1. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Establishing Response to Intervention in Middle and High Schools: A Step-by-Step Guide Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

2. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Workshop Agenda 1.RTI & Secondary Schools: Introduction 2.Creating Effective RTI Problem-Solving Teams 3.Assessment & Progress-Monitoring Across the Tiers 4.Building Classroom Teacher Capacity to Select & Implement Interventions 5.Promoting Student Engagement in the RTI Process 6.Preparing Your School for RTI Systems-Level Change

3. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Download the introductory PPT and handout from this workshop at: http://www.jimwrightonline.com/WKEC.php 3

4. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 4 School Instructional Time: The Irreplaceable Resource “In the average school system, there are 330 minutes in the instructional day, 1,650 minutes in the instructional week, and 56,700 minutes in the instructional year. Except in unusual circumstances, these are the only minutes we have to provide effective services for students. The number of years we have to apply these minutes is fixed. Therefore, each minute counts and schools cannot afford to support inefficient models of service delivery.” p. 177 Source: Batsche, G. M., Castillo, J. M., Dixon, D. N., & Forde, S. (2008). Best practices in problem analysis. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp. 177-193).

5. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 5 RTI Assumption: Struggling Students Are ‘Typical’ Until Proven Otherwise… RTI logic assumes that: –A student who begins to struggle in general education is typical, and that –It is general education’s responsibility to find the instructional strategies that will unlock the student’s learning potential Only when the student shows through well-documented interventions that he or she has ‘failed to respond to intervention’ does RTI begin to investigate the possibility that the student may have a learning disability or other special education condition.

6. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 6 Secondary Students: Unique Challenges… Struggling learners in middle and high school may: Have significant deficits in basic academic skills Lack higher-level problem-solving strategies and concepts Present with issues of school motivation Show social/emotional concerns that interfere with academics Have difficulty with attendance Are often in a process of disengaging from learning even as adults in school expect that those students will move toward being ‘self-managing’ learners…

7. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 7 Why Do Students Drop Out of School?: Student Survey Classes were not perceived as interesting (47 percent) Not motivated by teachers to ‘work hard’ (69 percent) Failing in school was a major factor in dropping out (35 percent) Had to get a job (32 percent) Became a parent (26 percent) Needed to care for a family member (22 percent) Source: Bridgeland, J. M., DiIulio, J. J., & Morison, K. B. (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Seattle, WA: Gates Foundation. Retrieved on May 4, 2008, from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/nr/downloads/ed/TheSilentEpidemic3-06FINAL.pdf

8. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 8 Overlap Between ‘Policy Pathways’ & RTI Goals: Recommendations for Schools to Reduce Dropout Rates A range of high school learning options matched to the needs of individual learners: ‘different schools for different students’ Strategies to engage parents Individualized graduation plans ‘Early warning systems’ to identify students at risk of school failure A range of supplemental services/’intensive assistance strategies’ for struggling students Adult advocates to work individually with at-risk students to overcome obstacles to school completion Source: Bridgeland, J. M., DiIulio, J. J., & Morison, K. B. (2006). The silent epidemic: Perspectives of high school dropouts. Seattle, WA: Gates Foundation. Retrieved on May 4, 2008, from http://www.gatesfoundation.org/nr/downloads/ed/TheSilentEpidemic3-06FINAL.pdf

9. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 9 School Dropout as a Process, Not an Event “It is increasingly accepted that dropout is best conceptualized as a long-term process, not an instantaneous event; however, most interventions are administered at a middle or high school level after problems are severe.” Source: Jimerson, S., Reschly, A.L., & Hess, R. (2008). Best practices in increasing the likelihood of school completion. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds). Best Practices in School Psychology - 5th Ed (pp. 1085-1097). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.. p.1090

10. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 10 Student Motivation & The Need for Intervention “A common response to students who struggle in sixth grade is to wait and hope they grow out of it or adapt, to attribute early struggles to the natural commotion of early adolescence and to temporary difficulties in adapting to new organizational structures of schooling, more challenging curricula and assessment, and less personalized attention. Our evidence clearly indicates that, at least in high-poverty urban schools, sixth graders who are missing 20% or more of the days, exhibiting poor behavior, or failing math or English do not recover. On the contrary, they drop out. This says that early intervention is not only productive but absolutely essential.” Source: Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., MacIver, D. J. (2007). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle grades schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist,42, 223–235..

11. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 11 Five Core Components of RTI Service Delivery 1.Student services are arranged in a multi-tier model 2.Data are collected to assess student baseline levels and to make decisions about student progress 3.Interventions are ‘evidence-based’ 4.The ‘procedural integrity’ of interventions is measured 5.RTI is implemented and developed at the school- and district-level to be scalable and sustainable over time Source: Glover, T. A., & DiPerna, J. C. (2007). Service delivery for response to intervention: Core components and directions for future research. School Psychology Review, 36, 526-540.

12. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 12 RTI ‘Pyramid of Interventions’ Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 1: Universal interventions. Available to all students in a classroom or school. Can consist of whole-group or individual strategies or supports. Tier 2 Individualized interventions. Subset of students receive group support targeting specific needs. Tier 3: Intensive interventions. Students who are ‘non- responders’ to Tiers 1 & 2 are met on by the RTI Team.

13. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 13 Tier I Instruction/Interventions Tier I instruction/interventions: Are universal—available to all students. Can be delivered within classrooms or throughout the school. Are likely to be put into place by the teacher at the first sign that a student is struggling. All children have access to Tier 1 instruction/interventions. Teachers have the capability to use those strategies without requiring outside assistance. Tier 1 instruction/interventions encompass: The school’s core curriculum and all published or teacher-made materials used to deliver that curriculum. Teacher use of ‘whole-group’ teaching & management strategies. Teacher use of individualized strategies with specific students. Tier I instruction/interventions attempt to answer the question: Are routine classroom instructional strategies sufficient to help the student to achieve academic success?

14. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 14 Complementary RTI Models: Standard Treatment & Problem-Solving Protocols “The two most commonly used RTI approaches are (1) standard treatment and (2) problem- solving protocol. While these two approaches to RTI are sometimes described as being very different from each other, they actually have several common elements, and both fit within a problem-solving framework. In practice, many schools and districts combine or blend aspects of the two approaches to fit their needs.” Source: Duffy, H. (August 2007). Meeting the needs of significantly struggling learners in high school. Washington, DC: National High School Center. Retrieved from http://www.betterhighschools.org/pubs/ p. 5

15. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 15 RTI Interventions: Standard-Treatment vs. Problem-Solving There are two different vehicles that schools can use to deliver RTI interventions: Standard-Protocol (Standalone Intervention). Programs based on scientifically valid instructional practices (‘standard protocol’) are created to address frequent student referral concerns. These services are provided outside of the classroom. A middle school, for example, may set up a structured math-tutoring program staffed by adult volunteer tutors to provide assistance to students with limited math skills. Students referred for a Tier II math intervention would be placed in this tutoring program. An advantage of the standard- protocol approach is that it is efficient and consistent: large numbers of students can be put into these group interventions to receive a highly standardized intervention. However, standard group intervention protocols often cannot be individualized easily to accommodate a specific student’s unique needs. Problem-solving (Classroom-Based Intervention). Individualized research-based interventions match the profile of a particular student’s strengths and limitations. The classroom teacher often has a large role in carrying out these interventions. A plus of the problem-solving approach is that the intervention can be customized to the student’s needs. However, developing intervention plans for individual students can be time-consuming.

16. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 16 Tier 2: Supplemental (Group-Based) Interventions (Standard Treatment Protocol) Tier 2 interventions are typically delivered in small-group format. About 15% of students in the typical school will require Tier 2/supplemental intervention support. Group size for Tier 2 interventions is limited to 4-7 students. Students placed in Tier 2 interventions should have a shared profile of intervention need. The reading progress of students in Tier 2 interventions are monitored at least 1-2 times per month. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York.

17. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 17 Tier 3: Intensive Individualized Interventions (Problem-Solving Protocol) Tier 3 interventions are the most intensive offered in a school setting. Students qualify for Tier 3 interventions because: –they are found to have a large skill gap when compared to their class or grade peers; and/or –They did not respond to interventions provided previously at Tiers 1 & 2. Tier 3 interventions are provided daily for sessions of 30 minutes. The student-teacher ratio is flexible but should allow the student to receive intensive, individualized instruction. The reading progress of students in Tier 3 interventions is monitored at least weekly. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York.

18. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 18 Middle & High School: Lack of Consensus on an RTI Model “Because RTI has thus far been implemented primarily in early elementary grades, it is not clear precisely what RTI might look like at the high school level.” Source: Duffy, H. (August 2007). Meeting the needs of significantly struggling learners in high school. Washington, DC: National High School Center. Retrieved from http://www.betterhighschools.org/pubs/ p. 3

19. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 19 At the Federal Level: A ‘Hands-Off Approach to RTI Implementation “There are many RTI models and the regulations are written to accommodate the many different models that are currently in use. The Department does not mandate or endorse any particular model. Rather, the regulations provide States with the flexibility to adopt criteria that best meet local needs. Language that is more specific or prescriptive would not be appropriate. For example, while we recognize that rate of learning is often a key variable in assessing a child’s response to intervention, it would not be appropriate for the regulations to set a standard for responsiveness or improvement in the rate of learning.” p. 46653 Source: U.S. Department of Education. (2006). Assistance to States for the education of children with disabilities and preschool grants for children with disabilities; final rule. 71 Fed. Reg. (August 14, 2006) 34 CFR Parts 300 and 301.

20. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 20 The Purpose of RTI in Secondary Schools: What Students Should It Serve? Early Identification. As students begin to show need for academic support, the RTI model proactively supports them with early interventions to close the skill or performance gap with peers. Chronically At-Risk. Students whose school performance is marginal across school years but who do not qualify for special education services are identified by the RTI Team and provided with ongoing intervention support. Special Education. Students who fail to respond to scientifically valid general-education interventions implemented with integrity are classified as ‘non-responders’ and found eligible for special education.

21. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Secondary: Top Tasks for Implementing RTI at the Middle & High School Level Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

22. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 22 RTI School Readiness Survey: Secondary Level

23. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 23

24. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 24

25. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 25

26. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 26

27. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 27

28. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 28

29. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 29

30. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 30

31. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 31

32. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 32

33. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 33

34. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 34 Team Activity: Rate Your Secondary School’s ‘RTI Readiness’ In your elbow groups: Review the RTI Readiness Survey for Middle & High School. Rate your school on this survey. Discuss with your group how ‘RTI ready’ your school is at the present time.

35. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Instruction and Interventions within Response to Intervention Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

36. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI & Intervention: Key Concepts

37. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 37 There is a lack of agreement about what is meant by ‘scientifically validated’ classroom (Tier I) interventions. Districts should establish a ‘vetting’ process—criteria for judging whether a particular instructional or intervention approach should be considered empirically based. Source: Fuchs, D., & Deshler, D. D. (2007). What we need to know about responsiveness to intervention (and shouldn’t be afraid to ask).. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 22(2), 129–136. Schools Need to Review Tier 1 (Classroom) Interventions to Ensure That They Are Supported By Research

38. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 38 What Are Appropriate Content-Area Tier 1 Universal Interventions for Secondary Schools? “High schools need to determine what constitutes high-quality universal instruction across content areas. In addition, high school teachers need professional development in, for example, differentiated instructional techniques that will help ensure student access to instruction interventions that are effectively implemented.” Source: Duffy, H. (August 2007). Meeting the needs of significantly struggling learners in high school. Washington, DC: National High School Center. Retrieved from http://www.betterhighschools.org/pubs/ p. 9

39. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 39 Essential Elements of Any Academic or Behavioral Intervention (‘Treatment’) Strategy: Method of delivery (‘Who or what delivers the treatment?’) Examples include teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, volunteers, computers. Treatment component (‘What makes the intervention effective?’) Examples include activation of prior knowledge to help the student to make meaningful connections between ‘known’ and new material; guide practice (e.g., Paired Reading) to increase reading fluency; periodic review of material to aid student retention.

40. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 40 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out Core Instruction. Those instructional strategies that are used routinely with all students in a general-education setting are considered ‘core instruction’. High-quality instruction is essential and forms the foundation of RTI academic support. NOTE: While it is important to verify that good core instructional practices are in place for a struggling student, those routine practices do not ‘count’ as individual student interventions.

41. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 41 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out Intervention. An academic intervention is a strategy used to teach a new skill, build fluency in a skill, or encourage a child to apply an existing skill to new situations or settings. An intervention can be thought of as “a set of actions that, when taken, have demonstrated ability to change a fixed educational trajectory” (Methe & Riley-Tillman, 2008; p. 37).

42. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 42 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications: Sorting Them Out Accommodation. An accommodation is intended to help the student to fully access and participate in the general- education curriculum without changing the instructional content and without reducing the student’s rate of learning (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005). An accommodation is intended to remove barriers to learning while still expecting that students will master the same instructional content as their typical peers. –Accommodation example 1: Students are allowed to supplement silent reading of a novel by listening to the book on tape. –Accommodation example 2: For unmotivated students, the instructor breaks larger assignments into smaller ‘chunks’ and providing students with performance feedback and praise for each completed ‘chunk’ of assigned work (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005).

43. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 43 “ ” “Teaching is giving; it isn’t taking away.” (Howell, Hosp & Kurns, 2008; p. 356). Source: Howell, K. W., Hosp, J. L., & Kurns, S. (2008). Best practices in curriculum-based evaluation. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp.349-362). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists..

44. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 44 Core Instruction, Interventions, Accommodations & Modifications : Sorting Them Out Modification. A modification changes the expectations of what a student is expected to know or do—typically by lowering the academic standards against which the student is to be evaluated. Examples of modifications: –Giving a student five math computation problems for practice instead of the 20 problems assigned to the rest of the class –Letting the student consult course notes during a test when peers are not permitted to do so

45. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Academic Interventions ‘Critical Components’ Checklist

46. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Academic Interventions ‘Critical Components’ Checklist 46

47. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Academic Interventions ‘Critical Components’ Checklist This checklist summarizes the essential components of academic interventions. When preparing a student’s Tier 1, 2, or 3 academic intervention plan, use this document as a ‘pre-flight checklist’ to ensure that the academic intervention is of high quality, is sufficiently strong to address the identified student problem, is fully understood and supported by the teacher, and can be implemented with integrity. NOTE: While the checklist refers to the ‘teacher’ as the interventionist, it can also be used as a guide to ensure the quality of interventions implemented by non-instructional personnel, adult volunteers, parents, and peer (student) tutors. 47

48. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Allocating Sufficient Contact Time & Assuring Appropriate Student-Teacher Ratio The cumulative time set aside for an intervention and the amount of direct teacher contact are two factors that help to determine that intervention’s ‘strength’ (Yeaton & Sechrest, 1981). Critical Item?Intervention ElementNotes  Time Allocated. The time set aside for the intervention is appropriate for the type and level of student problem (Burns & Gibbons, 2008; Kratochwill, Clements & Kalymon, 2007). When evaluating whether the amount of time allocated is adequate, consider:  Length of each intervention session.  Frequency of sessions (e.g.., daily, 3 times per week)  Duration of intervention period (e.g., 6 instructional weeks)  Student-Teacher Ratio. The student receives sufficient contact from the teacher or other person delivering the intervention to make that intervention effective. NOTE: Generally, supplemental intervention groups should be limited to 6-7 students (Burns & Gibbons, 2008).

49. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Matching the Intervention to the Student Problem Academic interventions are not selected at random. First, the student academic problem(s) is defined clearly and in detail. Then, the likely explanations for the academic problem(s) are identified to understand which intervention(s) are likely to help—and which should be avoided. Critical Item?Intervention ElementNotes  Problem Definition. The student academic problem(s) to be addressed in the intervention are defined in clear, specific, measureable terms (Bergan, 1995; Witt, VanDerHeyden & Gilbertson, 2004). The full problem definition describes:  Conditions. Describe the environmental conditions or task demands in place when the academic problem is observed.  Problem Description. Describe the actual observable academic behavior in which the student is engaged. Include rate, accuracy, or other quantitative information of student performance.  Typical or Expected Level of Performance. Provide a typical or expected performance criterion for this skill or behavior. Typical or expected academic performance can be calculated using a variety of sources,

50. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 50

51. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Matching the Intervention to the Student Problem (Cont.) Critical Item?Intervention ElementNotes  Appropriate Target. Selected intervention(s) are appropriate for the identified student problem(s) (Burns, VanDerHeyden & Boice, 2008). TIP: Use the Instructional Hierarchy (Haring et al., 1978) to select academic interventions according to the four stages of learning:  Acquisition. The student has begun to learn how to complete the target skill correctly but is not yet accurate in the skill. Interventions should improve accuracy.  Fluency. The student is able to complete the target skill accurately but works slowly. Interventions should increase the student’s speed of responding (fluency) as well as to maintain accuracy.  Generalization. The student may have acquired the target skill but does not typically use it in the full range of appropriate situations or settings. Or the student may confuse the target skill with ‘similar’ skills. Interventions should get the student to use the skill in the widest possible range of settings and situations, or to accurately discriminate between the target skill and ‘similar’ skills.  Adaptation. The student is not yet able to modify or adapt an existing skill to fit novel task-demands or situations. Interventions should help the student to identify key concepts or elements from previously learned skills that can be adapted to the new demands or situations.

52. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Matching the Intervention to the Student Problem (Cont.) Critical Item?Intervention ElementNotes  ‘Can’t Do/Won’t Do’ Check. The teacher has determined whether the student problem is primarily a skill or knowledge deficit (‘can’t do’) or whether student motivation plays a main or supporting role in academic underperformance (‘wont do’). If motivation appears to be a significant factor contributing to the problem, the intervention plan includes strategies to engage the student (e.g., high interest learning activities; rewards/incentives; increased student choice in academic assignments, etc.) (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005; Witt, VanDerHeyden & Gilbertson, 2004).

53. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Activity: Matching the Intervention to the Student Problem In your teams: Consider these critical aspects of academic intervention:  Clear and specific problem-identification statement (Conditions, Problem Description, Typical/Expected Level of Performance).  Appropriate intervention target (e.g., selected intervention is appropriately matched to Acquisition, Fluency, Generalization, or Adaptation phase of Instructional Hierarchy).  Can’t Do/Won’t Do Check (Clarification of whether motivation plays a significant role in student academic underperformance). What steps can your RTI Team and school take to ensure that each of these intervention elements is taken into consideration?

54. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Incorporating Effective Instructional Elements These effective ‘building blocks’ of instruction are well-known and well-supported by the research. They should be considered when selecting or creating any academic intervention. Critical Item?Intervention ElementNotes  Explicit Instruction. Student skills have been broken down “into manageable and deliberately sequenced steps” and the teacher provided“ overt strategies for students to learn and practice new skills” (Burns, VanDerHeyden & Boice, 2008, p.1153).  Appropriate Level of Challenge. The student experienced sufficient success in the academic task(s) to shape learning in the desired direction as well as to maintain student motivation (Burns, VanDerHeyden & Boice, 2008).  Active Engagement. The intervention ensures that the student is engaged in ‘active accurate responding’ (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005).at a rate frequent enough to capture student attention and to optimize effective learning.  Performance Feedback. The student receives prompt performance feedback about the work completed (Burns, VanDerHeyden & Boice, 2008).  Maintenance of Academic Standards. If the intervention includes any accommodations to better support the struggling learner (e.g., preferential seating, breaking a longer assignment into smaller chunks), those accommodations do not substantially lower the academic standards against which the student is to be evaluated and are not likely to reduce the student’s rate of learning (Skinner, Pappas & Davis, 2005).

55. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Activity: Incorporating Effective Instructional Elements In your teams: Think about the effective instructional elements reviewed in this workshop. How can your school assist teachers to ensure that effective instructional elements are included in math interventions? Incorporating Effective Instructional Elements Critical Item? Intervention ElementNotes  Explicit Instruction.  Appropriate Level of Challenge.  Active Engagement..  Performance Feedback.  Maintenance of Academic Standards.

56. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Verifying Teacher Understanding & Providing Teacher Support The teacher is an active agent in the intervention, with primary responsibility for putting it into practice in a busy classroom. It is important, then, that the teacher fully understands how to do the intervention, believes that he or she can do it, and knows whom to seek out if there are problems with the intervention. Critical Item?Intervention ElementNotes  Teacher Responsibility. The teacher understands his or her responsibility to implement the academic intervention(s) with integrity.  Teacher Acceptability. The teacher states that he or she finds the academic intervention feasible and acceptable for the identified student problem.  Step-by-Step Intervention Script. The essential steps of the intervention are written as an ‘intervention script’--a series of clearly described steps—to ensure teacher understanding and make implementation easier (Hawkins, Morrison, Musti-Rao & Hawkins, 2008).  Intervention Training. If the teacher requires training to carry out the intervention, that training has been arranged.  Intervention Elements: Negotiable vs. Non-Negotiable. The teacher knows all of the steps of the intervention. Additionally, the teacher knows which of the intervention steps are ‘non-negotiable’ (they must be completed exactly as designed) and which are ‘negotiable’ (the teacher has some latitude in how to carry out those steps) (Hawkins, Morrison, Musti-Rao & Hawkins, 2008).  Assistance With the Intervention. If the intervention cannot be implemented as designed for any reason (e.g., student absence, lack of materials, etc.), the teacher knows how to get assistance quickly to either fix the problem(s) to the current intervention or to change the intervention.

57. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Activity: Verifying Teacher Understanding & Providing Teacher Support In your teams: Review the checklist for verifying that teachers understand all elements of the intervention and actively support its use. How will your school ensure that teachers in Tier 1 will understand and support the math interventions such as the example selected by your team? Verifying Teacher Understanding & Providing Teacher Support Critical Item?Intervention Element  Teacher Responsibility  Teacher Acceptability.  Step-by-Step Intervention Script.  Intervention Training.  Intervention Elements: Negotiable vs. Non-Negotiable  Assistance With the Intervention

58. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Documenting the Intervention & Collecting Data Interventions only have meaning if they are done within a larger data-based context. For example, interventions that lack baseline data, goal(s) for improvement, and a progress-monitoring plan are ‘fatally flawed’ (Witt, VanDerHeyden & Gilbertson, 2004). Critical Item?Intervention ElementNotes  Intervention Documentation. The teacher understands and can manage all documentation required for this intervention (e.g., maintaining a log of intervention sessions, etc.).  Checkup Date. Before the intervention begins, a future checkup date is selected to review the intervention to determine if it is successful. Time elapsing between the start of the intervention and the checkup date should be short enough to allow a timely review of the intervention but long enough to give the school sufficient time to judge with confidence whether the intervention worked.  Baseline. Before the intervention begins, the teacher has collected information about the student’s baseline level of performance in the identified area(s) of academic concern (Witt, VanDerHeyden & Gilbertson, 2004).  Goal. Before the intervention begins, the teacher has set a specific goal for predicted student improvement to use as a minimum standard for success (Witt, VanDerHeyden & Gilbertson, 2004). The goal is the expected student outcome by the checkup date if the intervention is successful.  Progress-Monitoring. During the intervention, the teacher collects progress-monitoring data of sufficient quality and at a sufficient frequency to determine at the checkup date whether that intervention is successful (Witt, VanDerHeyden & Gilbertson, 2004).

59. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Activity: Putting Math Interventions into a ‘Data Context’… In your teams: Appoint a recorder. For the math intervention that your team selected, brainstorm methods to measure student progress. Discuss how teachers would collect baseline data, set a goal for improvement. How frequently should progress-monitoring data be collected?

60. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org References Bergan, J. R. (1995). Evolution of a problem-solving model of consultation. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 6(2), 111-123. Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York. Burns, M. K., VanDerHeyden, A. M., & Boice, C. H. (2008). Best practices in intensive academic interventions. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp.1151-1162). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists. Haring, N.G., Lovitt, T.C., Eaton, M.D., & Hansen, C.L. (1978). The fourth R: Research in the classroom. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Co. Hawkins, R. O., Morrison, J. Q., Musti-Rao, S., & Hawkins, J. A. (2008). Treatment integrity for academic interventions in real- world settings. School Psychology Forum, 2 (3), 1-15. Kratochwill, T. R., Clements, M. A., & Kalymon, K. M. (2007). Response to intervention: Conceptual and methodological issues in implementation. In Jimerson, S. R., Burns, M. K., & VanDerHeyden, A. M. (Eds.), Handbook of response to intervention: The science and practice of assessment and intervention. New York: Springer. Skinner, C. H., Pappas, D. N., & Davis, K. A. (2005). Enhancing academic engagement: Providing opportunities for responding and influencing students to choose to respond. Psychology in the Schools, 42, 389-403. Witt, J. C., VanDerHeyden, A. M., & Gilbertson, D. (2004). Troubleshooting behavioral interventions. A systematic process for finding and eliminating problems. School Psychology Review, 33, 363-383. Yeaton, W. M. & Sechrest, L. (1981). Critical dimensions in the choice and maintenance of successful treatments: Strength, integrity, and effectiveness. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 156-167. 60

61. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Methods of Classroom Data Collection Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

62. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 62 RTI ‘Pyramid of Interventions’ Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 1: Universal interventions. Available to all students in a classroom or school. Can consist of whole-group or individual strategies or supports. Tier 2 Individualized interventions. Subset of students receive interventions targeting specific needs. Tier 3: Intensive interventions. Students who are ‘non- responders’ to Tiers 1 & 2 are referred to the RTI Team for more intensive interventions.

63. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 63 Interventions: Potential ‘Fatal Flaws’ Any intervention must include 4 essential elements. The absence of any one of the elements would be considered a ‘fatal flaw’ (Witt, VanDerHeyden & Gilbertson, 2004) that blocks the school from drawing meaningful conclusions from the student’s response to the intervention: 1.Clearly defined problem. The student’s target concern is stated in specific, observable, measureable terms. This ‘problem identification statement’ is the most important step of the problem-solving model (Bergan, 1995), as a clearly defined problem allows the teacher or RTI Team to select a well-matched intervention to address it. 2.Baseline data. The teacher or RTI Team measures the student’s academic skills in the target concern (e.g., reading fluency, math computation) prior to beginning the intervention. Baseline data becomes the point of comparison throughout the intervention to help the school to determine whether that intervention is effective. 3.Performance goal. The teacher or RTI Team sets a specific, data-based goal for student improvement during the intervention and a checkpoint date by which the goal should be attained. 4.Progress-monitoring plan. The teacher or RTI Team collects student data regularly to determine whether the student is on-track to reach the performance goal. Source: Witt, J. C., VanDerHeyden, A. M., & Gilbertson, D. (2004). Troubleshooting behavioral interventions. A systematic process for finding and eliminating problems. School Psychology Review, 33, 363-383.

64. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 64

65. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Existing Records Description: The teacher uses information already being collected in the classroom that is relevant to the identified student problem. Examples of existing records that can be used to track student problems include: –Grades –Absences and incidents of tardiness –Homework turned in 65

66. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Global Skills Checklists Description: The teacher selects a global skill. The teacher then breaks that global skill down into specific, observable ‘subskills’. Each subskill can be verified as ‘done’ or ‘not done’. 66

67. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Global Skills Checklists: Example The teacher selects the global skill ‘organizational skills’. That global skill is defined as having the following components, each of which can be observed:  arriving to class on time;  bringing work materials to class;  following teacher directions in a timely manner;  knowing how to request teacher assistance when needed;  having an uncluttered desk with only essential work materials. 67

68. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Behavioral Frequency Count Description: The teacher observes a student behavior and keeps a cumulative tally of the number of times that the behavior is observed during a given period. Behaviors that are best measured using frequency counts have clearly observable beginning and end points—and are of relatively short duration. Examples include: –Student call-outs. –Requests for teacher help during independent seatwork. –Raising one’s hand to make a contribution to large- group discussion. 68

69. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Behavioral Frequency Count: How to Record Teachers can collect data on the frequency of student behaviors in several ways: Keeping a mental tally of the frequency of target behaviors occurring during a class period. Recording behaviors on paper (e.g., simple tally marks) as they occur. Using a golf counter, stitch counter, or other mechanical counter device to keep an accurate tally of behaviors. 69

70. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Behavioral Frequency Count: How to Compute If student behaviors are being tallied during a class period, frequency-count data can be reported as ‘X number of behaviors per class period’. If frequency-count data is collected in different spans of time on different days, however, schools can use the following method to standardize frequency count data : –Record the total number of behaviors observed. –Record the number of minutes in the observation period. –Divide the total number of behaviors observed by total minutes in the observation period. Example: 5 callouts observed during a 10 minute period = 0.5 callouts per minute. 70

71. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Behavior Log Description: The teacher makes a log entry each time that a behavior is observed. An advantage of behavior logs is that they can provide information about the context within which a behavior occurs.(Disciplinary office referrals are a specialized example of a behavior log.) Behavior logs are useful for tracking ‘low- incidence’ problem behaviors. 71

72. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Behavior Log: Sample Form 72

73. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Rating Scales Description: A scale is developed that a rater can use to complete a global rating of a behavior. Often the rating scale is completed at the conclusion of a fixed observation period (e.g., after each class period). Daily / Direct Behavior Report Cards are one example of rating scales. 73

74. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Daily Behavior Report Card: Daily Version Jim BlalockMay 5 Mrs. WilliamsRm 108

75. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Student Work Samples Description: Work samples are collected for information about the student’s basic academic skills, mastery of course content, etc. Recommendation: When collecting work samples: –Record the date that the sample was collected –If the work sample was produced in class, note the amount of time needed to complete the sample (students can calculate and record this information). –If possible, collect 1-2 work samples from typical students as well to provide a standard of peer comparison. 75

76. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Work Performance Logs Description: Information about student academic performance is collected to provide insight into growth in student skills or use of skills in appropriate situations. Example: A teacher implementing a vocabulary- building intervention keeps a cumulative log noting date and vocabulary words mastered. Example: A student keeps a journal with dated entries logging books read or the amount of ‘seat time’ that she spends on math homework. 76

77. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Timed Tasks (e.g., Curriculum-Based Measurement) Description: The teacher administers structured, timed tasks to assess student accuracy and fluency. Example: The student completes a 2-minute CBM single-skill math computation probe. Example: The student completes a 3-minute CBM writing probe that is scored for total words written. 77

78. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Combining Classroom Monitoring Methods Often, methods of classroom data collection and progress-monitoring can be combined to track a single student problem. Example: A teacher can use a rubric (checklist) to rate the quality of student work samples. Example: A teacher may keep a running tally (behavioral frequency count) of student callouts. At the same time, the student may be self- monitoring his rate of callouts on a Daily Behavior Report Card (rating scale). 78

79. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Activity: Classroom Methods of Data Collection In your teams: Review the potential sources of classroom data that can be used to monitor Tier 1 interventions. What questions do you have about any of these data sources? How can your school make full use of these data sources to ensure that every Tier 1 intervention is monitored? Classroom Data Sources: Existing records Global skills checklist Rating scales Behavioral frequency count Behavioral log Student work samples Work performance logs Timed tasks (e.g., CBM)

80. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Screening & Monitoring Student Progress at the Secondary Level Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

81. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 81 RTI : Assessment & Progress-Monitoring To measure student ‘response to instruction/intervention’ effectively, the RTI model measures students’ academic performance and progress on schedules matched to each student’s risk profile and intervention Tier membership. Benchmarking/Universal Screening. All students in a grade level are assessed at least 3 times per year on a common collection of academic assessments. Strategic Monitoring. Students placed in Tier 2 (supplemental) reading groups are assessed 1-2 times per month to gauge their progress with this intervention. Intensive Monitoring. Students who participate in an intensive, individualized Tier 3 intervention are assessed at least once per week. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools: Procedures to assure scientific-based practices. New York: Routledge.

82. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 82 Local Norms: Using a Wide Variety of Data (Stewart & Silberglit, 2008) Local norms can be compiled using: Fluency measures such as Curriculum-Based Measurement. Existing data, such as office disciplinary referrals. Computer-delivered assessments, e.g., Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) from www.nwea.org Source: Stewart, L. H. & Silberglit, B. (2008). Best practices in developing academic local norms. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology V (pp. 225-242). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.

83. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 83 Universal Screening at Secondary Schools: Using Existing Data Proactively to Flag ‘Signs of Disengagement’ “Across interventions…, a key component to promoting school completion is the systematic monitoring of all students for signs of disengagement, such as attendance and behavior problems, failing courses, off track in terms of credits earned toward graduation, problematic or few close relationships with peers and/or teachers, and then following up with those who are at risk.” Source: Jimerson, S., Reschly, A.L., & Hess, R. (2008). Best practices in increasing the likelihood of school completion. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds). Best Practices in School Psychology - 5th Ed (pp. 1085-1097). Bethesda, MD: National Association of School Psychologists.. p.1090

84. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 84 Mining Archival Data: What Are the ‘Early Warning Flags’ of Student Drop-Out? A sample of 13,000 students in Philadelphia were tracked for 8 years. These early warning indicators were found to predict student drop-out in the sixth-grade year: Failure in English Failure in math Missing at least 20% of school days Receiving an ‘unsatisfactory’ behavior rating from at least one teacher Source: Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., MacIver, D. J. (2007). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle grades schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist,42, 223–235..

85. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 85 What is the Predictive Power of These Early Warning Flags? Source: Balfanz, R., Herzog, L., MacIver, D. J. (2007). Preventing student disengagement and keeping students on the graduation path in urban middle grades schools: Early identification and effective interventions. Educational Psychologist,42, 223–235.. Number of ‘Early Warning Flags’ in Student Record Probability That Student Would Graduate None56% 136% 221% 313% 47%

86. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 86 Curriculum-Based Measurement: Advantages as a Set of Tools to Monitor RTI/Academic Cases Aligns with curriculum-goals and materials Is reliable and valid (has ‘technical adequacy’) Is criterion-referenced : sets specific performance levels for specific tasks Uses standard procedures to prepare materials, administer, and score Samples student performance to give objective, observable ‘low-inference’ information about student performance Has decision rules to help educators to interpret student data and make appropriate instructional decisions Is efficient to implement in schools (e.g., training can be done quickly; the measures are brief and feasible for classrooms, etc.) Provides data that can be converted into visual displays for ease of communication Source: Hosp, M.K., Hosp, J. L., & Howell, K. W. (2007). The ABCs of CBM. New York: Guilford.

87. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

88. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

89. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

90. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

91. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

92. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

93. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

94. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

95. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

96. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Team Activity: Creating a Screening Plan for Your Middle or High School Review the measures just discussed for screening students at the middle and high school level. Have a discussion about what measures you might use in a screening program for your school. Who would be involved in developing such a screening plan? When would it start? 96

97. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Intervention Teams in Middle & High Schools: Challenges and Opportunities Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

98. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 98 RTI ‘Pyramid of Interventions’ Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3 Tier 1: Universal interventions. Available to all students in a classroom or school. Can consist of whole-group or individual strategies or supports. Tier 2: Individualized interventions. Subset of students receive interventions targeting specific needs. Tier 3: Intensive interventions. Students who are ‘non- responders’ to Tiers I & II may be eligible for special education services, intensive interventions.

99. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 99 Tier 3: Intensive Individualized Interventions Tier 3 interventions are the most intensive offered in a school setting. Students qualify for Tier 3 interventions because: –they are found to have a large skill gap when compared to their class or grade peers; and/or –They did not respond to interventions provided previously at Tiers 1 & 2. Tier 3 interventions are provided daily for sessions of 30 minutes. The student-teacher ratio is flexible but should allow the student to receive intensive, individualized instruction. The reading progress of students in Tier 3 interventions is monitored at least weekly. Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York.

100. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 100 Secondary Level: Classroom Performance Rating Form

101. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 101 Tier 3 Interventions Are Developed With Assistance from the School’s RTI (Problem-Solving) Team Effective RTI Teams: Are multi-disciplinary and include classroom teachers among their members Follow a structured ‘problem-solving’ model Use data to analyze the academic problem and match the student to effective, evidence-based interventions Develop a detailed research-based intervention plan to help staff with implementation Check up on the teacher’s success in carrying out the intervention (‘intervention integrity’)

102. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 102 The Problem-Solving Model & Multi-Disciplinary Teams A school consultative process (‘the problem-solving model’) with roots in applied behavior analysis was developed (e.g., Bergan, 1995) that includes 4 steps: –Problem Identification –Problem Analysis –Plan Implementation –Problem Evaluation Originally designed for individual consultation with teachers, the problem- solving model was later adapted in various forms to multi-disciplinary team settings. Source: Bergan, J. R. (1995). Evolution of a problem-solving model of consultation. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 6(2), 111-123.

103. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 103 Tier 3 Targets: Intervention, Curriculum, and Environment “For [a tier 3] intervention to be effective and robust, it must focus on the specific needs of the student. It should also address the reason that the student is experiencing difficulty…. Rather than considering a [student] problem to be the result of inalterable student characteristics, teams are compelled to focus on change that can be made to the intervention, curriculum or environment that would result in positive student outcome. The hypothesis and intervention should focus on those variables that are alterable within the school setting. These alterable variables include learning goals and objectives (what is to be learned), materials, time, student-to-teacher ratio, activities, and motivational strategies.” p. 95 Source: Burns, M. K., & Gibbons, K. A. (2008). Implementing response-to-intervention in elementary and secondary schools. Routledge: New York.

104. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 104 How Is a Secondary RTI Team Like a MASH Unit? The RTI Team must deal with complex situations with limited resources and tight timelines, often being forced to select from among numerous ‘intervention targets’ (e.g., attendance, motivation, basic skill deficits, higher-level deficits in cognitive strategies) when working with struggling students. The ‘problem-solving’ approach is flexible, allowing the RTI Team quickly to sift through a complex student case to identify and address the most important ‘blockers’ to academic success. Timelines for success are often short-term (e.g., to get the student to pass a course or a state test), measured in weeks or months.

105. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 105 Teams of educators at a school are trained to work together as effective problem-solvers. RTI Teams are made up of volunteers drawn from general- and special-education teachers and support staff. These teams use a structured meeting process to identify the underlying reasons that a student might be experiencing academic or behavioral difficulties The team helps the referring teacher to put together practical, classroom-friendly interventions to address those student problems. The RTI Team: Definition

106. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 106 can engage in collegial conversations about better ways to help struggling learners learn instructional and behavior-management strategies that they can use with similar students in the future increase their teaching time are able to access more intervention resources and supports in the building than if they work alone feel less isolated when dealing with challenging kids have help in documenting their intervention efforts Teachers may be motivated to refer students to the RTI Team because they…

107. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 107 Team Roles Coordinator Facilitator Recorder Time Keeper Case Manager

108. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Step 1: Assess Teacher Concerns 5 Mins Step 2: Inventory Student Strengths/Talents 5 Mins Step 3: Review Background/Baseline Data 5 Mins Step 4: Select Target Teacher Concerns 5-10 Mins Step 5: Set Academic and/or Behavioral Outcome Goals and Methods for Progress-Monitoring 5 Mins Step 6: Design an Intervention Plan 15-20 Mins Step 7: Plan How to Share Meeting Information with the Student’s Parent(s) 5 Mins Step 8: Review Intervention & Monitoring Plans 5 Mins RTI Team Consultative Process

109. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 109 Secondary RTI Teams: Recommendations Secondary RTI Teams should be multi- disciplinary, to include teachers, administration, and support staff (e.g., school psychologist, guidance counselors). Fixed times should be set aside each week for the RTI Team to meet on student referrals. Sufficient time (i.e., 30 minutes) should be reserved for initial student referrals to allow adequate discussion and intervention planning.

110. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 110 Secondary RTI Teams: Combining Consistency & Flexibility Schools should ensure that RTI Teams follow a structured problem-solving model. Schools do have flexibility in when and where they use the RTI problem-solving model. For example: –If a person (e.g., school psychologist, school administrator) is trained to facilitate an RTI Team meeting, that meeting can be scheduled during shared teacher planning times or during parent- teacher conferences.

111. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 111 RTI Team Effectiveness Self- Rating Scale

112. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 112 As a group, use the RTI Team Self-Rating Scale to evaluate your current student problem- solving team’s level of functioning. If your school does not have a formal problem- solving team in place, rate your school’s current informal problem-solving efforts. Appoint a spokesperson to share your findings with the large group. Small-Group Activity: Complete the RTI Team Effectiveness Self-Rating Scale Effective RTI Teams: Are multi-disciplinary and include teachers among their members Follow a structured ‘problem-solving’ model Use data to analyze the academic problem and match the student to effective, evidence-based interventions Develop a detailed research-based intervention plan to help staff with implementation Check up on the teacher’s success in carrying out the intervention (‘intervention integrity’)

113. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Teams: Improving Problem-Solving Through Effective Case Management Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

114. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

115. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Role Meets with the referring teacher(s) briefly prior to the initial RTI Team meeting to review the teacher referral form, clarify teacher concerns, decide what additional data should be collected on the student. Touches base briefly with the referring teacher(s) after the RTI Team meeting to check that the intervention plan is running smoothly. 115

116. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Prior to an initial RTI Problem-Solving Team meeting, it is recommended that a case manager from the RTI Team schedule a brief (15-20 minute) ‘pre-meeting’ with the referring teacher. The purpose of this pre-meeting is for the case manager to share with the teacher the purpose of the upcoming full RTI Team meeting, to clarify student referral concerns, and to decide what data should be collected and brought to the RTI Team meeting. 116

117. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps Here is a recommended agenda for the case manager-teacher pre-meeting: 1. Explain the purpose of the upcoming RTI Problem- Solving Team meeting: The case manager explains that the RTI Team meeting goals are to (a) fully understand the nature of the student’s academic and/or behavioral problems; (b) develop an evidence- based intervention plan for the student; and (c) set a goal for student improvement and select means to monitor the student’s response to the intervention plan. 117

118. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps 2. Define the student referral concern(s) in clear, specific terms.. The case manager reviews with the teacher the most important student referral concern(s), helping the teacher to define those concern(s) in clear, specific, observable terms. The teacher is also prompted to prioritize his or her top 1-2 student concerns. 118

119. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps 3. Decide what data should be brought to the RTI Team meeting. The case manager and teacher decide what student data should be collected and brought to the RTI Team meeting to provide insight into the nature of the student’s presenting concern(s). 119

120. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Pre-Meeting Steps 120

121. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

122. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Case Manager: Tips If you discover, when you meet with a referring teacher prior to the RTI Team meeting, that his or her concern is vaguely worded, help the teacher to clarify the concern with the question “What does [teacher concern] look like in the classroom?” After the RTI Team meeting, consider sending periodic emails to the referring teacher(s) asking them how the intervention is going and inviting them to inform you if they require assistance. 122

123. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org Breaking Down Complex Academic Goals into Simpler Sub-Tasks: Discrete Categorization

124. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 124 Identifying and Measuring Complex Academic Problems at the Middle and High School Level Students at the secondary level can present with a range of concerns that interfere with academic success. One frequent challenge for these students is the need to reduce complex global academic goals into discrete sub-skills that can be individually measured and tracked over time.

125. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 125 Discrete Categorization: A Strategy for Assessing Complex, Multi-Step Student Academic Tasks Definition of Discrete Categorization: ‘Listing a number of behaviors and checking off whether they were performed.’ (Kazdin, 1989, p. 59). Approach allows educators to define a larger ‘behavioral’ goal for a student and to break that goal down into sub-tasks. (Each sub- task should be defined in such a way that it can be scored as ‘successfully accomplished’ or ‘not accomplished’.) The constituent behaviors that make up the larger behavioral goal need not be directly related to each other. For example, ‘completed homework’ may include as sub-tasks ‘wrote down homework assignment correctly’ and ‘created a work plan before starting homework’ Source: Kazdin, A. E. (1989). Behavior modification in applied settings (4 th ed.). Pacific Gove, CA: Brooks/Cole..

126. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 126 Discrete Categorization Example: Math Study Skills General Academic Goal: Improve Tina’s Math Study Skills Tina was struggling in her mathematics course because of poor study skills. The RTI Team and math teacher analyzed Tina’s math study skills and decided that, to study effectively, she needed to:  Check her math notes daily for completeness.  Review her math notes daily.  Start her math homework in a structured school setting.  Use a highlighter and ‘margin notes’ to mark questions or areas of confusion in her notes or on the daily assignment.  Spend sufficient ‘seat time’ at home each day completing homework.  Regularly ask math questions of her teacher.

127. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 127 Discrete Categorization Example: Math Study Skills General Academic Goal: Improve Tina’s Math Study Skills The RTI Team—with teacher and student input—created the following intervention plan. The student Tina will:  Approach the teacher at the end of class for a copy of class note.  Check her daily math notes for completeness against a set of teacher notes in 5 th period study hall.  Review her math notes in 5 th period study hall.  Start her math homework in 5 th period study hall.  Use a highlighter and ‘margin notes’ to mark questions or areas of confusion in her notes or on the daily assignment.  Enter into her ‘homework log’ the amount of time spent that evening doing homework and noted any questions or areas of confusion.  Stop by the math teacher’s classroom during help periods (T & Th only) to ask highlighted questions (or to verify that Tina understood that week’s instructional content) and to review the homework log.

128. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 128 Team Activity: Defining the RTI Team ‘Pre- Meeting’ At your table: Discuss how your school can structure the ‘pre-meeting’ in which the case manager and teacher meet to clarify the teacher’s referral concern(s) and to decide what data to bring to the actual RTI Team meeting. Brainstorm ideas for finding the time for such ‘pre-meetings’.

129. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI Problem-Solving Teams: Promoting Student Involvement Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

130. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 130 Intervention Responsibilities: Examples at Teacher, School-Wide, and Student Levels Signed agenda ‘Attention’ prompts Individual review with students during free periods Lab services (math, reading, etc.) Remedial course Homework club Teacher School-Wide Take agenda to teacher to be reviewed and signed Seeking help from teachers during free periods Student

131. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

132. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: Promoting Student Involvent Schools should strongly consider having middle and high school students attend and take part in their own RTI Problem-Solving Team meetings for two reasons. First, as students mature, their teachers expect that they will take responsibility in advocating for their own learning needs. Second, students are more likely to fully commit to RTI intervention plans if they attend the RTI Team meeting and have a voice in the creation of those plans. 132

133. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: Promoting Student Involvement Before the RTI Team Meeting. The student should be adequately prepared to attend the RTI Team meeting by first engaging in a ‘pre-meeting’ with a school staff member whom the student knows and trusts (e.g., school counselor, teacher, administrator). By connecting the student with a trusted mentor figure who can help that student to navigate the RTI process, the school improves the odds that the disengaged or unmotivated student will feel an increased sense of connection and commitment to their own school performance (Bridgeland, DiIulio, & Morison, 2006). 133

134. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: Promoting Student Involvement A student RTI ‘pre-meeting’ can be quite brief, lasting perhaps 15-20 minutes. Here is a simple agenda for the meeting: Share information about the student problem(s). Describe the purpose and steps of the RTI Problem-Solving Team meeting. Stress the student’s importance in the intervention plan. Have the student describe his or her learning needs. Invite the student to attend the RTI Team meeting. 134

135. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

136. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: Promoting Student Involvement During the RTI Team Meeting. If the student agrees to attend the RTI Team meeting, he or she participates fully in the meeting. Teachers and other staff attending the meeting make an effort to keep the atmosphere positive and focused on finding solutions to the student’s presenting concern(s). As each intervention idea is discussed, the team checks in with the student to determine that the student (a) fully understands how to access or participate in the intervention element being proposed and (b) is willing to take part in that intervention element. If the student appears hesitant or resistant, the team should work with the student either to win the student over to the proposed intervention idea or to find an alternative intervention that will accomplish the same goal. At the end of the RTI Team meeting, each of the intervention ideas that is dependent on student participation for success is copied into the School Success Intervention Plan. 136

137. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org

138. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org RTI: Promoting Student Involvement After the RTI Team Meeting. If the school discovers that the student is not carrying out his or her responsibilities as spelled out by the intervention plan, it is recommended that the staff member assigned as the RTI contact meet with the student and parent. At that meeting, the adult contact checks with the student to make sure that: the intervention plan continues to be relevant and appropriate for addressing the student’s academic or behavioral needs the student understands and call access all intervention elements outlined on the School Success Intervention Plan. adults participating in the intervention plan (e.g., classroom teachers) are carrying out their parts of the plan. 138

139. Response to Intervention www.interventioncentral.org 139 Starting RTI in Your Secondary School: Enlisting students in intervention plans As a team: Talk about strategies to prepare students to be self-advocates in taking responsibility for their own learning. Discuss ways to motivate students to feel comfortable in accessing (and responsible FOR accessing) intervention resources in the school.