Response-to-Intervention: Supporting Students through Integrated Systems of Prevention, Intervention, Assessment and Pr

1. Response-to-Intervention:Supporting Students through Integrated Systems of Prevention, Intervention, Assessment and Problem Solving

2. Acknowledgement Leah M. Nellis, PhD Blumberg Center for Interdisciplinary Studies Indiana State University

3. What is RTI ? A framework forprevention and early interventionwhich involves determining whetherall students are learning and progressing adequatelywhen provided withhigh quality instruction and intervention.

4. Correlates of Effective Schools • Clear School Mission • High Expectations for Success • Instructional Leadership • Frequent Monitoring of Student Progress • Opportunity to Learn and Student Time on Task • Safe and Orderly Environment • Home-School Relationships • -Ron Edmonds • Director of Center for Urban Studies, Harvard University • Note: the only set of research-based characteristics of a school’s • climate associated with improved, better student learning.

5. Why is RTI so important… • Prevention is the best way to address a problem, • Early Intervention promotes academic, social-emotional and behavioral success, • Timely assessment data is key to aligning instruction and intervention to student need, • Supporting student success is a shared responsibility of educators, families and the community • Adapted from Batsch, 2006; Gresham, 2002; Vaughn & Fuchs, 2003.

6. RTI legislative mandate • Article 7 • 511 IAC 7-40-2 Comprehensive and coordinated early intervening services • General education direction in special education law..

7. IAC 7-40-2 Sec. 2. (a) A public agency may…….. ….to develop and implement comprehensive and coordinated early intervening services, which may include interagency financing structures, for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (with a particular emphasis on students in kindergarten through grade 3) who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.

8. IAC 7-40-2.. • (1) Professional development, which may be provided by entities other than public agencies, for teachers and other school staff to enable such personnel to deliver scientifically based academic and behavioral interventions, including the following: …. • (2) Providing educational and behavioral evaluations, services, and supports, ……

9. Parent Notification • (f) The parent of a student who participates in a process that assesses the student's response to scientific, research based interventions must be provided with written notification when a student requires an intervention that is not provided to all students in the general education classroom. The written notification must contain the following information:

10. Notification Information • (1) The: • (A) amount and nature of student performance data that will be collected; and • (B) general education services that will be provided. • (2) The evidence-based strategies that will be utilized for increasing the student's rate of learning to grade level. • (3) The parent's right to request an educational evaluation to determine eligibility for special education and related services.

11. Notification Information • (1) The: • (A) amount and nature of student performance data that will be collected; and • (B) general education services that will be provided. • (2) The evidence-based strategies that will be utilized for increasing the student's rate of learning to grade level. • (3) The parent's right to request an educational evaluation to determine eligibility for special education and related services.

12. Referral for an Educational Evaluation • (4) An explanation that: • (A) the public agency will initiate a request for an educational evaluation if the student fails to make adequate progress after an appropriate period of time, as determined by the parent and the public agency, when provided with scientific, research based interventions; and • (B) when the public agency initiates a request for a educational evaluation under clause (A), the public agency will provide written notice to the parent regarding the evaluation before requesting written parental consent for the evaluation as specified in section 4 of this rule. After obtaining written parental consent, the public agency must evaluate the student and convene the CCC within twenty (20) instructional days.

13. Integrated System for Academic and Behavioral Supports Services are fluid and data-driven • Tier 3: • Few Students • Increased Frequency • Longer Duration Intense, Individualized Support District/Community Team Building Core Team • Tier 2: • Small Group Targeted, Supplemental Supports Building Core Team • Tier I: • All Students • Preventative, • Proactive Grade Level Teams Building Core Team School Improvement Team Core Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning Environment

14. Essential Components of an Integrated System • Curricula, Instruction, and Intervention • Evidence-based • Culturally responsive • Consistent and high quality • Assessment and Progress Monitoring • Tools meet necessary measurement criteria, • such as sensitivity to change (eg. Curriculum • based measurement, CBM) • Data-based Problem Solving Method • 5 step process Integrated at all Tiers to Meet Students’ Needs

15. Tier One: For All Students Is designed to meet the needs of 80% of the student population in a given School/district. Curriculum, Instruction, Learning Environment Data Based Problem Solving Assessment & Progress Monitoring

16. Tier One: For All Students Is designed to meet the needs of 80% of the student population in a given School/district. Curriculum, Instruction, Learning Environment Data Based Problem Solving Data Based Problem Solving Assessment & Progress Monitoring Assessment & Progress Monitoring

17. Tier Two: Non-responders When Tier I is effective at meeting the needs of 80% of students, supplemental supports needed for approximately 15% of the student population. Curriculum, Instruction, Learning Environment Data Based Problem Solving Assessment & Progress Monitoring

18. Tier Two: Non-responders When Tier I is effective at meeting the needs of 80% of students, supplemental supports needed for approximately 15% of the student population. Curriculum, Instruction, Learning Environment Data Based Problem Solving Assessment & Progress Monitoring

19. Problem Solving Method Defining the Problem: “Is there a problem”? “What is it”? “How significant”? Evaluating Progress: Analyzing the Problem: “Why is it happening”? “Did the plan work”? “What needs to happen next”? Determining What to Do: “What shall we do about it”? Implementing the Plan with Fidelity 19

20. Tier Three: Most In Need Students C, I, I, LE DBPS A & PM Data Based Problem Solving When Tier I and Tier II are effective, intense interventions needed for approximately 5% of the student population.

21. Tier Three: Most In Need Students C, I, I, LE DBPS A & PM Data Based Problem Solving When Tier I and Tier II are effective, intense interventions needed for approximately 5% of the student population.

22. The Role of Assessment and Progress Monitoring • School-wide universal screenings conducted with all students to reflect the effectiveness of the core curriculum and instruction and identify those students who are in need of intervention and/or extensions. • Setting goals for student growth and outcomes. • Monitoring of student progress through ongoing, regular formative assessments for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of instruction and intervention for all students. • Informing instructional practices and decisions in a way that addresses each student’s needs, strengths, and challenges.

23. Specifying Assessment Objectives Screening Assessments: Assessments used to determine if students are meeting grade level expectations and which students may be at risk. Diagnostic Assessments: Assessment conducted for students identified as at-risk to gain more in-depth analysis of a student’s strengths and weaknesses . These assessments help target instruction and intervention. Progress Monitoring Assessments: Assessment conducted frequently to estimate rates of student improvement, determine if adequate progress is being made, and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction and intervention strategies. Entitlement Assessment: Assessment used to aid in the determination of entitlement to special services.

24. What does this look like for Behavior? • For all students as part of core curriculum & intervention, • School-wide data office discipline referrals (ODR), attendance, suspension data • Other screening data as appropriate • For students in need of targeted supplemental interventions, • Rating scales, observations, interviews, ODR • Often referred to as Functional Behavior Assessment, FBA • For students in need of intensive individualized interventions • Rating scales, observations, interviews, ODR • FBA • The difference between data collection across levels is the frequency at which data is collected, the targeted nature of the data, and the intensity of the provided interventions.

25. Thinking about the Function of Behavior Behaviors are learned. Behaviors have a purpose or functionbecause they meet needs/wants. We engage in a behavior because we have learned that a desired outcome occurs. The purpose for a certain behavior is sometimes obvious, other times the behavior needs to be explored more in depth. • A behavior can help get something we like • (preferred, positive reinforcement): • Tangibles (food, toys, money) • Attention (smiles, conversation, hugs) • Sensory or Internal State (taking a walk, playing a game, watching a movie) • Abehavior can help get away from something not liked(non-preferred, negative reinforcement): • Tangibles (disliked food, activities, school work) • Attention (scolding, conversation, touching) • Sensory or Internal State (fatigue, pain, anxiety) Adapted from Maximizing Family Involvement in the Positive Behavior Support Process. Florida Positive Behavior Support Project. http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/

26. Considerations in Assessing Behavior • What does the behavior of concern look like? • What decisions will be made with the assessment data? • What resources are available to collect the data (time, training, cost, staff)? • What’s the best method/tool to use to collect the data?

27. What’s the Behavior of Concern? • What does the behavior look like? • How disruptive/dangerous is the behavior? • How often does the behavior occur? • How long does the behavior last? • How long does it take for the behavior to occur? “Topography” “Intensity” “Frequency” “Duration” “Latency”

28. Measurable Characteristics of Behavior Out of Seat Yelling Out Answers Which characteristic fits best with the behavior of concern? Doesn’t follow directions when asked Pushes and Shoves other Students

29. Chafouleas, Riley-Tillman, & Sugai (2007); Briesch & Volpe (2007).

30. Progress Monitoring Methods • Direct Observation • Eg., BOSS (Behavior Observation of Students in Schools) • Rating Scales • Eg., Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) • Direct Behavior Ratings • Eg., Daily Behavior Report Card; Intervention Central • Permanent Products • Eg., Reward/acknowledgment tickets, Office Discipline Referrals, attendance records, suspensions/expulsion records, intervention records Briesch & Volpe (2007) Important considerations in the selection of progress-monitoring measures for classroom behaviors. School Psychology Forum: Research in Practice, 1, 59-74.

34. Linking Behavior to PM Method

36. The Connection for School Counselors, Psychologists and Social Workers • What’s the role in intervention design, implementation, and fidelity check? • What’s the role in assessment and progress monitoring? • What are the opportunities for collaboration? • What are the professional development needs?