1. St. Vrain Valley School District
Response to Intervention: Improving the Academic and Behavior Outcomes for ALL Students
St. Vrain Valley School District
Renee Collier
RtI Coordinator

2. Goals & Objectives To gain an understanding of the RtI framework
Rationale for adoption of RtI
Demonstrate how RtI connects with existing district goals, priorities, and initiatives

3. Discussion: Read the quote below:
“The quality of a school as a learning community can be measured by how effectively it addresses the needs of struggling students.” --Wright (2005)
Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

4. Why RtI?
The formal incorporation of RTI models in the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act signaled a major change in the approaches that schools may use to identify students as eligible for special education in the learning disability (LD) category.

5. IQ-Achievement Discrepancy
Passed Away on December 3, 2004: Burial to be announced

6. CADI Process Completed January 21-February 1, 2008
COMPREHENSIVE
APPRAISAL
for
DISTRICT
IMPROVEMENT

7. Top 5 Priorities Identified During the CADI Roll Out
1. Develop and Implement a systemic organization which clearly identifies the structures and processes for our work. Hold us accountable for RESULTS.
2. Synthesize a viable Standards-Based curriculum. Develop accountability procedures for every teacher, principal, administrator, and instructional classified staff member, which are frequent, documented, and assessed by STUDENT RESULTS.

8. EFFECTIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (CADI)
Clearly define, develop and implement a comprehensive Response to Intervention (RtI) model for all schools to follow as they develop interventions for students who do not learn at proficient levels in the classroom.
RtI needs to specifically address students who are not achieving proficiency. Develop a plan to “roll-out” the RtI model district-wide including district expectations, successful models, protocols, and process documents.

9. Standards-Based Teaching & Learning Cycle
What do students need to know, understand, and be able to do?
How do we teach effectively to ensure students learn?
How do we know that students have learned?
What do we do when students do not learn or reach proficiency before expectation?
RtI

10. We make the path by walking it

11. Advanced Organizers This is a process that will take time
RtI is more about general education than special education
RtI is a component of the Standards-Based Teaching and Learning Cycle

12. How long does it take to implement fully the problem-solving/RtI process?
Evidence from Iowa and Minnesota would suggest that it takes 4-6 years (or more) to complete full implementation. Full implementation includes policy and regulatory change, staff development, and development of building/district-based procedures.

13. ULTIMATE PURPOSE of RTI
Not to determine whether a student qualifies for special education, but rather to enhance the success of students with a variety of academic and behavioral needs.

14. The overarching purpose of RtI implementation
is to improve educational
outcomes for all
RtI Defined
Response to Intervention is an
approach that promotes a well-
integrated system connecting
general, compensatory, gifted, and
special education in providing high
quality, standards-based instruction
& intervention that is matched to
students’ academic, social-
emotional, and behavioral needs.
A continuum of evidence-based,
tiered interventions with increasing
levels of intensity and duration is
central to RtI.
Collaborative educational decisions
are based on data derived from
frequent monitoring of student
performance and rate of learning.
students.

15. Response to Intervention is
The practice of providing high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs
and
using learning rate over time and level of performance to make educational decisions

16. RtI is not….. A panacea A curriculum, an intervention,
one theoretical orientation
One-size-fits-all
Hoops to jump through

17. Traditional vs. Problem-Solving
Focus on problems within child
Causes presumed to be largely due to internal variables
Unexpected underachievement (relative to ability)
IQ-Achievement discrepancy
Assumes better classification leads to better treatment
Focus on outcomes
Causes presumed to be largely due to external variables
Unexpected underachievement (relative to good instruction)
Failure to respond to empirically validated instruction or interventions
Decisions about students based on progress monitoring data

18. How it fits
General discussion about RtI/multitiered model insert Colorado’s as an example

19. Six Essential Components of RtI
Leadership
Curriculum & Instruction
Problem-Solving Process
Progress Monitoring
School Culture & Climate
Family and Community Engagement

20. Leadership
Leadership at the state, district, and building level is crucial to the fidelity of RtI implementation.
Administrators must prioritize resource allocation to support the effort, as well as offer professional development to school staffs, on the philosophical underpinnings of RtI.
Staff development on the RtI philosophy will help establish and promote consistency among districts and schools which is imperative for successful implementation.

21. Curriculum Across the Tiers
Universal Tier
Provide foundation of curriculum and school organization that has a high probability(80 – 90% of students responding) of bringing students to a high level of achievement in all areas of development/content
Choose curricula that has evidence of producing optimal levels of achievement (evidence-based curriculum)
Targeted Tier
Supplemental curriculum aligned with Core Curriculum and designed to meet the specific needs of the targeted group
Intensive Tier
Focused curriculum designed to meet the specific needs of the targeted group and/or individual
Consideration of replacement Core curriculum

22. Instruction Across the Tiers
Universal Tier
Instructional strategies that are proven effective by research
Instruction that is systematic and explicit
Differentiated instruction
Targeted
Involves homogeneous small group or individual instruction
Explicit and systematic instruction targeting specific skill/content
Research-based instruction to such student factors as age, giftedness, cultural environment, level of English language acquisition, mobility, etc.
Supplemental to Tier I instruction -- increasing time and intensity
Intensive
Explicit, intense instruction designed to unique learner needs
Delivered to individuals or very small groups
Narrowed instructional focus and increased time
For forth bullet point - for application of skills, re-teaching , additional practice and/or advanced level tasks as determined by benchmarks and progress monitoring data

24. The Problem-Solving Process
Steps in the Process
Roles of the Team
Define the Problem
What is the problem?
2. Problem Analysis
Why is this problem occurring?
3. Implement Plan
What are we going to do about it? How will we monitor progress?
Evaluate Response to Intervention
Did it work?
Coordinator
Consultant
Recorder
Timekeeper
Parent
Persons with Expertise in:
Data
Interventions
- Academic/Behavioral
Parent Partnerships
Community Resources

25. Problem-Solving Team
Comprised of teachers (classroom and special educators), specialists, and parents
Partner with parents
Plan prescriptive interventions for students
Promote shared responsibility for student learning
Collect and review data
Evaluate responsiveness to intervention

26. Assessments in RtI
Screening and Benchmark Universal measures that give a quick read on whether students have mastered critical skills.
Diagnostic Individually administered to gain more in-depth information and guide appropriate instruction or intervention plans.
Progress Monitoring Determines whether adequate progress is made based on individual goals regarding critical skills.
Outcome Provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of instruction and indicate student year-end achievement when compared to grade-level performance standards.

27. Progress Monitoring
Is a method of monitoring education progress through direct assessment of academic skills. It is used to measure basic skills in reading, math, written expression, and readiness skills.

28. Progress Monitoring=Formative Assessment
Process of assessing student achievement frequently during instruction to determine whether an instructional program is effective

29. Informs When students are progressing, continue using interventions.
When students are not progressing, change or adjust intervention.

30. Progress Monitoring Tools
Aimsweb
Dibels
STAR
Tests of Reading Fluency
Lexile Score
***It is on-going, systematic process for gathering data

31. Treatment/Intervention
What Does the Research Say About What is Effective With Struggling Learners? These are Meta Analysis Data from Kavale 2003
Treatment/Intervention
Effect Size
Special Education Placement
-.14 to .29
Modality Matched Instruction (Auditory)
+.03
Modality Matched Instruction (Visual)
+.04
Teacher-Directed Instruction/ Graphing and Formative Evaluation
+.70
Teacher-Directed Instruction, Progress Monitoring, Graphing, Formative Evaluation, and Systematic use of Reinforcement
+1.00

32. Progress Monitoring in RTI
Intensive Monitoring
Intensive interventions based on comprehensive evaluation.
For students with most intensive needs that may be several grade levels behind.
Monitoring occurs more often to ensure intervention is working (e.g., every 1-2 weeks).
Approximately 1-5% of students.
Strategic Monitoring
Targeted interventions based on data that students are at-risk of failure.
For students who are struggling with specific skills
Monitoring occurs more than at the universal level to ensure intervention is working (e.g., every 4-6 weeks).
Approximately 5-10% of students.
Universal Level
Research-based, high quality general education.
Screening and benchmark testing for ALL students.
Data continues to inform instruction, but less frequently (e.g., 3 times a year).
Enough monitoring for 80-90% of students.

33. Positive School Climate: Essential Practices
Defining and consistently teaching expectations of behavior for students, parents, and educators
Acknowledging and recognizing students and adults consistently for appropriate behaviors
Monitoring, correcting or re-teaching behavioral errors

34. PUTTING
IT ALL TOGETHER

35. BEST PRACTICES of Tier I
Core Instruction
Assessment/Progress Monitoring
Data discussions
What should the overall process look like during Tier I?

36. Core Instruction During Tier I
Scientifically based core instructional programs and practices
Based on state/district standards and benchmarks
Intervention occurs within the general design of the classroom (flooding, flexible grouping)
Instructional changes are made based on classroom and school-wide assessment

37. Data Discussions in Tier I
Professional Learning Communities
Data-dialogue meetings
Grade or Content-level meetings
Meeting should be efficient, organized, and scheduled regularly
Discuss
Whole group, flexible group changes, class changes at secondary
Curricular gaps based on review of class benchmarks or other data

38. Assessment in Tier I
Progress monitoring is conducted primarily using school-wide screenings three times per year
Classroom assessments
Benchmarks
Quarterly and Unit Assessments

39. BEST PRACTICES of Tier II: and how to Distinguish from Tier I
Problem Solving Process
Data dialogue
Assessment/Progress Monitoring
Design of Instruction/Intervention
Standard Protocol Intervention
What should the overall process look like at this tier?

41. How does this model compare to what you have in place?
What will it take to move to this practice?

42. The NHSC identified the following eight issues specifically related to RTI at the secondary level
Identifying screening and progress monitoring tools across subject areas
Identifying middle/high school appropriate intervention models that work
Implementation issues unique to high schools
Examining the changing roles for general and special education teachers
Determining universal instruction across content areas
Ensuring structural supports for professional collaboration
Ensuring ongoing professional development
Expanding parent communication

43. Standard Protocol Example
In the spring, all eighth-grade students participate in a screening series, which is an examination of multiple measures of student achievement.
All incoming ninth-grade students receive core literacy instruction.
Based on a review of assessment data, students entering high school half a year to two years behind, receive the core literacy instructional program as well as an additional literacy workshop course that provides them with support materials that scaffold the core literacy program.
Entering high school students who are more than two years below grade level are enrolled in a double block of language arts that consists of an intensive English language arts program or an after-school reading program.

44. Helpful Websites
Intervention Central: progress monitoring, intervention ideas, behavior resources
Aimsweb: progress monitoring resources
What Works Clearinghouse: Strategies and programs that are researched based
Doing What Works: U.S. Department of Education resources on interventions that are research based

45. Helpful Websites
Florida Center for Reading Research: reading research based information
Pikes Peak Literacy Strategies Project:
Strategies for the 5 components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension and vocabulary)
National Progress Monitoring Organization: progress monitoring tools

46. Excellence can be achieved if you…
Care more than others think is wise…
Risk more than others think is safe…
Dream more than others think is practical…
Expect more than others think is possible…
- Roland Barth