Essential Elements in Implementing and Monitoring Quality RtI Procedures Rose Dymacek & Edward Daly Nebraska Department of Education University of Nebraska- Lincoln

NDE’s View of a Quality RtI Process Every school must have the capacity to meet the needs of all children throughout the state. Every school must have the capacity to meet the needs of all children throughout the state. Yet, every school district must also be able to tailor the RtI process to meet the needs of its unique organizational structure and priorities. Yet, every school district must also be able to tailor the RtI process to meet the needs of its unique organizational structure and priorities. NDE is working to balance its expectations for high standards for implementation with local flexibility in how those standards are met. NDE is working to balance its expectations for high standards for implementation with local flexibility in how those standards are met.

Developing a Valid RtI Process for Students Essential Elements of the RtI Process Essential Elements of the RtI Process Developmental Progression of Implementation Developmental Progression of Implementation Strong Operational Model for Continuum of RtI Service Delivery Strong Operational Model for Continuum of RtI Service Delivery

Essential Elements of RtI: Organizational Capacity School-wide buy-in and implementation plan School-wide buy-in and implementation plan Team leadership Team leadership Integration of Services Integration of Services Implementation Infrastructure Implementation Infrastructure

School-wide Buy-in and Implementation Plan What it Looks Like: All school staff is knowledgeable about RtI and supports its implementation in the school district All school staff is knowledgeable about RtI and supports its implementation in the school district Forms of Evidence: Documentation of RtI training Documentation of RtI training Inclusion of RtI in School Improvement Plan Inclusion of RtI in School Improvement Plan

Team Leadership What it Looks Like: A team that includes administrators, teachers, and support personnel provides leadership for implementing RtI at the district and building level A team that includes administrators, teachers, and support personnel provides leadership for implementing RtI at the district and building level Forms of Evidence: An identifiable core team with clearly defined roles, authority, and administrative support An identifiable core team with clearly defined roles, authority, and administrative support

Integration of Services What it Looks Like: All school staff collaborates to support learning for all students across the continuum of student ability levels All school staff collaborates to support learning for all students across the continuum of student ability levels Forms of Evidence: Clearly defined roles at the district/building level, effective communication and interaction among school personnel in regular and special education Clearly defined roles at the district/building level, effective communication and interaction among school personnel in regular and special education RtI plan is aligned with existing initiatives including STARS, the school/district School Improvement Plan, and Improving Learning for Children with Disabilities (ILCD) RtI plan is aligned with existing initiatives including STARS, the school/district School Improvement Plan, and Improving Learning for Children with Disabilities (ILCD)

Implementation Infrastructure What it Looks Like: Professional training and support, resources, and an appropriate administrative structure in place Professional training and support, resources, and an appropriate administrative structure in place Forms of Evidence: Curriculum aligned to Nebraska State Standards Curriculum aligned to Nebraska State Standards Ongoing professional development Ongoing professional development Assessments to determine student progress toward Nebraska State Standards and aligned to the district STARS system Assessments to determine student progress toward Nebraska State Standards and aligned to the district STARS system Assessment data utilized in making decisions about student progress Assessment data utilized in making decisions about student progress Research supported interventions and teaching strategies Research supported interventions and teaching strategies Plan for delivering quality instruction and research based interventions as assessment data indicate Plan for delivering quality instruction and research based interventions as assessment data indicate

Essential Elements of RtI: Implementing RtI in Schools Parent Involvement Parent Involvement Universal Screening and Assessment Universal Screening and Assessment Individual Progress Monitoring Individual Progress Monitoring Planned Service Delivery Rules Planned Service Delivery Rules Scientifically Supported Instruction Scientifically Supported Instruction Intervention Delivery Intervention Delivery SLD Verification SLD Verification

Parent Involvement What it Looks Like: Parents are informed, knowledgeable, and involved in their children’s educational process Parents are informed, knowledgeable, and involved in their children’s educational process Forms of Evidence: Documentation that parents are included and involved in the RtI process Documentation that parents are included and involved in the RtI process Procedures are in place for parent permission, notification, and rights to due process when appropriate Procedures are in place for parent permission, notification, and rights to due process when appropriate

Universal Screening and Assessment What it Looks Like: Assessments that provide teachers with information about the progress of all students… Assessments that provide teachers with information about the progress of all students… Forms of Evidence: Assessments to determine individual student progress toward Nebraska State Standards Assessments to determine individual student progress toward Nebraska State Standards Systematic classroom or building screening procedures Systematic classroom or building screening procedures Decisions about student progress are based on assessment data and are clearly linked to next steps Decisions about student progress are based on assessment data and are clearly linked to next steps

Individual Progress Monitoring What it Looks Like: Assessments provide teachers with information about which students are benefiting from intervention and which need additional supports. Assessments provide teachers with information about which students are benefiting from intervention and which need additional supports. Forms of Evidence: Use of progress monitoring data Use of progress monitoring data “Graph-able” goals for progress “Graph-able” goals for progress A minimum of two interventions with increasing intensity A minimum of two interventions with increasing intensity A minimum of six data points to determine intervention effectiveness A minimum of six data points to determine intervention effectiveness Evaluation based on individual goals, student progress towards state standards, and changes in student performance over time Evaluation based on individual goals, student progress towards state standards, and changes in student performance over time

Planned Service Delivery Decision Rules What it Looks Like: Guidelines and procedures in place that identify sequential, coordinated delivery of interventions for students Guidelines and procedures in place that identify sequential, coordinated delivery of interventions for students Forms of Evidence: Decision rules for multi-tiered intervention selection, responsiveness to intervention and special education eligibility Decision rules for multi-tiered intervention selection, responsiveness to intervention and special education eligibility Student performance is evaluated based on level and rate of performance as outlined by the decision rules Student performance is evaluated based on level and rate of performance as outlined by the decision rules

Scientifically Supported Instruction What it Looks Like: Core instruction and interventions have been validated through scientific research Core instruction and interventions have been validated through scientific research Forms of Evidence: Justification of scientifically supported, high quality instruction Justification of scientifically supported, high quality instruction

Intervention Delivery What it Looks Like: School personnel deliver high quality, scientifically supported interventions of appropriate intensity for a reasonable amount of time School personnel deliver high quality, scientifically supported interventions of appropriate intensity for a reasonable amount of time Forms of Evidence: Scientifically supported interventions Scientifically supported interventions A minimum of 24 sessions per intervention phase A minimum of 24 sessions per intervention phase At least two intervention phases of increasing intensity prior to SLD determination At least two intervention phases of increasing intensity prior to SLD determination Fidelity of implementation Fidelity of implementation

SLD Verification What it Looks Like: SLD verification follows federal and state regulations while assuring continuity in meeting students’ educational needs SLD verification follows federal and state regulations while assuring continuity in meeting students’ educational needs Forms of Evidence: Student eligibility based on meeting federal and state verification guidelines, documentation of adverse effect on educational performance, and determination that there is a need for special education. Student eligibility based on meeting federal and state verification guidelines, documentation of adverse effect on educational performance, and determination that there is a need for special education. Documentation of the student’s rate and level of performance in response to at least two planned intervention phases Documentation of the student’s rate and level of performance in response to at least two planned intervention phases Documentation that special education evaluation timelines are followed Documentation that special education evaluation timelines are followed

Developmental Progression Toward Full Scale Implementation of RTI Problem Solving Team Engages in Data Based Problem Solving Universal Screening to Identify Students At-Risk for Academic Difficulties Coordinated Intervention Delivery Application of Problem Solving Data to LD Eligibility

Integrating RtI With Existing Practices School Improvement Plan School Improvement Plan Pre-referral Intervention teams Pre-referral Intervention teams Title I Services Title I Services Assessment Assessment Professional Learning Communities Professional Learning Communities

Implementing RtI: Procedural Integrity PROCEDURAL CHECKLIST as an operational definition of RtI PROCEDURAL CHECKLIST as an operational definition of RtI –Accountability –Formative evaluation and program improvement

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Albert Einstein

Real Change in Schools Fullan (1991) Fullan (1991) –“innovations can be adopted for symbolic political or personal reasons: to appease community pressure, to appear innovative, to gain more resources. All of these forms represent symbolic rather than real change.” (p. 28) –“Even good ideas may represent poor investments on a large scale if the ideas have not been well developed or if the resources to support implementation are unavailable.” (p. 28)

Conclusions Building a Quality RtI Process Building a Quality RtI Process –Essential Elements of RtI  “What do our children deserve?” –Procedural Integrity  “What will they actually get?” –Strategic and Sequential Development and Refinement  “How will you make sure you can do it well for all children and better each year?”

TEAM PLANNING ACTIVITIES “Where are you at and where do you want to go with RtI?” Discuss and evaluate your school district’s organizational readiness (See the “Evaluation of Organizational Readiness…” checklist in the TA manual). Discuss and evaluate your school district’s organizational readiness (See the “Evaluation of Organizational Readiness…” checklist in the TA manual). –Where are you at in the process of developing RtI? Goal Setting for next year: which elements will you put in place? (Developmental Progression) Goal Setting for next year: which elements will you put in place? (Developmental Progression) –Which component(s) of RtI will you try to implement next year? –How will you go about doing it? Already have the infrastructure and elements? Already have the infrastructure and elements? –Are you ready to develop a Procedural Checklist?