Using a Response to Intervention Framework to Promote Young Children’s Social Development: The Teaching Pyramid Model

1. Using a Response to Intervention Framework to Promote Young Children’s Social Development: The Teaching Pyramid Model

2. Session Discussion • Background on Response to Intervention • The Pyramid Model as a RTI framework for addressing behavior • Implementation issues for RTI • Addressing issues

3. What’s Your Interest in RtI? Finding out what RtI is in general? Finding out how it might be applied in early childhood? Finding out how it might be applied in the social-emotional area in early childhood? Finding out how other states/programs are thinking about or developing RtI models?

4. Who are you? Parent 619 or Part C representative OSEP Early Childhood Project TA provider Federal agency person Other interested person

5. Where is your state regarding RtI in Early Childhood? Nothing is happening as far as I know. Some preliminary discussions are taking place to figure out how RtI might work in EC. Some professional development has begun to introduce the RtI concept to early education programs. Some programs have begun implementing RtI models in early education. We have statewide policies about RtI in early education.

6. What is Response to Intervention? RTI is a multi-tiered approach to instruction that • incorporates evidence-based interventions at all tiers • Uses a systematic problem-solving approach that focuses on students’ response to those interventions as a basis for determining their instructional needs and intensity.

7. Where does RtI Come From? Field of learning disabilities Past approach to providing services was “discrepancy model” of documenting gap between a student’s aptitude and achievement Discrepancy model required that student experienced failure before services could be referred and more intensive services could be delivered.

8. The RtI Alternative • Is prevention-oriented: Primary purpose is to identify children who need support early and prevent occurrence of later academic/behavioral difficulties • Uses a systematic problem-solving process designed to • allow for earlier identification of students’ difficulties • provide students with a level of instructional support matched to their demonstrated response to intervention • provide a data-based method for evaluating the effectiveness of instructional approaches and changing/improving them

9. Some Features of RtI • RTI is intended to reduce the need for special education by improving and providing services early • RTI services are individualized and based on evidence-based strategies. • RtI services assume a high quality of “general” intervention, and add resources and services as needed.

10. The Promise - Key Elements • Instruction that is more individualized, more responsive to children’s needs, and that can be implemented without long delays • Assessment that helps determine when something more is needed, and how it’s working • Children not meeting developmental goals • Support for intervention allocation decisions • Short-term response to intervention • A coordinated system of care and education that finds children, and brings services to them at appropriate speed

11. Essential Components of RtI • Use of multiple tiers of intervention • Reliance on evidence-based practices in all tiers • Use of monitoring to determine if students are making progress • Problem-solving approach to determine most appropriate level of intervention for individual students

12. Essential Component 1: Multi-tier Model

13. Essential Component #2: Evidence-Based Practices Used in All Tiers • Tier 1: Curricula and instructional practices provided to all children • Tier 2: More intensified instruction for children not demonstrating adequate growth in Tier 1 • Increased opportunities to practice skills from Tier 1 curriculum • Tier 3: More focused intervention for children not showing adequate growth in Tier 2 or for children well below Tier 1 benchmark

14. Essential Component #3: Use of Progress Monitoring To identify children not showing adequate growth To monitor growth of children receiving targeted intervention in Tiers 2 and 3 Measures are for instructional planning—not diagnosis

15. Progress Monitoring Using the Early Communication Indicator 36 Mos Expectation Child’s Observed Trajectory Normative Trajectory

16. Essential Component #4: Problem Solving or Decision-Making Model Progress Monitoring Monitor Identify/ Validate Need For Intervention Exploring Solutions Generate Intervention Strategies Evaluate Intervention Effectiveness Implement Intervention Monitor ©2003 Juniper Gardens Children’s Project

17. Some Misconceptions about RtI • Rti replaces special education and its procedural safeguards. RtI does not replace existing systems for evaluating or determining eligibility for special education services and procedural safeguards. • Children with disabilities will be in Tier 3. Children with disabilities can be found in any tier. • RtI models focus only on preventing learning disabilities and not behavior problems and challenging behaviors. Focus is on learning or behavioral problems.

18. Questions How can we in early childhood apply an RtI model to early childhood in the area of social-emotional development? How can we build on existing models? What will some of the challenges be? What are the next steps?

19. Social Competence “Emotional well-being and social competence provide a strong foundation for emerging cognitive abilities, and together they are the bricks and mortar that comprise the foundation of human development.” (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2007)

20. Pyramid Model Tertiary Intervention Secondary Prevention Universal Promotion

21. Nurturing and Responsive Relationships • Foundation of the pyramid • Essential to healthy social development • Includes relationships with children, families, and team members • Meets criteria for high quality practices as defined by NAEYC and DEC

22. High Quality Environments • Inclusive early care and education environments • Comprehensive system of curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation • Environmental design, instructional materials, scheduling, child guidance, and teacher interactions that meet high quality practices as described by NAEYC and DEC

23. Targeted Social Emotional Supports • Self-regulation, expressing and understanding emotions, problem solving, developing social relationships • Explicit instruction • Increased opportunities for instruction, practice, feedback • Family partnerships • Progress monitoring and data-based decision-making

24. Individualized Intensive Interventions • Comprehensive interventions • Assessment-based • Skill-building • Partnerships with families • Progress monitoring and data-based decision-making

25. Assessment & Progress Monitoring • Progress monitoring • (Child Checks) • Behavior Incidents • With increased precision • and frequency • Progress monitoring • (Child Checks) • Behavior Incidents • Universal Screening • (ASQ-SE, SSRS) • Behavior Incidents

26. Implementation Fidelity • Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool • Teacher adoption of tier 1 for all children • General assessment of tier 2 and 3; not specific to individual target child • Tier 2 and Tier 3 • Must develop fidelity tool to examine implementation of intended instructional procedures and number of child learning opportunities

27. RtI for Social/Behavioral • Type and intensity of behavior Can demand immediate, intensive intervention. • Type and intensity of behavior Can demand very frequent measurement • Interventions are reliant on the social environment of the classroom; not delivered as pull-out • Tier 2 and 3 interventions are not unique; difference is in intentionality, dosage, and precision • In tiers 2 and 3, family involvement is vital to implementing and powering up intervention intensity across interactions, routines, and environments • The potential “targets” of behavior change are almost limitless, requiring highly individualized measurement methods

28. Challenge Categories for Discussion Necessary Collaboration Across Agencies Measurement (what, how often, by whom) Competence of Personnel Time/Resource Allocation Fidelity of Implementation at Each Level

30. Contact TACSEI Mailing Address: University of South Florida Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute Department of Child & Family Studies 13301 N. Bruce. B. Downs Blvd, MHC2-1134 Tampa, FL 33612-3807 Phone: (813) 974-9803