1. Today’s presentation slides will be available at www. isbe
Today’s presentation slides will be available at under the Resources Section
Thanks for supporting ISBE’s quest to Go Green

2. Response to Intervention in Illinois
Bilingual Conference 2009
Oak Brook, Illinois
Presented by:
Marica Cullen
Illinois State Board of Education
Welcome to this session today. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a brief explanation and clarification of Response to Intervention in Illinois.
What is RtI ? We will be discussing the elements of RtI as defined by the Illinois State Board of Education in The Illinois State Response to Intervention Plan released January 1, 2008.
What are Illinois school district requirements? This presentation will also cover what Illinois school districts are required to do in the next months to plan for and implement RtI.
All Illinois school districts were required by Illinois school code to write and submit a plan for transition to RtI by January 1, 2009.
The purpose of today’s powerpoint is to help educators more fully understand the principles and beliefs which informed the development of the state’s plan and guided the requirements for the district plan.

3. Legislation, Rules and State Plans
This section details how Illinois, as a state, has ventured into the work of RtI for all districts. Illinois’s journey is influenced by federal legislation leading to the development of state rules leading to a state RtI plan and next the requirement for all Illinois districts to develop a local RtI plan and implement it.

4. IDEA Regulations - October 2006
The State
must not require the use of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability
must permit the use of a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention
In looking to the 2006 federal regulations we see the groundwork for our current discussion today.

5. IDEA Regulations - October 2006
The Team
must document how the child responds to scientific, research-based interventions
must document that the child does not achieve adequately or make sufficient progress in state-approved grade-level standards
must consider data that demonstrates appropriate instruction delivered by qualified personnel and documentation of repeated assessments of achievement at reasonable intervals
These federal regulations required the Evaluation Team to look at:
A student’s response to instructional interventions designed to academic difficulties
Show how the child was not making adequate progress in meeting the state’s grade level standards
And look at data to show qualified staff had delivered appropriate instruction and given assessment – appropriate and repeated at reasonable intervals to measure the progress

6. Illinois Part Rule
“By the school year, documentation of the RtI process shall be a part of the evaluation process for students when a specific learning disability (SLD) is suspected. After implementing an RtI process, a district may use a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement as part of the evaluation process for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability.”
“It is important to note that RtI within a three-tier intervention model is also a part of special education eligibility decision-making required by 34 CFR and 23 IAC ”
So, what is different in the language of Illinois Part rules:
Illinois went beyond the federal guidance which PERMITTED the use of response to intervention and REQUIRED the use of response to intervention as part of the evaluation process for specific learning disability determination
Part Rule was based in the summer of It aligns to the federal regulations for specific learning disability determination.
The Illinois rules allow districts time to transition to full implementation for the school year.

7. Illinois Part 226.130 Rule (SLD Eligibility)
Requires:
Use of a process that determines how the child responds to scientific, research-based interventions as part of the evaluation procedure described in 34 CFR
Development and distribution of a State RtI Plan by January 1, 2008 by the State Superintendent in collaboration with professional organizations outlining the professional development that is necessary and other activities and resources that are essential for implementation
Data will be needed as part of the determination process to show how the child has responded to the interventions provided by the school.
The rules also required the State Superintendent to work with a Stakeholder group to draft a state plan to guide the implementation of RtI.

8. Illinois Part 226.130 Rule Requires:
Illinois districts to complete a plan for transition to the use of a process that determines how the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as part of the evaluation procedure by January 1, 2009
Illinois districts to implement RtI as part of their evaluation procedure for making SLD determinations by the academic year
What are Illinois districts required to do by the rules?
One is complete an RtI plan - please note I have taken the liberty to italicize the word TRANSITION in this slide (it is not in the rules) to provide emphasis to the fact that ISBE and the Stakeholder group fully realize that for districts moving to a full implementation of RtI is a transition. No one is expecting perfection by January 1, 2009
As districts identify the elements of their RtI planning and implementation process they will continue to move towards the use of the Response to Intervention model by the academic year as part of the SLD evaluation procedures. ISBE continues to work with stakeholders to complete the final draft of the eligibility determination language incorporating the Part rules.

9. Illinois Part 226.130 Rule Important
Illinois Rule does not prevent the parent request for an evaluation already in Rule
This can not be stressed enough.

10. State RtI Plan
The sections of the State RtI Plan provide an explanation of the RtI Stakeholders’ Group work in developing the requirements of the federal and state legislative action. This work forms the basis for the development of the required components of the District RtI Plan.

11. Participating Stakeholder Groups
Illinois Education Association
Illinois Federation of Teachers
Illinois State Advisory Council on the Education of Children with Disabilities
Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education
Illinois Association of School Administrators
Regional Offices of Education
Parent Initiative Centers
Higher Education
Illinois State Board of Education (Bilingual, Professional Certification, Accountability, Curriculum and Instruction, Special Education, Federal Grants and Programs)
Stakeholders from various professional organizations, advocacy groups, parent groups, higher education, and multiple divisions of the ISBE worked together and continue to work together to support the implementation of RtI in Illinois school districts.
The first collaborative work of the Stakeholder group was to develop the Illinois State Response to Intervention plan.
In addition to these standing groups’ involvement over 100 pages of commentary and questions were considered and incorporated into the State RtI plan.

12. State RtI Plan Components
Introduction/Belief Statements for RtI
Definition of RtI and Problem Solving
Link between RtI and SLD Eligibility Determination
Process for Implementation
Implementation Timelines
Funding Considerations
ISBE Evaluation Plan
Supporting Resources
The Illinois State plan is located on the Illinois State Board of Education website found at – search for Response to Intervention
The plan addresses the 8 elements or components required by Part rules.
The plan, in addition to addressing these components is designed to explain the thinking behind the requirements of Illinois and RtI. It grounds the expectations of the RtI process into the work of EVERY classroom teacher and EVERY building administrator. RtI encompasses the best of instruction.

13. District RtI Plan
District RtI plans represent the ongoing work of ISBE to coordinate and align all required plans of our Illinois districts.

14. Access the District Improvement Plan
The District RtI plan is embedded in the District Improvement Plan template. This template is located on the IIRC website.
Illinois districts had no need of an additional plan separate from DIP. RtI is to be about improved academic achievement, so there was and is not need to create another paperwork requirements.

15. Goal for 2010 – Integrated Planning
From this. . .
To this. . .
The goal for 2010 is to move from districts and schools having multiple unused binders of multiple plans to one integrated plan and binder that is actually used to guide district and school level decision making.

16. District is not in Status
District AYP Status
District is in Status
District is not in Status
Must Complete
All
DIP Sections
Must Complete
RtI
Components
A frequently asked question by district staff is “do I have to do the whole District Improvement Plan”. A district must if it is in AYP status but does not have to if it is not in AYP status.

17. Required District Plan Components
There are 10 sections of the District Improvement Plan which support the required components of District RtI planning.
4 components are embedded in Sections I B-D
5 components are embedded in Section II A-D
1 component is embedded in Section III-A

18. District Improvement Plan – Components to Consider
Consensus Building and Collaboration
Standards-Based Curriculum and Research-Based Instruction
Research-Based Assessment Practices
Student Intervention/Problem Solving Team Process
Intervention Strategy Identification
Resources Allocation
Ongoing Professional Development for Effective RtI
Consensus Building and collaboration – is RtI is a fully-integrated educational approach? It is not the sole responsibility of either the regular or special educator. Responsibility is shared among all district staff.
Utilizing and implementing curricula aligned with the state standards – it expects instruction to be tied to what we know and continue to learn about research and evidence-based practices
Assessment is vital to RtI –we use such terms as universal screeners, progress monitoring instruments, etc. The Self-assessment asks districts to consider what they are already doing in terms of collecting and using data about students.
Problem-solving – IL is looking for an individual and team approach based upon unmet student needs. Decisions are based upon data not hunches.
Intervention Strategy Identification– looks at differing approaches to intervening in order to address student learning problems early – before a student becomes accustomed to failure.
Resources - RtI doesn’t come with new $. Rather it is the expectation of using and aligning existing resources to provide quality instruction for all students
Professional Development – this section asks districts to look at what PD they currently offer and consider how that PD lends itself to a comprehensive academic improvement plan which can support data-based decision making and differentiated or tiered instruction.

19. District Improvement Plan – Section I
B – Local Assessment Data (universal screeners/progress monitoring)
C – Item 1 Other Data Attributes and Challenges (curriculum and instructional approaches)
C – Item 3 Other Data Parent Involvement
D – Key Factors (curriculum, analyze impact of RtI on curriculum and instruction)
Changes – currently Section I-B Local Assessment Data is an optional section. Beginning January 1, 2009 this section will become required for all districts. Narrative describing the assessments for universal screening and progress monitoring.
Section I-C The Other Data Attributes and Challenges section is an appropriate place to discuss curricular materials and instructional approaches selected by the district to support RtI
Section I-C: Item 3 This section provides an opportunity to discuss the state (data included) of parent involvement in understanding and participating in Response to Intervention.
Section I-D – Key Factors – Since the presence or absence of a strong and fully implemented core curriculum has a profound impact upon student performance the analysis of Key Factors section provides another opportunity to analyze the influence of Response to Intervention on the district curriculum and instruction.

20. District Improvement Plan – Section II
A – Action Plan RtI Objective
B – Student Strategies and Activities for RtI
C – Professional Development Strategies and Activities for RtI
D – Parent Involvement Strategies and Activities for RtI
E – Monitoring Process for RtI
Section II – planning space for a specific RtI objective and strategies involving student activities (tiered or differentiated instruction evident),
professional development activities to support RtI,
activities to increase parent knowledge of RtI and involvement in the educational decision-making process,
and description of a process to monitor district implementation of RtI.

21. District Improvement Plan – Section III
A – Development, Review and Implementation Stakeholder Involvement
Section III – A should now include detailed information describing specifically how stakeholders (parents, district staff, outside consultants, etc) were consulted to develop the district RtI implementation plan.

22. Defining Response to Intervention (RtI)
Many presenters out there now talking about Response to Intervention.
Some cautions districts should consider before hiring a consultant, attending a conference or purchasing a product–
On the shelf waste – is there teacher/administrator “buy in” to use the product
Assessment to cure all – is the vendor and/or presenter making promises that seem too good to be true
Credentials of the presenter – what does this person do? Does the presenter have experience in the regular education classroom or school? Has the presenter differentiated instruction? Does the presenter understand the link between RtI and Specific Learning Disability determination?
Affiliations and financial links of the presenter – Is it clear if the presenter or conference sponsor is neutral or has links to a specific assessment product, curriculum or organization?

23. Response to Instruction = RtI
Approach for redesigning and establishing teaching and learning environments that are effective, efficient, relevant and durable for all students, families and educators
NOT a program, curriculum, strategy, intervention
NOT limited to special education
NOT new
Again, Response to intervention is really a response to instruction
RTI means educators stop to look frequently at what DATA says students are learning.
Old model of instruction – once a year “teach and pray”. School decision making and student placement decisions were made on limited sets of data.
New model – universal screening for all students
more frequent screening and progress monitoring for “struggling” students
Districts need to consider RtI as Effective Instruction for all students. This is not simply a special education initiative. It is not a new idea or a “fad.” RtI does what good classroom teachers have always done – measures where students are and early on provide “more” to help those who are struggling find success.

24. Essential Components
Response to Intervention (RtI) consists of Three Essential Components:
High quality, research-based instruction/ intervention matched to student needs
Frequent use of data to determine learning rate and student performance level
Educational decisions based upon the student’s response to instruction/ intervention
RtI is about fidelity of implementation of the core curriculum and instruction in every classroom in every Illinois school.
Questions we should be asking ourselves on a daily basis include:
is quality core instruction really happening?
is data being used to determine if students are learning?
is the “treatment” is being done to the student determined by the data (response) or by what we’ve always done?
What happens when a student is struggling: do we consider the individual student or “one size fits all”?

25. Quality Education for All Students
In an RtI Model educators will:
Use assessments for screening, diagnostics and progress monitoring
Use data from those assessments to inform instructional decisions
Use a multi-tier model of instruction to respond to student needs
Collaborate among teachers, school support personnel, administrators and parents
Effective RtI depends upon the more frequent use of assessments to determine a student’s educational progress. These assessments are used to screen (identify struggling students), diagnose (determine skill weaknesses) and progress monitor (determine if instruction is having a positive impact).
In effective RtI, educators use data from the assessments to determine student placement within the Tiers of RtI. Student placement is flexible and is based upon the response to instruction demonstrated by the student.
The multiple tiers allow teachers to be responsive to the data-identified needs of their students. Tier 1 is offered to all students and involves the core curriculum. Additional instructional interventions are provided in Tiers 2 and 3. The amount and type of intervention is determined through a collaborative team approach to reviewing and assessing student progress on an increasingly intensive continuum.
RtI enhances the collaboration between special educators, specialists, other school support personnel, the general education classroom teacher and the parents because students are not removed from the general education classroom (and the core curriculum) at the first hint of trouble. Struggling students become the responsibility of the collaborative team not the responsibility of one.

26. Quality Education for All Students
In an RtI Model educators will
Use scientific, research-based instructional interventions when data show students are not successful
Intervene early rather than adopt a “wait to fail” approach to education
Effectively teach all children
Scientific, research-based instructional interventions are put in place in ADDITION TO the Tier I core curriculum presented using sound instructional practices.
The type and frequency of interventions is determined by a variety of factors including the student’s age, instructional content, resources and staffing patterns of the school.
Interventions take place early in the educational process. Universal screeners are administered to all children and educational decisions are then made for those students who are not performing as expected.

27. RtI is the Foundation of Instructional Improvement
RtI is, at its core, about improving instruction for all students.

28. Meeting the Needs of ALL Students
RtI IS School Improvement
One Educational System
Educational Reform
Education Initiatives
Response to Intervention
An EVERY EDUCATION Initiative
Three Tier Model of School Supports
Problem Solving Method of Decision-Making
Integrated Data Collection that Informs Instruction
RtI is about school improvement. It is about every subject, every student, every member of the school community.
RtI is about differentiating instruction to meet student needs
RtI is about using the information (data) we have about students to help them learn
RtI is about school staff and parents working together to help students before learning difficulties grow into permanent patterns of failure.
RtI is an umbrella to coordinate school reform efforts.

29. The Illinois Model
This next section provides a brief overview of the components in the Illinois Model of Response to Intervention.
This model was developed through the collaborative efforts of the RtI Stakeholders Group. This group worked together from August to December of 2007 to reach consensus regarding what RtI model would best support the needs of Illinois students and schools.
Members of the Stakeholder group were drawn from professional organizations, higher education, ISBE staff, Regional Offices of Education staff, parent organizations and the Illinois RtI Pilot Centers (ASPIRE).

30. Multi-Tier Model Academic Systems Behavioral Systems
Individual Students/Very Small Group
Assessment-based
High Intensity
Individual Students/ Very Small Group
Intense, durable procedures
Tier 2
Some students (at-risk)
High efficiency
Rapid response
Tier 1
All students
Preventive, proactive
All settings, all students
Preventive, proactive
The Illinois model employs a three-tier approach. Academic and Behavioral considerations are both included in the IL model.
Many states use set % of students for each tier. The Illinois model allows flexibility in the tier % based upon individual school needs and characteristics.

31. *Percentages will vary by district/school
Defining the Tiers
Tier 1: Core curriculum meets the needs of 80%* or more of the students
Tier 2: 20%* of the students may be identified as at-risk and require supplemental instruction/intervention in addition to the core curriculum
Tier 3: 5%* of those students may be identified as needing more intensive, small group or individual interventions to supplement the core curriculum
*Percentages will vary by district/school
Tier 1 – 80% of students – quality instruction, quality curriculum, time devoted to the instruction and curriculum
Tier 2 – 15% of students – screening shows missing some skills or content; added instruction (intervention); more frequent monitoring of progress
Tier 3 – 5% of students – not making progress with more intensive Tier 2 interventions as measured by more frequent data points; additional and smaller group interventions and more frequent progress monitoring

32. Benefits of RtI for ELL Students
Increased accountability for all learners
Greater collaboration and shared responsibility of school staff for all learners
Elimination of “wait to fail” approach
Reduced disproportionate representation of students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
Improved classroom assessment and subsequent instructional modifications
Accountability - move away from “those kids” mentality
Collaboration – students are everyone’s students
Wait to Fail – early interventions to teach discrete skills early before the difficulties compound
Disproportionality – RtI provides more data and more intervention to better determine if the problem is a learning disability or something else
Elimination of One-Size Fits All – realize all students do not learn in the same way at the same time; expectation of more than one approach to teaching students

33. Concerns Regarding RtI and ELLs
Lack of teacher preparation and experience
Limited research base on effective instructional practices
Needed research and development of CBMs to screen and progress monitor
Need for strong administrative vision and leadership
These concerns appear in the research for RtI and English Language Learners –
However, these concerns also appear in every piece of research regarding RtI in general

34. Reasons to Push Ahead. . .
“First, the universal screening and progress monitoring. . .allow for comparison of students to other similar or ‘true’ peers in their local cohort rather than to national norms. Second, an effective RTI model requires collaboration among all educators. . . providing increased opportunities for professional dialogue, peer coaching, and the creation of instructional models integrating the best practices of the various fields of education and related services ”
If we focus on continually improving what we offer to students, we have to push ahead. ISBE is aware IL has jumped far ahead of other states in pushing districts to “require” RtI. However, the diversity of Illinois forces us to push ahead.
Here are three reasons RtI, even without all the answers, is what we should be doing for our students. . .
DATA – look at the individual
TEAM – educators and parents work together to become better

35. Reasons to Push Ahead. . .
“Third, students who are struggling can be identified early and supported before falling too far behind to ever catch up.”
- Brown & Doolittle, 2008
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT – stop leaving students behind and teaching them to feel comfortable with failure
Most importantly, fear of change is absolutely no adequate reason to let our students fail. If what we were currently doing was reaching ALL students, there would be little incentive to change. However, today’s numbers indicate we are not doing enough. . .

36. Additional Resources
ISBE is aware districts are receiving a great deal of conflicting information from various sources regarding RtI. The following resources contain the “official” ISBE requirements and information for RtI. Additionally the other web-based resources are from national centers which ISBE often collaborates with or reviews their materials to determine if they continue to align with the Illinois RtI model.

37. ISBE Web Resources General Illinois RtI Information
The RtI Self-Assessment Template
e-Plan Writing Guides
process.htm
The general RtI page contains links to the NASDE Blueprints which were used to help draft the Illinois rules and Illinois State Plan. The RtI Self-Assessment Template is a useful tool for school and/or district teams to use in order to determine where the organization is in terms of RtI. Finally, the e-Plan Writing Guides contains information and guiding questions for District Improvement Plans (with RtI embedded), School Improvement Plans, Restructuring Plans, and Title I District Plans.
The materials are reviewed and updated to the webpage as changes in requirements are made.

38. Other Web-Based Resources
Center on Instruction - provides research and information on reading, math and science K-12 instruction as well as special education and English language learning
National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt) – provides technical assistance and professional development in Culturally Responsive Response to Intervention
National Center on Response to Intervention – provides resources and research on broad list of topics including RtI and cultural and linguistic diversity
These three web-based resources provide a broad variety of resources. Research articles, complete professional development modules, self-assessment instruments as well as opinion papers are available at each of these sites. Illinois has worked closely with the National Center on Response to Intervention in the development of its RtI approach.
All sites are continually reviewing and updating their resources.