Foundational RTI - MTSS Content: Problem-Solving & Logistics for Elementary Literacy Joan Firestone Ph.D. Director, Early Childhood Education Oakland Schools Diane Katakowski Speech & Language Consultant Oakland Schools Susan M. Koceski, Ph.D. School Psychologist Oakland Schools Michele Farah, Ph.D. Literacy Consultant Oakland Schools

Our connector for today’s work… At your tables, share your reason for participating in today’s foundational RTI learning. What are you hoping to walk away with?

Today’s Outcomes: You will learn…Foundational Content about RTI- MTSS framework You will participate in… Activities to help your building team identify current phase of implementation and resources needed to move forward You will take back… Resources and activities that you can use at your building with your entire staff to move implementation forward You will plan for… Sharing today’s information with staff and key stakeholders

Turn and Talk With your team, name the most important features of an RtI system.

NASDSE Definitions of RtI The practice of providing high quality instruction and intervention matched to student needs using data over time to make important educational decisions for ALL learners.

Scientifically research- based instruction that is matched to student need to promote attainment of grade-level benchmarks Problem Solving occurs at all Tiers of Instruction and involves collaborative, data- based decision making Universal Screening at regular intervals for all students using curriculum-based measurement TIER 3 (5% of Students) Intensive Intervention Services for students with IEPs TIER 2 (15% of Students) Strategic Intervention TIER 1 (80% of Students) Core Instruction Oakland Schools RTI Model: TIER I - 80% TIER II - 15% TIER III - 5% 6

Principles of Response to Instruction and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support 1.Shared responsibility for student achievement in which general and special educators collaborate and support one another across all tiers. 2.RTI is a framework, not a program. The ingredients can be combined in many ways so that implementation may look different in different buildings, even within the same district. 3.Early Intervention as soon as the student’s performance indicates that they are “off track”. 4.Problem-Solving focused on curriculum, instruction, environment, and learner variables that can be controlled (in contrast to student deficits). 5.Using school-wide and grade-level data to evaluate instructional effectiveness. 7

ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF RTI: Multi-Tiered Continuum of Support (Models have 3-5 tiers) Universal Screening/Progress Monitoring for Slow Responders Problem-Solving Process: Implemented at grade level, small groups, individual students (see handout) Scientifically-Based Core Curriculum: Evaluation of the effectiveness of core curricula Research-based Interventions: Instructional strategies and supplemental interventions based on empirical research studies on effectiveness Professional Development: Ongoing and embedded to the school improvement plan and goals RTI-MTSS Elements Why RTI is not spelled D-I-B-E-L-S … Screening/progress monitoring is only one of many essential ingredients

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RtI Implementation- Exploration Exploring and adopting is a very important stage in the implementation process. Exploring includes attended workshops, overviews, book studies, etc. Raising the awareness of administration and staff in order to make decisions about moving forward. 10

RtI Implementation- Consensus Establishing consensus among stakeholders of a need to improve reading achievement for all students by adopting/implementing RTI Until stakeholders are clear about what is being implemented and why it is being implemented, many may be reluctant to support implementation efforts. Some sites fail to plan or move too quickly through the consensus process. They fail to take stock of competing initiatives for staff time, resources and attention. 11

RtI Implementation- Consensus Examples of activities at the consensus phase: Establish a compelling need for school-wide RtI framework in reading. This includes site and district needs. Establish building leadership team and rationale for adoption of RTI framework. Create alignment between the building culture and the culture required to successfully implement RTI. Establish district leadership commitment. Make an action plan which involves a clear vision, mission and measureable goals of RtI implementation. 12

Know your Compelling needs What percentage of high school students graduate on time? What percentage of high school students scored high enough on college placement tests in math, reading and writing to avoid remedial coursework at the community college/university level? What percentage of students are proficient using MEAP/MME? Will you be able to meet the Common Core Standards? What is the gap between general education and special education students in your district? What percentage of students are referred to Special Education?

RtI Implementation- Infrastructure Develop clear plans, processes, and procedures that lead to successful implementation and to construct the infrastructure and structural supports necessary to support RTI implementation. Teams general jump into screening, progress monitoring and intervention without developing the plans, processes and procedures. Poor planning can lead to frustrated administrators and teachers, wasted resources, and ineffective implementation. By establishing infrastructure prior to implementation, sites are more likely to experience increased practitioner support, more timely student benefit, and more efficient use of resources. 14

RtI Implementation- Infrastructure Examples of activities at the Infrastructure phase: Reengineer resources (e.g., staff, time, funds) to provide sufficient support for the long term implementation of this framework. Train and implement reliable and valid screening and progress monitoring tools. Institute a problem solving process at grade level meetings for grade level, small groups, individual student data. Evaluate effectiveness of core curriculum and make adjustments based on ongoing data. Review current interventions and incorporate Instructional strategies and supplemental interventions based on empirical research studies on effectiveness. Make a professional development plan for the building and for individuals to fill essential knowledge. 15

RtI Implementation- Sustainability Implementing a plan for scaling- up RtI and adjusting programs and resources to institutionalize practices. RtI is not something that is “done” but is something that is a part of the fabric of the school. 16

RtI Implementation-Sustainability Examples of activities at the Implementation phase: –Add additional grade levels, classrooms, and or content areas over time –Delivering evidence based assessments, core curriculum and interventions. –Evaluating the fidelity of RtI implementation. –Refining procedures and guidelines based on “lesson learned.” –Plan for new staff orientation and training –Report progress to stakeholders –Attend to school culture and sustained consensus. Action planning- review, modify, and recommit annually based on data and SIP 17

Team Activity Look at OS organizer. As a team, identify which phase of implementation you believe you are in. Talk about evidence you have for your thinking. (5 min)

Most Common Mistakes When Beginning an RTI-MTSS Initiative 1.Lack of understanding of a compelling need for the initiative. Implementing without being clearly focused on solving a defined problem. 2.Underestimating the need for school wide consensus and commitment. 3.Ignoring staff attitudes, beliefs, and values of those who will actually implement the change. Successful reform processes must include attention to belief systems and shifts in school culture. 4.Principal or leadership permission does not equal commitment. 5.Too much too soon – too many grade levels, too many priority areas. 6.Competing initiatives without prioritization and communication 7.Prematurely focused on interventions (Tier II & III) while ignoring core classroom instruction (Tier I). 8.Spending too much time on finding the perfect intervention program, leaving out the data, and not matching instruction to the needs of children in the building. 9.Moving too quickly through building infrastructure to implementation. 10.Overly focused on a method for SLD identification instead of on enhancing student learning for all students.

Team Activity: Engage in a team dialogue about the specific barriers that exist within your own building or district. Jot down some notes about your own barriers. Jot down some notes about what supports you need. (15 min)

RTI is not spelled D-I-B-E-L-S

What kind of data do we need? A lot of data! –For different purposes –For different components of reading –Must remember the basic caveats 22

Why do we assess young children so early? Influence of Leo the Late Bloomer BUT Reading trajectories are established early: Poor readers at the end of first grade are at very significant risk for long term academic difficulty (Juel, 1988)

Four Purposes of Assessment An effective, comprehensive reading program includes reading assessments to accomplish four different purposes – Outcome – Screening – Progress Monitoring – Diagnosis No one of these is ever enough! 24

Outcome Evaluation Provides bottom line, summative evaluation of the effectiveness of a program Reflect the end result of curriculum and instruction over an entire year Often given to groups, usually with time constraints Scores are typically reported as standard scores, percentiles etc. 25

Screening Determines who is at risk for reading difficulties and who will need intervention Research has determined valid cut scores A form of formative assessment Screening is only valuable if it leads to differentiated instruction Often simple tasks that predict complex skills very well Universal screening is about the students learning pace toward an end of year goal. 26

What is Universal Screening? What is it Not? Provides information about how are ALL students performing relative to a benchmark. Useful in understanding performance based on research or national standards as well as using the data to understand local norms. Determines who is at risk for reading difficulties and who will need intervention Research has determined valid cut scores A form of formative assessment Screening is only valuable if it leads to differentiated instruction Often simple tasks that predict complex skills very well Typically conducted three times per school year, in the fall, winter, and spring consisting of brief assessments focused on target skills are highly predictive of future outcomes (Jenkins, 2003). Unit tests that tell teachers whether the student has learned particular skills covered in the unit. Not diagnostic! It won’t tell you what to teach or how to teach it. Tied to any instructional method or approach Lengthy Single probe or form administered repeatedly Administered haphazardly or randomly (i.e., are standardized) Intended to completely measure every skill (big ideas) The only type of assessment that you need in schools.

What universal screening is not intended to do Universal Screeners should not be used: to make high stakes decisions for students (i.e., retention). as a sole source of data. Screening data always should be validated with other sources of data (test data, teacher observation, classroom performance). to evaluate individual teachers. Universal screening data do not provide a comprehensive evaluation of the many aspect of a program that need to be considered. For further details: further details:

Diagnostic Assessment Help teachers plan instruction by providing in- depth information about student’s skills and instructional needs Also used to diagnose a medical or handicapping condition Take time to administer—usually given individually Used to inform instruction 29

Progress Monitoring Used to determine if students receiving interventions are making adequate progress Can’t assume children are on track for improvement Just making progress is not enough— determines if children catching up Performed every few weeks so need alternate forms of an assessment 30

Progress: The Teacher’s Map 31 Aimline A change in intervention © 2004 Sopris West Educational Services. No portion of this presentation may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

Prediction is critical to Prevention: Screening & Progress Monitoring Tools Measurement tools that help predict risk status for later academic outcomes are vital to ensure that resources are distributed appropriately Requirements for tools: – Efficient – Economical – Reliable – Tasks are familiar to children – Technically adequate – Sensitive to small change – Alternate forms

What universal screening and progress monitoring are not!: The RtI Fishing Expedition: 33 Focused on casting and catching students that are not making progress, but not making instructional adjustments. Screen, test, and admire the problem.

Team Activity: Use the Matrix to categorize the various assessment tools your building uses according to purpose and big idea of reading. Do you favor one type of assessment over another? Do you have reliable tools in all big ideas of reading? (15 min)

Assessment Purpose: Outcome (Which students met the end of the year expectation?) Universal Screening (Which students are on track for meeting the end of the year expectation?) Diagnostic (What are the instructional needs of my students? What and how will I teach tomorrow?) Progress Monitoring (How much progress are students in intervention making?) Phonological Awareness Alphabetic Principle Accuracy/ Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension Big Idea of Reading Instruction: List tools you have to assess each big idea of reading for each assessment purpose.

Problem Solving Process Evaluate Student Response (Progress Monitoring & Outcome Assessments) Monitor & Adjust the Plan. Analyze the Problem Identify Variables that Contribute to the Problem. Develop a Hypothesis. Identify & Clarify the Problem (Screening & Diagnostic Assessments) Define the Problem in Measurable Terms. Develop & Implement a Plan (Goal Setting & Planning) Carry Out the Intervention & Monitor Progress.

Teams analyze data at many levels to guide instructional decision making: Level of Analysis Assessment Purpose What we can Learn 1)Grade level View Outcome Screening What can we learn about our core instructional program? Who is learning? Who is slow to respond? In what proportions? What is working well? 2) Classroom Level View Outcome Screening Diagnostic Progress Monitoring Are there classrooms with greater needs? What are the components of my ELA block and are we meeting the needs of all kids? Who is making growth and who is not? 3) Small groups and individuals Outcome Screening Diagnostic Progress Monitoring Who is responding? Who is not? Is there a performance or a skills problem? Do we have the right intervention or strategy, at the right time, for the right need, at the right level of intensity (Torgesen, 1998)? How much is this student responding compared to the average response in the group or the class mean? Are students likely to reach the goal without making further changes?

Purpose: Box plot is a quick, overall view of grade level student performance in relation to the benchmark goal. 90% student scores are captured on one graph. Box Plot Key Roland Good and Ruth Kaminski (2005) What can be learned from this multiyear box plot? Are we making a difference, and if so, where? 95 th 80 th 50 th 20 th 5 th

Grade Level Histogram: 1 st Grade- Beginning of Year Quick view of the distribution of student performance on PSF according to risk Minimum Goal- 35 by beginning of first grade Roland Good and Ruth Kaminski (2005)

Team Activity: The answer to literacy difficulties is not in the data! Grade Level Data Scenario: –Baker Elementary school has 1.5 years of grade level data that suggests weaknesses in phoneme segmentation fluency in kindergarten and in first grade. At your table, please list five questions that you have about the WHAT or HOW of teaching. (5 min)

Grade Level Questions and Adjustments Activity: WHAT we are teaching –What components of literacy instruction are we teaching daily across the grade level? –Are the components aligned with Benchmarks? –Is there adequate coverage of big ideas? Is there something missing? –Is there a purpose and connection for students? –Is there a Scope and Sequence or my instruction responsive in nature? How we are Teaching –How much time is allocated to the big ideas concepts? –Is there enough Modeling/Demonstration? –Is there enough feedback to the students? –How much time is allocated to student practice? –How are we linking what we teach in word study to reading and writing? –How does writing instruction link to reading instruction?

Grade-Level Data Meetings What they are…What they are not… Occur at least 3x/year Data-driven (universal screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring data used) Multi-disciplinary Longer time period together to facilitate problem-solving cycles Common planning time Lesson prep Student Assistance Team/ Child Study Team meetings Professional development Not *$^#%&^ sessions! 42 HANDOUT: GLDM Prep

To use grade level data to create awareness of typical student performance on key indicators of literacy development To create ownership of the success and shortcomings of student performance observed through the grade-level and classroom-level lenses To use data to guide discussions about improving student achievement and teacher effectiveness with the goal of accelerating literacy skills of at-risk students To ensure a cohesive delivery system for providing literacy instruction to all students (e.g., general education, title one, special ed., ELL services, etc.) Grade-Level Data Meetings: Big Ideas 43

Teachers at the same grade level to discuss their core instructional strategies, materials and allocation of classroom time to literacy activities Review common assessments and making data-driven decisions about how to adjust instructional practices Teams determine the overall effectiveness of intervention plans for at-risk readers/writers and making changes based on data Develop an action plan that is written, reviewed and revised Conversations are focused on school variables that we control (instruction, group size, materials) not distal, student- specific information (poverty, social stressors, IQ) 44 Grade-Level Data Meetings: What do effective meetings look like?

Turn and talk At your table, think about rating the productivity of your grade level meeting from 1 to 5. 1=low, 5 = high. Use the “what does it look like” slide as standards” What is your team doing well with right now? What is your team struggling with at grade level meetings? 45

Questions “ Given baseline patterns, what are the implications for my instruction?” Purpose Quickly understanding current student needs and strengths (i.e.: each year, different cohorts of students may need different instructional emphasis). Assisting teachers with understanding baseline student skills and instructional emphasis that may be needed. Differentiating instruction as well as grouping students by instructional need. Grade-Level Data Meetings: FALL 46

Questions “Are we making enough growth from Fall Benchmark to Winter Benchmark? If NOT, what is our plan to make instructional changes?” Purpose Reviewing progress at multiple levels: grade-level, classroom- level and small groups of students. – Fall to Winter Differentiating as well as grouping students by instructional need. Grade-Level Data Meetings: WINTER 47

Questions “Did changes we made in January make a difference?” “Are we making enough growth across the year?” “How does this inform our action plans?” “What training do we need?” “What refinements in implementation do we need to make?” Purpose  Reviewing progress at multiple levels: grade-level, classroom- level and small groups of students  Winter to spring and fall to spring  Compare with previous years  Not necessary to group students by need at this point in the year  Updating action plans based on data Grade-Level Data Meetings: SPRING 48

Pre-requisite skills for successful Grade-Level Data Meetings  Understanding and committing to the problem- solving process  Understanding of the purposes of assessment and a variety of assessment tools  Purposes, organization and preparation  Facilitation skills including understanding group dynamics, norm, and how to deal with “challenging behavior”  Ability to examine current curriculum and instruction to determine effectiveness  Ability to display and analyze multiple sources of data 49

Team Activity As a building team, complete either the Leadership Readiness Survey or the Building Self-Assessment. Determine your next steps to move implementation forward. Make an action plan for sharing information and facilitating implementation in your building.

Foundational Content: Grade-Level Data Meeting Prep and Simulation at Oakland Schools Winter Universal Screening and Diagnostic assessment window Winter Grade-Level Data Meetings in your Building RTI – MTSS Listserv RTI – MTSS Network Next Steps