What is Response to Intervention (RTI)? Philosophy of RtI- How is the process different?

1. Agenda Topics • What is Response to Intervention (RTI)? • Philosophy of RtI- How is the process different? • The Essential Components of RTI • RTI – Principals’ Perspectives

2. Special EducationNCLD Report (2007) What is Typical – National View? • $80 Billion spent on special ed in 2007-08 • Students identified for special ed are 2x more likely to drop out of high school • Students identified for special ed are 2x more expensive than their general education peers • Graduation rate for special education students is 50.7% • Exit rate from special ed is less than 5%. Not a revolving door, but a trap door. • Black youth are 2x more likely to be MR and 3x more likely to be ED. • Sped teachers have little to no training on teaching reading (National Center on Teacher Quality)

3. What is Typical – District View? “If you teach the same curriculum, to all students, at the same time, at the same rate, using the same materials, with the same instructional methods, with the same expectations for performance and grade on a curve you have fertile ground for growing special education. -Gary Germann, 2003 • Problem with Federal and State policies • A Two-tiered delivery system – regular ed. and special ed. • Wide teachable range • High referral rates • Low hit rates • Dis-proportionality problems • High percentage of students identified as disabled • Students are required to fail first – discrepancy model • Parents’ enter into a “failing” situation

4. What is Typical – District View? • Example: How would you expect 100 first grade students to be distributed across 5 five grade teachers for reading – teachable range? • How are the expectations for these students communicated? • How is the progress of each student measured and communicated? • What happens if the student “falls behind” or “starts ahead?”

5. What do we know? • About a student’s brain development – wiring vs. re-wiring • About reading instruction – increased time/contact vs. layering • About how quickly students respond to instructional changes • The minutes in an instructional day • The overflowing nature of teachers’ plates

6. What is RTI – District View? • Master schedule - common instructional times • More differentiated instruction – narrower teachable range • More collaboration between teachers - better problem solving • More support for teachers - collective ownership of student success, narrowing of teachable range in classrooms. • More targeted professional development/ coaching/ cross training • More accountability for good instruction, pacing, and fidelity to program • Collecting data more frequently and using it to make instructional decisions

7. Overview

8. The Role of the District “District level support must be systematically built in to support building-level implementation.” The school is the contractor and the district is the inspector of the framework. These roles help ensure fidelity. The district is a resource and meets the needs of schools by maintaining consistent support that focuses on the basic components and framework.

9. Potential Impact on Our District • Money - blurring of roles and spending • Gulf narrowing between general education and special education • Professional development, instruction, and assessments, and methodology have adaptedto reflect new practices • Professional roles have changed-, reading coaches, math specialist, classroom teachers, special education teachers, principals, central office staff, intervention specialists, principals, and school psychologists

10. Impact on Parents • The focus of problem solving is on instructional practices rather than on student deficits. Parents find this refreshing. • The support of the instructional staff - some who do not necessarily work with their child on a daily basis. • A few parents want a special education label for their child and are frustrated with the timeframe. • Most parents just want their child to make progress in school.

11. How Is RTI (problem solving model) Different?

12. Fundamental RTI Components(NASDSE, Tilley ) • Multiple tiers of intervention service delivery • A problem solving method • An integrated data collection/assessment system to inform decisions at each tier of service delivery.

13. RTI Components (as defined by the VDOE Guidance Document) • Quality Instruction • Universal Screening • Fidelity of Implementation • Progress Monitoring • Tiered Instruction

14. Quality Core Instruction • Has a high probability of bringing (at least) most students to acceptable levels of proficiency • What is MOST? Most is often defined as at least 80%

15. Universal Screening • Provides evidence of the functionality of the foundational curriculum and instructional process. • Identifies students who need MORE- • More What? More instruction, more diagnostic assessment to target problem areas • Organizes data in a format that allows teams to inspect group and individual performance. • Linked to curriculum • Balances accuracy and efficiency • Objective • Quick, repeatable, low cost (Mellard)

16. 5.2 2.5 Early Screening Identifies Children At Risk of Reading Difficulty 5 Alligator 4 Children get tested Here Low Risk on Early Screening Reading grade level 3 Gap Starts Small 2 Screen Early Why wait to Fail At Risk on Early Screening 1 1 2 3 4 This Slide from Reading First Experts Grade level corresponding to age Angelique Wynkoop Karie Lane

17. With substantial instructional intervention 4.9 With research-based core but without extra instructional intervention 3.2 Intervention Control Early Intervention Changes Reading Outcomes 5.2 5 4 Low Risk on Early Screening Reading grade level 3 2.5 2 At Risk on Early Screening 1 1 2 3 4 This Slide from Reading First Experts Grade level corresponding to age Angelique Wynkoop Karie Lane

18. Progress Monitoring • Systematic assessment on a regular basis • Purpose: • Are students profiting from instructional program? • If not, how do we build a more effective program? • The higher the tier/need, the greater the frequency of Progress Monitoring.

19. Fidelity of Implementation • Instruction- delivery the way it was designed to be delivered • Screening Procedures • Progress Monitoring Procedures • Explicit decision making model followed

20. Characteristics of Effective Intervention at Tier 2 & Tier 3 • Targeted • Systematic • Based in scientific knowledge • Effective, efficient strategies taught • Data is reviewed by a team regularly with fidelity to decision making rules. Data informs instruction and measures the effectiveness of program. • Quality training and ongoing support for teaching staff – • no “drive by” professional development • Targeted modeling • Student engagement • Multiple opportunities for student practice • Error correction is explicit and immediate • Spiraling instruction- continuous review

21. Master Schedule Angelique Wynkoop Karie Lane