ASSIST: Achieving Student Success through Interventions, Strategies, & Teamwork A Response to Intervention Model Kristi Snow, Ed.S.

What is RTI? Early intervention process employed within the general education setting Incorporates a tiered level of intervening based on degree of need Methodical way of determining a student’s individual needs and implementing supports to meet those needs RTI is a process, not an approach or method

Specifics of ASSIST 6-step process: Screen Teach Intervene Probe (progress monitor) Chart Adjust

Who Participates? Administrator Parents Gen Ed Teacher Intervention Specialist Reading Specialist SPED Teacher School Psychologist School Social Worker Speech Therapist

Process at JWES Students are referred through Student Study where a case manager is assigned Case manager assesses student and selects interventions Case manager, teacher, or interventionist instructs student for 6 weeks Case manager monitors performance with one minute probes twice per week Student study reconvenes to discuss progress

Case Study

How will ASSIST be different? ASSISTTraditional SSC Research based problem solving processNo specific plan or process Each step has one defined objective with a prescriptive plan No real intervention, mostly accommodation Baseline data is collected and graphedNo baseline data is examined Curriculum based measurement used to monitor effectiveness very frequently No use of CBM Data driven decisionsDecisions driven by subjective/qualitative team judgments At least 3 meetings on each child ensuring follow-up planning Number of meetings vary, may not always be followed-up Address one problem at a timeResolve as much as possible with one intervention plan Source: Culpeper County Schools

How will ASSIST be different? ASSISTTraditional SSC Local norms provide performance goalNo norms, no performance goals More work, more personnel, more moneyLess expensive Interventions implemented and monitored by team means more support for teacher Suggestions given to teacher to implement Interventions are specific, research basedPlans are mainly documentation of what’s already being done Team membership based on student’s needsCommittee membership varies Specific training for team membersNo specific training Team members have defined roles and responsibilities Many team members are “on-lookers”

Fuchs & Fuchs 2007 Common Uses for RTI Prediction/Identification of at-risk students Intervention for students with academic and behavioral difficulties Facilitates diagnosis of learning disabilities and eligibility for IDEA

Essential Elements of RTI Universal Screenings of students in general education (i.e. PALS) Tiered Levels of Intervention Small Group Instruction Progress Monitoring Comprehensive Evaluation

NJCLD 2005 Core Features of RTI A systematic, methodical, prescriptive use of research-based interventions within the regular education setting Reliable measurement of a child’s response to these interventions Use of data and results to inform instruction