BEST PRACTICES in RtI to Theresa M. Janczak, Ph.D. KEY POINTS It is a term garnering much attention in the field of education today. It may be helpful to think of RtI as a school wide approach to teaching and learning that combines best practice instruction with a tiered system of remedial intervention for those children who need additional help in learning. We will spend the next hour or so exploring the fundamentals of the concept/process…RtI is a rather complex and complicated issue, and while two hours is not sufficient to address its complexity what I hope is to provide you with an overview of RtI and a general understanding as a early prevention process designed to identify students at the first sign of struggle. Theresa M. Janczak, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Exceptional Education, BSC Principal Investigator, NYS RtI TAC OSEP Leadership Conf 3/30/05

Best Practices in RtI Core Instruction Assessment: Screening Assessment: Progress Monitoring Intervention Teaming/Collaboration Infrastructure Professional Development Leadership Parent Involvement

Activity #1: NYS RtI Readiness Survey Task: Complete NYS RtI Readiness Survey on your district. Read each statement under each of the nine components related to RtI Rate the level of implementation as applies to your school/district 1= My school is not currently implementing this practice. 2 = My school is beginning to implement this practice. 3 = My school partially implements this practice, but not consistently and with fidelity. 4 = My school fully implements this practice with fidelity on a consistent basis by all staff members. DK = I don’t know or am unsure how well this practice is being implemented in my school.

The devil is in the details The devil is in the details. The success of Response to Intervention will depend on whether it is appropriately implemented by highly-trained professionals - and this is likely to be a problem. http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/rti.index.htm

Best Practice Indicators: Core Instruction Addresses 5 pillars of reading: PA, word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension in an explicit and systematic manner Aligned to NYS ELA standards and grade level expectations Differentiated instruction using materials that are aligned to abilities and needs of all students 80% of students in core meet benchmark criteria Evidence-based for intended population Delivered in a 90+ uninterrupted ELA block Fidelity of implementation is monitored regularly KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: assessment - screening Screening tool(s) are able to determine at-risk status Universal screening – 3x year minimum Logistical details for screening established Screening data graphed and shared on a routine basis PD on screening administration and interpretation of data (*refresher sessions) Decision rules established Fidelity on administration procedures KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: assessment – progress monitoring PM tool (s) able to determine level of performance and rate of progress Includes CBMs + informal measures PM data maintained on all tiered intervention students PM data graphed and shared on a routine basis PD PM administration and interpretation of data (*refresher sessions) Decision rules established Fidelity on administration procedures Frequent PM (bimonthly – Tier 2; weekly – Tier 3) KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: Tier 2 Menu of evidence-based interventions Additional/supplemental instruction provided (20 min/3-4x/week) Checks for fidelity of intervention Interventions implemented by knowledgeable & skilled staff Small, homogenous groups (>5) Provided as soon as at-risk status established Consistent with core instruction in terms of vocabulary & strategies Matched to student needs PM data used to evaluate effectiveness of intervention KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: Tier 3 Use of evidence-based interventions Additional/supplemental instruction provided (60 min/4-5x/week) Checks for fidelity of intervention Interventions implemented by knowledgeable & highly skilled staff Small groups (>2) or one-on-one Consistent with core instruction in terms of vocabulary & strategies Matched to student needs PM data used to evaluate effectiveness of Tier 3 KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: Infrastructure Data management system Use of data to determine RtI efficacy  refine RtI process Embedded in district/school improvement plans RtI Implementation Plan constructed Small groups (>2) or one-on-one Consistent with core instruction in terms of vocabulary & strategies Staff buy-in KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: teaming/collaboration Multi-disciplinary RtI team – identified functions RtI problem-solving team – building based RtI literacy coach – regular meetings w/staff Decisions are driven by data Shared responsibility Time Communication KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: professional development Determined by data All staff receives RtI Overview PD – job-embedded & on-going Linked to school improvement plan Reflects key features: Using data to inform instruction Screening & PM - administration + interpretation Differentiated reading instruction Evidenced-based instruction Collaborative teaming CBM – reading + math Tiered intervention KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Best Practice Indicators: Leadership Active & meaningful participation of building principal Best Practice Indicators: parent involvement Rtl information provided Parent notification Screening results Nature of intervention Progress reports Special education information KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

The devil is in the details. http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/rti.index.htm

Key questions to consider for your RtI implementation How many tiers? What is the nature of tiered interventions – Standard protocol vs. problem-solving How will you identify at-risk students? How will you determine “response?” Final status on norm-referenced test or benchmark Pre/post improvement CBM slope and final status What will you do with students who are very slow/low response? KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

Challenges to RtI High quality Tier 1/Core instruction Time/scheduling for supplemental intervention What does RtI look like at the middle school? high school? Maintaining momentum & focus Where does special education fit in? Fidelity of implementation KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs

THANK YOU! janczatm@ nysrti.org KEY POINTS Shortly after LD was legitimized as a special education category in 1975 under EAHCHA the proportion of children with LD in the general U.S. population skyrocketed from less than 2% in 1975-77 to more than 6% in 1999-2000. This increase has proved expensive for school districts because, on average, it costs two to three times more to teach children with disabilities. IQ-achievement discrepancy, which is the widely used method of LD identification, has often been viewed as the culprit with respect to rising special education enrollments and costs