Application to General Education

1. Application to General Education Christopher Balow, Ph.D. March 2008

2. RtI – What have we accomplished so far (06-07)… • District RtI Coordinator to facilitate the process. • RtI & problem-solving training for 10 elementary teams. • Increased use of universal screening data for all students. • Elementary teams processed about 60 cases last year using the problem-solving intervention model. • Computer database system is being used too collect and manage assessment data and RtI information. • AimsWeb assessments for tier II & III interventions • Teams report some success at intervening with students and teams functioned effectively. • Frustration was felt with not being able to “qualify” students for SLD using the RtI approach.

3. RtI– What have we accomplished so far (07-08)… • Problem-solving teams continue to meet and improve their skills and capacity. • Creation of a new District RtI K-12 steering committee. • RtI coordinator connection with State RtI Center and others around the state • Advanced training for elementary problem-solving teams – ½ day this Jan/Feb. • Jr. High training (3 - ½ days) SJHS & OLJH grade 7 only. Teams begin work by Feb 08. • Senior high training for 10th grade teams (3 – ½ days). Teams begin work by Feb 08. • Special education staff training on 2/18 re: eligibility process

4. Possible Road Map for RtI (draft 12/07) • Advanced training for elementary PS teams Winter 2008 • Reading eligibility determination process K-6 Winter 2008 • Secondary PS teams begin work Winter 2008 • Training for elementary gen ed on RtI process Spring 2008 • District discussions of resource allocation for RtI initiatives Spring 08 • Building teams review data for tier-level determination Fall 2008 • Training for secondary gen ed on RtI process Fall 2008 • Advanced training for 7 & 10 PS teams late Fall 2008 • Initial PS team training for 8, 9, 11 & 12 grade teams Fall 2008 • Math universal screening K-6 Fall 2008 • Math eligibility determination process K-6 Spring 2009 • Reading eligibility determination process 7-12 Spring 2009 • Advanced training for 8, 9, 11, & 12th grade teams Fall 2009 • Integration of secondary assessment system into RtI model Spring 2009 • Math Eligibility determination process 7-12 Spring 2009 • Written expression eligibility determination (to be determined)

5. “Stop asking me if we’re almost there; we’re Nomads, for crying out loud!” Some People see change as a singular event. RtI is an on-going process. (3-5 years minimum!)

6. Response To Intervention Defined Response to intervention is defined as: the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student need, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals and applying child response data to important educational decisions. RtI should be applied to decisions in general, remedial and special education, creating a well-integrated system of instruction/intervention guided by student outcome data.

7. General RtI Concepts • Response to intervention is a general education concept; it integrates “Every Ed” • School-wide assessment data is collected on students at three levels (universal screening, diagnostic and continuous progress monitoring • Multiple tiers of intervention services and program options • Have the ability to analyze & utilize student data • A systematic problem-solving team & process • PS Teams have knowledge of and accessibility to research based strategies

8. General RtI Concepts • RtI is NOT the same as Problem-Solving. • We use data to describe the problem & a discrepancy from expectations. • A systematic and data-based method for determining the degree to which a student has responded to an intervention. • Services should intensify for a student as the student response to intervention is below expectations.

9. Essential Component 1 Multi-tier Model of Services Academic Systems Behavioral Systems • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • High Intensity • Of longer duration • 117 math, 113 reading (2-9) • Intensive, Individual Interventions • Individual Students • Assessment-based • Intense, durable procedures • Targeted Group Interventions • Strategic Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • 576 math, 548 reading (2-9) • Targeted Group Interventions • Strategic Interventions • Some students (at-risk) • High efficiency • Rapid response • Universal Interventions • All students • Preventive, proactive • Universal Interventions • All settings, all students • Preventive, proactive 2.5% 1-5% 1-5% 11.5% 5-10% 5-10% 80-90% 80-90% 86% Ex: 24% of 2nd grade math below target

10. Essential Component 2 Problem-Solving Method & Problem-Solving Teams RtI

11. What is a Problem Solving Team (PST)? • A group of professionals and persons knowledgeable about a student(s) engaged in a collaborative process that uses the skills of these individuals from different disciplines to develop and evaluateintervention plans that improve significantly the school performance of students.

12. Special Education Eligibility Assessment Process and Data • Historical system: Global – ability and achievement tests, uses only national norms, 1-2 sessions only, based on hypothetical constructs, does not lead to intervention and has low utility, ecological information has little impact. • RtI: Specific – usually direct measures of specific skills needed for success in the classroom, repeated measures/progress monitoring, adjusting interventions based on data, uses various norm groups, relates to relevant standards, leads directly to intervention with high utility, ecological information is central to decision-making.

13. Special Education Eligibility & RtI Component: LD eligibility criteria • Historical system: Primarily based on ability-achievement discrepancy and consideration of SLD exclusion factors • RTI: Based on significant difference in performance compared to peers, low rate of progress even with high-quality interventions, special education need, consideration of SLD exclusion factors

14. Special Education Eligibility for LD Multivariate Discrepancy Model High Instructional Needs Slow Educational Progress Academic Skill Discrepancy Convergence of Data from a Variety of Sources

15. Proposed MN SLD Criteria (draft 10/07) • Must receive 2 documented scientific researched- based interventions (SRBI) prior to evaluation or as part of an evaluation. • Parents must be part of decision-making team & informed regularly of progress • Parents and team may extend intervention timelines with written consent.

16. Proposed MN SLD Criteria (draft 10/07) Data must confirm a disability in a variety of settings. • Areas of SLD Disability – basic reading skill, reading comprehension, reading fluency, math calculation, math problem-solving, oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression • Meets criteria in A,B, COR A, B, D.

17. Proposed MN SLD Rule • Does not achieve adequately in (reading, writing, math) in response to classroom instruction, and either • Does not make adequate progress toward state standards …when using a process based on the child’s response to intervention; or • Exhibits a pattern of strengths and weaknesses in performance, achievement or both relative to age, state-approved grade level standards or intellectual development, that is determined by the group to be relevant to the identification of an SLD.

18. Proposed MN SLD Rule • B) The child has a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes… • The team will determine the nature and presence of an information processing disorder. • Inadequate or lack of acquisition of information, lack of organizational skills, following written or oral directions, spatial arrangements, correct use of developmental order in relating events, transfer of information onto paper, visual and auditory memory, verbal and nonverbal expression, motor control for written tasks such as drawing or copying.

19. Information Processing and Reading • Auditory Processing = Phonological deficit • Visual Processing = Orthographic deficit • Rapid Naming = Fluency and retrieval deficit • Rapid naming, sustained attention, working memory, meta-cognition = Comprehension deficit. Hale & Fiorello, 2004

20. Proposed MN SLD Rule • C) Demonstrates a severe discrepancy between ability and achievement…1.75 standard deviations below the mean of the distribution of difference scores for the general population…. This is the “old discrepancy model”. “The regression formula will be revisited” Vicky Weinberg, Ph.D. MDE LD Specialist, 2008 PowerPoint at CEC

21. Proposed MN SLD Rule D) Demonstrates an inadequate rate of progress. • A consistent intervention carried out by trained staff over a 7 week periodOR 12 data points. Rate of Progress (ROP) is inadequate when: • Rate of improvement is minimal and continued intervention will not likely result in reaching age or state grade-level standards; • Progress will likely not be maintained when instructional supports are removed; • The child’s level of performance in repeated assessments of achievement falls below the child’s age or state approved standards, and • The level of achievement must be at least or below the 5th percentile rank on one or more valid and reliable achievement tests using either state or national comparisons. Local comparison data that is valid and reliable may be used in addition to either state or national data.

22. Entitlement for Special EducationStillwater Model via RtI Multivariate Discrepancy Model * 12 Data pts. or *7 weeks of inter- vention * low “ROP” or > 2 years to target or standard High Instructional Needs = team decision <=5th Nat. %ile on a “quality” Assessment (use SEM) Convergence of Data from a Variety of Sources

27. If you suspect any disability you must: • Conduct 2 pre-referral interventions for ALL special ed referrals, collect repeated measurement data, and the parents must be involved. The problem-solving team can help you with this process. • Refer the student to the problem-solving team. • Exceptions to this in crisis situations.

28. If you have concern about a student? • If you are concerned about a student’s academic progress you can complete a referral to the problem-solving team. • The team will determine if the student should go through a tier 2 or tier 3 RtI intervention process, or be referred directly for special education evaluation. • The Tier 2 problem-solving process is abbreviated. • Special education staff can provide services to non-special ed students as part of this intervention process.

29. If you suspect a disability in reading? • If a learning disability in reading is suspected the team will follow the RtI process to determine eligibility for special education. • This may include reviewing pre-referral intervention data and using these results for eligibility. • In some cases the intervention data will be collected during the RtI assessment process. • In RtI the intervention IS the assessment. • After reviewing the response to intervention data a determination will be made as to eligibility for special education.

30. Show Teacher Request for Assistance Form