1. Evaluation and Eligibility Using RTI Crook County School District February 26, 2010

2. Objectives Participants will understand both general IDEA evaluation requirements and evaluation requirements for Specific Learning Disabilities Participants will understand characteristics of learning disabilities Participants will practice weighing information about student performance in the context of LD eligibility decisions

3. Steps in the evaluation process Referral for a special education evaluation Evaluation planning Prior Notice About Evaluation/Consent for Evaluation Evaluation (60 school days) Evaluation Summary Eligibility Determination meeting

4. Referral Typically made by the RTI team Parents may make a referral at any time If another disability is suspected, proceed to referral while intervening Remember: Referral does not equal evaluation. Once a student is referred, the evaluation planning team (including the parents) convene to determine if an evaluation is appropriate. Before the meeting, parents receive procedural safeguards. At the end of the meeting, parents receive prior notice of the team’s decision.

5. OAR’s: Referral (b) The public agency must designate a team to determine whether an initial evaluation will be conducted. (A) The team must include the parent and at least two professionals, at least one of whom is a specialist knowledgeable and experienced in the evaluation and education of children with disabilities.

6. OAR’s: Evaluation Planning (a) Review existing evaluation data on the child, including: (A) Evaluations and information provided by the parents of the child; (B) Current classroom-based, local, or state assessments, and classroom-based observations; and (C) Observations by teachers and related services providers; and (b) On the basis of that review, and input from the child's parents, identify what additional data, if any, are needed to determine: (A) Whether the child is, or continues to be, a child with a disability

7. Evaluation Planning Review of Existing Information: File Review and Data Summary for Tier III/Individual Problem Solving Student Intervention Profile Progress Monitoring Data Individual Problem Solving/Planning Worksheet Any additional diagnostic data Developmental History ELL Language Data (ELL checklist The team answers the question: What do we already know about the child?

8. When making evaluation decisions, consider: – General Requirements for evaluation – LD Eligibility Statement The team answers the questions: 1.What do we still need to know before we can determine if the student is eligible under IDEA? 2.What do we still need to know in order to determine the student’s educational needs? Evaluation Planning

9. OAR’s: Notice and Consent (a) Before conducting any evaluation or reevaluation, the public agency must provide notice to the parent in accordance with OAR 581-015-2310 that describes any evaluation procedures the agency proposes to conduct as a result of the evaluation planning process. (b) Before conducting any evaluation or reevaluation, the public agency must obtain informed written consent for evaluation in accordance with OAR 581-015-2090 and 581-015-2095. (c) If the public agency refuses an evaluation or reevaluation requested by the parent, the public agency must provide the parent with prior written notice under OAR 581-015-2310.

10. Eligibility Determination Identifying Learning Disabilities Under an RTI Model

11. Dual Discrepancy Low achievement and Slow Progress (despite intensive interventions) are the foundation for determining SLD eligibility using RTI. Low achievement and Slow Progress (despite intensive interventions) are the foundation for determining SLD eligibility using RTI. Also must consider Instructional Need. Also must consider Instructional Need.

12. Does the Student Have Significantly Low Skills? Determine parameters – Differentiate low from significantly low Below 16 th %ile 2 times discrepant Standard score below 85 Maintain consistency – Between schools, grades, and children

13. OAR’s: Significantly Low Skills (a)The child does not achieve adequately for the child's age or to meet Oregon grade-level standards in one or more of the following areas when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the child's age or Oregon grade-level standards: (A) Basic reading skills (B) Reading fluency skills (C) Reading comprehension

14. Is Progress Slow? How much is enough? Progress monitoring growth rates Yearly RIT gains Use the decision rules Context is key Typical growth National norms District norms Cohort growth

15. OAR’s: Slow Progress (b) For a student evaluated using a response to intervention model, in relation to one or more of the areas in subsection (3)(a), the student does not make sufficient progress to meet age or Oregon grade- level standards based on the student's response to scientific, research-based intervention.

16. Is the Intervention Intensive? Scientific, research-based (IDEA 2004) Sufficient frequency and duration Implemented with fidelity

17. Eligibility Decision Making It comes down to the balance. How does the “weight” of the intervention compare to the “weight” of progress?

18. OAR’s: Intervention & Slow Progress (A) The type, intensity, and duration of scientific, research-based instructional intervention(s) provided in accordance with the district's response to intervention model; (B) The student's rate of progress during the instructional intervention(s); (C) A comparison of the student's rate of progress to expected rates of progress. (D) Progress monitoring on a schedule that: (i) Allows a comparison of the student's progress to the performance of peers; (ii) Is appropriate to the student's age and grade placement; (iii) Is appropriate to the content monitored; and (iv) Allows for interpretation of the effectiveness of intervention.

19. Instructional Need Students need to receive the intensive instruction in order to make adequate progress. – Need to describe the instruction in either it’s content, methodology, and/or delivery Note… special education is not remedial education.

20. OAR’s: Instructional Need (4) For a child to be eligible for special education services as a child with a specific learning disability, the eligibility team must also determine that: (a) The child's disability has an adverse impact on the child's educational performance; and (b) The child needs special education services as a result of the disability.

21. Avoid Exclusionary Factors Lack of appropriate instruction Existence of another disability Limited English proficiency Environmental or Economic Disadvantage

22. 2 nd Grader Fall: ORF 22 Winter: ORF 55 Gain: 2.37 words/week Typical gain: 1.5 words/week Core program + SMART volunteer + Read Naturally 2 times per week +Phonics for Reading and Read Naturally 5 times per week Susie

23. 25th th percentile on ORF Remains at 25 th percentile “Low average” Core program 20 minutes/day additional practice 40 minutes/day explicit instruction and guided practice Ellie

24. 1st Grader Gain: 6-10 wpm in 8 weeks Other students gain 22 wpm in the same period of time Core program +45 minutes of decoding and fluency program Emily

25. 2 nd grader Reads 45 words per minute (target is 90 wpm) Core program Reading Mastery in addition New to the district Has been in 4 different school districts Recently moved in with a relative Johanna

26. 5th grader Reads 77 words per minute (target is 124 wpm) Scores below average benchmark on the State-wide assessment Core reading program 30 minutes of Corrective Reading 5x a week Natasha was adopted from Russia 2 years ago ELL teacher interviews family and finds out she didn’t attend school before she came the U.S. Natasha

27. 3rd grader Reads 45 words per minute in Spanish Reads 5 words per minute in English Core Spanish reading program Additional interventions in Spanish 5x a week since 1 st grade Has been in the same school since Kindergarten The other students in her cohort group read an average of 90 wpm in Spanish and English Marisol

28. Quality Evaluation Reports 1. Low Skills: – Actual level of performance is significantly below expected level of performance (on multiple measures) DIBELS scores Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) scores for math, reading, writing OAKS percentile ranks Other standardized test scores (WJ, WIAT, GRADE, etc) percentile ranks …as compared to expected level (Report template section 2)

29. 2. Slow Progress (despite research-based instruction and interventions matched to student need) – Baseline level of performance… – Ending level of performance… – Growth rates… …as compared to expected level – Description of decision-making based on district decision rules (Report Template section 3) Quality Evaluation Reports

30. 2. Slow Progress (cont) – Summary of each level of instruction/intervention (could include): Curriculum used Brief description of skills addressed # of weeks/months implemented; days per week, min per day Group size – Fidelity of implementation data: e.g. Observations of the Phonics for Reading intervention on 10/16/09, 11/2/09, and 11/17/09 indicate that an average of 97% of intervention components were implemented with fidelity. (Report Template section 3)

31. 3. Instructional Need – Summary of why the student requires specially designed instruction in order to make progress towards the district standards and benchmarks Examples: “Progress monitoring data indicate that Amy requires direct, explicit phonics instruction in a small group of no more than 4-5 students in order to make sufficient progress towards reading benchmarks.” “Data indicates that Scott only made significant progress to catch him up to his typical peers when provided with small group instruction focusing on number sense activities. This instruction was provided for 30 minutes for 5 days per week, in addition to his 60 minutes of Core math instruction. Without this additional support, Scott made no progress towards catching up to his peers.” (Report Template section 3 or 9) Quality Evaluation Reports

32. Quality Eligibility Reports Individually: Quickly review the report template, highlighting 4 or 5 bullets/sentences that provide especially useful information. As a Group: Share what you’ve highlighted. What makes this template useful?

33. Eligibility Determination meeting Held within 60 school days of receiving parental consent. The team, including the parents, decides if the student is eligible for special education services; NOT individuals.

34. Questions/Comments