1. Response to Instruction (RtI)
Birmingham City Schools
Administrator Retreat – July 29, 2015
Handouts – Rubric, Classroom Rounds Form,
Melissa Shields, ALSDE, Office of Student Learning
Christine Spear, ALSDE, RtI Coordinator

3. How well do you understand the RtI process?

4. RtI & Effective Teaching
Doing what is needed to teach students
Teaching students using scientifically validated methods
Checking regularly to see how well students are learning
Adjusting instruction as needed to improve student outcomes

5. Tiered Instructional and Intervention Model

6. Alabama’s Tiered Instruction and Intervention Model
Page 3 in RtI manual
Alabama’s instructional model has three Tiers that focus on academics and behavioral strategies in the general education setting.
Tier I-All students-Research-based core instruction. Does student make progress?
Tier II-At risk students-Designed for students that are not adequately progressing in Tier I instruction. Targeted interventions that build on Tier I. Tier III-Students that are not responding to Tier I instruction or Tier II interventions. Intense Interventions.
RtI is a service not a place.

7. Problem Solving Team (PST)
All schools will have at least one RtI Problem Solving Team. PSTs will help to guide general education intervention services for all students who have academic or behavior difficulties.
The team members will include:
Classroom Teachers
School Counselor
Instructional Coaches
Intervention Teachers
Administrator
Special Education Teachers
Decisions regarding frequency and duration of PST meeting should be determined at the school level. Each student’s data should be reviewed by the PST monthly.
Schools may elect to structure PSTs as grade-level teams, across grade levels and by departments.

8. RTI Essential Elements
Tiers of instruction and interventions
(research-based!)
Specific steps for all players
District-level Leadership Teams
Problem Solving Teams
Content Teachers
Intervention Teachers
Administrators

9. Purpose of RTI across the grades
K-3
Prevent academic and behavior difficulties
No gaps allowed!
4-8
Close gaps that happened anyway!
Accelerate skills growth

10. Purpose of RTI across the grades
9-12
Close gaps (if possible) but also….
Do whatever it takes to…
Prevent drop out
Help student acquire content knowledge
Student may need to learn to work around math or reading limits

11. Response to Instruction (RtI) Framework Implementation Questions
Strong Weak
Response to Instruction (RtI) Framework Implementation Questions
Does your district level RtI team include both Special Education and Instructional support personnel? Did they work together to develop the RtI Framework?
Does your RtI framework include a process for determining what your students know and don’t know? (Screening)
Is your RtI framework integrated with other focused improvement efforts?
Is your RtI framework designed to help low-achieving students catch up?
Does your RtI framework include a separate intervention time for students who are struggling severely with basic skills?
Is your RtI framework designed to help Students at or above grade level excel?
Does your RtI framework include professional development and coaching support for teachers?
Does your RtI framework include school wide and targeted behavioral supports?
Does your RtI framework include a list of available resources for each Tier?
Does your district have a systematic process for communicating expectations for implementation of RtI processes?
Pass out rubric and let them self-assess

12. How well do you understand the RtI process?

13. Tiers of Effective Instruction and Interventions

14. Elementary Tier Model K-3
Plus Special Education
? % 5%
Tier 3
Intensive Intervention
Intervention provided daily in the classroom
Tier 2
15%
Comprehensive Core Instruction in Reading and in Math
Tier 1
80%

15. Academically, what should Tier 1 include for K-3 students?
Best practice appears to be 90 minutes in reading and 60 minutes in math of uninterrupted core instruction.
NRP (National Reading Panel) and NMAP (National Mathematics Advisory Panel) suggest a combination of whole and small group differentiated instruction.

16. Tier 2 for K-3 elementary students….
Additional small group instruction
Best when provided by classroom teacher
Frequent progress monitoring
At least weeks in duration but…
Time really depends upon what the data reveal
May need additional rounds of Tier 2 if “adequate progress” is being made
May need to move to Tier 3 if “inadequate progress” is being made

17. Tier 3 for K-3 elementary students….
Intensive intervention
Does not replace or supplant (Tier 1) but may replace Tier 2
Designed to meet identified student needs in math, reading, and behavior

18. Tier 3 for K-3 elementary students….
Student will miss something
Decide what will be missed
Schedule for success!
Who might provide this intervention?
Title I; reading, math, or behavior interventionists; SPED; Para; Classroom teacher, etc

19. Intensive Intervention classes
Grade Tier Model
Plus Special Education
? %
Tier 3 5%
Intensive Intervention classes
Differentiated strategy instruction in content classes small group-intentional groupings
Tier 2
15%
Tier 1
80%
Core instruction=Strategy instruction in content classes whole and small group

20. About Grades 4-12 Tier 1 Grade-level standards-based instruction
Students learn how to learn
Strategic teaching or content literacy instruction provided in ALL classes
Some time for students to work with peers daily in ALL classes
Encourages student engagement
Students become active participants in the learning process
Students “make their own meaning”

21. About Grades 4-12 Tier 2
Differentiated strategic teaching to support grade-level standards instruction
Teacher explicitly models strategies with students and scaffolds as needed
Opportunities for peer-tutors and heterogeneous grouping - stripe day (weaker with stronger and teacher rotates among groups)
Opportunities for homogeneous grouping – solid day (skill-level groups and teacher works with low group and provides differentiated challenges for other groups to complete independently)

22. Tiered Instruction in Secondary Classroom

23. RtI Scheduling What are you doing now?
What improvements could you make?

24. So how do we bring these Tiers into reality and make this all work?
Everybody takes the steps needed to move along in this journey …

25. Steps for Problem Solving Teams

26. PST Members Roles Chairperson
Which students will be discussed and in what order?
Notify members
Secretary
Note decisions made and generate parent letters
Timekeeper
Keep discussion on track and timely
Data person
Present and explain graphs

27. Team’s Work in RTI Implementation (same as steps for grades 4-12!)
Review screening data
Match students with appropriate interventions
Select appropriate progress monitoring tools
Set measurable intervention goals
Review progress monitoring data and make recommendations
Send progress “reports” to parents on a regular basis
DOCUMENTATION!!!!

28. Steps for the Administrator

29. What Not to Do…..

30. Administrator’s Work in RTI Implementation (Same as for grades 4-12)
Ensure that the RTI framework and PST process are established.
Attend PST meetings.
Understand what effective core instruction, Tier 2 intervention, and Tier 3 intervention look like.
Conduct frequent classroom walkthroughs.
Ensure that all three Tiers are being implemented with fidelity.
Arrange schedule to facilitate instruction and intervention success.
Secure needed professional development for faculty.

31. Encouraging Students
Help students understand the purpose of the intervention and progress monitoring
Celebrate successes and/or effort
Be patient
Try to avoid thinking or saying “If you would just try harder or pay attention!”

32. Be a Cheerleader
Cheer Dad:

33. Behavior
If a student’s behavior is affecting their ability to learn, behavior must be addressed.

34. Universal Screening District Plan-SAMPLE
All students in K-6 will be tested three times a year.
All students in grades 7-11 will take the assessment at the beginning of the year. Only students that score below the 25th percentile will be tested at mid-year. Only students that score below the 25th percentile at mid-year will be tested at the end-of-the-year.
12th grade students that received RtI Tiered instruction in the 11th grade, should also be tested at the beginning of the year. 
This is subject to change

35. Problem-Solving Team Student Intervention Plan SAMPLE
The PST will develop an intervention plan for each student receiving interventions.
Please complete the entire plan.
List specific concerns and screening data. (STAR Diagnostic Report/Instructional Planning-Student)
Identify concern(s), types of interventions and the date initiated.
List number of weeks and the student’s goal.
Rate of Improvement
List the progress monitoring tool and intervention materials.
Page 54
Completing the entire plan shows that you know the student.
Intervention goals are set by determining the student’s baseline level of performance on the task which will be used for progress monitoring then by deciding the level of performance on the progress monitoring task which should be achieved by the student by the end of the year.
Diagnostic is looking at grade level. Show individual skills within each Skill Area (May increase report page count)
Instructional Planning shows skills that student needs next regardless of skill level.
It is a good idea to keep a folder on each student that receives Tier II and Tier III interventions. (A binder can be used.)

36. When Scores Go Up and Down
When a test is administered frequently, an individual’s score often fluctuates.
Some fluctuation is likely, a trend line is a better indicator of growth and projected growth than scores from individual test.
If your trend line stays straight or goes down, change the interventions.
When a test is administered frequently, an individual’s score often fluctuates. This could be due to student anxiety, illness, motivation, level of attention, or regression to the mean. (Regression to the Mean is a tendency of those with the highest scores on an initial test to score closer to average on a second test and those with the lowest scores to score closer to the average and therefore higher on the second test. These factors do not make a test invalid or unreliable. Because some fluctuation is likely, a trend line is a better indicator of growth and projected growth than scores on individual test.

37. Principals Walkthroughs, or “Classroom Rounds”
The principal has the responsibility to ensure and document that all PST procedures are implemented with fidelity.
The principal has the responsibility to ensure that all Tiers of instruction and intervention are provided with fidelity.
Page 24-26

38. Classroom Rounds Activity

39. How well do you understand the RtI process?

40. Continuous Instruction and Intervention Services
When students begin the intervention process (Tier II or Tier III), they will continue in that process until they have reached their goal (grade-level standards and skills) or until they are referred to the next level.
RtI interventions may be carried over from one school year to the next school year.
Page 7
Unlike the BBSST process, RtI interventions may be carried over from one school year to the next school year.

41. Special Education Referrals
Students are only referred for special education testing after Tier III interventions have proven ineffective; however, there are emergency procedures as needed.
If a student is referred for special education testing, do not stop interventions and documentation.
If a parent request special education testing, we will start the RtI process immediately. A student intervention plan will be completed and a student must receive interventions for a reasonable amount of time. 12 wks is an reasonable amount of time. This gives the school time to try several interventions.
Checklist-Documentation needed from Problem Solving Team

42. Special Education Completion
When the IEP team finds that a student is no longer in need of special education services, the IEP team may determine that the student should transition to either Tier II or Tier III interventions.
In coordination with the IEP team, the PST will ensure that appropriate intervention support and progress monitoring are provided to the student who is no longer in need of special education services.
Page 12

43. Documentation Sent to Middle or High Schools
When a student is promoted to the middle or high school, please send a copy of the Student Intervention Plan with their records.

44. Concerns and Questions
Embedded PD
Coaches in Classrooms More – Modeling and Turning Around Best Practices. Less administrative and more partnering.
Coaches in Middle/High Schools?
Principals would like to visit some RTI best practice schools – Send possible list.
Ensure we are all speaking same language (whole faculty and leadership) – look at structure.
Intensive progress monitoring
RTI Plan – Revisit, update, disseminate, and implement
Focus on process and best practices (tiered instruction, FA, differentiated instruction, etc.) -

45. Questions?