1. RTI Implementation Keys to Success Tara Estep / Jon Wiebers Cedar Falls Community Schools

2. Today’s Goals Share our journey 5 keys that led us to success Provide you with ideas and tools to implement RTI within your buildings Answer your questions

3. Why RTI? We started with IDM framework – Focused on ALL students (high achievers too) Increased student achievement Common focus that tied everything together – Core, SMART, IPI, Our Data Suggested we needed to! – Math focus (chose one area to begin)

4. RTI in a nutshell The response to intervention process focuses on instruction by using data regarding students’ responses to instruction to guide future educational decisions.

5. Key 1: It’s all About the Team Who? – Those who have an impact on change (positive & negative) – Todd Whitaker: Focus on the best – CH & Hansen Plan for team Considerations – Make it a team decision that RTI is the way to go – Selling it to your team for buy-in – Include special education, special areas

6. Key 2: Transparency Our promise to our staff – This is our focus Transparency begins with effective communication – Staff meetings to share training info Leadership team & Principal directed – Receive input from teachers As a leader you owe it to your staff to be honest and forthcoming

7. Leave the ego at the door

8. Key 3: Vision How do we know RTI or anything else is the right work if we don’t know what we collectively envision for our schools? Two different approaches – Jon: Based on current culture already established – Tara: More prescribed method of building a vision due to needing to build culture

9. Visionary: One who imagines how things should be. “Forming a vision of what students need in the future and cooperating to achieve that vision are major responsibilities for educational leaders today.” -Ron Renchler

10. Mission and Vision Mission – Establishes an organization’s purpose: “Why do we exist?” “What are we here to do together?” “What is the business of our business.” Vision – Provides deeper purpose based on values – Instills an organization with a sense of direction. It asks, “If we are true to our purpose now, what might we become at some point in the future?”

11. “Without vision, there will be only random acts of improvement.” - Victoria Bemhardt

12. Benefits of a Clear, Shared Vision Shared vision motivates and energizes people Shared vision creates a proactive orientation Shared vision gives direction to people within the organization Shared vision establishes specific standards of excellence Shared vision creates a clear agenda for action

13. Cedar Heights Vision Process 1. Uncover Underlying assumptions – Look at current beliefs and practices – Guides decision-making and action 2. Engage in a visioning process – Create a school of your dreams – No existing rules or policies – There are no barriers – What would it look like

14. 3. Write a vision statement ⁻Write a personal vision ⁻Focus on ends not means ⁻Achievable 4. Gain staff consensus ⁻Clarify ⁻Discuss Cedar Heights Vision Process

15. Hansen: Where we started Individuals working hard!

16. Where we are going… Individuals are still working hard, but now we know what we’re working toward. AND we’re working together for a common purpose and goal.

17. Activities to get staff thinking and sharing ownership Today our school is ____________ because _____________________. Five years from now our school will be ______________ because _____________________________.

18. Establishing a Research Base A critical element of the background material that should be provided in the vision development process is the research on what we know about effective schools and school improvement processes. Before trying to decide on the kind of school they hope to create, educators should ask the question, “What does research tell us about good schools and successful improvement initiatives.” DuFour and Eaker

19. Self Efficacy First

20. Collective Efficacy in Action

21. How will RTI support our long term goals & beliefs? What is important to us… What we believe in… Where we want to go… How are these connected?

22. Hansen Elementary is a community of lifelong learners where students, staff, parents, and community are joined in a partnership towards a collective vision of… *Students and staff that are innovative, collaborative, and critical thinkers *A differentiated curriculum that engages all students in rigorous and relevant learning for all *A safe, nurturing environment where all students are successful, well rounded individuals who embrace diversity

23. Cedar Heights Elementary will create a proactive system that will meet the needs of all students on a timely basis

24. Key 4: Setting the expectations Tight and loose expectations Tara – Structured intervention time (20-30 min 4* / week) – Grade level like math time – SMART goals

25. Key 4: Setting the expectations Cedar Heights: Tight and loose expectations – Like math time for each grade level – Pacing guides – Structured intervention/enrichment time Building wide time 4 days a week for 25 minutes – Screening and post assessments – Grade level data meetings with principal

26. Expectations continued – Building wide schedule of protected times – Interventions/Pyramid of Interventions – Intervention/enrichment tracker – Support for classrooms during intervention/enrichment time

27. Continuous Improvement Process Needs Assessment PlanningImplementation Evaluation The cornerstone of any school improvement effort is the relentless pursuit of excellence through the application of the Continuous Improvement Process.

28. The formula for Success Content Common Core! – Guaranteed – Viable (paced) – Rigorous (challenges all students) – Relevant (connects students to real life) InstructionCharacteristics of Effective Instruction!! – Evidence based (data driven)S – Sufficiently differentiatedT – Implemented with integrityA – High expectationsR T

29. Formula for Success continued Assessment Assessment of /for learning! Data must be accurate, reliable, and frequently collected – Data required to make instructional decisions SystemThis is our vision building! Our beliefs about students – What is our vision here? What do we believe is important?

30. Alignment is everything!!! Assessed Curriculum Intended Curriculum Enacted Curriculum

31. To consider… “The chief determiner of what should be measured rests on why you’re measuring anything in the first place.” –Popham (2006)

32. “If you can not measure it, you cannot improve it.” British scientist Lord Kelvin

33. SMART goals Specific Measurable Attainable and Aligned Realistic and Results driven Timebound.

34. Key 5: Making the PLC Connection It is about the learning for ALL – Students & Staff Use of data to drive instruction PLC gave us the overall framework – Tied it all together – Provided time to do the work Collaboration Wednesdays

35. “The very essence of a learning community is a focus on and a commitment to the learning of each student.” ~ DuFour

36. Professional Learning Communities are guided by Three Big Ideas 1.Focus on Learning 2.Collaborative Culture 3.Focus on Results

37. 4 Critical Questions What do we want our students to learn? How will we know they are learning? How will we respond when they don’t learn? How will we respond when they do learn?

38. To Wrap Up 1.It is all about the team! 2.Be transparent! 3.Build a shared vision! 4.Set clear expectations! 5.PLC + RTI = Success!

39. Handouts

40. Questions / Contact Information Tara Estep – Tara.estep@cfschools.org Tara.estep@cfschools.org – 319.553.2775 – https://sites.google.com/a/cfschools.org/pri ncipal-pages/ https://sites.google.com/a/cfschools.org/pri ncipal-pages/ Jon Wiebers – Jon.wiebers@cfschools.org Jon.wiebers@cfschools.org – 319.553.2887