1. Dan Ebbert Paul Cicciarelli
RTI and Behavior: Using BESST Web to Identify SEL Deficits Within an RTI Model
Dan Ebbert
Paul Cicciarelli

2. Presentation Objectives
Present history behind SEL in Illinois and the need for universal screening of behavior
Describe essential components of universal screening within an RTI framework
Discuss the features of BESST Web and how to use BESST Web within an RTI framework
Answer your questions about BESST Web and universal screening with BESST Web

3. What is SEL?
Definition: “A process for helping children and even adults develop the fundamental skills for life effectiveness” (CASEL, 2009).
SEL focuses on five core areas:
1.) Self-awareness
2.) Self-management
3.) Social awareness
4.) Interpersonal skills
5.) Responsible decision-making

4. Research on SEL When SEL improves there is also improvement in:
Attitudes (motivation and commitment)
Behavior (participation and study habits)
Performance (grades and subject mastery)
Zins, Weisberg, Wand, & Walberg (2004)

5. Research on SEL (cont.)
There is also a correlation between good mental health and:
High motivation and aspirations
Effort
Reduction in aggression and disruption
Good problem solving and planning
Higher-level reasoning strategies
Communication and social skills
Interpersonal conflict management
Zins, Weisberg, Wand, & Walberg (2004)

6. Research on SEL (cont.)
SEL lowers the risk of problems like school violence and youthful drug and alcohol use
SEL has also been shown to help facilitate academic learning
Weissberg & Zins (2003)

7. What does good mental health look/feel like in children?
Happiness, optimism, and self-esteem
Ability to connect with others and form meaningful, mutually respectful relationships
Healthy eating habits and respect for their bodies
Learning and achieving at an optimal level
Success in school and life

8. What does a lack of mental health look/feel like?
Sadness
Anxiety
Pessimism
Anti-social behavior
Fear
Aggression
Lack of effort
Non-communicative
Lack of self-control

9. The Need for SEL: Complying with NCLB
Under No Child Left Behind, schools must establish plans for:
Being safe and drug-free
Closing the achievement gap between high- and low-performing students & between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers
Preventing at-risk students from dropping out of school
Implementing prevention programs that are grounded in scientific research and provide evidence of effectiveness

10. Illinois Children’s Mental Health Act (ICMHA)
2003 – Illinois General Assembly adopted the Children’s Mental Health Act
Required that ISBE develop social and emotional learning standards (SEL)
Standards were developed and accepted in December 2004

11. ICMHA (cont.)
Every Illinois school district required to develop policy for incorporating SEL into educational program
This involves:
a.) teaching social and emotional skills AND assessing children’s progress in acquiring these skills
b.) including protocols in responding to children with social, emotional, or mental health problems

12. State of Illinois SEL Goals
Social and emotional learning is the underpinning of good mental health
Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success
Goal 2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships
Goal 3: Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school and community contexts

13. Implications
School personnel are responsible for implementing SEL standards (in IL)
But, how do we know which students or classrooms need intervention?
Answer: Assessment and comparison to peers
So, what do we assess?
Answer: How well a student is able to perform or carry out each SEL skill
How do we assess this?

14. Universal Screening within RTI
Definition: “The systematic assessment of all children within a given class, grade, school building, or school district, on academic and/or social-emotional indicators that the school personnel and community have agreed are important” (Deno, 2003).

15. Universal Screening Needs to:
Identify academic and/or behavior concerns in need of additional assessment
Show how each student is responding to core instruction
Show how many students are at-risk
Show which students are in need of additional assessment
Show what levels of resource support might be needed to promote criterion-level performance
Ikeda, Nessen, & Witt (2008)

16. Universal Screening Needs to:
Provide data to teachers so that they can differentiate instruction
Be administered to an entire classroom/grade/school/district, using either an individual or group format
Have a reliability of .80
Identify which and how many students differ from the standard
Ikeda, Nessen, & Witt (2008)

17. Universal Screening Needs to:
Have items that are sufficient to accurately reflect changes in student performance
Eliminate sources of bias as much as possible
Be administered, scored, and interpreted by people who have been adequately trained
Ikeda, Nessen, & Witt (2008)

18. Universal Screening (cont.)
Provides data to:
a.) help determine if there are enhancements needed in the core curriculum, instruction, and/or general ed. environment
b.) guide decisions about supplemental or intensive instruction for those students who may require additional support beyond what is provided in core programming

19. Universal Screening (cont.)
Data can be used with parents as a more objective indication of:
How their child is doing in relation to grade-level standards
How their child’s performance compares with other children in the district
How their child’s performance has changed over the course of the school year

20. Universal screening occurs here
Academic
Behavioral
Tier 3: Intensive, Individual
Interventions
Individual Students
Assessment-based
Intense, durable procedures
Tier 3: Intensive, Individual
Interventions
Individual Students
Assessment-based
Intense, durable procedures
1-5%
1-5%
Tier 2: Targeted Group
Interventions
Some students (at-risk)
High efficiency
Rapid response
Tier 2: Targeted Group
Interventions
Some students (at-risk)
High efficiency
Rapid response
5-10%
5-10%
Tier 1: Universal
Interventions
All students
Preventive,
proactive
80-90%
Tier 1: Universal Interventions
All students
Preventive,
proactive
80-90%
BESST Web Focuses Here
Universal screening occurs here

21. Development of BESST Web
BESST Web was designed specifically for schools
BESST Web is the only tool that informs instruction as teachers complete it.
BESST Web is also related to goals and objective on IEPs
Assists in the goal writing process for IEPs

22. BESST Web Website Tour www.besstweb.com

47. = Why do Kids Fail? L I C E (Learner) (Instruction) (Curriculum)
(Environment)

48. Within BESST Web L I C E
= Student
= Class =
= School
= District