Dr. Sarah McPherson New York Institute of Technology Adapted from Lora Parks-Recore CEWW Special Education Training and Resource Center SETRC 1 Response to Intervention (RTI) and Literacy

True or False? 2 1. IQ predicts reading ability. 2. Parents’ reading habits determine reading achievement in their children. 3. Reading problems are perceptual problems resulting in seeing print backwards. 4. Dyslexia (reading disability) is more common in boys than girls. 5. Dyslexia is a medical diagnosis. 6. A reading/learning disability is best determined when a child is in 2 nd or 3 rd grade.

Findings… 3  Early language characteristics predict later reading and writing skill.  Dyslexia runs in families; genetic determiners have been identified.  A reading disability is associated with under- activity in the left cerebral hemisphere language centers as well as other functional and structural cerebral differences.

The IQ Discrepancy Model 4 Reading difficulties (and other academic difficulties) are easier to remediate when the gap is small However historically the model has been Wait to Fail Waiting for the discrepancy to get large enough to qualify can cost valuable time

5 5% 20-30% Effortless Relatively easy after any instruction Challenging Formidable challenge Learning to Read 60% %

Reading Interventions 6 Primary grade and reading teachers need strategies for responding to the needs of children who struggle with early literacy development.

LD: Essential Elements of Current Definition 7 Significant discrepancy between IQ and achievement Numerous studies suggest that MANY MORE children are identified as LD in reading than should be. 

 Lack of history of adequate opportunity to learn  Absence of other factors that might account for learning difficulties Possible Reasons

9 Provide Small Group Classroom Instruction for lowest 30% Accelerated Growth Slow Growth or No Growth Provide Very Small Group Specialized Instruction Slow Growth or No Growth Accelerated Growth Regular Classroom Instruction Provide One-to-One Specialized Instruction Accelerated Growth Slow Growth or No Growth LD – provide continued instruction Possible RTI Approach to LD Classification Adapted from: (Scanlon, D 10/22/2005)

Response to Intervention Model 10 Tier 1. Primary intervention – High quality instructional and behavioral supports for all children Tier 2. Secondary intervention – Targeted intensive prevention or intervention services for students whose performance and rate of progress lag behind the norm for their grade and educational setting Tier 3. Tertiary intervention –Targeted intensive 1:1 instruction for those students who do not make progress in the secondary intervention stage. Derived from the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD)

How do We Implement Response to Intervention? 11 Who should get the intervention? Start Early when the gaps are small (pre K-K) The intervention should be provided in very small group settings for a substantial amount of time (e.g. daily for min. for several months). Children who do not show accelerated growth (close the gap) with focused, small group instruction should be considered for more intervention provided by a specialist (or specially trained) teachers

RTI Features 12 : High quality classroom instruction Research-based instruction Classroom performance assessment Universal screening Continuous progress monitoring Progress monitoring during intervention Fidelity measures Daryl Mellard, NRCLD

In most cases, reading problems are NOT attributable to problems in the child. 13 The new legislation calls for a fundamental shift in our thinking about reading difficulties.

Proposed New Definition 14 A child may be identified with Specific Learning Disabilities (SDL) when scientific, research-based interventions have been tried and failed to improve the child’s performance level relative to same grade peers.

Key Issues: RTI and SLD Evaluation Must not require the use of a severe discrepancy Must permit the use of a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research- based intervention May permit the use of other alternative research-based procedures for determining whether a child has SLD Source:

Source: Key Issues: RTI and SLD Evaluation Determining existence of SLD The child does not achieve adequately for the child’s age or meet state- approved grade-level standards in one or more of the following areas (listed on next slide), when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the child’s age or state-approved grade–level standards

Academic areas for monitoring student performance: Oral expression. Listening comprehension. Written expression. Basic reading skills. Reading fluency skills. Reading comprehension. Mathematics calculation. Mathematics problem solving.

Key Issues: RTI an SLD Evaluation Determining existence of SLD To ensure that underachievement in a child suspected of having a SLD is NOT due to lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math, the group must consider:  Data that demonstrate that prior to, or as a part of, the referral process, the child was provided appropriate instruction in regular education settings, delivered by qualified personnel. Source: