RTI to the Rescue: A Guide to Response to Intervention Process in Education

1. Grounded in RTI

2. Have you tried everything but there seems to be no getting through to these kids? Have you ever felt frustrated? Ever had a student that just didn’t seem to get it? Are kids pulled out of your class for everything??

3. RTI to the Rescue! R - Really T - Terrific I - Instructors R - Receiving T - Tremendous I - Interventions R - Responding T - To I - Individuals

5. What is Response to Intervention (RTI)? The RtI process is a multi-step approach to providing services and interventions at increasing levels of intensity to students who struggle with learning.

6. 5% 5% 5% 5% 10% 10% 80% 80% Academics Behavior Who is responsible? Tier 4: Special Education Tier 4: Special Education Tier 3: Dyslexia, PTS, Instructional Specialists Tier 3: General Ed; Campus Administrators Tier 2: PTS, Instructional Specialists Tier 2: General Ed; Campus Administrators Tier 1: General Education Tier 1: General Education

7. How will RTI benefit my classroom? • Support for you in dealing with struggling learners and students with behavioral issues • Training on interventions that work • Struggling individuals become confident learners

8. Sounds good but what do I have to do?? • Decisions to move a child from Tier 1 to Tier 2 will be based on data collected in the general education classroom. • Data will come from Universal Screenings (TAKS, TPRI, STEEP) and from monitoring progress on classroom interventions.

9. Interventions, Accommodations, and Modifications…What’s the Difference??

10. Accommodations • Provisions made in how a student accesses/demonstrates learning. • Does not substantially change instructional level or content. • Examples: • Shorten assignments • Oral tests • Change the formatting of a worksheet

11. Modifications • Changes in what a student is expected to learn and demonstrate. • Could change course content or curriculum (usually made by an ARD committee) that are specific to the needs of individual students. • Examples: • Below grade level instruction • Reducing number of TEKS to be mastered

12. Interventions A change in instructing a student in the area of learning or behavioral difficulty to try to improve performance and achieve adequate progress. Does NOT change the content of instruction Examples: Small group or individual instruction Alternate materials or assignments

13. Jeopardy!! • Get in groups of 3-4 • Indicate the correct response in each box • I = Intervention • A =Accommodation • M=Modification • You will have 2 minutes to complete the chart Alex Groundbek

15. I I I A M I A A M A A I I I A I

17. How do I begin this intervention process? • Review data from the Universal Screening (STEEP or TAKS) • The lowest 16% of your students will need interventions • Choose an intervention (or two) from Form 1A • Try the interventions and document the dates you tried them on Form 1A

18. What’s next? • If the interventions work…keep up the good work! • If the interventions don’t work…try some different ones and continue recording data on Form 1A • Still not working…discuss options with your grade level team • Try out their suggestions • Document the progress on the Grade Level/Content Area Team Documentation Form 1B

19. Still Struggling? • Ask the Instructional Specialist for an Intervention Team meeting • Discuss the child with the Intervention Team • Try out the suggested interventions • Record data on the Intervention Team Documentation Form 1B

20. How long should we keep trying interventions? • There is no easy answer to this question • Interventions need to be tried long enough to allow the child adequate time to show progress. • Interventions should be consistently tried for a minimum of 2 weeks. • The minimum amount of time students should be on Tier 1 is 6 weeks.

21. How about Special Ed? The results that we hope for… • Fills in the gaps • Provides more intense small group instruction • Gets the child the help he/she needs • Allows the teacher to teach the other 21 kids in the class • Provides TAKS relief Which of these do we actually get?

22. Top 10 Reasons to Implement RtI 10. Federal requirement under IDEA Reauthorization of 2004 • TEA Commissioners Rules support the RtI process 8. In 2009, TAKS Accommodated scores for all special education students will count toward your school’s accountability ? ? ? ? ?

23. Top 10 Reasons to Implement RtI • Even though Special Ed. teachers do a great job…students placed in Resource rarely “catch up” • Reduces “disjointed incrementalism” 5. Students get more exposure to the general ed. curriculum ? ? ? ? ?

24. Top 10 Reasons to Implement RtI • Finally, there are answers to the question, “What do I do with this kid?” 3. You get to attend fantastic full day trainings with fabulous presenters 2. You get a free lunch! ? ? ? ? ?

25. And the number 1 reason is… It’s best for kids!!

26. Lessons on life from the humble groundhog… Change happens. You must decide how you will respond. • Hide in a hole and refuse to come out • Dread the continuation of winteror • Celebrate the newness of spring