Response to Intervention: Roles and Implications for Educators

1. Response to Intervention: Roles and Implications for Educators Part 1. Dr. Michael Abell, Univ. of Louisville, m.abell@louisville.edu Part 2. Interview withDr. Kevin Buehler. Knox County (TN) Schools. buehlerk@k12tn.net

2. Moving to a Response to Intervention Model

3. Key Assumptions • Assumptions • Many children who are struggling do so as a result of the quality and intensity of instruction. • Some children will require more intense instruction in smaller groups in order to respond well. • Some children will not respond adequately even with the best intervention and will require even more time and more intensive intervention. (NASDSE), Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005

4. Staffing and Roles • School staff play numerous and significant roles in the RTI process that works to identify students with disabilities and support at-risk learners • Roles will require fundamental changes in the way general education and special education engage in assessment and intervention activities

5. Staffing for RTI These may include: • classroom teachers • curriculum specialists • school psychologists • reading specialists • Intervention coach/specialist • school social workers • school counselors • instructional assistants • library media specialists • occupational therapists • physical therapists • bus monitors • speech-language pathologists • learning disabilities specialists • other specialized instructional support personnel

6. Rti Components & Personnel Linkages Personnel • classroom teachers • curriculum specialists • school psychologists • reading specialists • Intervention coach/specialist • school social workers • school counselors • instructional assistance • library media specialists • occupational therapists • physical therapists • bus monitors • speech-language pathologists • learning disabilities specialists Rti Components • Administrative Support • Preparation & Training • Universal Screening • Tier 1: Benchmark & School-wide Interventions for All Students • Data Analysis • Tier 2: Strategic & Targeted Interventions • Tier 2: Progress Monitoring • Tier 3: Intensive Interventions • Tier 3: Progress Monitoring • Collaboration with RTI team • Determine Eligibility

7. KEY COMPONENTS • Interventions specifically target student’s difficulties at the needed level of intensity • Decision making by a collaborative team using response data and other relevant info. • High quality instructional and behavioral supports • Interventions delivered by qualified personnel • Student progress meticulously monitored • Data-based documentation maintained on each student • Systematic documentation affirms interventions are implemented with fidelity, integrity, and the appropriate intensity

8. RTI=Staff Working Together • Necessitates authentic collaboration among administrators, educators, related services personnel and parents • Encourages all staff to expand their traditional roles and responsibilities, to engage in a broader array of service delivery options and take on new leadership opportunities.

9. New Roles and Opportunities Roles Intervention Coach Data Manager Reading, Writing, & Math specialists New opportunities • Provide PD on RTI • Data analysis • Research based intervention program & evaluation • Three types of assessment (Assessment Specialist) • Screening • Progress monitoring • Diagnostic (normative)

10. Roles for Specialists on RTI Team • Develop and lead professional development • Consult with teachers on student needs and intervention implementation • Serve as a resource on interventions and for teachers, administrators, and parents • Contributing member of RTI team

11. Intervention Specialist or Coach • Provide intensive instruction to struggling students in core area (reading, writing, math) • Observe students to identify appropriate interventions, barriers to intervention, response to intervention • Coach teachers on intervention activities in the classroom and data collection techniques • Demonstrate informal assessment and assist in interpreting data for decision-making

12. School Psychologists and Reading Specialists Important Considerations: • Must work closely with RTI team members • Must work more directly with regular education teachers in the RTI process • Must adapt to a new approach toward serving students at risk: • how students are identified for intervention, • how interventions are selected, designed, implemented, • how student performance is measured and evaluated, • how decisions are made

13. Tier I Direct & supervised teaching Engagement time Scaffolded instruction Organizing, storing and retrieving data Strategic instruction Positive behavior supports (NASDSE), Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005 Tier I: Effective Teaching Principles

14. Continue effective instruction or practices for responders Move non-responders to Tier 2 (NASDSE), Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005 Tier I: Results

15. Tier 2 Scientifically based intervention programs Core instruction with supplemental interventions Intervention specialists assist with instruction in gen ed. (NASDSE), Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005 Tier 2: Interventions

16. Cycle responders back to tier 1 Move non-responders to Tier 3 (NASDSE), Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005 Tier 2: Results

17. Tier 3 Scientifically based intervention programs Core instruction with supplemental interventions Intervention specialists assist with instruction in gen ed. Outside the gen ed. Classroom Small intensive groups 10-18 week duration (NASDSE), Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005 Tier 3: Interventions

18. Cycle responders back to tier 2 Refer non-responders for evaluation for special education (NASDSE), Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005 Tier 3: Results

19. Final Thoughts & Comments • RTI is most significant change since Public Law 94-142 founded Spec. Ed. in 1975) • IDEA does not mandate significant change or prohibit traditional practices but encourages adoption of new practices • Reduces the time a student waits before receiving additional instructional assistance, including special education if needed • Reduces the overall number of students referred for special education services • Provides critical information about the instructional needs of the student • Limits the amount of unnecessary testing that has little or no instructional relevance