Implications of

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Implications of Scientific Research Based
Instruction (Response to Intervention) on
Educator Preparation
Michael Coyne, Ph.D. Associate Professor Neag
School of Education University of Connecticut
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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• CT SRBI Advisory Panel
• Appointed by Interim Commissioner George Coleman
  in Fall 2006
• Co-chaired by Associate Commissioners Frances
  Rabinowitz and George Dowaliby
• Panel members included representatives from IHEs,
  LEAs, and SEAs

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• CT SRBI Advisory Panel
• Nancy Cappello (Project Manager Contributing
  Author)
• CSDE Bureau of School and District Improvement
• Michelle Lebrun-Griffin (Project Manager
  Contributing Author)
• CSDE State Education Resource Center
• Louise Spear-Swerling (Contributing Author)
• Southern Connecticut State University

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• CT SRBI Advisory Panel
• Given the responsibility of reviewing current
  research and practice on RTI to develop a state
  model that could be implemented in CT schools.
• CT SRBI Executive Summary (Feb. 2008)
• CT SRBI Full Document (Fall 2008)

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• Goals for the CT SRBI Initiative
• Position CT at the forefront of advances in
  educational policy practice
• NCLB, IDEA, ESEA all emphasize schools
  obligation to educate diverse groups of students
  well.
• Ensure that CT SRBI is consistent with other
  state initiatives
• Directly address the achievement gap in CTs
  schools

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• Response to Intervention (RTI)
• A process for determining eligibility for special
  education services. An alternative to the
  IQ/Achievement discrepancy approach for
  determining the presence of a learning disability
• A coordinated school-wide approach for
  intensifying instruction and intervention for all
  students at risk for not meeting grade level
  academic or behavioral goals

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• Scientific Research Based Interventions (SRBI)
• What its not

• A program, package, or product
• One size fits all
• Only top-down or bottom-up
• A special education initiative
• Just for kids who are struggling
• Anything new
• Business as usual

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• Scientific Research Based Interventions (SRBI)
• What it is

• Evidence based practices in academic and
  behavioral curriculum, instruction, assessment,
  and intervention
• Distinctive combination of practices that best
  fit each unique school context and community
• Practices are coordinated at a school-wide (or
  district-wide) level to best leverage personnel,
  expertise, materials, and resources most
  effectively and efficiently
• Using data to continuously evaluate practices and
  make instructional decisions

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Scientific Research Based Interventions
Tier 3 Specialized, Individualized Intervention
for Students with Intensive Needs
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Tier 2 Supplemental Intervention for Students
Performing Below Grade Level
Tier 1 Comprehensive Coordinated
Instruction for All Students
80 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• A school-wide approach for increasing the
  effectiveness and efficiency of educational
  practices
• Effectiveness Evidence-based practices in
  instruction, assessment, and intervention that
  have a high likelihood of resulting in improved
  student outcomes if implemented with fidelity and
  quality
• Efficiency A school-wide plan for supporting and
  coordinating the implementation of a unique
  combination of practices that maximizes
  feasibility and contextual fit through the
  strategic use of personnel, expertise, materials,
  and resources
• Working Smarter not Harder

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• A school-wide approach for increasing the
  effectiveness and efficiency of educational
  practices
• Common Features
• Consistent across schools/districts implementing
  SRBI practices
• Non negotiables
• Flexibility
• Distinctive combination of practices and
  implementation features unique to each
  school/district
• Goal is to maximize the contextual fit with each
  unique school environment and community

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Critical Components
• Comprehensive coordinated classroom instruction
  for all students. The effectiveness of classroom
  instruction is evaluated through universal
  assessments.
• Universal assessments are also used to identify
  students who require additional intervention
• Supplemental intervention and ongoing progress
  monitoring for students at risk for performing
  below grade level
• Intensified intervention support for students who
  do not respond to core instruction and targeted
  intervention

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• Comprehensive Coordinated Classroom Instruction
  for All Students
• Aligned with key student outcomes
• Evidence based program(s) materials
• Comprehensive, consistent, high quality
• Implementation is coordinated prioritized
• Ongoing teacher support

100 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• The goal of classroom instruction is to enable a
  high percentage of students to meet grade level
  goals

80 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• The goal of classroom reading instruction is
  to enable a high percentage of students to meet
  grade level goals

50 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• Universal Assessments
• Evaluate the effectiveness of classroom
  instruction for all students
• Aligned with key outcomes
• Predictive of future performance

100 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions
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Scientific Research Based Interventions
Students Performing Significantly Below Grade
Level Reading Goals High Risk
Students Performing Below Grade Level Reading
Goals At Risk
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35
Students Meeting Grade Level Reading Goals Low
risk
40 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions
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Scientific Research Based Interventions
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Scientific Research Based Interventions
Students Performing Significantly Below Grade
Level Reading Goals High Risk
Students Performing Below Grade Level Reading
Goals At Risk
15
57
Students Meeting Grade Level Reading Goals Low
risk
28 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Critical Components
• Comprehensive coordinated classroom instruction
  for all students. The effectiveness of classroom
  instruction is evaluated through universal
  assessments.
• Universal assessments are also used to identify
  students who require additional intervention
• Supplemental intervention and ongoing progress
  monitoring for students at risk for performing
  below grade level
• Intensified intervention support for students who
  do not respond to core instruction and targeted
  intervention

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• Supplemental Intervention For Students at Risk
  for Performing Below Grade Level
• Screening data used to identify students
• needing additional intervention
• Intervention options are evidence-
• based, consistent, and coordinated
• Intervention is planned, scheduled
• and implemented to best leverage resources
• Assessment data is used to adjust and
• intensify intervention

5
15
80 of Students
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Scientific Research Based Interventions
Intervention Options
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intensity/resources

• Alterable Components
• Content
• Instructional Design
• Programs/Materials
• Interventionist/ Interventionist Expertise
• Grouping
• Dosage
• Scheduling

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Scientific Research Based Interventions
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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Critical Components
• Comprehensive coordinated classroom instruction
  for all students. The effectiveness of classroom
  instruction is evaluated through universal
  assessments.
• Universal assessments are also used to identify
  students who require additional intervention
• Supplemental intervention and ongoing progress
  monitoring for students at risk for performing
  below grade level
• Intensified intervention support for students who
  do not respond to core instruction and targeted
  intervention

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Scientific Research Based Interventions
Intensifying Intervention Support
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• Schools use individual student progress
  monitoring data to identify students with the
  most intensive learning and behavioral needs
  based on lack of response to core instruction and
  targeted intervention
• Students at high risk receive individualized
  intervention at higher levels of intensity (e.g.,
  more time, smaller group size, with highly
  trained professional, etc.)

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Opportunities
• Significantly increase the effectiveness of
  schools educational practices so as to enable a
  higher percentage of students to meet essential
  academic and behavioral goals
• Make more efficient use of existing resources
• Focus on preventing learning and behavioral
  difficulties before they become entrenched and
  intractable

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Opportunities
• Strengthening classroom instruction could
  decrease the number of students who require
  intervention, allowing specialists to focus on
  students with the most intensive learning and
  behavioral needs
• Students at risk are identified by data based
  rules, not reliant on only teacher or parent
  referrals
• Intervention is triggered by need, not by gated
  eligibility procedures
• Breaks down the disciplinary boundaries of who
  can provide what type of intervention to whom
• More intervention options available
• Mechanisms in place to increase the intensity of
  intervention for students who do not respond

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Possible Unintended Consequences
• The availability of general education
  intervention options is used as an excuse to
  reduce costs or eliminate special education
  resources/services
• SRBI is interpreted as the same thing as full
  inclusion
• Teachers required to provide intervention without
  the necessary training and support
• Less powerful interventions in general education
  replace more powerful interventions in remedial
  or special education
• The assumption that Tier 1 classroom instruction,
  if differentiated appropriately, should meet the
  needs of all learners

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Implications for Teacher Training
• Because SRBI practices are unique across schools
  and districts, teachers will need the support of
  ongoing school-specific professional development

preservice induction
professional development

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Implications for Teacher Training
• General Education Teacher Competencies
• Knowledge of SRBI/RTI logic
• Ability to deliver differentiated core academic
  and behavioral instruction to all students,
  regardless of their race, ethnicity, fluency in
  English, disability or socioeconomic status
• Ability to provide targeted supplemental or
  specialized academic and behavioral intervention
  to students who dont respond to primary
  instruction alone.

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Scientific Research Based Interventions

• SRBI Implications for Teacher Training
• General Education Teacher Competencies
• Ability to select, administer and interpret a
  variety of assessments to evaluate the
  effectiveness of instruction and intervention and
  to document students learning and growth to
  inform planning and instruction
• Ability to adjust instruction and intervention in
  response to information gathered from ongoing
  assessment and monitoring of performance and
  progress.