Virginias Response to Intervention RtI Initiative

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Virginias Response to Intervention (RtI)
Initiative

• Virginia School Boards Annual Convention
• Williamsburg Lodge
• November 20, 2008
• Dr. Cynthia A. Cave
• Susan M. Trulove
• Office of Student Services
• Virginia Department of Education

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February 16, 2007Dear Colleague just a
couple of notes about Darren as he transfers from
my school to yours

• He was only in my school for 14 months
• His family has moved quite a bit we hope this
  current move doesnt set him back
• He came to us as a student receiving tier 3
  interventions and support in reading and math
  weve been able to move him almost out of tier 2
  and totally into tier 1
• He might drift back to tier 2 in math
• Behavior seems to vary with his feelings of
  success

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What is 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. A comprehensive, multi-tiered
intervention strategy to enable early
identification and intervention for students at
academic or behavioral risk Alternative to the
discrepancy model for the identification of
students with learning disabilities
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What RtI is Not

• Another special education program
• A program run by special education
• A system to track students
• An out of the box program
• A quick-fix for short term improvement
• Another system to add to other categorical
  systems already in place

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Core Principles of RtI

• We can effectively teach all children
• Intervene early
• Use a multi-tier model of service delivery
• Use a problem-solving method to make decisions
  within a multi-tier model
• Use research-based instruction and interventions
• Monitor student progress to inform instruction
• Use data to make decisions
• Assessment drives instruction
• 
  
• 
  (NASDSE, 2005)

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Essential elements

• Scientifically sound instruction (Is there
  research to back it?) where 80 of students are
  getting it
• Universal screening
• Student progress monitoring
• Scientifically sound interventions
• - delivered in tiered system

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Key Characteristics of RtI

• Universal Screening of academics and behavior
• Multiple tiers of increasingly intense
  interventions
• Differentiated curriculum-tiered intervention
  strategy
• Use of evidence-based interventions
• Continuous monitoring of student performance
• Benchmark assessment

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Wheres all this coming from?

• December, 2004 President Bush signed
  re-authorized version of IDEA
• July 1, 2005 that law became effective
• August 16, 2006 regulations released
• October 16, 2006 regulations took effect

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Individuals With Disabilities Education
Improvement Act

• In general._Notwithstanding section 607(b), when
  determining whether a child has a specific
  learning disability as defined in section
  602(29), a local educational agency shall not be
  required to take into consideration whether a
  child has a severe discrepancy between
  achievement and intellectual ability in
• A child shall not be determined to be a child
  with a disability if determinant factor is
• Lack of scientifically-based instructional
  practices and programs that contain the essential
  components of reading instruction

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Individuals with Disabilities Education
Improvement Act

• (B) Additional authority._In determining whether
  a child has a specific learning disability, a
  local educational agency may use a process that
  determines if the child responds to scientific,
  research-based intervention.
• Process refers to Problem Solving Process
• Responds refers to Response to Intervention

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Language in Virginias SOA and SOQ support RtI

• Each local school board shall adopt a
  division-wide comprehensive, unified, long-range
  plan based on data collection, an analysis of the
  data, and how the data will be utilized to
  improve classroom instruction and student
  achievement. (Virginia Standards of Quality
  22.2-253.136(B))

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Simply put.

• RtI is a method of
• organizing
• delivering
• and
• monitoring
• instruction in a more systematic and predictable
  way, and in a way that meets the needs of more
  dependent students
• RtI is an instructional framework

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Focus on CORE CURRICULUM
Enter a School-Wide Systems for Student Success

• Intensive, Individual Interventions
• Individual Students
• Assessment-based
• Intense, durable procedures

5-10
5-10
10-15
10-15
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3 Basic Notions

• Universal screening
• Progress monitoring
• Tiered intervention(s)

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What skills would an educator need to do RtI?

• Knowledge of effective instructional practice(s)
• Ability to work with a team who will help problem
  solve
• Data collection and graphing skills
• Ability to determine the slope of a line
• Ability to shift gears
• Problem solving skills

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Universal Screening
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Is There A Problem? Screening math grade 5
Fifth Grade Math
About 42 Meeting Minimum Proficiency
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Re-screening Indicates Do We Have a Problem Now?
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Examples ofUniversals Screening Tools

• PALS
• AimsWeb
• Dibels

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Progress Monitoring
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Student Progress Monitoring

• Formative Assessment (CBM Curriculum-Based
  Measurement)
• Short samples of essential skills
• Performed regularlyand graphed
• Tells a story

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Formative Evaluation

• Frequent assessment of progress
• Referenced to goals based on benchmarks toward
  passing state tests
• Basis for all decisions about student needs and
  instructional intensity

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Characteristics of Effective Formative Evaluation
Measures

• Must be highly correlated to skills assessed
• Must be research based
• Must be brief and easily administered
• Must be sensitive to small increments of change
• Results can be graphed in relation to goals
• Must have high reliability and validity
• Must have benchmarks or be predictive of future
  performance

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Example 1 How is Darren progressing?
Change Intervention
Change Goal
Words Correct Per Minute
Class Growth
Class24
Darren11
Darren goal line
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 12 14 16 18 20
Weeks
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Example 2 Gap Not Closing Consider
Eligibility and More Intensive Interventions
Change Intervention
Class WCM54
Words Correct Per Minute
Class Growth
Darren WCM32
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 12 14 16 18 20
Weeks
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Tiers of Intervention/Support
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Interventions should be organized in tiers
Layers of intervention responding to student needs
TIER III
Each tier provides more intensive and supportive
intervention
TIER II
TIER I
Aimed at preventing disabilities
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TIER I Core class instruction
TIER I is comprised of three elements
Core program
Benchmark testing of students to determine
instructional needs at least three times a year
TIER I
Ongoing professional development
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TIER I CORE CLASS INSTRUCTION (contd)
Focus
For all students in K through 3

Scientific-based reading instruction and
curriculum emphasizing the five critical elements
of beginning reading
Program
Grouping
Multiple grouping formats to meet student needs
Time
90 minutes per day or more
Benchmark assessment at beginning, middle, and
end of the academic year
Assessment
Interventionist
General education teacher
Setting
General education classroom
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TIER II Supplemental instruction
Tier II is small-group supplemental instruction
in addition to the time allotted for core reading
instruction.
TIER II
Tier II includes programs, strategies, and
procedures designed and employed to supplement,
enhance, and support Tier I.
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TIER II SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION (contd)
For students identified with marked reading
difficulties, and who have not responded to Tier
I efforts
Focus

Specialized, scientifically based reading
program(s) emphasizing the five critical
elements of beginning reading
Program
Grouping
Homogeneous small group instruction (13, 14, or
15)
Minimum of 30 minutes per day in small group in
addition to 90 minutes of core reading
instruction
Time
Progress monitoring twice a month on target skill
to ensure adequate progress and learning
Assessment
Personnel determined by the school (e.g., a
classroom teacher, a specialized reading
teacher, an external interventionist)
Interventionist
Setting
Appropriate setting designated by the school may
be within or outside of the classroom
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TIER III Intensive intervention
Tier III is intensive, strategic, supplemental
instruction specifically designed and customized
small-group or 11 reading instruction that is
extended beyond the time allocated for Tier I and
Tier II.
TIER III
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TIER III INTENSIVE INTERVENTION (contd)
For students with marked difficulties in reading
or reading disabilities and who have not
responded adequately to Tier I and Tier II
efforts
Focus

Program
Sustained, intensive, scientifically based
reading program(s) emphasizing the critical
elements of reading for students with reading
difficulties/disabilities
Grouping
Homogeneous small group instruction (11- 13)
Minimum of two 30-minute sessions per day in
small group or 11 in addition to 90 minutes of
core reading instruction. Progress monitoring
weekly on target skills to ensure adequate
progress and learning
Time
Assessment
Personnel determined by the school (e.g., a
classroom teacher, a specialized reading teacher,
an external interventionist)
Interventionist
Setting
Appropriate setting designated by the school
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Based on the RtI triangle .
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Who Benefits from RtI?

• Students experience less frustration and receive
  instruction based do needs
• Parents are satisfied that their child is
  receiving timely, appropriate interventions
• Teachers are able to utilize peer problem solving
  strategies and teaming to provide targeted
  instruction
• Site Administrators achieve a positive school
  climate and improved academic outcomes
• District Administrators are able to align
  programs and make efficient use of resources

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To Summarize

• Response to Intervention is about good
  instruction
• Basic principles
• Solid core instruction
• Screening
• Student progress monitoring
• Tiered system of support/interventions

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Where we started with RtI in VirginiaVDOE
Workgroup Members

• Pat Abrams Director, Office of Special
  Education Instructional Services
• Mark Allan Director, Office of Elementary
  Instruction
• Wayne Barry Specialist, Office of Student
  Services
• Shelley Bazemore Specialist, Office of School
  Improvement
• Cindy Cave Director, Office of Student Services
• Gabie Frazier Title 1 Office
• Diane Gillam Specialist (LD/ADHD) Office of
  Special Education Instruction
• Ginna Glover Reading Specialist, Office of
  Elementary Instruction
• Mary Holm Specialist, Office of School
  Improvement
• Marie Ireland Specialist (Speech) Office of
  Special Education Instruction
• Tom Manthey Coordinator, Virginia State
  Improvement Grant
• Anne Sheehan Title 1 Office
• Susan Trulove RtI Specialist, Office of Student
  Services
• Karen Trump Director, Office of State Schools
• Deb Wickham Math Specialist, Office of
  Elementary Instruction
• Lois Williams Math Specialist, Office of
  Secondary Instruction

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Advisory group members (November, 2006)

• Dr. Joan Anderson Norfolk City Public Schools,
  Director of Special Education
• Dr. Walter P. Andy Anderson Licensed
  Professional Counselor, Charlottesville, Virginia
• Ms. Kathy Aux Prince William County Public
  Schools, Director of School Psychology/Social
  Work
• Ms. Diane Bailer Fairfax County Public Schools,
  Director of School Psychology, NASP delegate
• Ms. Colette Blount Charlottesville City Public
  Schools, Elementary teacher (gifted)
• Mr. Bryan Cooley Frederick County Public
  Schools, Instructional Support Specialist
• Ms. Barbara Flanagan Roanoke City Public
  Schools, Special Education Coordinator
• Dr. David Gangel Amelia County Public Schools,
  Superintendent
• Dr. Loretta Jones Lynchburg College, Professor
  of Education
• Dr. Jean Lokerson Virginia Commonwealth
  University, Professor President, Virginia LD
  Association
• Dr. John Lloyd University of Virginia,
  Professor of Special Education
• Dr. David Martin Fauquier County Public
  Schools, Superintendent
• Dr. Jack Naglieri George Mason University,
  Professor of Psychology, School psychologist
  trainer
• Dr. Ron Reeve University of Virginia, Chair,
  Department of Human Services Professor,
  Psychology
• Dr. Sunita Sharma Virginia Union University,
  Professor of special education
• Mr. Tom Shortt Virginia Association of
  Elementary School Principals, Executive Director
• Mr. Peter Squire State Special Education
  Advisory Committee Member, Graduate student at
  GMU
• Ms. Donni Stickney William and Mary Technical
  and Training Assistance Center (T/TAC),
  Specialist
• Dr. Bambi Thompson Gloucester County Public
  Schools, Elementary School Principal

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Whats happening with RtI in Virginia?Publicatio
n and distribution of Virginias RtI Guidance
document Fall - 2007RtI Statewide
InstitutesNovember 2007 RoanokeDecember 2007
Newport NewsApril 1-2, 2008 -
FredericksburgSelection of 15 RtI pilot
sites Monographs as resource to Virginias RtI
guidance documentMore professional development
for all school divisions
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RtI Pilot Divisions

• Criteria for selection
• 15 school divisions selected
• Initital training began July 7-11, 2008
• Additional pilot training sessions will occur
  throughout the school year into Summer 2009
• Pilot training will be posted on the RtI Web site

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RtI pilot Divisions and Schools

• Alleghany County Mountain View Elementary
• Augusta County Beverly Manor Elementary
• Bath County Valley Elementary
• Gloucester County Petsworth Elementary
• Loudoun County John Tolbert Elementary
• Manassas Park Cougar Elementary
• Martinsville City Albert Harris Elementary
• Mecklenburg County Chase City Elementary
• Northampton County Occohannock Elementary
• Portsmouth City Simonsdale Elementary
• Prince Edward County Prince Edward Elementary
• Prince William County Mary Williams Elementary
• Pulaski County Pulaski Elementary
• Shenandoah County Sandy Hook Elementary
• Smyth County Marion Primary

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RtI Advisory Divisions

• Culpeper County
• Local norming
• Orange County
• Progress monitoring

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Next steps

• Continue to provide technical assistance to
  school divisions
• Continue to provide more professional development
• Glean best RtI practices from pilot divisions and
  share statewide

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• Contact information
• Susan Trulove
• 804-786-0720
• Susan.trulove_at_doe.virginia.gov