Response to Intervention Model:

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Response to Intervention Model

• What does it mean for students with emotional
  and/or behavior disorders?

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Presentation to the Texas Educational
Diagnosticians Association, April 21, 2006

• Presenter info
• Presentation Purpose
• Intended Outcomes

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Presentation Purpose

• This purpose of this presentation is to discuss
  the implications of the RtI model for students
  with or may be at risk for E/BD including
• Current Policy
• The response to intervention model within a
  comprehensive system of PBS
• Review of evidenced based practices (or
  interventions) for students with E/BD
• Future directions and challenges for individuals
  involved in the assessment and identification
  process of students with disabilities

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Intended Outcomes

• Increase your understanding of the RtI model and
  how it applies to students with E/BD
• Identify evidence-based practices for students
  with E/BD that will assist in identification and
  program planning
• Help bridge the research-to-practice gap.

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Current Educational Policy

• NCLB Requirements (SBI, HQ, Reading,
  Accountability)
• IDEIA 2004 (SBI, HQ,Reading, Accountability)
• These two key pieces of legislation are clearly
  aligned and contain several overlapping themes.

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For Example

• According to the general provisions contained in
  Part A of the IDEIA (5) Almost 30 years of
  research and experience has demonstrated that the
  education of children with disabilities can be
  made more effective by
• (F) providing incentives for whole-school
  approaches, scientifically based early reading
  programs, positive behavioral interventions and
  supports, and early intervening services to
  reduce the needs to label children as disabled in
  order to address the learning and behavioral
  needs of such children.

• According to the NCLB Executive summary To
  accomplish this goal, the new Reading First
  initiative would significantly increase the
  Federal investment in scientifically based
  reading instruction programs in the early grades.
  One major benefit of this approach would be
  reduced identification of children for special
  education services due to a lack of appropriate
  reading instruction in their early years.

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What does this mean?

• Emphasis on Reading
• Emphasis on Early Interventions
• Emphasis on SBI and EBP
• Emphasis on reducing the number of Special
  Education referrals

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Furthermore IDEIA 2004

• Recently the reauthorization of IDEIA and the
  proposed regulations have allowed changes in the
  manner students with LD are being identified that
  allows the LEA to
• 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 as a
  part of the evaluation procedures described in
  paragraphs (2) and (3).

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How does this apply to students with EBD?

• Students with behavioral disorders have an
  established pattern of underachievement in
  reading, and
• Reading difficulties have a strong link to
  conduct disorder and delinquent behavior in older
  students (Weaster, 2004)
• In addition to problem behavior, students with
  E/BD exhibit low rates of task engagement and
  completement, limited content knowledge, and
  limited academic skills particularly in the area
  of reading (Gunter Denny, 1998 Nelson, et al.
  2004).
• Across all 12 SPED categories according to the
  SEELS, 40-easily distracted, 25-inpulsive,
  7-10 Depressed or lonely according to their
  teachers.
• Children in the LD category also had a high rate
  of suspensions and expulsions (Forness, 2005).

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Education and service-related experiences

• Students with E/BD are more likely to be
  identified in secondary school, when compared
  with other students with disabilities (Wagner,
  Newman, DAmico, 1995 Wagner et al., 2005)
• Walker et al., (2000) suggest that the majority
  of students at risk for E/BD are not identified
  until well after the point that early
  interventions would have been able to make a
  positive impact.
• Many students who would benefit from E/BD
  services are placed into programs for students
  with LD (Forness Kavale,2001). Often students
  with E/BD are placed into programs that emphasize
  behavior support and do not receive adequate
  academic support.
• Many students are underidentified and do not get
  necessary services/interventions for a variety of
  reasons.

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So again the question isHow does this apply to
students with EBD?
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School-Wide Systems of Early Identification and
Interventions

• Students with learning and/or behavior problems
  can benefit from a comprehensive schoolwide
  approach that applies empirically sound practices
  in a coordinated, systematic manner.

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Response to Intervention as a Basis for Selecting
Appropriate and Effective Interventions

• Evidenced-Based practices/interventions have been
  identified and shown to be an effective way to
  reduce problem behavior in all students,
  including those with E/BD. (See PBS and TBSI)
• When combined with the RtI model, students with
  E/BD may access services before problem behavior
  patterns have had time to become more resistant
  to change

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RtI Defined

• Gresham (2004) defines RtI as the change in
  behavior or performance as a function of
  intervention.
• An academic or behavioral intervention must have
  a basis for deciding whether to maintain, modify,
  intensify, or withdraw it.
• A students lack of response to an
  evidenced-based that is implemented with
  integrity serves as the basis for intensifying,
  modifying, or changing and intervention in a RtI
  model.
• RtI is based on the notion of discrepancy between
  pre-and post intervention levels and is
  consistent with a problem-solving model (Gresham,
  2004).

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Using an integrated model that combines RtI with
PBS will help meet the academic and behavioral
needs of students with or at risk for E/BD

• While additional research is needed in using the
  RtI model as an effective way to identify
  students with disabilities, it is a useful,
  viable prereferral and early intervention model
  that
• (a) provides early intervention, does not require
  a label
• (b) uses scientifically-based, evidenced-based
  practices to address the learning and behavioral
  needs of all children, including those with E/BD
• (c) Works within the framework of a comprehensive
  PBS system
• (d) Helps meet the federal requirements, while
  improving educational outcomes for all students,
  including those with E/BD

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Components of the RtI Model (according to The
National Joint Committee on Learning
Disabilities, 2005)

• 1. High-quality, research-based instruction and
  behavioral supports in general education.
•  2. Scientific, research-based interventions
  focused specifically on individual student
  difficulties and delivered with appropriate
  intensity. (and integrity)
•   3. Use of a collaborative approach by school
  staff for development, implementation, and
  monitoring of the intervention process.
•   4. Data-based documentation reflecting
  continual monitoring of student performance and
  progress during interventions.
•  

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Components of the RtI Model (according to The
National Joint Committee on Learning
Disabilities, 2005)

•   5. Documentation of parent involvement
  throughout the process.
•   6. Documentation that the timelines described
  in the federal regulations are adhered to unless
  extended by mutual written agreement of the
  childs parents and a team of qualified
  professionals.
•   7. Systematic assessment and documentation that
  the interventions used were implemented with
  fidelity.

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While many models of RtI have been proposed, the
following three-tiered model contains the basic
framework.

• Tier 1 High-quality evidenced-based
  instructional and behavioral supports are
  provided for all students in general education
  (by highly qualified teachers).
• Tier 2 Students whose performance and rate of
  progress lag behind those of peers in their
  classrooms, school, or district receive more
  specialized prevention or remediation within
  general education (Problem solving, prereferral
  stage).
• Tier 3 More intensive, individualized support
  which may include a comprehensive evaluation is
  conducted by a multidisciplinary team to
  determine eligibility for special education.

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Examples of 3-Tiered Models of Support
http//www.pbis.org/schoolwide.htm used with
permission
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3-Tiered Reading Model

• RtI
• http//www.texasreading.org/3tier/levels.asp

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Merrell, K.W., Walker H.M. (2004)
Deconstructing a definition Social
maladjustment versus emotional disturbance and
moving the field forward. Psychology in Schools,
41, 899-909. Used with permission.
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Matching Intensity of Intervention to Problem
Severity

• Progressive levels of intervention
• Changes to duration and frequency of intervention
• Progress Monitoring
• Use of evidenced-based interventions
• Example of progressive intervention levels
  (OShaughnessy, Lane, Gresham,
  Beebe-Frankenberger,2003).

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Evidence-Based Interventions for Students with
E/BD

• Evidence-based interventions can be defined as
• Grounded in scientifically based research.
• Research that uses randomized assigned samples is
  frequently cited as the gold standard of
  scientifically based interventions in NCLB
• A range of effective interventions for students
  with disabilities has emerged from single-subject
  research methods (Horner et al., 2005).
• Demonstrate both efficacy and effectiveness

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Efficacy and Effectiveness

• Efficacy Refers to Intervention outcomes that
  are produced by researchers under ideal
  conditions.
• (i.e. resources, training, fidelity, support)

• Effectiveness refers to socially valid
  intervention outcomes under normal circumstances.
• (Walker, 2004).

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Examination of EBP

• Lewis et al. (2004) used a four-phase review
  process to identify evidence-based interventions
  that demonstrated increases in appropriate social
  behavior and/or decreases in inappropriate social
  behavior. By examining the last 5 years of
  leading journals focusing on issues of social
  behavior and students with E/BD (e.g., Behavioral
  Disorders, Journal of Emotional and Behavioral
  Disorders, Journal of Behavioral Education).

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Numerous effective evidence-based practices were
identified including

• Praise/positive environment.
• Positive behavior support/social skills
  instruction.
• Functional behavioral assessment-based
  interventions.
• Self-management/
• monitoring.
• Use of procedures and routines
• Components of behavior management systems.

• Curriculum-based assessment/measurement.
• Learning strategies instruction.
• Direct instruction
• Mediated scaffolding.
• Curricular and material modifications.
• Effective lesson components.
• (Lewis et al., 2004)

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Evidence-based Social behavior Change (narrowed
the criteria)

• Four Practices that can be considered researched
  based
• Teacher praise/reinforcement
• High rates of opportunities to respond during
  instruction
• Clear instructional strategies, including direct
  instruction and
• PBS, including school-wide, FBA-based individual
  plans, and self-management.

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Universal Interventions/Assessments

• Assessment
• Universal Screening
• Teacher nomination
• Archival data analysis (ODRs) (Wright Dusek,
  1998

• Interventions/
• Preventions
• Schoolwide PBS
• Prevention Curriculum
• Social Skills training
• Positive School Climate
• (Goal is to prevent/reduce)

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Universal Screening

• Systematic Screening for Behavior Disorders
  (SSBD) (Both internal and externalizing
  behaviors) (Walker Severson, 1992 Walker
  Severson, 1994)
• Social Skills Rating System (SSRS Gresham
  Elliot, 1990)
• School Social Behavior Scales (SSBS,Merrel, 1993)
  (Brief-10 minutes)
• ODR analysis (Schoolwide Information System,
  SWIS)
• Universal Screening can be combined with RtI
  allowing for proactive identification of students
  and establishing baseline data in which to
  measure the response to the intervention.

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Secondary/Selected

• Assessment
• Review of data
• Behavior rating Scales
• FBA

• Interventions
• Mentoring
• Small group supplemental adaptive behavior
  instruction (see blueprints)
• Increased support
• Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions

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Interventions at the Secondary/Selected Level

• CBI Gresham (2005) Conducted a meta-analysis of
  Cognitive-based Treatments and found that a
  65improvement in the treatment group vs. only
  35 of the control group.
• Examples Include
• Anger Coping Program (ACP)
• Coping Power Program (CPP)
• Tools for getting Along (TFGA)

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Smith, Lochman, Daunic (2005) reviewed these
interventions

• Anger Coping Program (ACP) has two broad goals
  for this cognitive-behavioral program- (18, 45-60
  min sessions) program goals
• I. To assist children in finding ways to cope
  with the intense surge of physiological arousal
  and anger that they experience immediately after
  a frustration or provocation.
• II. To assist children in retrieving from memory
  an array of possible competent strategies they
  could use to resolve the frustrating problem of
  conflict they are experiencing.

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Components of ACP

• Group rules
• Goal setting
• Anger-management
• Perspective training
• Self-awareness
• Social problem solving (heavy emphasis)
• Note U.S. Surgeon Generals Report

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• Coping Power Program (CPP) Lengthier,
  muliticomponent version of ACP designed for
  better maintenance of the ACP.
• Tools for getting Along (TFGA) Teaching
  Students to Problem Solve. This program teaches
  problem-solving steps and how to use them as
  self-statements to guide decision-making and
  ultimately enhance automaticity as students
  become more proficient when confronted with
  challenging social situations.

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Tertiary/Targeted

• Assessment
• FBA-Comprehensive
• FIE

• Interventions
• Increased Intensity and frequency applications
  of interventions
• Individualized behavior support
• Wrap-around Services

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Examples from the Center for the Study and
Prevention of Violence (CSPV), Blueprints for
Violence Prevention Initiative

• Functional Family Therapy An outcome-drive
  prevention/intervention program for youth who
  have demonstrated the entire range of
  maladaptive, acting out behaviors and related
  syndromes

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• Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies
  (PATHS) A comprehensive program for promoting
  emotional and social competencies and reducing
  aggression and behavior problems in elementary
  school-aged children while simultaneously
  enhancing the educational process in the
  classroom. PATHS has been field-tested and
  researched with children in regular education
  classrooms settings, as well as with a variety of
  special needs students (hearing-impaired, LD, ED,
  mildly MR, and gifted).

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Promising Programs

• I Can Problem Solve
• Good Behavior Game
• Blueprints for Violence Prevention Initiative

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What role does the Educational Diagnostician play?

• According to the Texas education Code a critical
  role.
• RULE TAC 239.80
• (a) Because the educational diagnostician plays a
  critical role in campus effectiveness and student
  achievement the State Board for Educator
  Certification adopts the rules in this subchapter
  to ensure that each candidate for the educational
  diagnostician certificate is of the highest
  caliber and possesses the knowledge and skills
  necessary to improve the performance of the
  diverse student population of this state.
• (b) Each individual serving as a educational
  diagnostician is expected to actively participate
  in professional development activities to
  continually update his or her knowledge and
  skills. Currency in best practices and research
  as related to both campus leadership and student
  learning is essential.
• (c) The holder of an educational diagnostician
  certificate issued under the provisions of this
  chapter may serve as an educational
  diagnostician, including providing educational
  assessment and evaluation, for students in early
  childhood programs through grade 12.

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Practical role

• Understands the critical role of assessment and
  planning educational interventions.
• Has a unique vantage point (can see the big
  picture)
• Extensive expertise in assessment procedures and
  interpretation
• Able to critically analyze many types of data
• Has all kinds of time (just kidding)

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Future Challenges

• In order to meet the challenges of the future, we
  must
• Remain updated on the current research, federal,
  and state policy.
• Be proactive in statewide initiatives such as
  TBSI and RtI.
• Share our knowledge and expertise to help
  influence policymakers.

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Questions?

• Contact Info
• Edward Karl Schultz
• Edward.schultz_at_mwsu.edu
• (940)-397-6203