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Illinois and Response to Intervention March 30, 2009 Presented by: Marica Cullen Illinois State Board of Education Daryl Morrison Illinois Education Association Welcome to this session today. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a brief explanation and clarification of Response to Intervention in Illinois. What is RtI ? We will be discussing the elements of RtI as defined by the Illinois State Board of Education in The Illinois State Response to Intervention Plan released January 1, 2008. What are Illinois school district requirements? This presentation will also cover what Illinois school districts will be required to complete in the next few months in preparing their RtI District plans and transition to RtI.

The Big Picture Collaboration between stakeholders Importance to all districts and schools Impact upon all Illinois students

Why Response to Intervention? The Legislation, Rules and State Plans This section details how Illinois, as a state, has ventured into the work of RtI for all districts. Illinois’s journey is influenced by federal legislation leading to the development of state rules leading to a state RtI plan and next the requirement for all Illinois districts to develop a local RtI plan

IDEA Regulations - October 2006 The State must not require the use of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability must permit the use of a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention In looking to the 2006 federal regulations we see the groundwork for our current discussion today.

Illinois Part 226.130 Rule (SLD Eligibility) Requires: Use of a process that determines how the child responds to scientific, research-based interventions as part of the evaluation procedure described in 34 CFR 300.309 Development and distribution of a State RtI Plan by January 1, 2008 by the State Superintendent

Illinois Part 226.130 Rule Requires: Illinois districts to complete a plan for transition to the use of a process that determines how the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as part of the evaluation procedure by January 1, 2009 Illinois districts to implement RtI as part of their evaluation procedure for making SLD determinations by the 2010-2011 academic year What are Illinois districts required to do by the rules? One is complete an RtI plan - please note I have taken the liberty to italicize the word TRANSITION in this slide (it is not in the rules) to provide emphasis to the fact that ISBE and the Stakeholder group fully realize that for districts moving to a full implementation of RtI is a transition. No one is expecting perfection by January 1, 2009 As districts identify the elements of their RtI planning and implementation process they will continue to move towards the use of the Response to Intervention model by the 2010-2011 academic year as part of the SLD evaluation procedures. ISBE continues to work with stakeholders to complete the final draft of the elgibility determination language incorporating the Part 226.130 rules.

State RtI Plan The sections of the State RtI Plan provide an explanation of the RtI Stakeholders’ Group work in developing the requirements of the federal and state legislative action. This work forms the basis for the development of the required components of the District RtI Plan.

Participating Stakeholder Groups Illinois Education Association Illinois Federation of Teachers Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education Illinois Association of School Administrators Regional Offices of Education Parent Initiative Centers Higher Education Illinois State Board of Education (Bilingual, Professional Certification, Accountability, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, Federal Grants and Programs) Stakeholders from various professional organizations, advocacy groups, parent groups, higher education, and multiple divisions of the ISBE worked together and continue to work together to support the implementation of RtI in Illinois school districts. The first collaborative work of the Stakeholder group was to develop the Illinois State Response to Intervention plan. In addition to these standing groups’ involvement over 100 pages of commentary and questions were considered and incorporated into the State RtI plan. The Large Stakeholder group continues to meet and four smaller subcommittees now meet to work in the areas of Professional Development, Parent Involvement, Technology Supports and Project Evaluation.

State RtI Plan Components Introduction/Belief Statements for RtI Definition of RtI and Problem Solving Link between RtI and SLD Eligibility Determination Process for Implementation Implementation Timelines Funding Considerations ISBE Evaluation Plan Supporting Resources The Illinois State plan is located on the Illinois State Board of Education website found at www.isbe.net – search for Response to Intervention The plan addresses the 8 elements or components required by Part 226.130 rules. The plan, in addition to addressing these components is designed to explain the thinking behind the requirements of Illinios and RtI. It grounds the expectations of the RtI process into the work of EVERY classroom teacher and EVERY building administrator. RtI encompasses the best of instruction.

Defining Response to Intervention (RtI): The Illinois Model Many presenters out there now talking about Response to Intervention. Some cautions districts should consider before hiring a consultant, attending a conference or purchasing a product– On the shelf waste – is there teacher/administrator “buy in” to use the product Assessment to cure all – is the vendor and/or presenter making promises that seem too good to be true Credentials of the presenter – what does this person do? Does the presenter have experience in the regular education classroom or school? Has the presenter differentiated instruction? Does the presenter understand the link between RtI and Specific Learning Disability determination? Affiliations and financial links of the presenter – Is it clear if the presenter or conference sponsor is neutral or has links to a specific assessment product, curriculum or organization?

Response to Instruction = RtI Approach for redesigning and establishing teaching and learning environments that are effective, efficient, relevant and durable for all students, families and educators NOT a program, curriculum, strategy, intervention NOT limited to special education NOT new Again, Response to intervention is really a response to instruction RTI means educators stop to look frequently at what DATA says students are learning. Old model of instruction – once a year “teach and pray”. School decision making and student placement decisions were made on limited sets of data. New model – three times a year for all – even better struggling – more frequent measures to see if progress is being made Districts need to consider RtI as Effective Instruction for all students. This is not simply a special education initiative. It is not a new idea or a “fad.” RtI does what good classroom teachers have always done – measures where students are and early on provide “more” to help those who are struggling find success.

Essential Components Response to Intervention (RtI) consists of Three Essential Components: High quality, research-based instruction/ intervention matched to student needs Frequent use of data to determine learning rate and student performance level Educational decisions based upon the student’s response to instruction/ intervention RtI is about fidelity of implementation of the core curriculum and instruction in every classroom in every Illinois school. Questions we should be asking ourselves on a daily basis include: is quality core instruction really happening? is data being used to determine if students are learning? is the “treatment” is being done to the student determined by the data (response) or by what we’ve always done? What happens when a student is struggling: do we consider the individual student or “one size fits all”?

RtI is the Foundation of Instructional Improvement RtI is, at its core, about improving instruction for all students.

RtI Vocabulary Interventions Tiered Instruction Universal Screener Progress Monitoring Instrument Data-Based Decision-Making Problem Solving Model Fidelity of Implementation RtI

Multi-Tier Model Academic Systems Behavioral Systems Individual Students/Very Small Group Assessment-based High Intensity Individual Students/ Very Small Group Intense, durable procedures Tier 2 Some students (at-risk) High efficiency Rapid response Tier 1 All students Preventive, proactive All settings, all students Preventive, proactive The Illinois model employs a three-tier approach Many states use set % of students for each tier. The Illinois model allows flexibility in the tier % based upon individual school needs and characteristics. Tier 1 – 80% of students – quality instruction, quality curriculum, time devoted to the instruction and curriculum Tier 2 – 15% of students – screening shows missing some skills or content; added instruction (intervention); more frequent monitoring of progress Tier 3 – 5% of students – not making progress with more intensive Tier 2 interventions as measured by more frequent data points; additional and smaller group interventions and more frequent progress monitoring ( In the earlier example: Reading First schools with 20% gains in reading this year were using every 2 weeks).

*Percentages will vary by district/school Defining the Tiers Tier 1: Core curriculum meets the needs of 80%* or more of the students Tier 2: 20%* of the students may be identified as at-risk and require supplemental instruction/ intervention in addition to the core curriculum Tier 3: 5%* of those students may be identified as needing more intensive, small group or individual interventions to supplement the core curriculum *Percentages will vary by district/school Core curriculum is a solid, fully-implemented, scientifically-based research driven, unwrapped and off the shelf Interventions are in addition to core instruction (not a pull out). Because they are an addition schools must consider how they will schedule this time and resources to support interventions. Tier 3 interventions are much more intense and for smaller groups. An example might be a student participates in Core Reading = 90 minutes a day in the classroom plus an additional 30 minutes a day with a reading coach or paraprofessional in specific reading skills matched to his areas of weakness.

In Summary: What is RtI? RtI = Academic or School Improvement RtI = Good Teaching RtI = Applying Sound Practices in Classrooms RtI = Strong Partnerships RtI = School Leadership RtI = Using Data to Make Decisions RtI = Increased Student Learning

Writing a District RtI Plan The following three tools will provide a structure to approach RtI planning for your district: The E-Plan writing guide (available on the ISBE website) – the guiding questions and explanations contained within this writing guide will assist in framing RtI as part of the district improvement planning rather than a separate set of actions. The District Self-Assessment Template provides working documents for teams of stakeholders to consider and use as tools for guided discussions concerning the district’s current state of readiness for full implementation. Finally, the crosswalk (ISBE website powerpoints) provides a tool for districts to see how the planning notes from the self-assessment link directly to the required plan components.

Steps to Successful Plan Writing Collaborate Talk Discuss Collaborate Some More Repeat Cycle Again How do you write a plan for a district RtI plan: all your stakeholders MUST come to the table. The districts destined to fail at implementing RtI will have one or two individuals writing the “plan” This leads to top down decision-making, poor planning, and no BUY IN. Teachers must be heard in the development process because they will be the ones who make or break RtI for their students. This is about taking the best “art” of teaching (reaching those difficult to teach students and helping them learn) with the “science” of teaching – using research and data to make teaching and learning decisions.

District Self-Assessment Template Contains seven areas of implementation: Consensus Building and Collaboration Standards-Based Curriculum and Research-Based Instruction Research-Based Assessment Practices Student Intervention/Problem Solving Team Process Intervention Strategy Identification Resources Allocation Ongoing Professional Development for Effective RtI Each section of the self assessment template contains both an indicator checklist for a team to discuss and assess the current implementation reality and space to begin brainstorming activities to support that section of RtI Implementation. The first section: Consensus Building and collaboration look for indications that RtI is a fully-integrated educational approach. It is not the sole responsibility of either the regular or special educator. Responsibility is shared among all district staff. Nest, RtI – relies upon districts utilizing and implementing curricula aligned with the state standards – it expects instruction to be tied to promising and best research-based practices Also, Assessment is vital to RtI –we use such terms as universal screeners, progress monitoring instruments, etc. The Self-assessment asks districts to consider what they are already doing in terms of collecting and using data about students. Part IV – asks districts to look at their current processes and practices in examining student data and discussing unmet student needs. This team approach leads to open and collaborative communication regarding student performance based upon evidence not feelings and guesses. Next, Intervention Strategy Identification– looks at differing approaches to intervening in order to address student learning problems early – before a student becomes accustomed to failure. Next, The Resources section is everyone’s least favorite – RtI doesn’t come with new $. Rather it is the expectation of using and aligning existing resources to provide quality instruction for all students In the final section, the team reviews Professional Development – this section asks districts to look at what PD they currently offer and consider how that PD lends itself to a comprehensive academic improvement plan which can support data-based decision making and differentiated or tier instruction.

District Self-Assessment Template Each of the seven sections contains multiple indicators Use each template section with stakeholders to assess the district’s current state of RtI implementation Each set of indicators can also be used to generate discussion and to assist stakeholders in developing a greater understanding of RtI The self-assessment template contains lengthy indicators, which in themselves, provide an opportunity to learn about what all is involved in Response to Intervention. Using the template sections in a team environments allows stakeholder’s to look honestly and clearly into the district’s current practices. By discussing the indicators and educating team members through the process, the district can use the template sections to help stakeholders develop a stronger understanding of what RtI is and what it isn’t.

Access the District Improvement Plan http://iirc.niu.edu/ The District RtI plan is embedded in the District Improvement Plan template. This template is located on the IIRC website. Illinois districts had no need of an additional plan separate from DIP. RtI is to be about improved academic achievement, so there was and is not need to create another paperwork requirements. For secondary, this is probably less paperwork burdensome than it is for elementary schools given the much greater % of Illinois high school currently on academic watch or warning status and participating in the District and School Improvement planning process.

District is not in Status District AYP Status District is in Status District is not in Status A frequently asked question by district staff is “do I have to do the whole District Improvement Plan”. A district must if it is in AYP status but does not have to if it is not in AYP status. Must Complete All DIP Sections Must Complete RtI Components

Submitting the Plan The RtI Plan is submitted by each district through the IIRC website (http://iirc.niu.edu/) when it is complete Local Board Approval is still required for Districts submitting a full District Improvement Plan All RtI plans are submitted through the IIRC. Submission should be made by January 1, 2009. If a district is submitting an RtI Plan only – local board approval is NOT required. These districts are not in academic status as determined by the 2008 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Information Page of the District Report Card. District Improvement Plans with RtI elements still require local board approval prior to submission.

Reviewing the Plan Staff teams at the Illinois State Board of Education will review RtI plans using the IIRC monitoring forms ISBE began the process of using cross-division teams of reviewers for Improvement plans during the 2007-2008 school year. Given the increased number of plans this year, that same process will continue. Trained reviewers will share responsibility for completion of the review and return of the monitoring forms to districts.

Some Resources ISBE is aware districts are receiving a great deal of conflicting information from various sources regarding RtI. The following resources contain the “official” ISBE requirements and information for RtI.

Response to Intervention Web Resources Information on Illinois RtI is available at www.isbe.net/RtI_plan/default.htm The National Response to Intervention Center has information at www.rti4success.org Information continues to be developed each week regarding RtI and the Illinois model. Resources and documents specific to RtI are available at this website.

Plan Writing Resources The E-Plans Resource guide found at www.isbe.net/sos/htmls/improvement_ process.htm has been updated to include RtI The RtI Self-Assessment Template found at www.isbe.net/RtI_plan/default.htm provides a useful tool for writing teams Both of these tools have been reference extensively during the presentation. Both are available at the ISBE website and are updated as changes in federal or state law are made to be current. Districts should use the more detailed information available in these tools as a reference during the plan writing process.

Meeting the Needs of ALL Students RtI IS School Improvement One Educational System Educational Reform Education Initiatives Response to Intervention An EVERY EDUCATION Initiative Three Tier Model of School Supports Problem Solving Method of Decision-Making Integrated Data Collection that Informs Instruction In conclusion, please remember> . .. . .RtI is about school improvement. It is about every subject, every student, every member of the school community. RtI is about differentiating instruction to meet student needs RtI is about using the information (data) we have about students to help them learn RtI is about school staff and parents working together to help students before learning difficulties grow into permanent patterns of failure. RtI is an umbrella to coordinate school reform efforts.

Questions ?