Response to Intervention

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Response to Intervention

• A Brief Update on the Work of the NHDOEs RtI
  Task Force
• Sandy Plocharczyk
• New Hampshire School Administrators Association
• Co-chair of the NH RtI Task Force
• January 30, 2009

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Response to Intervention

• IN BRIEF
• Instructional model based on educational research
  and rooted in the belief that all children can
  learn
• Referenced in various articles and research since
  the 1980s
• Received national attention during the
  reauthorization of IDEA 2004, as a tool for
  assessing and working with struggling learners
• BUT RTI is not a special education intervention
  or evaluation

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NHs RtI Task Force - The Beginning

• In December 2007, a national summit on Response
  to Intervention was held in Arlington, Virginia.
• Teams from every state in the United States
  attended a variety of presentations and began the
  work that would be continued upon their return
  home.
• Theory to how-to
• Beginners t0 Experts

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NHs RtI Task Force - The Beginning

• The RtI Summit was a collaborative effort among
• The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
  (OESE)
• The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)
• The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
• The Institute of Education Sciences (IES)

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NHs RtI Task Force - The Beginning

• The national summit set 3 primary goals
• To gather teams of key State education leaders
  and representatives of selected state affiliate
  organizations to learn about components and
  models of RtI.
• To assist States in scaling up comprehensive
  models of RtI in their schools and districts.
• To help States develop a state plan for
  implementing RtI and provide information about
  accessing various federal and state resources to
  assist with implementation.

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NHs RtI Task Force - The Beginning

• NHs team was comprised of 11 people
  representing
• Department of Education administrators and
  consultants
• Statewide association representatives
  (Principals, School Administrators, NEA-NH,
  AFT-NH)
• Parent representatives

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NHs RtI Task Force - The Beginning

• Step One NHs Team created a vision
• To have a committed, diverse stakeholder group
  that has a shared unity of purpose for optimal
  student learning.
• To have a statewide understanding and common
  language for an RtI organizational structure that
  includes universal screening, tiered instruction
  and intervention, and progress monitoring using a
  data driven process.
• To create a unified structured system for
  building the capacity of entire school
  communities to develop and provide collaborative
  professional development that focuses on the
  understanding and common language of our shared
  vision for optimal student learning.

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NH RtI Task Force

• The purpose of the NH-RTI Task Force is to
  provide leadership through a state Response to
  Intervention (RtI) plan for NH school districts
  that supports the understanding and effective
  implementation of an RtI model for all NH
  children.

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NH RtI Task Force

• Upon return to NH, the RtI Team began its work
  with facilitators from New England Comprehensive
  Center
• To date, this group has
• Broadened and diversified the team and formed the
  NH RtI Task Force
• Learned new/more information about RtI
• Formed several work groups to address specific
  tasks
• Adopted a definition to guide its work in the
  development of an action plan for NH school
  districts

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NH RtI Task Force

• Organized and supported by the NHDOE,the RtI Task
  Force is currently preparing a white paper to
  serve as a guidance document to assist NH school
  districts in
• Understanding the core concepts of RtI
• Assessing local needs
• Determining steps needed to implement a
  successful RtI model

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• A closer look

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RtIWhat Is It?

• Instructional model based on educational research
  and rooted in the belief that all children can
  learn
• A systems approach to school improvement
• Not an add on
• Fundamental restructuring of services and
  resources
• Takes several years to implement fully
• Requires several underlying components

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RtIWhat Is It?

1. Well designed, guaranteed and viable general
   education curriculum based on clear standards
2. Explicit, direct, systematically delivered
   instruction that ensures the written curriculum
   is realized with fidelity
3. Curriculum based/formative assessments to measure
   student progress throughout the year

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RtIWhat Is It?

• The NH RtI Task force has adopted the following
  definition of RtI
• RtI is the practice of (1) providing high
  quality instruction/intervention matched to
  student needs and (2) using learning rate over
  time and level of performance to (3) make
  important educational decisions.

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RtIWhat Is It?

• This definition was included in Response to
  Intervention Policy Considerations and
  Implementation 2005, by the National Association
  of State Directors of Special Education, Inc.
  (NASDSE).
• The authorship of this resource consisted of
  nationally recognized research and practice
  experts in the fields of education and
  psychology, with leadership provided by W. David
  Tilly, III of Iowas Heartland Area Education
  Agency.

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Core Concepts of RtI

• The RTI model is well described in the literature
  (IRA NASP NCLD NASDSE)
• Systematic approach/framework for meeting the
  needs of all children
• Integrated school improvement model that is
  standards driven, proactive and incorporates both
  prevention and intervention
• Relies on shared knowledge and collaboration
• Effective at ALL levels and disciplines

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RtIWhere do Districts Begin?

• Schools that follow an RtI model agree that
  education is about student learning.

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RtIWhere do Districts Begin?

• Implementation of RtI signifies a commitment to a
  systems approach to school improvement.
• The educational community
• applies current research to educational practice
  and
• Improves learning results for all students
  through a structured, problem-solving process.

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RtIWhere do Districts Begin?

• Educators need to reach consensus on a variety of
  issues before RtI is launched.
• Some school districts may begin their work
  through the design of Professional Learning
  Communities (PLC).
• Questions to ask at the outset may include
• What is it we (our district) want all students to
  learn?
• How will we know when each student has acquired
  the essential knowledge and skills?
• What happens in our school when a student does
  not learn?

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Core Concepts of RtI

• All students receive high quality instruction in
  their general education setting.
• General education instruction is research based.
• General education instructors and staff assume an
  active role in students assessment in the
  curriculum.
• School staff systematically conduct universal
  screenings of academics and behavior.

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Core Concepts of RtI

• Continuous progress monitoring of student
  performance occurs.
• School staff implement specific
  research-validated interventions to address
  students difficulties.
• School staff use progress-monitoring data to
  determine interventions effectiveness and to
  make any modifications as needed.
• Systematic assessment is completed of the
  fidelity or integrity with which instruction and
  interventions are implemented.

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• How will this work?

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How Will This Work?Key Components

• High quality general education instruction or
  positive behavioral support
• Provided to all students in general education
  classes
• Using research based instruction and assessment
• Matched to student needs
• Demonstrated to produce high learning rates for
  most

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How Will This Work?Key Components

• Leveled, multi-tired approach provides specific
  learning supports based on students response to
  general education instruction
• Primary sources of information are used in
  decision making
• learning rate
• level of performance

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How Will This Work?Key Components

• Educators share knowledge and collaborate to make
  important educational decisions
• Provide relevant and targeted instruction
• Gather student outcome data
• Determine intensity and expected duration of
  interventions
• Analyze student progress

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Designing School-Wide Systems for Student Success
1-5
1-5
5-10
5-10
80-90
80-90
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Tiered Instructional Design

• RtI relies on systematic, tiered instruction.
• How many tiers are needed to achieve acceptable
  prevention outcomes?
• Many states and local districts have chosen a
  3-tier model
• Another option less -- frequently seen --
  incorporates 4 tiers

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Sample 3-Tier Arrangement K-3 Reading

• Tier I General Education -- All Students
• Research-validated reading instruction and
  curriculum emphasizing 5 critical elements of
  beginning reading
• Multiple grouping formats to meet student needs
• Core instruction 90 minutes per day (or more)
• Benchmark assessment at beginning, middle and end
  of the academic year
• General education classroom/general education
  teacher
• Ongoing professional development

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Sample 3-Tier Arrangement K-3 Reading

• Tier II Supplemental (Targeted) Instruction
• For students identified with marked (reading)
  difficulties and who have not responded to Tier I
  efforts
• Specialized research validated reading program(s)
  emphasizing the 5 critical components of
  beginning reading
• Homogeneous small group instruction (13-5)
• Minimum of 30 minutes per day in small group in
  addition to 90 minutes of core reading program
• Progress monitoring (twice) a month on target
  skills to ensure adequate progress and learning
• Setting designated by school (within or outside
  of general education class)
• Personnel determined by school (classroom
  teacher, reading specialist, external
  interventionist)

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Sample 3-Tier Arrangement K-3 Reading

• Tier III Intensive Intervention
• For students identified with marked difficulties
  in reading or who have reading disabilities, and
  who have not responded to Tier I and Tier II
  efforts
• Sustained, intensive, research validated reading
  program(s) emphasizing the 5 critical components
  of beginning reading
• Homogeneous small group instruction (11-3)
• Minimum of two, 30 minute sessions per day in
  small group or 11 in addition to 90 minutes of
  core reading program
• Progress monitoring (twice) a month on target
  skills to ensure adequate progress and learning
• Appropriate setting designated by school
• Personnel determined by school (classroom
  teacher, specialist, external interventionist)

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Suggested Data Sources for Instructional Tiers

• UNIVERSAL ASSESSMENT
• All students are measured 3 times/year on a
  global measure of academic or functional
  performance
• NWEA, DIBELS, PALS, CBM (AIMSweb)
• TARGETED ASSESSMENT
• Criteria is set to identify those falling
  behind at risk students receive more frequent
  measurement (e.g. monthly) of progress in
  identified academic area CBM, CBA, PM
• INTENSIVE ASSESSMENT
• Comprehensive assessment includes norm
  referenced tests and interpretation of progress
  data from Tier I and II

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Back to the RtI Task Force

• WHATS NEXT?

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Whats Next?

• Finalize the White Paper and make it available
  to all NH school districts.
• Collect data about the status of RTI in NH
  districts through a statewide survey
• Analyze local needs and coordinate responsive,
  statewide professional development initiatives

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Whats Next?

• The upcoming White Paper will contain a short
  list of key resources to help NH districts get
  started.
• This list is still in development.
• Preliminary suggestions include

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Key Resources

• NASDSE RtI Blueprint Series
• Response to Intervention Blueprints for
  Implementation District Level and
• Response to Intervention Blueprints for
  Implementation School Building Level
• Step by step guidelines, resources and tips
• http//www.nasdse.org/

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Key Resources

• RtI Action Network
• A program of the National Center for Learning
  Disabilities
• Pre-K to High School Resources
• http//www.rtinetwork.org/

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Key Resources

• Virginias Response to Intervention Initiative
• A Guide for School Divisions
• http//www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/studentsrvcs/rti_
  guidance_document.pdf

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Key Resources

• Colorado Department of Education
• Response to Intervention A Practitioners Guide
  to Implementation
• http//bvsd.org/studentsuccess/rti/Documents/RtIGu
  ide.pdf

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Key Resources

• Florida Center for Reading Research
• Comprehensive website of research based practices
  related to literacy instruction and assessment
  for children in Pre-K through 12th grade
• Includes publications and presentations by
  numerous researchers and authors
• http//www.fcrr.org/about/index.htm

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Key Resources

• Whatever It Takes How Professional Communities
  Respond When Kids Don't Learn
• Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker,
  Gayle Karhanek
• Creating schoolwide systems of interventions to
  meet the needs of all students

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Key Resources

• New Hampshire Center for Effective Behavioral
  Interventions and Supports
• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports
  (PBIS)?
• Professional development opportunities for
  project sites and NH districts
• http//www.nhcebis.seresc.net/programs_and_service
  s
• NH Responds - five-year professional development
  grant funded by the US Department of Education
• Collaborative effort between NH DOE, NH CEBIS,
  and the Institute on Disability
• http//www.ed.state.nh.us/Education/doe/organizati
  on/instruction/SpecialEd/NHResponds.htm

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Key Resources

• New Hampshire Reading Excellence Across
  Disciplines (NH Reads)
• Statewide literacy project funded through the NH
  DOE and Title II-A funds
• Professional development to teachers in the use
  of research based literacy strategies and
  resources for parents and students
• Brochure link http//pdb.seresc.net/ElemLeadersM
  ar09.pdf
• http//www.seresc.net/ed_nhreads.

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Stay tuned!