Dr. Denise P. Gibbs, Director

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RTI Implementation Problem Solving Teams
STUDENT SUCCESS
PST
RtI

• Dr. Denise P. Gibbs, Director
• Alabama Scottish Rite Foundation Learning Centers
• gibbsdenise_at_aol.com

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This presentation is provided at no cost to
Alabama schools by the Alabama Scottish Rite
Foundation. The philanthropy of the Alabama
Scottish Rite Foundation began in the 1950s in
Alabama and continues today. The mission of the
Alabama Scottish Rite Foundation is to provide
help to Alabama Schools as they work with
students who struggle in reading -particularly
those students with dyslexia.
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Anticipation GuidethenTurn and Talk
Bell ringer activity
As soon as you are seated, please complete the
Anticipation Guide included in your
handout. Thenturn to your neighbor and talk
about your initial answers
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Gains From High Impact Instructional Strategies
Research Findings (Marzano, 2001)
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Gains From High Impact Instructional Strategies
Research Findings (Marzano, 2001)
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Todays High Impact Strategies

• 9. Questions, cues, and advance organizers
  Anticipation Guide, session outcomes, RTI
  Vocabulary
• 6. Cooperative learning Turn and Talks
• 2. Summarizing and note taking Power Point
  slides, your notes, 3-2-1,
• 1. Similarities and differences PSTs vs BBSSTs
  - Double Bubble
• 5. Nonlinguistic representations - VVWAs
• 4. Homework and practice share important
  elements of this session with your colleagues

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Session outcomes.

• Practice high impact strategies
• Describe PSTs in the RTI context
• Share ideas to help you create effective problem
  solving teams
• Review 2011 revisions to sample PST Manual in the
  context of RTI implementation
• Understand the connections between the work of
  the PST and referrals to special education
• Needed documentation
• Sample forms

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The RTI Context
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RtI Guidance from the ALSDE

• Response to Instruction (RtI) Alabamas Core
  Support for All Students Standards, Resources,
  Support
• Alabamas Tier I expectations-pages 5-6
• Alabamas Tier II expectations-pages 7-10
• Alabamas Tier III expectations-pages 11-13
• Problem solving process-page 15
• Goal setting-pages 16-17
• Alabamas six-step RtI protocol-page 18
• Download from www.alsde.edu

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Alabamas Core Principles of RtI (page 2)

• Students receive high-quality, research-based
  instruction by qualified staff in their general
  education setting.
• Use of a multi-tiered model of service delivery
  facilitates differentiated instruction and early
  intervening services for struggling learners.
• Movement between tiers should be guided by a
  data-driven decision-making process.
• Universal screening and progress monitoring are
  the basis for instructional decisions.

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RTI helps us

• See how we (the entire school system, specific
  schools, grades, classes, and specific students)
  are doing so that we can
• Celebrate our successes
• Take steps to ensure our successes

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Purpose of RTI across the grades

• K-8
• Prevent academic and behavior difficulties as
  much as possible
• Regularly identify student skill levels in
  reading and in math
• Accelerate skills growth for ALL students
• Students who are ABOVE expected levels
• Students who are ON expected levels
• Students who are BELOW expected levels

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Purpose of RTI across the grades

• 9-12 do whatever it takes to help students
• Manage behavior and get/stay ENGAGED
• Achieve academically to
• acquire needed content knowledge in all subjects
• PREVENT DROP OUT
• PASS THE TEST!!!

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Building and perfecting the RTI framework is a
(never ending?) journey
Bring everything you are doing into the
tent Determine your purpose Chart your
course Take the necessary steps Evaluate your
progress Revise when needed
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Elementary Tier Model K-3
PlusSpecial Education
?
5
Tier 3
Intensive Intervention
Intervention provided dailyin the classroom
Tier 2
15
Comprehensive Core Instruction in Reading and in
Math
Tier 1
80
16
Grade 4 -12 Tier Model
PlusSpecial Education
?
5
Tier 3
Intensive Intervention classes
Differentiated strategy instruction in content
classes small group-intentional groupings
15
Tier 2
Tier 1
80
Core instructionStrategy instruction in content
classes whole and small group
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RTIB K-12 Tiers
PlusSpecial Education
?
5
Tier 3
Intensive Intervention classes
15
Supplementalbehavior supports implemented in
classrooms
Tier 2
Tier 1
80
Universal positive behaviorsupports practiced
school-wideor district-wide
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RTI Essential Vocabulary

• Your PSTs will need to
• ANALYZE screening process outcomes
• MATCH students to needed interventions
• SET intervention goals
• MONITOR student progress in interventions
• DECIDE what to do next based on the available data

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Turn and Talk
Discuss and list your in the bags, quick fixes,
and long-term opportunities
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Problem Solving Team Manual (2011)
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Upcoming PST implementation

• By August 15, 2011, each school must have a
  Problem Solving Team rather than a BBSST in
  place.
• BBSSTs are being replaced by Problem Solving
  Teams in the Alabama Administrative Code with
  regard to special education referrals.
• The PST should also be considered as a component
  of your RTI framework.

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A source of information about problem solving
teams

• A sample Problem Solving Team Manual along with
  sample documentation forms is available at
  www.alsde.edu
• THIS MANUAL IS NOT MANDATED
• Is intended as you might consider this for
  those who do not already have a problem solving
  process in place.

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2011 Revisions

• Problem Solving Team's Administration and
  Supervision (pages 13-14)
• Inserted wording which has been added to the
  Alabama Administrative Code (AAC).
• System-Level Reporting (page 15 and Appendix L)
• Added suggestions regarding RTI outcome data
  which systems may wish to collect to facilitate
  their planning and decision-making
• NOT to be submitted to the ALSDE!!!

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2011 Revisions

• Appendix B Essential Skills to be Screened
• Added information about Computer Adapted Testing
  (CAT) and Item Response Theory (IRT) to assist
  districts using tools which report results in
  scaled scores based on CAT.
• Appendix C Walkthrough Forms
• Changed the word climate to environment on the
  walkthrough forms so that walkthroughs can be
  used to serve as a functional assessment of the
  classroom environment.

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2011 Revisions

• Appendix E Goal Setting
• Added an example illustrating goal setting based
  on score predicting success on high stakes tests
  (ARMT).
• Appendix F Progress Monitoring Probes
• Added an example illustrating Computer Adapted
  Testing (CAT)

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2011 Revisions

• Appendix I Student Intervention Documentation
  Form
• Added attendance key
• Edited example form to illustrate progress
  monitoring based on scaled score increases
• Appendix J Parent Letters and Reports
• Added information about when to send letters
• Added information to parent progress report
  regarding intervention strategies

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2011 Revisions

• Appendix K Intervention Plan Form
• Deleted SPED referral reference at the end of the
  plan form.
• Edited sentence regarding specific interventions
  to say Choose all that apply
• Appendix L System PST Annual Report
• Added section at the end to document
  race/ethnicity of students served (may be needed
  for Federal reporting)

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2011 Revisions

• Appendix O - Documentation Needed from PST for
  Referral for Evaluation for SPED
• This flow chart was added
• Includes references to sample documentation forms
  which can be used to document your RTI
  implementation in the event that a student needs
  to be referred for a SPED evaluation.

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RTI and Special Education

• See pages 13 and 14 in PST Manual for specific
  AAC wording
• Special education referrals will require evidence
  that the students needs are not due to a lack of
  research-based instruction and intervention
  efforts.
• Your RTI framework and the work of your Problem
  Solving Teams can be used as a part of your
  efforts to ensure and document this.
• Appendix O in PST Manual is a flowchart detailing
  needed documentation

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Important distinctions between BBSST and PST
processes
To review and summarize..
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Interventions NOT Accommodations

• The accommodations which have been recommended by
  the BBSST in the past will NOT meet the
  scientific, research-based intervention
  requirements included in current Federal and
  State laws and regulations.
• The PST must recommend interventions and must not
  recommend accommodations!

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Who gets referred to PST?

• Universal screenings in math and reading will
  determine which students are included in the
  academic intervention process.
• No longer should teachers refer students who
  fail a test to the PST.
• Teacher needs to determine reason for failure
• May need to provide differentiated Tier 1
  instruction
• Address behavior issues (could ultimately result
  in behavior RTI interventions)

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Continuous Intervention Services

• When students begin the intervention process
  (Tier II or Tier III), they will continue in that
  process until they have attained grade-level
  standards and skills or until they are referred
  to the next tier or level.
• The work of the Problem Solving Team with a
  student may continue from one grade to the next
  based upon data analysis and intervention
  outcomes.

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Verbal and Visual Word Association (VVWA)
1. Interventions2. Accommodations
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Problem Solving Team Details
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Number of Problem Solving Teams needed per school?

• To be locally determined
• Important considerations
• The number of PSTs needed per school will be
  determined by the number of students receiving
  interventions.
• No PST should be expected to manage more students
  than can be responsibly and effectively reviewed
  and monitored.

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Problem Solving Team Structure?

• To be locally determined
• Some suggestions
• Grade-level PSTs
• Across grade level PSTs (4-5, 6-7, 9-10 etc)
• Teacher team PSTs
• Departmental PSTs
• Other
• Good to involve as many school personnel as
  possible on teams.

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Frequency and duration of Problem Solving Team
meetings?

• To be locally determined
• Important considerations
• Each students data should be reviewed at least
  monthly
• Progress reports to parents should be sent
  regularly
• Generally, duration should not exceed one hour.
• It may work well to meet weekly and to review ¼
  of the students each week.

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Possible Problem Solving Team Members?

• Classroom teachers
• Intervention teachers
• Instructional Coaches (Reading, Literacy, Math,
  Graduation, etc).
• School Counselors
• Administrators (principal or assistant principal).

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Problem Solving Team Member Roles?

• Chairperson
• Which students will be discussed and in what
  order
• Notify members
• Secretary
• Note decisions made and generate parent letters
• Timekeeper
• Keep discussions on track and timely
• Data person
• Present and explain graphs

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Double Bubble as an after summarizing activity
Compare and Contrast BBSSTs and PSTs
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Steps for Problem Solving Teams
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3-2-1 Foldable as an advanced organizer!
3 - of the most important PST steps2 - details
related to each step1 - aspect of PSTs which
will require the most PD
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Teams Work in RTI Implementation

• Review screening data
• Match students with appropriate interventions
• Select appropriate progress monitoring tools
• Set measurable intervention goals
• Review progress monitoring data, apply
  data-driven decision rules, and make
  recommendations
• Send progress reports to parents on a regular
  basis
• DOCUMENTATION

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(1) Teams Review of Screening Data

• Examples of screening data
• High stakes test results (ARMT, grad exam, end of
  course tests, etc)
• Commercially available screening tools (AIMSweb,
  STAR, Discovery, etc)
• Grades and courses failed
• Number of absences
• Office discipline referrals

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(2) Teams Matching of Students with Appropriate
Interventions

• Determine if enough information is available to
  make the following decisions. (If necessary,
  obtain additional information)
• Determine areas of deficiency
• Reading, math, behavior
• Determine degree of support needed
• Tier 2 or Tier 3
• Assign student to types and tiers of intervention

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(3) Teams Selection of Progress Monitoring
Tools

• Tools should be able to be administered weekly
  and should be efficient
• Make sure that the tool you select will reflect
  growth of the skill being targeted in
  intervention
• If the commercially available tool you are using
  does not have what you need, you may need to
  develop what you need!

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(4) Teams setting of Intervention goals and
determining of the GOAL ROI

• Determine level of skill expected at years end
  (GOAL).
• 25th percentile? ARMT success predictor score?
• Subtract BASELINE score from the GOAL to get
  needed gain (GROWTH)
• Divide GROWTH by number of available weeks of
  intervention to get the GOAL ROI (weekly rate of
  improvement needed to reach year-end goal.
• THEN compare this to the growth rate tables! Is
  this reasonable?

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(5) Teams Data-Based Decision Making

• Review progress monitoring data, apply data-based
  decision rules, and make needed recommendations.
• Review data recorded on Student Intervention
  Documentation (SID) form.
• Outcomes?
• Attendance?

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(5) Teams Data-Based Decision Making

• Decide if student is on a trajectory which will
  lead to successful achievement of the goal.
• When 4 consecutive data points reflect
  performance which is below the aimline, the team
  should consider altering the intervention
• When, after 10-12 weeks of intervention, the
  achieved rate of improvement is less than half of
  the goal rate of improvement, the team should
  alter the intervention

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(6) Reports to Parents

• Send letter to parents informing them that the
  student will be receiving intervention prior to
  the initiation of intervention.
• Appendix J-1
• Send letters to parents describing the students
  response to the intervention as district schedule
  requires.
• Appendix J-2

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(7) Teams Documentation of the PST Process

• Create and maintain an intervention folder for
  each student receiving intervention
• Student Intervention Documentation form
• Student Intervention Plan form
• Copies of Parent Letters
• Teams may decide to place a copy of the current
  SID form in the students intervention folder at
  each meeting (discarding the now outdated SID
  form)

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Next steps
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Name it and claim it

• Do an inventory of what you are already doing
  that works toward these purposes and position
  those things in your framework
• Determine areas of needed growth or
  additions/improvements
• Keep moving through the RTI framework building
  process
• Begin to reap the rewards of improved student
  outcomes!!

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Anticipation Guide Revisited
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• THANK YOU!
• RTI for Early Readers Implementing Common Core
  Standards in Your K-5 RTI Model (LRP, 2011)
• RTI for Middle and High Schools Strategies and
  Structures for Literacy Success (LRP,2008)
• Leading the Dyslexia Challenge An Action Plan
  for Schoolwide Identification and Intervention
  (LRP, 2004)
• gibbsdenise_at_aol.com