Getting Started With ‘Response to Intervention’ : A Guide for Valley Central Schools www.interventioncentral.org

What is ‘Response to Intervention’ (RTI)? A multi-tiered, problem solving approach that: Identifies general education students struggling in academic and behavioral areas early (those who are performing below the level demonstrated by their peers) Provides systematically applied strategies and targeted instruction at varying levels of intervention to assist at-risk students Offers another method for identifying students with learning disabilities

How does ‘Response to Intervention’ (RTI) work? A student with academic and/or behavioral delays is given one or more research-validated interventions (Tier I and II). The student's progress is monitored frequently to see if those interventions are sufficient to help the student catch up with his or her peers.

If a student is successful: EVENTUALLY…. If a student is successful: Strategies will continue to be used and shared amongst staff members and parents to ensure on-going student success If a student continues to struggle: Various strategies coupled with various levels of interventions will be implemented further to give the struggling student more support – the student may continue to struggle and make some gains and some losses along the way

If a student still continues to struggle: The student fails to show significantly improved academic/behavioral skills despite several well-designed and implemented interventions… This failure to 'respond to intervention' can possibly be viewed as evidence of an underlying Learning Disability or the student may continue to need additional supports to reach success

Why is RTI now being adopted by schools? Congress passed the revised Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) in 2004. This Federal legislation provides the guidelines that schools must follow to provide strategies to close achievement gaps for all students, including students who are at-risk The new USDE regulations: Explicitly ALLOW states to use RTI to identify LD FORBID states from forcing schools to use a ‘discrepancy model’ to identify LD

What current approach to diagnosing Learning Disabilities does RTI replace or supplement? Prior to RTI, many states used a ‘Test Score Discrepancy Model’ to identify Learning Disabilities.

‘TEST SCORE DISCREPANCY’ MODEL A student with significant academic delays would be administered a battery of tests. If the student had a ‘severe discrepancy’ [gap] between IQ and achievement, he or she would be diagnosed with a Learning Disability.

Limitations to the ‘test-score discrepancy model’: A ‘severe discrepancy’ provides no useful information about WHY the student is doing poorly academically. Often different formulas are used by States and districts to diagnose LD, resulting in a lack of uniformity in classification. Requires chronic school failure BEFORE remedial/special education supports can be given. Fails to consider that outside factors such as gaps in instruction that may contribute to a child's learning delay.

Advantages of RTI It allows schools to intervene early to meet the needs of struggling learners. RTI maps those specific instructional strategies found to benefit a particular student. This information can be very helpful to both teachers and parents.

RTI system at Valley Central District-wide, systemic response to address the needs of struggling learners.

EXAMPLE OF INTERVENTION LEVEL OF SUPPORT TYPE OF INTERVENTION Teacher Initiated Classroom Interventions Ex. Additional classroom literacy instruction Universal intervention: Available to all students Tier I Teacher Referral to INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT TEAM (IST) Ex. Supplemental peer tutoring in reading to increase reading fluency Individualized Intervention: Students who need additional support than peers are given individual intervention plans. Tier II Intensive Intervention: Students whose intervention needs are greater than general education can meet may be referred for more intensive services. Referral to COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL EDUCATION (CSE) Ex. Special Education Services Provided Tier III

RTI: School-Wide Three-Tier Framework Tier I ‘Classroom/ School-Wide Screenings, Assessments & Group Interventions’ Tier II ‘Non-Responders’ to Tier I Are Identified & Given ‘Individually Tailored’ Interventions (IST interventions-peer tutoring, AIS services) Tier III ‘Long-Term Programming for Students Who Fail to Respond to Tier II Interventions’ (e.g., Special Education, Reading Recovery, Trinity)

TIER I INTERVENTION IDEAS & RESOURCES VISIT www.interventioncentral.com Examples include: Finding the Spark: More Motivation Tips/ Critters: Rewarding Positive Behavior / Smooth Classroom Traffic/ Test Anxiety: Classroom Tips/ Defiant Kids: Communication Tools for Teachers/ Guided Notes/ Homework Contracts: Tapping the Power of Parents AND SO MANY MORE!

Tier II – Instructional Support Team (IST) IST is up and running in each building IST members have been trained in the process and follow detailed steps in order to assist with the student intervention Teams are continuing to build capacity to support instruction with various interventions

Tier II – Instructional Support Team (IST) Sample IST Meeting/Intervention: Step 1: Assess Teacher Concerns Step 2: Inventory Student Strengths and Talents Step 3: Review Background/Baseline Data Step 4: Select Target Teacher Concerns Step 5: Set Academic or Behavioral Goals Step 6: Design an Intervention Plan Step 7: Select Method for Progress Monitoring Step 8: Plan How to Share Information with the Student’s Parent(s) Step 9: Review the Intervention and Monitoring Plans

Tier III Highest level of support (ex. Reading Recovery, Intensive Day Treatment, RESTART, Committee on Special Education) Students, whose needs are greater than general education can meet, may be referred to other resources Chronic emotional and educational difficulties

www.interventioncentral.org www.rti4success.org www.ritap.org INFORMATIONAL LINKS www.interventioncentral.org www.rti4success.org www.ritap.org

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