RTI Fundamentals

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RTI Fundamentals

• Workshop Wednesday PD
• May 9, 2012
• Summer S. Manos, RTI Specialist
• ManosS_at_fccps.org
• 703-248-5619

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The History of RTI in FCCPS

• 2001 NCLB mandates that all students receive
  scientific, research-based instruction
• 2004 IDEA requires states to ensure that
  special education eligibility does not stem from
  lack of exposure to such instruction and
  data-driven interventions hence Response to
  Intervention (RTI)
• 2009 FCCPS chose to begin implementing RTI
  framework to address the needs of ALL students

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What does our data say?
Falls Church City Public Schools VA DOE School
Division Report Card 8/18/11
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Why RTI?

• Discrepancy has developed into a wait to fail
  model
• Discrepancy model has not proven to be effective
• Over identification
• 71 of districts are in some stage of
  implementation compared to 60 in 2008 and 44 in
  2007
• RTI is being increasingly implemented across all
  grade levels
• Of districts with enough data, 83 indicated RTI
  has reduced the number of referrals to special
  education
• 2009 Spectrum K12 Results

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How do we get different results?

• Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same
  thing over and over again and expecting different
  results.
• In regards to the discrepancy model, McCook
  comments It must be the childs fault or the
  problem must certainly be the child. Why else
  would the child have such a discrepancy between
  expected achievement and actual achievement?

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RTI in FCCPS

• Response to Intervention (RTI) is primarily an
  instructional framework and philosophy, the goals
  and objectives of which include employing
  scientifically based instructional and behavioral
  interventions aligned with students needs,
  preventatively and as early as possible. It is an
  ongoing process of using student performance and
  other data to guide instructional and
  intervention decisions.
• Our goal is to build an EFFICIENT and POWERFUL
  Service Delivery System that is sustainable

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RTI Core Principles

• We can effectively teach all children
• Effective instruction (academic AND behavior) in
  general education is foundation for all
  decision-making
• Intervene early
• Use a multi-tier model of service delivery (MTSS)
• Use a problem-solving methodology (RTI Data
  Meetings SBT)
• Use research-based, scientifically validated
  interventions/instruction
• Use assessment for three different purposes
  screening, diagnostics and progress monitoring.

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But I thought RTI was

• RTI is
• An organizational structure for things you are
  already doing
• A general education initiative
• About ensuring we are identifying the right
  students as student with disabilities
• About all kids regardless of a label!
• In its early stages of implementation in FCCPS

• RTI is Not
• Another program to add-on to what we already do
• A special education initiative
• An instructional approach for at risk students
• Another name for pre-referral
• Just Differentiated Instruction

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Multi-Tired System of Supports

• Intensive, Individual Interventions
• Individual Students
• Assessment-based
• Intense, durable procedures

1-5
1-5
5-10
5-10
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Another look at the RTI Pyramid
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Tier 1 - Core

• Definition Students who are making expected
  progress in the general education curriculum and
  who demonstrate social competence
• Core also describes those school-wide
  interventions that are available to all students
• Effective instruction
• Clear expectations
• Effective student support
• Periodic benchmark assessments
• Universal prevention

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Tier 1 Non-negotiables

• Quality Core Curriculum
• Differentiated Instruction
• Flexible Grouping
• Classroom Management
• Data analysis teaming
• School-Wide Behavioral Supports (PBIS)
• Fidelity of Instruction
• Universal Screening (academics and behavior)
• Assessment (Pre-Assessment, Formative Assessment,
  Summative Assessment)

For me the most important part of the proverbial
three tiers is the first one regular classroom
instruction. In my view, RTI works best if its
started in kindergarten and 1st gradewe know how
to solve those problems. Allington 2010
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Its All About High Quality Instruction!

• Of all the variables that have been studied to
  date (indicators
• of school socioeconomic status, class size,
  student
• variability within the classroom, etc.), the
  single largest
• factor affecting academic growth of populations
  of students
• is differences in the effectiveness of individual
  teachers.
• When considered simultaneously, the magnitude of
  these
• differences dwarfs the other factors.
• 
  
  Sanders, 1998

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Core Instruction What Makes Sense

• One Instruction at the childs skill level
• Two Explicit, systematic, teacher directed,
  skills based
• (I Do, We Do, You Do)
• Three Strong curriculum scope and sequence
  defined skill hierarchy
• Four Formative evaluation rules and
  instructional changes

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Four Formative evaluation rules and
instructional changes - it works!
Treatment/Intervention Effect Size
Special Education Placement -.14 to .29
Modality Matched Instruction (Auditory) .03
Modality Matched Instruction (Visual) .04
Curriculum-Based Instruction/ Graphing and Formative Evaluation .70
Curriculum-Based Instruction, Graphing, Formative Evaluation and Systematic use of Reinforcement 1.00
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Activity

• What are some examples of instructional
• strategies and practices that we use with all
• learners?

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Tier 2 Snapshot

• Targeted instruction provided to small groups of
  students (homogeneous groups of 3-5)
• Supplemental programs or strategies
• Skill focus dependent upon progress monitoring
  and who has not responded to Tier 1 efforts
• Progress monitoring
• Push-in or pull-out
• Intervention performed by classroom teacher
  and/or support staff
• In addition to Tier 1 instruction

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Tier 3 Snapshot

• Intensive instruction provided to groups of 1-3
  students
• Skill focus dependent upon progress monitoring
  and who has not responded to Tier 2 efforts
• More frequent progress monitoring
• Frequency, intensity, and duration of
  intervention increases from Teir 2
• Interventionist determined by team
• Push-in or pull-out (pull-out more common)

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Intervention/Instructional Match

• Match intervention to problem
• Humans tend to employ interventions with which
  they are comfortable instead of intervention that
  the student needs
• Intervention should be developed with the
  expectation that it will be altered in some way
  as a result of the progress monitoring data
• No intervention works all of the time for every
  student

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Scientifically research-based Instruction and
Interventions

• Instructional
• Rigorous research design that shows intervention
  is effective with large numbers of students
• Explicitly teaches the deficit skill

• Behavioral
• Rigorous research design, but may also include
  case studies
• Explicitly teaches expectations
• Proactively prevents behavior problems

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What is an Intervention?

• Research-based Supplemental Materials/Programs
• Early Literacy
• Comprehensive Reading Programs
• Supplemental Reading Programs for targeted
  intervention (phonemic awareness, phonics,
  fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension)
• Math

• Research-based Learning Strategies
• Appropriate for Tiers 1,2, and 3
• Teach students how to gain access to information
  in general education
• Reading
• Math
• Behavior
• Kansas

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Examples of Tier 2 Tier 3 Intervention
Strategies and Programs in FCCPS
Wilson Reading System Earobics Fundations Read
Naturally Reading Recovery Math Recovery Do the
Math VMath (New in 2011-2012) Language! (new in
2011-2012) Read Well (new in 2011-2012) Pirate
Math (new in 2011-2012) Additional Reading/Math
strategy group Peer Assisted Learning
Strategies (PALS)
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What are NOT interventions?

• Preferential seating
• Shortened assignments
• Parent contacts
• Classroom observations
• Sending a student to the office
• Suspension
• Doing MORE of the same
• Retention
• Peer-tutoring

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Activity

• What are some examples of instructional
• strategies and practices that we use for Tier 2
  and Tier 3?

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Data Based Decision Making

• There are three reasons for assessing and
  monitoring skill development
• (1) Screening - this identifies how a student is
  performing relative to the group or to a
  curriculum-based benchmark
• (2) Diagnostic -if the student is under
  performing, the questions Why is this
  happening? and What other information do we
  need? must be answered
• (3) Ongoing progress monitoring - this involves
  frequent assessment of growth. The progress of
  all students should be monitored, but it is of
  particular importance to closely monitor the
  progress of students whose performance is
  resistant to intervention. In all cases, the
  obtained data are used to adjust instruction and
  make instructional or intervention decisions.

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FCCPSs Academic Assessments 2011-2012 FCCPSs Academic Assessments 2011-2012 FCCPSs Academic Assessments 2011-2012 FCCPSs Academic Assessments 2011-2012
Grades K-1 Grades 2-4 Grades 5-7 Grades 8-12
Universal Screening PALS DSA FCCPS Quarterly Math Reading Benchmarks Diagnostic DRA PALS Progress Monitoring PALS Quick Checks running records exploring CBM for Math Universal Screening PALS (2nd) DSA FCCPS Quarterly Writing Prompts FCCPS Quarterly Math Reading Benchmarks Diagnostic DRA/QRI/CRI PALS Progress Monitoring PALS Quick Checks running records CBM Formative Assessments Universal Screening SRI DSA FCCPS Quarterly Writing Prompts FCCPS Quarterly Math Reading Benchmarks Diagnostic DRA/QRI/CRI Progress Monitoring SRI running records CMB Formative Assessments Universal Screening SRI FCCPS Quarterly Writing Prompts FCCPS Quarterly Math Benchmark Assessments Diagnostic QRI/CRI Progress Monitoring SRI CBM Formative Assessments
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True genius resides in the capacity for
evaluation of uncertain, hazardous, and
conflicting information. -Winston Churchill
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This never happens
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More likely
Causes for those findings connected to different
parts of the system, like curriculum,
instruction, or school culture
Variety of strategies for addressing different
causes, often used in particular combinations
Data findings from multiple sources, analyzed
individually and as a set
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But what does this mean for me?

• Response to Intervention
• Forces us to examine what works and what doesnt
• Creates a more collaborative school culture (ala
  PLC)
• Aligns currents procedures for identification
  with effective instruction and assessment
• We are able to make objective decisions based on
  data
• Assessments, CORE Instruction, and Interventions
  are closely linked
• Results may be easily communicated to parents and
  staff using charts and graphs.

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Activity

• Creating a shared understanding of RTI

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How do we plan to get there?

• NASDSE Blueprints for District and Schools
  (Action Plans)
• Step 1 Consensus Building
• Step 2 Infrastructure Building
• Step 3 Implementation
• Building our collective capacity through
  partnerships
• VA DOE RTI Cohort
• RTI Action Networks Leadership Network Group
• GMU
• The solution is not a program it is a small set
  of common principles and practices relentlessly
  pursued. Professionals working together with
  focus is what counts. Fullan, M. (2010). All
  Systems Go.

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Where Are We in Our Journey?

• Monitoring OUR Progress
• Knowledge and Perceptions of RTI Survey
  Preliminary Findings
• Scale
• 1 Strongly Disagree
• 2 Disagree
• 3 Neutral
• 4 Agree
• 5 Strongly Agree

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I understand the purpose of Response to
Intervention (RTI) within my school district.
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I feel knowledgeable about the purpose of each
of the tiers within RTI.
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It is clear who is responsible for implementing
each tier of RTI in my school.
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Putting it All Together The Old Model of
Interventions

• We currently have resources to build Tier 2 3
  Interventions
• But...we often end up with Too Many Remedial
  Programs with Different
• Entry Criterion
• Curricula/Interventions
• Assessment and Progress Monitoring Systems

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Coordinated and Powerful Multi-Tiered System

• Use Universal Screening to Identify Tier 2 3
  Candidates
• Collaborate around who gets what, when and why
• Use a Focused and Scientifically Based
  Curriculum with an Emphasis on Explicit
  Teacher-Led Instruction with Explicit Language
  Support
• Use the Same Scientifically Based Progress
  Monitoring System

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A Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 1
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References

• Web References
• RTI Action Network www.rtinetwork.com
• National Center on Response to Intervention
  www.rti4success.org
• Print References
• Responsive Instruction Refining Our Work of
  Teaching All Children Virginias Response to
  Intervention Initiative (2007) Virginia DOE.
• Allington, R.L. (2009). What Really Matters in
  Response to Intervention Research Based Designs
  Pearson.
• Buffum, A., Mattos.M., Weber, C. (2009)
  Pyramid Response to Intervention RTI, PLCs,
  and How to Respond When Kids Dont Learn
  Solution Tree Press.
• East, B. Reder, N. (2006) Blueprints for RtI
  Implementation. National Association of State
  Directors of Special Education.
• Jenkins, T. (2011). Consensus Building, Tiered
  Instruction, and Problem Solving Model
• Kukic, S. (2009). Building the Context of
  Excellence to Improve Results for ALL Students A
  Call to Action
• Reynolds, L. (2009) Response to Intervention
  The What, How, and Why! Staff Development for
  Educators.