A Practical Look at Response to Intervention

Mike Mattos

A Practical Look at Response to Intervention

Guiding Questions

What questions have guided our approach to special education?

•How can we raise test scores?

•How can we implement RTI?

•What is the easiest way to ensure we stay compliant with regulations?

•Where should students be placed?

Mike Mattos

Our Mission

Our mission is to ensure high levels of learning for all students.

Staying focused on this mission will help us ask the right questions, leading to genuine improvement.

Since the early 1990s, two proven processes have been developed to achieve this goal:

1.Professional learning communities (pyramid of interventions)

2.Response to intervention

Building Intervention Programs on PLC Principles

Pyramid of Interventions Response to Intervention

Pyramid Response to Intervention

What Is RTI?

The goal of a special education program should be to help students rejoin regular education programs without additional support.

Our current system rarely accomplishes this goal. Once students are designated for special education, they are almost always there for their entire educational careers.

“At first glance, response to intervention (RTI) is a method to identify learning disabilities. But, RTI could play a much larger role. It has the ability to transform how we educate . . . all students. With RTI, students may get the support they need as soon as they show signs that they are having difficulty learning, regardless of whether or not they have a disability.”

—Council for Exceptional Children

How Did We Get Here?

1975, Public Law 94‐142:

•Mandated equal access to public education for students with disabilities

•Obligated schools to identify students with special needs

Special education laws paid little or no attention to student outcomes, either behavioral or academic.

Students with disabilities were systematically excluded from assessment systems—the focus was on identification and placement. Many individual teachers asked how students were doing, but the system as a whole was focused elsewhere.

The Discrepancy Model Illustrated

Under the discrepancy model:

•Educators came to understand that when students did not learn, it was required that they be referred for special education testing.

•Special education programs experienced ballooning enrollments while general education experienced a narrowing of expectations for student performance.

Keys to Implementing RTI

RTI is a framework for a system that:

•Provides high‐quality instruction and intervention matched to student need

•Monitors progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction

•Applies student response data for making important educational decisions, including referrals for special education

—National Association of State Directors of Special Education

Tier 3 Tier 3

Intensive Interventions Intensive Interventions

Tier 2 Tier 2

Supplemental Interventions Supplemental Interventions

Tier 1 1

Core Instruction Core Instruction

Eight Fundamental Elements of RTI

1.Collective responsibility

2.Quality core instruction

3.Universal screening and diagnostic assessment

4.Research‐based interventions

5.Intervention efficacy and fidelity

6.Progress monitoring

7.Quality problem solving

8.Decision protocols

Six Essential Characteristics of a PLC

1.Focus on learning

2.Collaborative teams

3.Collective inquiry

4.Action orientation and experimentation

5.Commitment to continuous improvement

6.Focus on results

Fundamental Elements of RTI

1. Collective Responsibility

High levels of learning for all students is not possible if schools maintain:

•Separation between special education and general education programs

•Isolation between individual teachers

Only shared responsibility and collective responses allow all students’needs to be met.

RTI is not a “special ed”program. It is not a “regular ed”program. It is just “ed”—a systematic way of ensuring that all students receive quality instruction and timely intervention.

Connections: PLC and RTI

Focus on learning and collaborative culture PLCs

RTI

Collective responsibility

Fundamental Elements of RTI

2. Quality Core Instruction

A program of interventions must be based on a foundation of quality instruction. Interventions will not make up for poor instruction or a toxic culture.

80% of students of students’’ needs will be met with needs will be met with high high‐‐quality, universal instruction. quality, universal 15% of students require 15% of require additional targeted intervention. additional targeted intervention. 5% of students require intensive 5% of students intensive interventions. interventions.

Connections: PLC and RTI

PLCs

Focus on learning and collaborative culture

RTI

Quality core instruction

RTI assumes a solid foundation of collaboration and collective inquiry. It addresses the third key question of a PLC: how will we respond when kids don’t learn?

Fundamental Elements of RTI

3. Universal Screening and Diagnostic Assessment

The purpose of universal screening is to determine students’levels of learning early and to identify students in need of additional time and support.

Features of universal screening:

•It consists of short, fast, easily administered assessments.

•It assesses all students.

•It measures student proficiency in foundational skills—reading, writing, and math.

•It is administered at least three times per year.

•It provides data on curriculum effectiveness.

Universal screening provides information about “symptoms”rather than “causes.”It tells us which students need help.

It usually does not tell us anything about why they need help or what interventions will be most effective.

These questions require additional diagnostic assessments.

Third

Antoine Benicia Chun David Eduardo Frank Giselle Hailey InezJonathan Kim Lisa Michael Nicole Omar Peter Quentin Rafael Stephen Tula Ulysses Veronica Wendall XavierYasmine Zev

Universal Screening Tools to Consider

• Intervention Central: www.interventioncentral.org

• DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills): http://dibels.uoregon.edu

• STEEP (System to Enhance Educational Performance): www.isteep.org

• AIMSweb: www.aimsweb.com

• Measures of Academic Performance: www.nwea.org

Connections: PLC and RTI

PLCs

Focus on results (how do we know if students are learning?)

RTI

Universal screening

Antoine Benicia Chun David Eduardo Frank Giselle Hailey InezJonathan Kim Lisa Michael Nicole Omar Peter Quentin Rafael Stephen Tula Ulysses Veronica Wendall XavierYasmine Zev

Fundamental Elements of RTI

4. Research‐Based Interventions

Once students’areas of need have been identified by universal screening and diagnostic assessment, RTI calls for the use of proven intervention strategies.

Scientifically Research‐Based vs. Research‐Based

Scientifically research‐based interventions are founded on “research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs.”

—No Child Left Behind Act

Scientifically research‐based interventions involve “systematic, empirical, rigorous analysis of data, reliable and valid data, [and] random assignment to groups.”

—Florida Center for Reading Research

In contrast, research‐based interventions are simply those we have good reason (on the basis of experience or research in related areas) to believe will be effective. We make informed decisions based on research that suggests an intervention will be effective.

Connections: PLC and RTI

PLCs

Collective inquiry (how will we respond when students don’t learn?)

RTI

Research‐based interventions

Fundamental Elements of

RTI

5. Intervention Efficacy and Fidelity

RTI requires that interventions be applied in the tested and proven way: all components of the research‐based intervention must be present and applied in the proper order.

Connections: PLC and RTI

PLCs

Collective inquiry (how will we respond when students don’t learn?)

RTI

Intervention efficacy and fidelity

Fundamental Elements of RTI

6. Progress Monitoring

PLCsand RTI differ in the depth of assessment they require. Progress monitoring measures specific skills targeted in interventions.

In progress monitoring:

•Brief assessments are conducted frequently.

•Assessment occurs throughout the intervention.

•Results are evaluated to determine the intervention’s effectiveness.

•Tracking of student progress is continuous.

•Curriculum‐based measurements are frequently used for progress monitoring.

Charting Progress

Charting Progress Case Study

Connections: PLC and RTI

Focus on results (how do we know if our students are learning?) PLCs

Fundamental Elements of RTI

7. Quality Problem Solving

8. Decision Protocols

Responsibility for identifying and solving complex problems cannot be left wholly to individuals.

Systematic Response

RTI procedures and PLC schools are characterized in part by their systematic responses to problems:

•Schools systematically identify, monitor, and revise individual student intervention needs.

•Multiple skills and perspectives are applied to individual cases.

•Interventions are part of a system that responds equally to each struggling student, regardless of which teachers are assigned to them.

Connections: PLC and RTI

PLCs

Collaboration and action experimentation

RTI

Quality problem solving and decision protocols

Thank you!

Mike Mattos

Notes

Notes

Pyramid Response to Intervention Essential

Standard Plan Protocol

The Essential Standard Plan activity (page 28) helps teams or schools to create a PRTI process. The purpose is to ensure that a group of students can master a specific, targeted, essential standard. The steps are:

1. Identify the Targeted Standard: Using the format and essential questions from the activity Identifying Essential Standards (page 27), identify the essential standard to be learned. To work best, you should identify a high‐leverage, essential standard.

2. Universal Screening: Answer the following questions and record your responses in the appropriate box.

a. What skills or concepts related to the target standard should be measured prior to core instruction?

b. Who will administer the assessment?

c. When will the assessment be administered?

d. What assessment will be used?

e. Once the assessment was administered, what information was gained to help guide core instruction and preventive interventions?

3. Prior Skills Needed: Answer the following questions and record your responses in the appropriate boxes.

a. What prior skills does a student need in order to master the targeted standard? (These skills can be measured using the universal screening tool.)

b. For students lacking prerequisite skills: How and when will students learn these skills before focusing on the targeted standard?

c. When will educators administer assessments?

d. What assessment will measure student mastery of the prior skills?

e. What research‐based practices will be used to teach the prior skills?

4. Tier‐1 Core Instruction: Answer the following questions and record your responses in the appropriate box.

a. What skills or concepts related to the target standard will be taught during the Tier‐1 core instruction?

b. Who will teach the core instruction?

c. When will the core instruction be taught?

d. What formative common assessments will be used to measure student progress during core instruction?

e. What research‐based instructional practices will be used to teach the core instruction?

5. Tier‐2 Supplemental Interventions: Answer the following questions and record your responses in the appropriate boxes.

a. What interventions will be provided to intentional non‐learners and failed learners that did not demonstrate mastery after the Tier‐1 core instruction?

b. Who will teach interventions?

c. When will interventions be offered?

d. What assessments will be used to monitor student progress in each intervention?

e. What research‐based instructional practices will be used for failed learners?

6. Tier‐3 Intensive Interventions: Answer the following questions and record your responses in the appropriate boxes.

a. What interventions will be provided to intentional non‐learners and failed learners that did not demonstrate mastery after Tier‐2 supplemental interventions?

b. Who will teach the interventions?

c. When will the interventions be offered?

d. What assessments will be used to monitor student progress in each intervention?

e. What research‐based instructional practices will be used for failed learners?

7. Universal Screening

a. What universal screening tools will be used to assess all students in reading, writing, and math?

b. Who will administer the assessment?

c. When will the assessment be administered?

8. Tier‐1 Core Program

a. What research‐based instructional practices or programs will be used in your Tier‐I Core program?

b. How will Tier‐I instruction be differentiated to meet the individual needs of students?

c. What formative common assessments will be used to measure student progress during core instruction?

9. Student Identification Process and Progress Monitoring

a. How will students be identified for supplemental interventions?

b. What criteria will be used to place students in the appropriate intervention?

c. Who will place students in interventions? How often?

d. How will student progress be monitored? By whom?

10. Tier‐2 Supplemental Interventions

a. What interventions will be provided to intentional non‐learners and failed learners who did not demonstrate mastery after the Tier‐I core instruction?

b. What assessments will be used to monitor student progress in each

intervention?

c. What research‐based instructional practices will be used for failed learners?

11. Progress Monitoring and Decision Protocols

a. How will students be identified for intensive interventions?

b. What criteria will be used to place students in the appropriate intervention?

c. Who will place students in interventions? How often?

d. How will student progress be monitored? By whom?

12. Tier‐3 Intensive Interventions

a. What interventions will be provided to intentional non‐learners and failed learners that did not demonstrate mastery after Tier‐2 supplemental interventions?

b. Who will teach the interventions?

c. When will the interventions be offered?

d. What assessments will be used to monitor student progress in each intervention?

e. What research‐based instructional practices will be used for failed learners?

13. Decision Protocol

a. How will students be identified for special education testing?

b. What criteria and assessment data will be used to make this determination?

c. Who will make this decision?

Identifying Essential Standards: What Do We Expect Students to Learn?

Grade Level: Subject: Team Members: Standard or Description Example or Rigor Prior Skills Needed Common Assessment When Taught

1. Standard or Description: What is the essential standard to be learned? Describe it in student‐friendly vocabulary.

2. Example or Rigor: What does proficient student work look like? Provide an example or description.

3. Prior Skills Needed: What prior knowledge, skills, or vocabulary are needed for a student to master this standard?

4. Common Assessment: What assessments will be used to measure student mastery?

5. When Taught: Approximately when will this standard be taught?

Grade Level: Subject:

1. Target Essential Skill or Standard:

Essential Standard Plan

Team Members:

2. Universal Screening Administered By Administered When Assessment Tool Assessment Findings:

3. Prior Skills Needed (Prevention) Taught By Taught When Assessment Tool Research Based Instructional Practices

4. Tier I Core Instruction (Goal: 75%+ Proficient)

Taught By Taught When Assessment Tool (Progress Monitoring) Research Based Instructional Practices

5. Tier II Supplemental Interventions (Core‐Plus)

Failed Learners:

Intentional Non‐Learners:

Taught By Taught When Assessment Tool (Progress Monitoring) Research Based Instructional Practices

6. Tier III Intensive Interventions Taught By Taught When Assessment Tool (Progress Monitoring) Research Based Instructional Practices

Failed Learners:

Intentional Non‐Learners: