RTI: Family Connections and Culturally Responsive Assessment

1. RTI: Family Connections and Culturally Responsive Assessment

2. Components of RTI

3. Family Connections Classroom Community Connections DLL Support Services Other school support Culturally Responsive Practices

4. Family Connections • Cultural identity begins with those closest to you…family.

5. Family Connections • Culturally responsive practices are grounded in the understanding of cultural and linguistic diversity AND the ways educators respond to that diversity. “Cultural diversity is never problematic in and of itself. It is the response of individuals or institutions to diversity that can be problematic.” (Barrera & Corso, 2003)

6. “Skilled Dialogue” Build interactions that are: • Respectful • Honor the diverse identities • Reciprocal • Request equitable mutual involvement • Responsive • Honor connections across differences

7. Beginning Skilled Dialogue • Recognize the characteristics of others’ cultural identities. What do they value or devalue? • Recognize characteristics of your cultural identities. What do you value or devalue? • Evaluate your response to differences between your cultural identities and those of your students. • Engage within 3rd Space.

8. 3rd Space • Seek ways to combine or complement seemingly opposing perspectives.

9. Why are Family Connections Important in RTI?

10. Assessment in RTI

11. Rovira, L. (2010)

12. Culturally Responsive Progress Monitoring Helps Educators:

13. Assessment Considerations • Engage the complete picture of the student’s funds of knowledge: • Language history • Parent and caregiver interviews • Observe use of native language and English in natural settings • Consider what is valued in the culture

14. Complete Language History From: “Language Development Profile for Preschool English Language Learners” Ruth Reinl 2008

15. The “Language Development Profile” was developed for preschool age English Language Learners. What other questions would you add to the profile to create a more complete language history for school-age children?

16. Assessment Considerations • Inspect assessments in English for: • cultural bias • educational background bias • linguistic demands vs. child’s stage of language development in English • When possible, use “Dynamic Assessment” that measures ability to learn new material, rather than background knowledge. • Incorporate qualitative and quantitative results.

17. Quantitative Kiana scored 29 words per minute on the 1st grade DIBELS Nonsense Word Fluency in March. Benchmark for end of year is 50, so she is considered “At Risk”. Qualitative Kiana has been in school in Wisconsin for 2 months. Prior to that, she attended school in Peru. On the DIBELS NWF assessment, she read individual sounds, then blended the words together. Error patterns include: Consistent error on short vowel sounds of o and u. Many errors on other short vowels. Did not know sound for j. This is consistent with Spanish-speaking students, since j is pronounced /h/ in Spanish. Quantitative AND Qualitative

18. Questions about Assessments • Does the norm group for the assessment include ELLs? • What impact could language proficiency have on the outcome? • What impact could previous language experiences have on the outcome? • Would an assessment in the student’s home language provide additional information about the skill set tested? (Refer to language history and relative language proficiency.)

19. What additional processes could be put into place to: • create/improve a systematic process for examining the specific background variables or ecologies of ELLs that impact academic achievement in our classrooms/school/district; • gather information about student progress through informal and formal assessments; and • ensure nondiscriminatory interpretation of all assessment data?

20. How is RtI different for 4K and younger? • “Recognition and Response” • Recognition=formal and informal assessment that highlights needs in key developmental areas. • Response=teachers, parents and specialists adjust instruction and interventions to build needed skills.

22. Internet Resources RtI and ELLs • CREATE Brief: Response to Intervention and English Learners • http://www.centerforinstruction.org/files/CREATEBrief_ResponsetoIntervention.pdf • National Center on Response to Intervention. “Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: ELL • http://www.rti4success.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=42&Itemid=108 • http://www.rti4success.org/images/stories/pdfs/rti_cec_06.pdf • Skilled Dialogue: Weaving Webs of Connectedness Across Diverse Voices and Identities http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3614/is_200701/ai_n19433193/ • IDEA Partnership ELLs and RtI http://www.ideapartnership.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1419&catid=275&Itemid=111 • Madison Culturally Responsive Checklist http://dpi.wi.gov/sped/doc/disp-cadse-cklst.doc Young Dual Language Learners • Collaborating Partners Wisconsin. Dual Language Learners Resources • http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/dual-language-learners-facts-and-tips.php • http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/dual-language-learners-resources.php • Ballantyne, K.G., Sanderman, A.R. & McLaughlin, N. (2008). Dual language learners in the early years: Getting ready to succeed in school. http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/resabout/ecell/earlyyears.pdf

23. Print Resources • Garcia, E. and Frede, E. Ed. Young English Language Learners: Current Research and Emerging Directions for Practice and Policy. New York: 2010 • Espinosa, L. Getting it Right for Young Children from Diverse Backgrounds: Applying Research to Improve Practice. Washington, D.C.:2010 • Corso, R. and Barrera, I. Skilled Dialogue: Strategies for Responding to Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood. Baltimore, MD: 2003