TRUMBULL COUNTY EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER

1
TRUMBULL COUNTY EDUCATIONAL SERVICE CENTER

• LEADING FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

2
Response to Intervention (RtI)Elementary
PrincipalsMarch 13, 2008
3
Presentation Overview

• Definition
• Core Principles
• Essential Components
• Rationale for RtI
• Support in Law and Regulations
• SLD Determination
• Caveats
• Moving Toward Implementation
• Resources

4
What Is RtI?

• Definition RtI is the practice of providing
  high-quality instruction and intervention matched
  to student needs, monitoring progress frequently
  to make changes in instruction or goals, and
  applying child response data to educational
  decisions.

5
Educational Decisions

• Where does a student stand in relation to
  expectations?
• What resources are needed to assist the student?
• Is the instruction working?
• If not, how should it be changed?
• If it is, is the student catching up with his/her
  peers?

6
Educational Decisions

• RtI data can also constitute part of the data
  needed for a full, individualized evaluation
  under IDEA.

7
What RtI Is and Is Not

• RtI is an overall integrated system of
  instruction, intervention, supports, and
  services.
• RtI is not an eligibility systema way of
  reducing the numbers of students placed into
  special education, or a different way of sorting.

8
Core Principles

• All children can be taught effectively
• Intervene early
• Use a multi-tier model of service delivery
• Use problem-solving methodology
• Utilize research-based, scientifically validated
  instruction/interventions
• Monitor student progress to inform instruction
• Use data to make decisions
• Use assessments for three different purposes

9
Use of Assessments in RtI

• Screening
• Diagnostics
• Progress monitoring

10
Essential Components of RtI

• Multi-tier model
• Problem-solving method
• An integrated data collection/assessment system

11
Essential Component 1Multi-tier Model
12
Essential Component 2Problem-Solving Method
13
Essential Component 3Integrated Assessment
Systems

• Directly assess specific skills in standards
• Assess marker variables demonstrated to lead
  to the ultimate instructional target, (e.g.,
  reading comprehension)
• Sensitive to small amounts of growth
• Brief
• Repeatable
• Easy to use
• Direct relationship to instructional decision-
  making

14
Common Elements

• Procedural steps followed sequentially
• Implementation of scientifically based
  interventions
• Frequent data collection
• Decision making based on student performance

15
Rationale for RtI

• Knowledge of effective reading instruction has
  greatly expanded over the past several years.
• Multi-tier models (e.g., OISM) for both academics
  and social emotional learning are being
  effectively implemented on a widespread basis.
• Technologies to monitor the effectiveness of
  interventions enable districts to modify
  instruction on a frequent basis.

16
Rationale for RtI (Continued)

• Assessment procedures (DIBELS, Curriculum Based
  Evaluation) enable districts to pinpoint student
  needs and match specific instructional
  interventions directly to areas of need.
• There is a greater awareness of validated
  standard treatments that work with broad ranges
  of students.

17
Rationale for RtI (Continued)

• There is a large body of evidence that the
  performance of students with disabilities
  continues to lag behind established targets and
  the performance levels of other student groups.
• There is a lack of evidence that demonstrates the
  effectiveness of traditional special education
  interventions for all students.
• We do not have broad scale data that demonstrates
  special education results in large magnitude,
  positive benefits fro all students.

18
Supports for RtI in Law and Regulations

• IDEA 2004 states a local educational agency may
  use a process that determines if the child
  responds to scientific, research-based
  intervention as a part of the evaluation
  process. That process is generally called RtI.

19
Ohio Requirements For SLD Identification

• To ensure that underachievement in a child
  suspected of having a specific learning
  disability is not due to the lack of appropriate
  instruction in reading or math, the group must
  consider, as part of the evaluation, data that
  demonstrate prior to, or as a part of the
  referral process, the child was provided
  appropriate instruction in regular education
  settings delivered by qualified personnel and
  data-based documentation of repeated assessments
  of achievement at reasonable intervals,
  reflecting formal assessment of student progress
  during instruction, which was provided to the
  childs parents.

20
SLD Eligibility

• Historical system Primarily based on
  ability-achievement discrepancy, consideration of
  the definition of SLD and exclusion factors.
• RTI Based on significant difference in
  performance compared to peers, low rate of
  progress even with high-quality interventions,
  special education need, and consideration of SLD
  definition and exclusion factors.

21
SLD Determination

• Proposed Ohio Operating Standards
• The child does not make sufficient progress to
  meet age or state-approved grade-level standards
  in one or more of the areas identified in
  paragraph (H)(3)(i) of this rule when using a
  process based on the childs response to
  scientific, research-based intervention or
• The child exhibits a pattern of strengths and
  weaknesses in performance, achievement, or both,
  relative to age, state-approved grade-level
  standards, or intellectual development, that is
  determined by the group to be relevant to the
  identification of a specific learning disability

22
Caveats

• Although RtI is promoted in IDEA as an approach
  to identifying children with learning
  disabilities, it is first and foremost a strategy
  to be used in regular education classrooms.
• RtI is not a special education or a regular
  education process. It is all education.

23
Caveats

• Although the RtI process is promoted by Federal
  law and state regulations, there are no standards
  for what the RTI process should look like or how
  long the various tiers of intervention should
  last1.
• There is lack of agreement among experts on a
  national and statewide basis on how to implement
  RtI.
• ODE has not released guidelines on the
  implementation of RtI. The anticipated guidelines
  may be released this summer.

24
Caveats

• RtI requires the use of scientifically-base
  interventions. Validated, scientifically-based
  interventions are lacking in the content areas
  and on the middle and high school levels.
• There is a need for greater understanding of RtI
  and for professional development on the issue
  before the framework can be fully and effectively
  implemented.

25
Moving Toward Implementation

• 3-5 Year Process
• Review Guidelines and White Papers
  (www.NASDSE.org)
• Build Consensus Within Building
• Implementation Planning

26
Moving Toward Implementation

• Professional Development
• Administrators
• Teachers
• Support Services
• Develop Infrastructure
• Onsite Support and Coaching

27
Resources

• Ohio Integrated Systems Model www.iesystems.org
• NASDSE www.nasdse.org
• NCLD www.ncld.org
• The Access Center http//www.k8accesscenter.org
• National Center on RtI www.RTI4Success.org

28
Response to Intervention

• Presentation available at
• http//www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/departments/princ20
  ho.htm
• For additional information contact
• Dale Lennon
• Director of Pupil Services
• Trumbull County Educational Service Center
• Niles, Ohio
• [phone], Ex. 133
• Dale.Lennon_at_neomin.org