Response to Intervention at the Middle Level March 19, 2015 Julio Vazquez, Coordinator of Student Support Systems for the Wappingers Central School District

Credit Lee Pesky Learning Center – – Miriam and Pat Beverly from Measurement Incorporated : Response to Intervention Personnel Development Project Johnson, Smith & Harris (2010). How RTI Works in Secondary Schools Pat Quinn: – Jim Wright –

Critical FACTORS for RtI Implementation and Improvement Vision Skills Consensus Resources Action Plan

Vision – – What’s your Theory of Action? If we….then our students….as evidenced by…. – Beliefs about students – Focus – Collective

Skills Who are the people on your RtI team? How can they strengthen your efforts for RtI implementation? What skills do they need to develop?

Consensus What are some things we will not agree on but can live with so we can move forward? Will those decisions benefit our students?

Resources Personnel Curriculum Screeners Interventions Budget

Action Plan Macro to Micro Levels

RtI Key Features – Leadership – Infrastructure – Professional Development – Teaming/Collaboration – Parental Involvement – Assessment Screening Diagnostic Progress Monitoring – Tier 1/ Tier 2/ Tier 3/ – Program Evaluation

Purpose Prevention – At-risk for dropping out – Late-emergent learning disabilities – English Language Learners Intervention – Support for struggling learners – Temporary support for skill mastery

Instruction Effective Instructional Practice Research Based Interventions

Assessment Considerations Screening – Academic (Reading, Writing, Math) – Behavior Diagnostic Progress Monitoring – Literacy – Math (Algebra) – Content Area Literacy Exit Criteria (Provide Chart with various screeners/PM tools)

Reading Phonemic Awareness Phonics Decoding Fluency Comprehension and Vocabulary

Writing Spelling Conventions Grammar Organization Word Choice (Vocabulary)

Math Computation Fractions Algebraic Understanding Problem Solving Multi-step problems

Scheduling Considerations RTI Leadership Team Meetings Needs of Students Restructuring class schedule Frequency and length of classes Who provides intervention? Assessment Schedule

RtI Leadership Team Summer meeting time to prep for school year Weekly meetings Representation Agenda Used

Needs of Students What are the concerns? What are the supports needed? How many sections of an intervention will be needed? Appropriate student/teacher ratio Multiple

Restructuring the Class Schedule Skinny Periods Zero hour intervention After school supports Intervention as elective Push-in models for re-teaching skills Four day standard week with Friday for collaboration

Frequency and Duration Determined by goals you aim to accomplish: – Foundational skill gaps: frequent & short interventions – Learning and applying strategies: combination pull-out and push-in may apply – Fluidity is important

Who provides the intervention? Pair your best teacher with your hardest to teach students Reading intervention- you may not have a reading specialist so think of who is most knowledgeable of reading instruction Same goes for math and writing!

Assessment Schedule – Administration & Data Analysis – Screening Assessment All Students 3 times a year Review screening results Who doesn’t meet benchmarks How far are they from meeting the benchmarks – Diagnostic Assessment Conduct targeted assessments to inform intervention – Progress Monitoring Tier 1 : Monthly basis Tier 2: every two weeks Tier 3: every week

Interventions Tier 1 – What’s the curriculum and how is its effectiveness being measured? – What supports are offered and how is it documented? Tier 2 – Literacy and Math deficits – Strategy instruction to support learning – Not a time for homework/study skills Tier 3 – Individually-designed instruction – Supports progress toward goals

Monitor Data Data Boards Excel Spread Sheets Folders Goal is to identify which students need more targeted assessments… instruction/interventions

Evaluation District and School Leadership Monitor Each team and department? Each class Each teacher Each student Are our assessment results revealing rates of improvement? Are our students moving down the tiers? Are our placements in special education accurate?

Questions/Comments?

Contact Information ext 40114