meetings.
• How will your team shape your forms and data
  collection to conform to this problem-solving
  process?

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RTI Teams Managing Those RTI EmergenciesJim
Wrightwww.interventioncentral.org
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Managing Those RTI Emergencies
The initial teacher referral suggested that the
students 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 students academic
skills.How can your team respond (or avoid this
situation in the first place)?
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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)?
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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 cant 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)?
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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)?
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Managing Those RTI Emergencies
Duirng 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, Ive already tried
that. How can your team respond (or avoid this
situation in the first place)?