Data-Based Instructional Decision Making Cindy Edwards RtI-504/Dyslexia Admin. Supervisor Whole Child Conference, 2012

Overview Data-Based Decisions

Universal Screener Follow the Medical Model General Outcomes Measures and Curriculum Based Measurements

All students are given a brief screening measure All students are given a brief screening measure. This assessment is given one to three times per year, (i.e., fall, winter, and spring) and the data are used to make decisions about which students are potentially struggling with reading and/or math.

Progress Monitoring How often? What do we use? How do we know when to adjust instruction or intervention?

Determining Performance Level

Determining Performance Level If a student’s average score on the last three probes is equal to or greater than the benchmark, the student is responding adequately to instruction.

Determining Rate of Growth (or slope) indicates how much a student’s reading skills have improved over time. It is usually represented by the slope of a student’s graphed scores.

A student’s slope can be determined with the following pieces of information: • The score on the first probe: y1 • The score on the last probe: y2 • The first administration (e.g., week 1): x1 • The last administration (e.g., week 8): x2

Gap Analysis A critical factor in determining whether a student is making sufficient progress in Tier I is conducting a Gap Analysis. Example: Benchmark vs. Current Level of Performance = Gap 90 wpm/40 wpm = 2.25 2+ = Significant Gap and signifies a need for Tier II or Tier III intervention to close the Gap between student and peers

Planning Interventions Most Important Part of Progress Monitoring- Use the Data! The following Instructional elements may be altered to enhance student performance: Instructional Strategies Size of Group Time Allocated for Instruction Materials Used

AIMSweb Universal Screener Organizes Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and DIBELS™Data for Benchmark Assessment Fall, Winter, and Spring Prepares Reports for Teachers, Principals, and Administrators on Individual Students, Classes, Grades, Schools, and School Districts IdentifiesAt Risk Students Early Objectively DeterminesRates of Progress for Individual Students, Schools, and NCLB Risk Groups Allows Evaluationat Multiple Levels of Comparison Groups PrintsProfessional Reports for Parent Conferences and Other Meetings

AIMSWEB basics Norm-based National-(aggregate) State Local

Criterion-based Tiers Classifications based on cut scores AIMS WEB

AIMSWEB All assessments measure the same skills in the same way EVERY time All that varies is the expectation of mastery

Consistency allows you to see patterns of errors AIMS WEB Consistency allows you to see patterns of errors

Instructional Grouping Implement concentrated instruction that is focused on a small but targeted set of skill. Adjust the overall pace Include opportunities for extensive practice and high quality feedback with one-on-one instruction Share all data with the student, they must own their data

Road Blocks The distinction between Tier II and Tier III interventions are blurry Many students needing Tier III instruction in reading have great deficits in decoding, when do you teach the other major components of reading? School and staff resources are often too limited to support small group instruction for Tier III Schools sometimes give the least experienced teachers the toughest-to-teach kids Students needing multiple interventions sometimes miss out on electives or things that keep them motivated

What are your Road Blocks?