Response to Intervention: Big Ideas & Definitions

1. Response to InterventionBig Ideas & Definitions Krista Ford, PsyD School Psychologist Arcade Elementary

2. Federal Law • Federal Law gave you a choice as to how to identify students as SLD • The local educational agency shall not be required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability • A local agency may use a process which determines if a child responds to scientific research based interventions....

3. NY State LawMemo from NYS Education Dept.Implementation of Response to Intervention, April 2008 • Authorizes the use of RTI in the state’s criteria to determine LD and requires, effective 7/1/2012, that all school districts have an RtI program in place as part of the process to determine if a student in grades K-4 is a student with a learning disability in the area of reading. • As of 7/1/2012 a school district shall not use the severe discrepancy criteria for a K-4 student to determine a LD in the area of reading.

4. RTI- Why now? • Waiting to fail • An endless supply of students “waiting to be tested” for eligibility • Time consuming, costly assessment that is not always related to intervention and diverts talented persons away from providing intervention • General education setting is providing a narrow range of instructional and behavioral options that don’t meet the needs of many students • Results that often force us to “cheat” to get students the services they need • Results that often deny services to the students that need it the most.

5. BIG IDEAS • High Quality Instruction Using Scientifically Based Practices • Early Intervention for Those Who Need It • Prevention Services • “Every-Ed” Initiative • Data based decision making • Universal screenings • Progress Monitoring

6. BIG IDEAS for EDUCATORS • Better Tools • If you ADD something in you MUST drop something Out • Better Training • More Support

7. BIG IDEA FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES Students Get the Services They Need... As Soon as They Need Them!

8. What is RTI? • Multi-Tiered problem solving approach that identifies general education students struggling in academic and behavioral areas early and provides them with systematically applied strategies and targeted instruction at varying levels of intervention

9. Tier III (5%) Individual students Assessment based High intensity Longer Duration Tier II (15%) Some students At risk High efficiency Tier I (80%) All students Preventive, Proactive RtI is a Multi-Tiered Academic Intervention Approach

10. Tier 1 is Delivery of a Scientifically Based Core Program with… • Fidelity • Intensity • Passion • Reasonable Accommodations • Progress Monitoring- 3x/year • If done well, we expect to meet the needs of Most…Some will need MORE

11. Tier 2 is “MORE” • More Time- • More Explicit Teacher-Led Instruction • More Scaffolded Instruction- structured • More Opportunities to Respond with Corrective Feedback- small group • More Language Support, Especially vocabulary • More Intensive Motivational Strategies • More Frequent Progress Monitoring- monthly

12. Tier 3 is MOST • Most Time- daily, specialized instruction • Most Explicit Teacher-Led Instruction • Most Scaffolded Instruction • Most Opportunities to Respond with Corrective Feedback- individualized • Most Language Support, Especially vocabulary • Most Intensive Motivational Strategies • Most Frequent Progress Monitoring- weekly

13. FACTS • 1. RTI IS a SED eligibility processBUT it really is building Coordinated, Multi-tiered Early Intervention Services, Part of an organized effort to provide ALL students with • High Quality Instruction Using Scientifically Based Practices • Prevention Services • Early Intervention for Those Who Need It • Students Get The Services They Need As Soon As They Need Them. • The Goal is to Organize and Implement “Block Buster” Interventions using Powerful Intervention Packages That Are Scientifically Based

14. Myths 1. RTI is just an Eligibility Process to ID students with SLD 2. RTI is another waiting to fail approach with the same old hopping and jumping for teachers and families 3. RTI is just a different way to ID the same students and serve them the same way 4. We can improve achievement significantly if we continue to ask teachers to “invent” their own interventions and deliver them in short daily periods of time (e.g. 5-10 mins) 5. We can achieve our goals with a “Dual System” 6. We can build Multi- Tier Data-Based Decision Making with common general education assessment tools

15. Clarification No Failing in Tier 1 Before You Get Tier 2 No Failing in Tier 2 Before You Get Tier 3

16. Progress Monitoring • Most General Education Assessment Tools are… • Really Diagnostic or Program Evaluation Tools • Time and Cost Intensive • Too infrequent for Tier 2 & Tier 3 PM • Not validated for purposes of screening and PM • Not validated for IEP Goals and PM and for SED Entitlement Decisions

17. Where do we go from here?Build a foundation with Self Study Describe you existing Systems of Supports, including Teams, and Team and Individual Professional Roles and functions Describe your existing Academic & Behavior Interventions: Are they scientifically based? Describe your existing Progress Monitoring and Universal Screening Systems: Are they scientifically based? Identify Assessment Tools and Practices that are NOT scientifically based and Abandon them.

18. Building Blocks Year 1 • Build your scientifically based Data System for Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring (CBM) • Teach and Ensure Understanding of Foundational Concepts and Vocabulary • Define and Teach your Standard Problem Solving Process • Build Your Leadership and Staff Development Plan • Build More Effective Teams with Teachers in Mind

19. Food for Thought • What is the best way to introduce the RTI process to Pioneer staff? • District & Building Level RTI Teams? • How do PBIS and CST fit in?

20. Thank You!