Response to Intervention: The Role of the School Psychologist

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Response to InterventionThe Role of the
School Psychologist

• R. David Freeman, Ed.S.
• Lead School Psychologist
• Bartow County School System
• Fall 2007

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Outline

• What is a School Psychologist?
• Why RTI?
• RTI The Role of the School Psychologist
• Some RTI Concepts
• RTI Intervention Bank

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What is a School Psychologist?

• School psychologists are educational specialists
  who use their knowledge of psychology and
  educational research to help confront many
  educational problems experienced by children,
  teachers, parents, and communities.
• We are skilled practitioners in the areas of
• psychoeducational assessment,
• childhood development,
• behavioral management,
• individual/group counseling,
• consultation, etc.
• Above all, we are advocates for children.

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What is a School Psychologist?

• One could think of school psychologists as
  "general practitioners" in that we have to know a
  lot of information about a lot of different
  things. Chances are that if we do not know the
  answer, we know where to go to find the answer.
• School psychologists must continually remain
  apprised of many issues affecting the lives of
  students in our schools, such as
• Response to Intervention (RTI),
• Crisis Intervention,
• Social Skills Training,
• Behavioral Management Techniques,
• Attention Deficit Disorders,
• State and Federal Special Education Regulations,
  etc.

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The School Psychologist
Hair slicked backand over. Oil prevents pulling
hair out.
Tape on glassesgotta stay hip with the kids,
dawg
Pencils and Pens for scoring tests and signing
paperwork.
Clip-on tie so aggressive kids and/or teachers
cant strangle you.
Lets take a closer look
Belt pulled up hides fast food belly.
One arm longer than the other from years of
carrying test kits.
High waters In case the psychobabble gets too
deep.
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Why RTI?

• New Legislation/Rules (NCLB, IDEA)NCLB (2001)
  and IDEA (2004) mandate supporting academic
  progress of all students through research-based
  instructional strategies (Ferguson, 2005)
• Research does not support the old model
  affectionately referred to as the wait to fail
  model.

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IDEA REAUTHORIZATION December 2004

• SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES (A) GENERAL
  Notwithstanding section 602 of this Act or any
  other provision of law, when determining if a
  child has a specific learning disability as
  defined under this Act, the LEA shall not be
  required to take into consideration whether a
  child has a severe discrepancy between
  achievement and intellectual ability in oral
  expression, listening comprehension, reading
  recognition . . .
• (B) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY In determining whether
  a child has a specific learning disability, a LEA
  may use of process which determines if a child
  responds to a scientific, research based
  intervention.

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If it aint broke, dont fix oh its broke.

• Evidence the Current System Is NOT Working
• Discrepancy model does not identify LD
  consistently across students or districts (Epps
  et al. 1984 Gottlieb et.al 1997,
  Beebe-Frankenberger Bocian, 2005)
• No differences between discrepant and
  non-discrepant poor readers (Fletcher et al.,
  1994)
• Delay for treatment (wait to fail) creates a
  population of students who fall farther and
  farther behind their peers (Fletcher, 1998)
  critical and short period when reading
  trajectories can be altered (Simmons Kameenui,
  1998)

Frankenberger, M. Beebe. "Problem Solving and the
Role and Function of School Psychologists."
Montana Office of Public Instruction. 2006. 15
Oct. 2007
9
If it aint broke, dont fix oh its broke.

• SLD rates vary considerably from state to state.
  KY 2.96, GA 3.29 ..CT 4.93......MA 7.88, NM
  8.41, RI 9.46 (McCook, 2006)
• Disproportionality issues
• Students identified as learning disabled may in
  fact be instructional causalities.

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RTI Response to Intervention

• Is it the fish or the water?

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RTI Response to Intervention

• High-quality instruction/intervention matched to
  student needs
• Using learning rate over time and level of
  performance to make important educational
  decisions
• Looking at closing the achievement gap or student
  performance coming within range of grade level

Multiple tiers of interventions
Response to Intervention The Tiered Process in
CCSD 2007-2008 presentation, Cobb County School
System
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Pyramid of Interventions
Tier 4 Specially Designed Instruction
Special Education

• Tier 3 Intensive
• Interventions - SST
• Individualized refine and intensify
• More indepth assessment
• data analysis
• Strategies interventions
• tailored to specific needs
• Consideration for referral to special education
  and/other programs only when data indicates a
  need

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15 of students respond

• Tier 2 Targeted Interventions
• Tier 1 more TLC
• Standard intervention protocols
• Problem solving process data analysis
• Tailored to student needs
• Enhanced opportunities for extended learning
• Targeted small groups and selected individuals
• Includes more frequent progress monitoring
• Planned to address developmental domains
  (academic, communication/language,
  social/emotional, etc.)

80 of students respond to Tier 1 2

• Tier 1 Performance Based Instruction for ALL
  students
• Standards based curriculum
• Research-based practices and strategies
• Differentiated instruction
• Effective classroom management
• Guided by progress monitoring and balanced
  assessment
• Planned to address developmental domains
  (academic, communication/language,
  social/emotional, etc.)

Response to Intervention The Tiered Process in
CCSD 2007-2008 presentation, Cobb County School
System
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RTI What Is the Role of a School Psychologist?

• School Psychologists help with
• System Design
• Team Collaboration
• Serving Individual Students

National Association of School Psychologists. 28
Sept. 2007 http//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtif
actsheets.aspx.
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RTI What Is the Role of a School Psychologist?

• System Design
• Staff training for RTI implementation
• Evidence-based instructional interventions
• Help evaluating student progress
• Develop local norms with CBM measures
• Help learn/utilize a problem solving process

National Association of School Psychologists. 28
Sept. 2007 http//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtif
actsheets.aspx.
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RTI What Is the Role of a School Psychologist?

• System Design
• Overseeing RTI implementation and ongoing
  evaluation.
• Consultation with administration, teachers, and
  parents.
• Research existing literature on problem solving,
  RTI, evidence-based instructional interventions,
  etc.

National Association of School Psychologists. 28
Sept. 2007 http//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtif
actsheets.aspx.
16
RTI What Is the Role of a School Psychologist?

• Team Collaboration
• Monitor implementation issues as well as
  individual student needs.
• Help develop procedures
• referral
• monitoring and evaluation at each tier
• measuring response to intervention
• developing observation and interview protocols
• Help monitor progress monitoring
• Help with the integration of all data in team
  decision-making.

National Association of School Psychologists. 28
Sept. 2007 http//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtif
actsheets.aspx.
17
RTI What Is the Role of a School Psychologist?

• Serving Individual Students
• Consult with teachers and parents regarding early
  intervention activities in the classroom and at
  home.
• Help demonstrate/train progress monitoring
  strategies
• Assisting staff in interpreting data as part of
  the ongoing decision-making process.
• Help learn/utilize a problem solving process

National Association of School Psychologists. 28
Sept. 2007 http//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtif
actsheets.aspx.
18
RTI What Is the Role of a School Psychologist?

• Serving Individual Students
• Observe students to help identify appropriate
  intervention strategies, to identify barriers to
  intervention, and to collect response to
  intervention data.
• Evaluating the students cognitive, academic,
  behavioral, and mental health functioning.
• Determining the most useful procedures to address
  referral concerns and the needs of the individual
  student.

National Association of School Psychologists. 28
Sept. 2007 http//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtif
actsheets.aspx.
19
RTI What Is the Role of a School Psychologist?

• Serving Individual Students
• Working with team members to
• set realistic goals
• design appropriate instructional strategies
• choose progress monitoring procedures, and
• periodically evaluate student progress for those
  receiving special education services
• Help learn/utilize a problem solving process

National Association of School Psychologists. 28
Sept. 2007 http//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtif
actsheets.aspx.
20
Some RTI Concepts

• Trend Lines
• The Importance of Data Points
• Fidelity

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Trend Line Calculation
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Trend Line Calculation -- Tukey Method
A little easier

• Step 1 Divide the data points into three equal
  sections by drawing two vertical lines. (If the
  points divide unevenly, group them
  approximately). 
• Step 2 In the first and third sections, find the
  median data-point and median instructional week.
  Locate the place on the graph where the two
  values intersect and mark with an X. 
• Step 3 Draw a line through the two Xs,
  extending to the margins of the graph. This
  represents the trend-line or line of improvement. 

Fuchs, Lynn S. and Douglas Fuchs, Tracey Hall,
John Hintze, Michelle Hosp, Erica Lembke, Laura
Sáenz, Pamela Stecker. July 7, 2005
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Trend Line Calculation
Fuchs, Lynn S. and Douglas Fuchs, Tracey Hall,
John Hintze, Michelle Hosp, Erica Lembke, Laura
Sáenz, Pamela Stecker. July 7, 2005
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The importance of data points
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(No Transcript)
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Exercise / Diet
Exercise / Diet Take 2
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Fidelity

• Fidelity of Implementation is the delivery of
  instruction in the way in which it was designed
  to be delivered. (Gresham, MacMillan,
  Beebe-Frankenberger, Bocian, 2000)

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RTI Intervention Bankhttp//www2.bartow.k12.ga.us
/psych/rti/index.asp
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Even if you are on the right track, you'll get
run over if you just sit there. Will Rogers
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References

• Ferguson, Monica L. (2005). Presentation
  entitled, Early, Effective Instruction The
  Opportunity and The Challenge ASHA San Diego
  2005 lthttp//convention.asha.org/2005/handouts/293
  _Whitmire_Kathleen_072434_111405111119.pptgt
• Frankenberger, M. Beebe. "Problem Solving and the
  Role and Function of School Psychologists."
  Montana Office of Public Instruction. 2006. 15
  Oct. 2007 lthttp//www.opi.mt.gov/PDF/SpecED/traini
  ng/RTl/School_Psychologist.pdfgt.
• Fuchs, Lynn S. and Douglas Fuchs, Tracey Hall,
  John Hintze, Michelle Hosp, Erica Lembke, Laura
  Sáenz, Pamela Stecker. July 7, 2005, Using
  Curriculum-Based Measurement for Progress
  Monitoring in Mathematics, lthttp//www.studentpro
  gress.org/summer_institute/inst2005.aspgt
• Gresham, F.M., MacMillan, D.L.,
  Beebe-Frankenberger, M.E., Bocian, K.M. (2000).
  Treatment integrity in learning disabilities
  intervention research Do we really know how
  treatments are implemented? Learning Disabilities
  Research Practice, 15(4), 198-205.
• McCook, John. (2006). Presentation entitled,
  Implementing a Response to Intervention Model,
  October 10, 2006, Lansing, Michigan. Michigan
  Association of Administrators of Special
  Education (MAASE) http//www.maase.org/Files/Imple
  menting_RTI_Lansing.ppt
• "New Roles in Response to Intervention Creating
  Success for Schools and Children." National
  Association of School Psychologists. National
  Association of School Psychologists. 28 Sept.
  2007 lthttp//www.nasponline.org/advocacy/rtifactsh
  eets.aspxgt.
• Response to Intervention The Tiered Process in
  CCSD 2007-2008 presentation, Cobb County School
  System

Response to Intervention The Tiered Process in
CCSD 2007-2008 presentation, Cobb County School
System