Response to Intervention

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Response to Intervention
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RtI is . . .

• . . .the practice of providing high-quality
  instruction and interventions matched to student
  need, monitoring progress frequently to make
  decisions about changes in instruction or goals
  and applying child response data to important
  educational decisions.
• NASDSE, RtI Policy Considerations and
  Implementation, 2005 (emphasis added).

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RtI is not. . .

• one-size fits all program
• kit that you can buy
• system to evaluate teachers
• pre-referral system

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Themes of RtI

• Create systems, not just programs, to support
  each and all students
• Earlier rather than later
• Evidence, not opinion

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Continuum of Services (traditional)
Special Education
Title
Recovery
Sea of Ineligibility
General Education
Remedial
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Continuum of Services (w/RtI)
Special Education
Interventions
General Education
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Categorizing assessments

• Outcome - Provides a bottom-line evaluation of
  the effectiveness of the reading program in
  relation to established performance levels
• Screening - Designed as a first step in
  identifying children who may be at high risk for
  delayed development or academic failure and in
  need of further diagnosis of their need for
  special services or additional reading
  instruction
• Diagnosis - Helps teachers plan instruction by
  providing in-depth information about students'
  skills and instructional needs.
• Progress Monitoring - Determines through frequent
  measurement if students are making adequate
  progress or need more intervention to achieve
  grade-level reading outcomes.

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RTI is a Well-Child Program for Education

• Health Care
• Infant screenings
• Annual check-ups
• Comparison to developmental standards
• Immunizations
• Use of research-based standard protocol
  treatments for common problems
• Hypothesis testing as part of evaluation
• Referral for specialist care if needed

• Education
• Standardized Kindergarten screening
• Three yearly check-ups
• Comparison to local and national benchmarks
• Use of research-based instruction for general
  education instruction
• Hypothesis testing as part of curriculum and
  assessment practices
• Referral to special education only if progress in
  other instruction is not made

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Three-Tier Prevention/Intervention
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Why care about RtI?

• Need to find a more efficient way to provide
  students with what they need
• NCLB students must demonstrate proficiency in
  math and ELA by end of 2013-2014 school year

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Why care about RtI?

• Research is indicating that most students can
  meet grade level benchmarks when provided with
  appropriate general education instruction and/or
  interventions
• IDEA 2004 allows use of RtI as an alternative to
  severe discrepancy model
• Less time in evaluation, more time in intervention

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Why care about RtI?

• We serve a diverse student body and we are
  charged with teaching all students basic skills
• Need a system that will help students
• Need a system that will help us meet AYP
• Need a system that will be cost effective

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RTI Research

• Majority of data are related to reading.
• Data indicate that using RTI procedures optimizes
  outcomes for all students.
• Studies show that not all students will be
  successful from RTI alone those students who
  still struggle need to receive special education
  services.
• Learning disabilities do exist and will not be
  eradicated with RTI policies.

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Where did this come from???

• Changes in special education law from 1970s to
  present which shift focus from access to outcomes
• Currently support for RtI in federal law
• Converging scientific evidence, especially in the
  area of reading

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Where did this come from???

• We have been using components of RtI for a long
  time e.g. progress monitoring measures,
  differentiated instruction, etc.
• Flipping systems from everyone is assumed to be
  ok until they arent to screening and
  intervening right away

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RtI around the nation and in Michigan

• Statewide Iowa
• Pockets of implementation in AR, CA, CO, FL, ID,
  IL, KS, LA, MI, MN, MO, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC,
  TN, UT, WA, WI, also New Zealand and Singapore
• Michigan
• MiBLSi one vehicle focusing on reading and
  behavior
• Many other districts using model outside of MiBLSi

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Core principles of RtI
1. We can effectively teach all children.
2. Intervene early.
3. Use a multi-tier model of service delivery.
4. Use a problem-solving method to make decisions within a multi-tier model.
5. Use research-based, scientifically validated interventions/instruction to the extent possible.
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Core principles of RtI, contd . . .
6. Monitor student progress to inform instruction.
7. Use data to make decisions.
8. Use assessment for different purposes.
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Stop and reflect . . .

• RtI is . . .
• Write your own definition in the box at the top
  of your RtI cheat sheet.

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Where do we start?

• RtI in 6 easy steps . . .
• Implement scientifically based general education
  instructional methods
• Collect benchmarks of all student performance 3
  times a year (school-wide or universal
  screening)
• Identify students below benchmark
• Provide scientifically based small-group
  instruction to students below benchmark (tiered
  model of instruction)
• Monitor student progress (progress monitoring)
• Review, revise or discontinue small group
  instruction based on progress (data-based
  decision making)

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Essential tools usedto implement RtI

• School-wide screening
• Tiered levels of instruction
• Progress monitoring
• Data-based decision making

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School-wide or universal screening

• What is it?
• Assessment measure in academic area used to look
  at group and individual performance on a specific
  skill (e.g. reading).
• Should answer
• Is our core curriculum working?
• What students need further intervention?

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Essential components of school-wide screening
measure

• Accurate
• Efficient
• Based on mastery of skills vs performance of
  peers
• Provide cut point or goal

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School-wide screening example DIBELS
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Percent of kindergarten students at Benchmark,
Strategic and Intensive levels in spring,
2000-2006
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Stop and reflect . . .

• Why do this?
• What would I need to do?
• What additional skills/tools would I need?
• What challenges do I anticipate?

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Tiered levels of instruction

• What is it?
• Set of evidence-based supplemental interventions
  designed for group of students who need more
• Should answer
• What do we do, right away, with the students who
  are not succeeding in a skill area

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Tiered levels of instruction

• Scientifically based supplemental instruction
• Targeted to student need
• Decision making rules in place

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Tiered Layers of Instruction Example
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Tiered Layers of Instruction Whats in your
triangle?
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Stop and reflect . . .

• Why do this?
• What do I need to do?
• What additional skills/tools would I need?
• What challenges do I anticipate?

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Progress monitoring

• What is it?
• Efficient assessment designed to give feedback
  on student progress in achieving skill
• e.g. GPS for educators
• Should answer
• How is the individual student doing? Is the
  intervention working?

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Progress monitoring

• Need to be frequent
• Assessments need to
• Match same skills as being taught in the
  intervention
• Have alternate forms (e.g. at least 20 forms)

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Progress monitoring DIBELS

• Tier II or strategic Progress monitor in the
  deficit area approximately every 2 weeks (some
  sources say every 4 weeks)
• Tier III or intensive Progress monitor every
  week

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Progress Monitoring Graph
Aimline
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Stop and reflect . . .

• Why do this?
• What do I need to do?
• What additional skills/tools would I need?
• What challenges do I anticipate?

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Are we having fun yet?!
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Data-based decision making

• What is it?
• Use of student performance information to make
  instructional decisions
• Should answer
• How is our core curriculum doing? Are the
  interventions working? What else do we know?
  Etc.

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Data-based decision making exampleGrade level
meetings

• Questions
• Is our curriculum meeting the needs of most
  students?
• Are the interventions effective?
• What needs to be changed?

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GRADE LEVEL MEETING example
Task Question Action
Benchmark meeting Analyze data for grade and classroom How is our reading program meeting the needs of all students? Discuss research-based supplemental curriculums to beef up core Plan for implementation
Progress monitoring meeting Analyze data for individual students receiving interventions How is our intervention meeting the needs of these students? Discuss and plan for any changes that may be needed e.g. materials, time, group, motivation (see instructional adjustment matrix)
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Data-Based Decision Making GRADE LEVEL MEETINGS
Task Question Action
Student assistance team meeting Analyze data for Tier III or intensive students How is the intervention plan meeting the needs of these students? Change intervention, content, grouping (see instructional adjustment matrix) Possible special education referral.
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Stop and reflect . . .

• Why do this?
• What do I need to do?
• What additional skills/tools would I need?
• What challenges do I anticipate?

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Three Examples

• Emma Reading difficulties in grade 2
• Molly Reading difficulties in grades 1-2
• Laura Math difficulties in grade 4

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Example 1 Emma

• Emma transferred from a different school to a new
  elementary. She had satisfactory grades in K-1st
  at her old school. Emmas 2nd grade teacher
  reported that she needed directions read aloud,
  lots of reassurance, even for routine tasks. She
  was getting good grades, but an extremely slow
  worker.
• By the winter of second grade, Emmas scores on
  the DIBELS showed that she was at risk for
  reading problems.

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Emma in Grade 2

• At the beginning of grade 2, Emma scored 19
  correct words per minute on Oral Reading Fluency
  (ORF) task. Typical peers score about 48 correct
  words per minute
• Through additional informal assessment, the team
  determined that Emma was accurate, but slow
• Emma received small-group Tier 2 instruction 5
  days a week for 30 minutes each day on Read
  Naturally, an intervention targeting fluency

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Emmas Progress
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Progress Review

• In winter of 2nd grade, Emmas progress was
  reviewed it seemed she was making good progress,
  so her Tier 2 services were scaled back to 3 days
  per week and eventually dropped
• In winter of 3rd grade her progress was reviewed
  again and her rate of progress had slowed.
• Morgan resumed Read Naturally sessions and
  progress monitoring to get her back on track.

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Example 2 Molly

• Second grade student
• Primary concern falling behind her peers in
  reading
• Poor decoding skills, trouble w/vowel sounds
• Interventions 30 min. Read Naturally, 5 days a
  wk, 30 min. Saxon Phonics, 5 days a wk

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Laura

• At the beginning of grade 4 Laura scored below
  the target on CBM math benchmarks for computation
  fluency.
• Laura received small-group Tier 2 instruction 3
  days a week for 30 minutes each day.
• The Tier 2 intervention was Great Leaps Math and
  included practicing math facts.

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Lauras Progress
3 days/week
5 days/week
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Progress Review

• On October 18, Lauras progress was reviewed it
  seemed she might not make the winter benchmark,
  so her Tier 2 services were increased to 5 days
  per week.
• On November 15 her progress was reviewed again
  and her rate of progress had improved.
• Is Laura making effective progress?

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Conclusions

• Effective RTI interventions require time and
  consistent implementation.
• Team-based approaches work best
• Accountability will not go away the more we plan
  ahead, the better we can help kids.

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Making RTI Happen

• RTI requires coordinated, data-driven, and
  systematic integration of instruction and
  assessment.
• It cannot be implemented over night it can take
  35 years for the steps to be learned and used
  accurately and with desired outcomes.
• When used consistently, data has shown that RTI
  helps all students.

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RTI Summary

• RTI appears to offer a robust and technically
  sound set of methods that enhance student
  achievement while reducing special education
  placements.
• RTI appears to be a viable way to improve access
  to effective instruction for all students.
• RTI is not a replacement for all other assessment
  procedures, but a set of procedures which make
  educational planning easier.

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Challenges for leadership in an RtI school or the
work ahead . ..

• The greatest difficulty lies not in persuading
  people to accept new ideas, but in persuading
  them to abandon old ones. John Maynard
  Keynes
• Ensuring high-quality instruction/interventions
• Staffing multi-tier models of service delivery
• Establishing decision-making rules
• Using decision-making rules
• Ensuring fidelity of implementation for
  instruction and interventions

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Additional Resources

• www.nrcld.org/html/symposium2003/summary
• www.aimsweb.com
• dibels.uoregon.edu
• www.interventioncentral.org
• idea.uoregon.edu
• www.whatworks.ed.gov

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References

• Brown-Chidsey, R., Steege, M. W. (2005).
  Response to Intervention Principles and
  Strategies for Effective Practice. New York
  Guilford Press.
• Marston, D., Muyskens, P., Lau, M., Canter, A.
  (2003). Problem-solving model for decision-making
  with high incidence disabilities The Minneapolis
  experience. Learning Disabilities Research and
  Practice, 18, 187-200.
• OConnor, R. (2003, December). Tiers of
  intervention in kindergarten through third grade.
  Paper presented at the Response-to-Intervention
  Symposium, Kansas City, MO. Available online at
  www.nrcld.org/html/symposium2003
• Speece, D. L., Case, L. P., Molloy, D. E.
  (2003). Responsiveness to general education
  instruction as the first gate to learning
  disabilities identification. Learning
  Disabilities Research and Practice, 18, 147-156.

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Questions/discussion . . .