Problem Solving Model Preparation for Implementation

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Problem Solving Model Preparation for
Implementation

• Adapted from the NC Department of Public
  Instruction

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Shift Happens

• Why change, why now?
• Legislation is necessitating a change
• Research has shown that there is a better way

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What about Assessments?

• RtI advocates two principles
• Assessments should have a relationship to
  positive child outcomes, not just predictions of
  failure
• Assessments without this relationship do little
  to benefit children and waste precious time and
  resources

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What About Traditional Evaluations?

• Brief screening measures of IQ can rule out
  mental retardation
• If mental retardation is not suspected, measures
  of IQ have no role in LD diagnosis with RtI

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Assessment In RtI

• Focus on achievement, behavior, and the
  instructional environment
• Measurable and changeable
• Related to child outcomes
• In-depth analysis of performance relative to
  peers
• Intervention aimed at improving rate and level of
  skill development

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Cautions in Assessment

• Focusing only on the child can miss important
  factors
• Instructional casualties
• Not exposed to early literacy skills
• Marginally effective general education
• Instruction not scientifically validated
• Instruction implemented with poor integrity

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Core of RtI Assessment

• Measures all domains that may affect achievement
• Comprehensive assessment includes
• Screening of hearing vision
• Social Developmental History
• In-depth assessments in
• Current academic skills
• Instructional environment
• Behaviors
• Interventions

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RtI

• Focuses on assessment of instructional principles
  
• Variables assessed and considered for
  intervention
• Time allocated for instruction
• Academic learning time
• Pacing of instruction
• Number of opportunities to respond
• Sequencing of examples and non-examples of skills
• etc

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RtI

• Use assessment to make good teaching decisions
• Include a measure of integrity in interventions

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RtI

• Measurement of intervention effectiveness
• Early identification and early intervention
• Intervention increase in intensity, guided by
  data based decision making

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So How Do We Do This Differently?

• Problem-Solving
• Model!

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PSM

• Problem-solving involves both a conceptual and
  applied activity
• Activities necessary prior to implementation of
  RtI
• Training
• Local norms

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PSM

• Model designed to meet the needs of diverse
  learners within school districts
• Attempts to identify and implement best
  educational strategies to meet the needs of all
  learners
• Requires significant changes in mind set and
  philosophy

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Thinking Outside the Box !
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Prerequisites

• Changes in mind-set that are necessary for all of
  those involved
• Student problems can be defined (academic and
  behavioral)
• Questions drive assessments
• Engage in instruction that addresses learning
• Intervention is derived from analysis of baseline
  data

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More About This Magic !

• PSM
• Seven step cyclical process
• Approach to develop interventions and ensure
  positive student outcomes, rather than
  determining failure or deviance (Deno, 1995).

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Implementation of a RtI System

• All seven cyclical stages occur on four different
  tiers
• Movement through the tiers guided by intensity of
  services of needed

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Problem Solving (PSM) Process
1
Step 1 Define the Problem Develop a behavioral
(observable) definition of problem
2
7
Step 7 Analysis of the Intervention Plan make a
team decision on the effectiveness of the
intervention
Step 2 Develop an Assessment Plan Generate a
hypothesis and assessment questions related to
the problem
6
3
Step 6 Implement the Intervention Plan Provide
strategies, materials, and resources include
progress monitoring
Step 3 Analysis of the Assessment Plan Create a
functional and multidimensional assessment to
test the hypothesis
5
4
Step 4 Generate a Goal Statement Specific
Description of the changes expected in student
behavior
Step 5 Develop an Intervention Plan Base
interventions on best practices and
research-proven strategies
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Training

• Important to have training on at least two
  components of RtI
• Problem-Solving Model (PSM)
• Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM)

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PSM

• Implementation is guided by nine principles of
  the PSM

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PSM

• Principle 1
• Should involve seven steps
• Develop behavioral definition of the problem
• Generate hypothesis and assessment questions
  related to problem
• Functional and multi-dimensional assessment to
  test hypothesis and respond to questions

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PSM

• Principle 1 (continued)
• Generation of goal statement
• Develop and implement intervention
• Progress monitoring
• Decision-making about effectiveness of
  intervention

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PSM

• Principle 2
• Collaborative consultation is the means by which
  PSM is conducted
• Team work
• No longer does one expert make determinations
• Each member of team provides their expertise from
  their perspective

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PSM

• Principle 3
• Develop hypothesis as to why the problem is
  occurring
• The hypothesis is tested through assessment
  questions and baseline data collection
• Hypothesis is designed collaboratively

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PSM

• Principle 4
• Functional assessment procedures are implemented
• Assessment is performed relevant to the
  identified problem, rather than determination of
  disability
• Data is collected to prove or disprove
  hypothesis, answer assessment questions, and
  provide basis for interventions
• Data serves as baseline, comparison to peers, and
  progress monitoring

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PSM

• Principle 5
• Implementation of multi-dimensional assessment
  procedures RIOT
• Four domains are considered environment,
  curriculum, instruction, and learner
• Remember problems do not always belong to the
  learner
• Review, Interview, Observe, and Test (RIOT) in
  all four domains if relevant

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PSM

• Principle 6
• Goals identified that should occur as result of
  intervention
• Performance described in concrete, measurable
  terms
• Period of time for intervention identified
• Exit criteria for intervention identified

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PSM

• Principle 7
• Development of prescriptive interventions
• Based on data collected and address changeable
  variables in the relevant domains
• Intervention is direct service, progress
  monitoring, on-going consultation, technical
  assistance, and a team effort
• Effectiveness of intervention continuously tested
  and changes made when necessary

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PSM

• Principle 8
• Progress monitoring
• Data collected regularly and frequently
• Data graphed and analyzed
• Effectiveness of intervention analyzed and
  changes made when needed

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PSM

• Principle 9
• Decision making based on progress monitoring data
• Responsiveness to Instruction evaluated, based on
  progress monitoring data relative to goal
• Continue intervention, change intervention, new
  intervention,
• Evaluation of program, modify program, exit
  program

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Implementation of a RtI System

• First three tiers call for implementation of PSM
  and CBM in the general education setting
• Fourth tier represents determining the need for
  special education referral the highest level of
  service intensity

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PSM Procedures

• Activities at Tier I
• Parent and teacher working together to define the
  problem
• What is it?
• When does it occur?
• Why is this happening?
• Then, analyze baseline data or develop plan for
  collecting baseline data

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PSM Procedures

• Activities at Tier I
• Based on baseline data develop an intervention
  plan
• Parent and teacher together brainstorm ideas for
  interventions
• Discuss what interventions look like
• Look at differentiated instruction
• Create a Parent/Teacher Log
• Develop progress monitoring plan
• Set time table for reconvening to evaluate
  interventions

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PSM Procedures

• Activities at Tier I
• Implement intervention plan
• Evaluate
• Use progress monitoring
• Determine effectiveness of intervention

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Examples of Data at Tier I

• STAR reading
• Pre-EOG
• Running Record
• Curriculum based measurements (DIBELS, Aimsweb,
  for example)
• Specific skill growth or performance

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PSM Procedures

• Activities at Tier II
• Steps of cyclical problem-solving model repeat,
  but more school personnel are involved as needed
• Parent
• Teacher
• Counselor, school psychologist, reading teacher,
  administrator, social worker, nurse, etc.

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PSM Procedures

• Examples at Tier II
• Parent, Teacher and Other Teacher/Specialist
  (other professional in the building)
• Reading Recovery
• Title 1 services
• Informal speech interventions
• Intervention groups 3 times a week for 30 minutes
• Computer remediation lab Orchard, Waterford

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PSM Procedures

• Activities at Tier III
• Steps of cyclical problem-solving model repeat
• Team members may vary

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PSM Procedures

• Formalization of process
• Problem-solving model forms are completed
• Baseline, goal setting, and progress monitoring
  data systematically collected and charted
• Research based interventions are implemented
• Data is provided as evidence for need of
  intervention

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PSM Procedures

• Activities of Tier IV
• Make the decision to refer for consideration of
  special education
• Define the problem
• Progress monitoring data becomes baseline data on
  IEP or additional data can be collected
• IEP (intervention) is developed based on data
  collected

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PSM Procedures

• Activities of Tier IV, cont
• Progress monitoring occurs during implementation
• Program modification or exit criteria is
  established
• Objectives are developed

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Tier IV Form
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Problem Solving (PSM) Process
1
Step 1 Define the Problem Develop a behavioral
(observable) definition of problem
2
7
Step 7 Analysis of the Intervention Plan make a
team decision on the effectiveness of the
intervention
Step 2 Develop an Assessment Plan Generate a
hypothesis and assessment questions related to
the problem
6
3
Step 6 Implement the Intervention Plan Provide
strategies, materials, and resources include
progress monitoring
Step 3 Analysis of the Assessment Plan Create a
functional and multidimensional assessment to
test the hypothesis
5
4
Step 4 Generate a Goal Statement Specific
Description of the changes expected in student
behavior
Step 5 Develop an Intervention Plan Base
interventions on best practices and
research-proven strategies
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Define the Problem

• In general - Identify initial concern
• General description of problem
• Prioritize and select target behavior
• Describe what is known about problem and generate
  questions
• Environment
• Instruction
• Curriculum
• Learner
• Observable and measurable terms stranger test?

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Define the Problem

• The most difficult step of the model
• Done collaboratively
• However, if done correctly, solution ideas easily
  follow
• Describe the problem precisely, then formulate
  hypothesis, predictions, and referral questions

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Define the Problem

• Characteristics of a definition
• Concrete, observable terms (understanding long
  division accurate completion of long division
  problems) a stranger can determine if behavior
  has occurred
• Measurable difficult to count number of times
  student understood division easily to count
  digits completed correctly in a division problem

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Define the Problem

• Characteristics of a definition, cont
• Specific break things down into its smallest
  components appropriate classroom behavior
  attending to task, remaining in seat, etc
• Leads to interventions poor accuracy when
  applying phonological principles leads to
  assessment and intervention ideas

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Define the Problem

• Procedures for defining the problem
• Select target behavior teacher may have several
  concerns, prioritize according to significance of
  impact
• Define in concrete, observable, and measurable
  terms, everyone should agree
• Hypothesize an explanation for the problem based
  on the definition consider modifiable factors
  (Bill is off task because he is distracted by
  noises in the classroom)

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Define the Problem

• Procedures for defining the problem, cont
• Predict change in student behavior, use if/then
  wording (If classroom is quiet then Bill will
  not be distracted)
• Develop assessment questions to be answered
  questions stem from hypothesis and predictions
  data collected supports or refutes hypothesis
  consider setting, current level of performance,
  frequency, intensity, and duration of problem

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Define the Problem

• Procedures for defining the problem, cont
• Hypothesis development
• Traditionally hypotheses have been circular
• Hypotheses should be stated (Tom has out of
  seat behavior in math because he lacks the
  computation skills necessary to complete the
  independent seatwork)
• Hypotheses are generated through brainstorming

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Hypothesis development

• Four domains of hypotheses
• Environment how environment effects learning
  arrangement of classroom, material, media
  equipment
• Curricular is curriculum appropriate for
  student? Consider sequence of objectives,
  teaching methods, and practice materials provided
• Instructional manner in which teacher uses
  curriculum consider instructional techniques,
  presentation style, questioning, feedback
  techniques
• Learner
• Student skill necessary prerequisite skills
• Student process capacity to learn and problem
  solving techniques

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Assessment Plan

• Assessments must be functional
• Direct link between assessment and intervention
• Data collected
• skill deficits and/or performance deficits
• academic and/or non-academic behaviors
• Questions drive assessments
• Data leads to instructional decisions and goal
  setting

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Assessment Plan

• In general
• Develop assessment plan to answer questions
  generated
• Validate target behavior
• Data across four domains should be gathered from
  multiple sources
• Reviews
• Interviews
• Observations
• Tests
• Roles, responsibilities, and timeline

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Assessment Plan

• Characteristics of functional assessments
• Relevance- data related to instruction
• Direct assessments derived from curriculum,
  behaviors and environment
• Multi-dimensional data collected using RIOT

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Assessment Plan

• Characteristics of functional assessments
• Formative data used to formulate interventions
• Individually focused focus on students
  strengths and weaknesses / establish a baseline
• Technically adequate reliable and valid

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Assessment Plan

• Data is collected regarding
• Environmental variable
• Instructional variables

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Assessment Plan

• Data is collected regarding
• Curricular variables
• Student variables

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Assessment Plan

• RIOT (Review, Interview, Observe, Test)
• Review records and work samples, interview staff
  and parents, use CBM data
• Proceed from general to specific
• Global vision, hearing, environmental factors
• Specific assessment aimed at answering assessment
  questions

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Analysis of Assessment Plan

• Review data cant do or wont do?
• Calculate discrepancy between baseline and
  acceptable level of performance
• Baseline is median of three measures
• Indicate standard
• Make an informed statement as to why the problem
  is occurring
• Make a prediction regarding intervention
• Chart and set goal

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Analysis of Assessment Plan

• Prediction and goal setting
• Without goal setting, impossible to judge
  progress and determine effectiveness of
  intervention
• Goal statements are based on baseline data
• Written in specific and measurable terms

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Analysis of Assessment Plan

• Definition
• Goal statement specific description of change you
  expect to see in students behavior as a result
  of the intervention
• Includes behavior to change
• Conditions that will bring about change
• Level of behavior that is expected

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Analysis of Assessment Plan

• Definition
• Short-term goals describe progress student is
  expected to make in a short period of time
  during and intervention phase
• Long term goals describe progress student is
  expected to make in a year often associated
  with a program, sometimes with intervention
  phases
• Program modification or exit goal statements
  identify requirements necessary to student to
  have program adjusted or exit program - EC

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Analysis of Assessment Plan

• Goal statement
• Behavior needs to be measurable, observable, and
  specific focus on increasing positive
  behaviors, rather than decreasing negative ones
• Conditions (timeline, measurement situation, and
  measurement materials used)
• For behavioral issues, conditions include (
  timeline, setting, environmental stimuli)

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Analysis of Assessment Plan

• Goal statement
• Level of behavior that is expected several ways
  to establish this
• Norms/percentile cutoffs
• Expectations
• Realistic/ambitious growth
• Growth rates
• More details and application in CBM

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Analysis of Assessment Plan

• Examples of goal statements
• Long-term In 30 weeks, when presented with
  random reading passages from Basic Skill
  Builders, level 5, Sam will read aloud at a rate
  of 50 words correct per minute
• Short-term Each week, when presented with a
  reading passage from Basic Skill Builders, level
  5, Sam will increase his oral reading rate by two
  words correct per minute
• Non-academic In nine weeks during math class,
  Sam will complete all daily written assignment by
  the end of each math period

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Development of Intervention Plan

• In general, based on data, identify interventions
  with highest likelihood of success
• Interventions involve explicit instruction and
  progress monitoring
• Interventions are not accommodations and
  modifications
• Decision making for progress monitoring data
  three below?
• Roles, responsibilities, and timeline

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Development of Intervention Plan

• Accommodations
• Supports or services provided to help access
  curriculum and demonstrate learning examples
• Modifications
• Changes made to content and performance
  expectations - examples

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Development of Intervention Plan

• Characteristics
• Focus on modifying students environment to
  improve performance consider time allocated for
  instruction, engagement time, questioning
  techniques, feedback, contingencies
• Intervention and monitoring is continuation of
  hypothesis testing
• No magic interventions
• Implement, monitor, adjust

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Development of Intervention Plan

• Characteristics
• Interventions need to be feasible implementers
  must agree, understand, be committed, and possess
  the necessary skills
• Team must share responsibility and accountability
  for outcome

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Development of Intervention Plan

• Develop intervention plan, then consider
• In what setting should the plan be implemented?
• Would it be best for this plan to be implemented
  on an individual level, an entire classroom, an
  entire school building?

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Development of Intervention Plan

• Procedures
• Brainstorm interventions
• Evaluate ideas potential to succeed, ease of
  use, compatibility with existing programs, time,
  cost
• Select intervention focus on increasing
  positives, rather than decreasing negatives

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Development of Intervention Plan

• Procedures
• Write action plan identify roles and
  responsibilities, when, where, how, need for
  programs, progress monitoring, goals as a result
  of intervention
• Implement the intervention support
  interventionist, progress monitor, evaluate
  integrity of intervention, make adjustments

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ORF
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Important Points to Consider and/or Remember when
Implementing RtI

• School-based collaborative process
• Uses problem solving approach to identify
  academic/behavioral needs
• Involves data-based decision-making
• Primary purpose is to design useful interventions
  in the regular education environment

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Important Points to Consider and/or Remember when
Implementing RtI

• The focus is on Problem Solving
• Not a mechanism for referring
  students to special education
• It is Not a Pre-referral team
• Assessment is functional diagnostic
• Interventions based on data
• Not a guessing game

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Important Points to Consider and/or Remember when
Implementing RtI

• Interventionists
• School Volunteers
• Any available staff member
• Peer tutoring
• Parents
• Teachers Aides
• Intervention Specialist
• Key Training !

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Final Thoughts and Conclusions

• OWNERSHIP
• Administrators are key !

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Final Thoughts and Conclusions

• Change in mind-set
• Areas for training
• Team Building
• PSM
• CBM
• Local Norming
• Research-Based Interventions for reading, math,
  written expression, and behavior
• Progress monitoring and charting
• etc

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Final Thoughts and Conclusions

• Research has shown repeatedly that all of the
  time, effort, and money is worth it !

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Critical Skills/Competencies

• Problem solving-interviewing skills
• Behavior assessment including CBM
• Powerful instructional interventions
• Powerful behavior change interventions
• Relationship skills
• Tailoring assessment to referral concerns

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General education/special education changes

• Send us your tired, your hungry, your poor. Your
  students who arent performing.
• Shift from placement to high quality
  interventions
• Progress of ALL students (tied with NCLB AYP)

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Questions Regular Educators May Ask

• What is a high quality intervention?
• How do I do more in my class?
• How do I collect and use data to make decisions?

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Special Educators

• Skills in individualized, remedial interventions
• Share with general educators!
• Classroom, teacher, and individual student
  support

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Roles of District and School Leaders

• District
• Support
• Provide vision
• Reinforce effective practices
• Expect accountability
• Provide support for systems change effort
• Training
• Coaching
• Technology
• Policies
• Batsche Curtis, 2005

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Roles, cont

• Principal
• Vision of Problem-Solving Process
• Supports development of expectations
• Allocation of resources
• Facilitates priority setting
• Ensures follow-up
• Supports program evaluation
• Monitors staff support/climate
• Batsche Curtis, 2005

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Questions
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