The Proximal Principal Practices for Effective RTI Leadership

1. The Proximal Principal Practices for Effective RTI Leadership MESPA, 2011 Barbara A. Marinak, Ph.D. bam234@psu.edu

2. RTI Updates

4. RTI IS NOT A “ONE SIZE FITS ALL” APPROACH USDOE policy says that states and districts should have the flexibility to establish models that reflect their own unique situations and available resources.

5. RTI IS NOT “OWNED” BY ANY ONE PROFESSION • RTI works across general and special education for an integrated system guided by meaningful student data. • Research based instruction and intervention is delivered by personnel best qualified to address student’s individual needs.

6. RTI • Legislated in IDEIA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act) of 2004 • Identify children who are members of a disaggregated subgroup with a specific learning disability whereby the discrepancy model could result in over identification • Provide early intervening services to all children at risk for school failure.

7. RTI Commission of IRA • What is the work of the RTI Commission? • Guiding Principles • Conferences • Webinars • Articles • Books

8. RTI Practice Guide Intervention should take place in small homogenous groups ranging from three to four students using curricula that address the major components of reading instruction(comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary). IES, 2009

9. Future of RTI • “Early intervening services” will likely migrate to regular education legislation (ESEA) • Focus on core instruction • More flexible tiers • More regular education funding for systemic RTI

10. Intervention cannot be considered effective unless it provides for greater levels of proficiency in core.

11. High five for all you do!

12. The “I” in RTI • Intervention or Instruction? • What does it mean to be a proximal principal?

13. The “I” in RTI Intervention or Instruction* *everywhere…core, intervention, related arts, recess, hallways, etc.

14. The “I” in RTI • What does it mean to be a proximal principal?

15. Proximity • A Gestalt principle of organization- suggesting that objects or events near to one another (literally and/or metaphorically) are perceived as a unit • The distance between the actual developmental level and the level of potential development -- as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers (Vygotsky, 1978)

16. Effective leaders are proximal - at all times- to teaching and learning.

17. Critical Attributes of Proximity • Increase modeling • Increase scaffolding • Increase in lively discussions

18. So…now what?

19. Meet and Scaffold

20. Proximity • Instructional Proximity • Leadership Proximity

22. Compare/Contrast Summary We can compare and contrast giraffes and Emperor penguins. Giraffes live in Africa but Emperor penguins live in Antarctica. Giraffes have live births. Emperor penguins lay eggs. Both giraffes and Emperor penguins have one baby at a time. Giraffes and Emperor penguins are similar in how they protect their babies. These two animals put their babies in kindergartens.

23. After ReadingResponding/Summarization • Text Map

24. Compare/Contrast

25. After ReadingResponding/Summarization • Retelling Pyramid

26. Retelling Pyramid one How many babies do giraffes and penguins have at a time? Antarctica Africa Use two words to describe where this penguin and giraffe live. egglivebirth In three words, list how the giraffe and penguin have babies. caredforinkindergartens In four words, describe how giraffes and penguins protect their babies.

27. After ReadingResponding/Summarization • Writing Guide

29. Where does the animal live? Giraffes and Emperor penguins are: same Giraffes live in Africa but Emperor penguins live in Antarctica. different

31. What type of birth does the animal have? Giraffes and Emperor penguins are: same Giraffes have live births. Emperor penguins lay eggs. different

33. How many babies does the animal have? Giraffes and Emperor penguins are: different Both giraffes and Emperor penguins have one baby at a time. same

35. How are babies protected by this animal? Giraffes and Emperor penguins are: different Giraffes and Emperor penguins are similar in how they protect their babies. These two animals put their babies in kindergartens. same

36. Compare/Contrast Summary We can compare and contrast giraffes and Emperor penguins. Giraffes live in Africa but Emperor penguins live in Antarctica. Giraffes have live births. Emperor penguins lay eggs. Both giraffes and Emperor penguins have one baby at a time. Giraffes and Emperor penguins are similar in how they protect their babies. These two animals put their babies in kindergartens.

37. Leadership Proximity • Be simple • Be concrete • Be unexpected • Be credible • Encourage emotions • Share stories Made to Stick (Heaths)

38. Be Simple • Create and communicate a powerful but simple vision for RTI- with input from stakeholders • Avoid decision paralysis. • Listen to how the vision is being discussed and interpreted by the stakeholders. Clarify confusion/misconceptions.

39. Be Concrete • Advocate for RTI. Leaders need to be perceived as working consciously and consistently on behalf of struggling students. Take actions that are concrete and directly observable by the (other) staff. • Teach core or intervention lessons to learn about the needs of your struggling readers. • Learn the strengths and needs of your struggling readers by observing them across the content areas. Be able to speak to their performance in all classrooms.

40. Be Unexpected • Take actions that are unexpected. RTI can be become dehumanizing by overemphasizing data and underemphasizing the educators working on behalf of students. • Personalize communication about struggling readers by holding face-to-face discussions. Reserve e-mail for scheduling.

41. During discussions, pose questions that encourage collaboration and reflection*.

42. Assessment • High Qualified Interventionists • Intensity • Ratio* • Method • Transference*

43. Ratio • Is the reading specialist:student ratio reduced during the intervention compared to the core reading instruction? • Can the ratio be reduced flexibly based on student need?

44. Transference • Transference is the ability of a reader to transfer and apply newly acquired strategic behaviors to increasing more difficult literacy demands. • Transference must be taught. • Teaching transference requires communication and collaboration between the interventionist and core teacher(s).

45. Is transference being taught? • Is there explicit instruction in how newly acquired reading strategies can be applied to other literacy demands (science, social studies, math etc.)? • Who is teaching and monitoring transference?

46. Example • A Tier 2 group with five students meets for 30 minutes. The reading specialist notices that two students are struggling. • Conducts a half-book running record on each student (approximately 90 seconds). • Both students are at frustration level. • The reading specialist immediately provides an additional 15 minutes of Tier 3 intervention with the two students based on observation and data.

47. Actively listen before offering suggestions or making a decision. • Be consistent in your support and ensure that you follow up. Schedule the days and times when you will observe or ask for feedback on a student or group of students.

48. Be Credible • Promote situational interest and commitment to students by honoring all data at the RTI table. • Carefully analyze how and why interventions are working or not working.

49. Articulate the attributes of instruction that cause students to gain in proficiency (e.g., careful collaboration between core classroom teacher and the specialists’ analysis of writing samples to inform reading instruction). Effectiveness can be replicated only if it is understood and defined.

50. Encourage Emotions • Feelings inspire people to act. Approaching RTI from strictly an analytical perspective can hinder our ability to feel. Emotional discussions encourage RTI team members to view struggling readers as humans (versus numbers on pivot table or trend lines). • Be sure to link the efforts of teachers and interventionists to the gains made by students. Attribute growth to the specific actions of the team working on their behalf.