Special Education Eligibility Using Response to Intervention

1. Special Education Eligibility Using Response to Intervention Daniel J. Reschly dan.reschly@vanderbilt.edu Oregon School Administrators Eugene, OR September 19, 2005 Reschly: Response to Intervention

2. What Next? Problem Solving and Response to Intervention • School psychology roots in Bergan’s Behavioral Consultation and Deno’s Data-based Program Modification (late 1970s) • Cronbach, 1975, "One monitors responses to the treatment and adjusts it .." (p. 126). • Scientific method-Problem Solving is a self correcting methodology. • Explicit steps and components • Goal is to produce client change, not prediction of likely success or placement • Disconfirm predictions Reschly: Response to Intervention

3. Problem Solving and Response to Intervention in LD Identification • Pragmatic, applies empirically validated principles from a variety of psychological theories and traditions • Select interventions that are successful with groups in RCTs • Apply to individuals with progress monitoring and formative evaluation • Time series analysis graphs used across all tiers Reschly: Response to Intervention

4. Foundations for Policy Changes: What Does Work? ABA, DI, CBM TreatmentEffect Size • Applied Behavior Analysis. + 1.00 • CBM+Graphing+Formative Evaluation + .70 • CBM+Graphing+Formative Evaluation+Reinforcement + 1.00 • Comprehension Strategies >+1.00 Many other effective instructional and behavior change principles Reschly: Response to Intervention

5. Issues: Quality of problem solving IF used for eligibility 1. Precise Definition of the Problem in Terms of Observable Behavior 2. Valid and Reliable Measure of the Behavior in the Natural Setting 3. Validate the Existence of the Problem; Estimate the Severity (Age Norms/Peer Comparisons) 4. Establish Intervention Goals in Terms of the Target Behavior 5. Analysis of Antecedent (including prior knowledge), Situational, and Consequent Conditions Reschly: Response to Intervention

6. Issues: Quality of problem solving IF used for eligibility 6. Formulate an Intervention Plan Based on Principles of Behavior Change or Instructional Design 7. Systematic Implementation of the Intervention with Treatment Integrity and Frequent Monitoring of Progress 8. Revision of the Intervention as Needed According to Progress Toward Goals 9. Evaluation of the Intervention with Further Problem Solving as Needed 10. Systematic Plan for Maintenance and Generalization of Behavior Change Reschly: Response to Intervention

7. Current Prereferral Practices • For most, meaningless step • Behavioral Definition? 15% • Data prior to intervention? 10% • Written Plan? 15% • Progress monitored/changes? 5% • Compare pre to post 10% Reschly: Response to Intervention

8. PROBLEM SOLVING CHART Does the damn thing work? Yes No Don’t mess with it! Did you mess with it? You Idiot! Yes No No Hide it! Yes Will you catch hell? Does anyone else know? No Yes You poor slob! Ignore it Can you blame somebody else? No Yes NO PROBLEM Reschly: Response to Intervention

9. Problem Solving-Response to Intervention in LD Identification • Levels Difference: Large performance differences compared to peers and benchmark expectations in relevant domains of behavior • Rate Difference: Large differences in rate of learning compared to peers and trajectories toward benchmark standards when provided with high quality interventions implemented over a significant period • Documented Adverse Impact on Education • Documented Need for Special Education • Exit Criteria • Exclusion Factors: Rule out MR etc. Reschly: Response to Intervention

10. PS-RTI Advantages • Strong focus on prevention and early identification-early intervention • Procedures prompt use of scientifically-based interventions • Self-correcting; individual response monitored with formative evaluation • Generates data relevant to effective special education treatments • Provides the basis for sp ed exit criteria Reschly: Response to Intervention

11. PS-RTI Challenges • Fidelity of Treatment, steps and decision making • Paradigm Shift: Change thinking and priorities about services • Continuing education needs of practitioners • No bright lines to separate eligible from non-eligible students Reschly: Response to Intervention

12. What To Do With Egbert??Problem Solving • Step 1: Parent Involvement • Inform • Seek consent • Describe subsequent steps and procedures • Invite participation • Involve, at parent’s discretion, in problem solving • Schedule meeting Reschly: Response to Intervention

13. Egbert: RTI Problem Solving • Step II: Problem Statement • Interview significant others with questions and summary statements • Specific behaviors, observable and measurable, domains of behavior, settings • Alterable characteristics of student and environment • Avoid discussion of internal child deficits Reschly: Response to Intervention

14. Egbert: RTI Problem Solving Step II Problem Statement • Low reading based on poor oral reading fluency in tutoring sessions • Poor decoding skills based on ORF observations and criterion referenced measures • Social behaviors that interfere in general and special education, inattentive, non-compliant defined Reschly: Response to Intervention

15. RTI Problem Solving Step IIISystematic Data Collection • Brainstorm appropriate measures • Accurate quantification of difference between current and desired levels, • Direct, • Match setting and domain, • Frequent and repeated measurement • Sensitive to growth in academic and/or behavioral skills • What measures are appropriate? Reschly: Response to Intervention

16. RTI Problem Solving Step IIISystematic Data Collection • RIOT Principle • Review records • Interview significant others • Observe • Test • Multiple Informants • Multiple Settings • Convergent Validity Principle Reschly: Response to Intervention

17. RTI Problem Solving Step IIISystematic Data Collection • Reading-CBM • ORF measures-validity? Check it. • Decoding criterion referenced, specify skills mastered and needed • Social Behaviors • Systematic behavior observation, peer referencing • Event recording of non-compliance and work completion Reschly: Response to Intervention

18. Behavioral Assessment and CBM Measures • Focused on determination of change • Formative evaluation critical • Tied to effective practices and better outcomes • Applications in general, remedial, and special education • Controversial: Useful in identification of SWD Reschly: Response to Intervention

19. Why Behavior Assessment (including CBM) • Determine current levels in academics and behavior; degree of need • Monitor progress, assess change • Foundation for formative evaluation-improving interventions • Determine success of interventions • Decisions based in child response to interventions Reschly: Response to Intervention

20. Foundations of CBM • Deno’s Advance • Brief samples of behavior • Use of oral reading fluency samples • Production per unit of time • Fluency and accuracy combined • Words read correct per minute • Math-digits correct • Spelling-letters correct • Content drawn from curriculum Reschly: Response to Intervention

21. Prior Barriers to CBM Use • Cumbersome for practitioners, developing own passages • Conceptual issues: Passages from curriculum or generic passages? • Teachers’ concerns about comprehension: Word calling?? • Inertia; satisfaction with current practices • IDEA: assessment of change not required Reschly: Response to Intervention

22. Resources for Intervnetions Good & Kaminski: DIBELS http://dibels.uoregon.edu/http://www.dibelsassessment.com/ Gary Germann and Mark Shinn AIMSWEB WWW.AIMSWEB.COM ; WWW.EDFORMATION.COM James Wright www.interventioncentral.org Vaughn-Gross Reading Center http://www.texasreading.org/utcrla/ Florida Reading Center-Torgesen/Wagner http://www.fcrr.org/ Reschly: Response to Intervention

23. Importance of Standardized CBM Procedures • Standardized meaning uniformity in administration, scoring, interpretation • Prerequisite to use of data in • Determining risk status within classroom or school • Measuring change for individuals or groups • Predicting later performance Reschly: Response to Intervention

24. Oral Reading Fluency • What is it? • Reading aloud fluently and accurately from text. • Why do it? • Indicator of proficiency in reading that is sensitive to growth • Highly correlated with performance on standardized tests and tests of comprehension • Provides information that may be used to evaluate effects of instruction Reschly: Response to Intervention

25. AdministeringOral Reading Passages • Essential Items -One student copy -One administration copy -Timer or stopwatch (make sure to time exactly 1 min) -Administration script Reschly: Response to Intervention

26. Instructions to Child • When I say “please begin” start reading aloud at the top of this page. Read across the page.[Demonstrate by pointing]Try to read each word. If you come to a word you don’t know, I’ll tell it to you. If you get to the end of the page, start over. Be sure to do your best reading. Are there any questions? [Pause] Please begin. Reschly: Response to Intervention

27. Examiner’s Administration Rules • After reading instructions to students, Start timer. If the student fails to say the first word of the passage after 3 sec., tell him/her the word and mark it incorrect. If the student stops or struggles with a word for 3 seconds, tell the student the word and mark it incorrect. If the student reaches the end of the page and does not continue, point to the first word and ask the student to start over. At the end of 1 minute, place a bracket after the last word and say, please stop. Reschly: Response to Intervention

28. Importance of Standardized CBM Procedures • Standardized meaning uniformity in administration, scoring, interpretation • Prerequisite to use of data in • Determining risk status within classroom or school • Measuring change for individuals or groups • Predicting later performance Reschly: Response to Intervention

29. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IIISystematic Data Collection Behavior Observation Focus on problematic behaviors, attending, noisy, physically negative, in appropriate locale Peer referenced, determine typical levels of performance Across relevant settings Multiple measures Reschly: Response to Intervention

30. Peer Referenced Behavior Observation Momentary Time Sampling 15 second intervals Reschly: Response to Intervention

31. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IIISystematic Data Collection • Work completion-Gen Ed Classroom • Egbert=40%; Peers=90% • Work completion-Tutoring • Egbert=60%; Peers=95% • Non-Compliance (event recording) • General classroom=5 per day • Tutoring=2 per day • Parents=5 per day Reschly: Response to Intervention

32. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IIISystematic Data Collection • Educationally Relevant Discrepancies? • Reading-ORF and Decoding • Classroom and Tutoring, interfering behaviors • Non-compliance-observed in general classroom, tutoring, and home • Is There Justification for Intense Interventions? Reschly: Response to Intervention

33. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IVProblem Analysis • IF-THEN Statements • If this is done, then Egbert will ______. • If these conditions are established, then Egbert will ________________. • Intervene with each educationally significant discrepancy • Implement powerful intervention principles from the instructional design and behavior change literatures Reschly: Response to Intervention

34. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IVProblem Analysis • Interpretation: Egbert exhibits • Skills deficits (poor reading fluency, poor decoding) and • Performance problems (inattentive, disruptive classroom behavior, non-compliance at school and home). • Emotional regulation is adequate Reschly: Response to Intervention

35. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IVProblem Analysis • Skills deficits: Focus on instruction, teaching, learning conditions • Performance problems: Focus on antecedents and consequences. • Emotional regulation: Focus on modeling, guided practice, simulation, self-instruction, control triggers Reschly: Response to Intervention

36. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IVProblem Analysis • IF more explicit instruction is provided, with precise goals, progress monitored 2 Xs per week, graphed, formative evaluation applied, Egbert will make more rapid gains in reading • If greater individualization and task analysis is conducted, focusing specifically on decoding skill development, Egbert will acquire better decoding skills and improve reading Reschly: Response to Intervention

37. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IVProblem Analysis • IF fluency training is implemented, Egbert will improve ORF (e.g., rereading) • In behavioral expectations are made more explicit during each classroom activity and systematic reinforcement contingencies established for improved attentiveness, etc., Egbert will improve behavior and learn more rapidly Reschly: Response to Intervention

38. Egbert: Problem Solving Step IVProblem Analysis • If consistent interventions are used at home and school involving more frequent communication, greater consistency across settings, and more powerful reinforcement for improved work completion and compliance to requests, Egbert will improve in both areas and in reading. Reschly: Response to Intervention

39. Egbert: Problem Solving Step V Goals • ORF will increase by 2 WRC per week (class average is 1.5 per week) • Word list fluency will increase by 2 WRC per week • Word attack skills will increase by 2 units per week as defined by the district adopted criterion referenced • Work completion and accuracy will increase by 5% per week until Egbert meets or exceeds class averages Reschly: Response to Intervention

40. Egbert: Problem Solving Step V Goals • Inattentiveness, physically negative, inappropriate locale, and noisy will improve by 5% per week until peer averages are attained. • Non-compliance at school and home will be reduced to no more than 1 per day Reschly: Response to Intervention

41. Intervention Plan Development • Powerful instructional and behavior change principles, scientifically based • Reschly’s General Principles • Effective classroom organization and behavior management-Good Beh Game • Instruction at the child’s skill level • Teacher directed, skills based • Strong curriculum: scope and sequence defined; skill hierarchy Reschly: Response to Intervention

42. Intervention Plan Development • Reschly’s General Principles cont. • Ambitious goals • High rate of student response/feedback • Time on task • Monitor progress, graph results in relation to goals • Formative evaluation rules and instructional changes • Reinforcement, matched to group or child Reschly: Response to Intervention

43. Reading Curriculum/Interventions • 5 Components of good reading instruction • Phonemic awareness (Ktg. & 1st grade) • Alphabetic principles • Fluency • Vocabulary • Comprehension • Systematic instruction in each Reschly: Response to Intervention

44. Egbert Problem Solving: Step VI Intervention Plan Development • Reading instruction augmented by 20 minutes per day of direct instruction on fluency and decoding skills with progress monitored 2 Xs per week • Explicit expectations for behavior-sign system designed by psychologist and teacher. Activity reinforcers in school and home used to consequate improved behavior Reschly: Response to Intervention

45. Egbert Problem Solving: Step VI Intervention Plan Development • Daily home school noted will be implemented based on the goals and progress monitoring. Meeting goals produces an additional 30 minutes per day of TV. Failure to meet goals results in reduction of 30 minutes per day • Psychologist will provide support in the development of measures, intervention materials, graphing, progress monitoring, and formative evaluation • Plan reviewed every 2 weeks Reschly: Response to Intervention

46. Egbert Problem Solving: Step VII Intervention Plan Implementation • Prompts and props provided • Intervention check-list • Follow-up contacts, in person and phone • Revise interventions that turn our to be not feasible • Observe implementation (with teachers’ or parents’ permission) Reschly: Response to Intervention

47. Step VIII: Progress Monitoring and Formative Evaluation • Time series analysis graph with goals for behavior change • Frequent measurement, 2x per week in academics; daily (if feasible) on behavior goals • Rules for making changes in interventions • Implement changes as needed Reschly: Response to Intervention

48. Time Series Analysis Graph in Reading Words Correct Per Minute Words Correct Per Minute 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 0 5 10 15 20 25 Weeks Weeks Reschly: Response to Intervention

49. Graph Current Status Words Correct Per Minute Class=24 Egbert=11 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 Weeks Reschly: Response to Intervention

50. Determine Goal: Class=1.5 wd growth per week; Egbert Goal: 2 wd growth per week Words Correct Per Minute Class Growth Class=24 Egbert=11 Egbert goal line 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 14 16 18 20 Weeks Reschly: Response to Intervention