Measuring the

1
Measuring the Intervention Footprint Issues of
Planning, Documentation, Follow-ThroughJim
Wrightwww.interventioncentral.org
2
Elements of an Effective Intervention Plan
(Grimes Kurns, 2003)

• Intervention design and implementation.
  Interventions are designed based on a thorough
  analysis, the defined problem, parent input, and
  professional judgments about the potential
  effectiveness of interventions. The interventions
  are described in an intervention plan that
  includes goals and strategies a progress
  monitoring plan a decision-making plan for
  summarizing and analyzing progress monitoring
  data and responsible parties. Interventions are
  implemented as developed and modified on the
  basis of objective data and with the agreement of
  the responsible parties.

Source Grimes, J. Kurns, S. (2003). An
intervention-based system for addressing NCLB and
IDEA expectations A multiple tiered model to
ensure every child learns. Retrieved on September
23, 2007, from http//www.nrcld.org/symposium2003/
grimes/grimes2.html
3
Essential Elements of Any Academic or Behavioral
Intervention (Treatment) Strategy

• Method of delivery (Who or what delivers the
  treatment?)Examples include teachers,
  paraprofessionals, parents, volunteers,
  computers.
• Treatment component (What makes the intervention
  effective?)Examples include activation of prior
  knowledge to help the student to make meaningful
  connections between known and new material
  guide practice (e.g., Paired Reading) to increase
  reading fluency periodic review of material to
  aid student retention. As an example of a
  research-based commercial program, Read Naturally
  combines teacher modeling, repeated reading and
  progress monitoring to remediate fluency
  problems.

Source Yeaton, W. H. Sechrest, L. (1981).
Critical dimensions in the choice and maintenance
of successful treatments Strength, integrity,
and effectiveness. Journal of Consulting and
Clinical Psychology, 49, 156-167.
4
Interventions, Accommodations Modifications
Sorting Them Out (p. 27)

• Interventions. An academic intervention is a
  strategy used to teach a new skill, build fluency
  in a skill, or encourage a child to apply an
  existing skill to new situations or settings.
  An intervention is said to be research-based
  when it has been demonstrated to be effective in
  one or more articles published in peerreviewed
  scientific journals. Interventions might be based
  on commercial programs such as Read Naturally.
  The school may also develop and implement an
  intervention that is based on guidelines provided
  in research articlessuch as Paired Reading
  (Topping, 1987).

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Interventions, Accommodations Modifications
Sorting Them Out

• Accommodations. An accommodation is intended to
  help the student to fully access the
  general-education curriculum without changing the
  instructional content. An accommodation for
  students who are slow readers, for example, may
  include having them supplement their silent
  reading of a novel by listening to the book on
  tape. An accommodation is intended to remove
  barriers to learning while still expecting that
  students will master the same instructional
  content as their typical peers. Informal
  accommodations may be used at the classroom level
  or be incorporated into a more intensive,
  individualized intervention plan.

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Interventions, Accommodations Modifications
Sorting Them Out

• Modifications. A modification changes the
  expectations of what a student is expected to
  know or dotypically by lowering the academic
  expectations against which the student is to be
  evaluated. Examples of modifications are
  reducing the number of multiple-choice items in a
  test from five to four or shortening a spelling
  list. Under RTI, modifications are generally not
  included in a students intervention plan,
  because the working assumption is that the
  student can be successful in the curriculum with
  appropriate interventions and accommodations
  alone.

7
Evaluating the Quality of Intervention Research
The Research Continuum
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Intervention Research Continuum

• Evidence-Based Practices
• Includes practices for which original data have
  been collected to determine the effectiveness of
  the practice for students with disabilities. The
  research utilizes scientifically based rigorous
  research designs (i.e., randomized controlled
  trials, regression discontinuity designs,
  quasi-experiments, single subject, and
  qualitative research).

Source The Access Center Research Continuum
(n.d.). Retrieved on June 1, 2008 from
http//www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/d
ocuments/ACResearchApproachFormatted.pdf
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Intervention Research Continuum

• Promising Practices
• Includes practices that were developed based on
  theory or research, but for which an insufficient
  amount of original data have been collected to
  determine the effectiveness of the practices.
  Practices in this category may have been studied,
  but not using the most rigorous study designs.

Source The Access Center Research Continuum
(n.d.). Retrieved on June 1, 2008 from
http//www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/d
ocuments/ACResearchApproachFormatted.pdf
10
Intervention Research Continuum

• Emerging Practices
• Includes practices that are not based on
  research or theory and on which original data
  have not been collected, but for which anecdotal
  evidence and professional wisdom exists. These
  include practices that practitioners have tried
  and feel are effective and new practices or
  programs that have not yet been researched.

Source The Access Center Research Continuum
(n.d.). Retrieved on June 1, 2008 from
http//www.k8accesscenter.org/training_resources/d
ocuments/ACResearchApproachFormatted.pdf
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Writing Quality Problem Identification
Statements
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Writing Quality Problem Identification
Statements

• A frequent problem at RTI Team meetings is that
  teacher referral concerns are written in vague
  terms. If the referral concern is not written in
  explicit, observable, measurable terms, it will
  be very difficult to write clear goals for
  improvement or select appropriate interventions.
• Use this test for evaluating the quality of a
  problem-identification (teacher-concern)
  statement Can a third party enter a classroom
  with the problem definition in hand and know when
  they see the behavior and when they dont?

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Writing Quality Problem-Identification
Statements Template
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Writing Quality Teacher Referral Concern
Statements Examples

• Needs Work The student is disruptive.
• Better During independent seatwork , the student
  is out of her seat frequently and talking with
  other students.
• Needs Work The student doesnt do his math.
• Better When math homework is assigned, the
  student turns in math homework only about 20
  percent of the time. Assignments turned in are
  often not fully completed.

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Evaluating Intervention Follow-Through
(Treatment Integrity)
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Why Monitor Intervention Follow-Through?

• If the RTI Team does not monitor the quality of
  the intervention follow-through, it will not know
  how to explain a students failure to respond to
  intervention.
• Do qualities within the student explain the lack
  of academic or behavioral progress?
• Did problems with implementing the intervention
  prevent the student from making progress?

17
What Are Potential Barriers to Assessing
Intervention Follow-Through?

• Direct observation of interventions is the gold
  standard for evaluating the quality of their
  implementation. However
• Teachers being observed may feel that they are
  being evaluated for global job performance
• Non-administrative staff may be uncomfortable
  observing a fellow educator to evaluate
  intervention follow-through
• It can be difficult for staff to find time to
  observe and evaluate interventions as they are
  being carried out

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Supplemental Ideas to Collect Information About
Classroom Implementation of Interventions

• Assign a case manager from the RTI Intervention
  Team to check in with the teacher within a week
  of the initial meeting to see how the
  intervention is going.
• Have the teacher use a data tool to collect
  information about the students response to
  intervention (e.g., Daily Behavior Report Card)
  or about the implementation of the intervention
  itself (e.g. Teacher Intervention Evaluation Log)
• Include a scripted question at the RTI
  Intervention Team Follow-Up Meeting that
  explicitly asks the referring teacher or
  instructional team to provide details about the
  implementation of the intervention.
• Leave a notebook in the classroom for the teacher
  to jot down any questions or concerns about the
  intervention. Assign an RTI Team member to stop
  by the classroom periodically to check the
  notebook and respond to any concerns noted.

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Intervention Script Builder pp. 32-33
20
When Does the RTI Team Refer a Student to Special
Education?
21
Evaluating the Intervention Plan of the
Non-Responding Student pp. 66-67
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Tier II Standard Protocol Interventions in the
Middle or High School
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RTI Pyramid of Interventions
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Tier II Interventions
Tier II interventions are individualized,
tailored to the unique needs of struggling
learners. They are reserved for students with
significant skill gaps who have failed to respond
successfully to Tier I strategies. Tier II
interventions attempt to answer the question Can
an individualized intervention plan carried out
in a general-education setting bring the student
up to the academic level of his or her peers?
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Tier II Interventions
There are two different vehicles that schools can
use to deliver Tier II interventions Standard-Pro
tocol (Standalone Intervention). Group
intervention programs based on scientifically
valid instructional practices (standard
protocol) are created to address frequent
student referral concerns. These services are
provided outside of the classroom. A middle
school, for example, may set up a structured
math-tutoring program staffed by adult volunteer
tutors to provide assistance to students with
limited math skills. Students referred for a Tier
II math intervention would be placed in this
tutoring program. An advantage of the
standard-protocol approach is that it is
efficient and consistent large numbers of
students can be put into these group
interventions to receive a highly standardized
intervention. However, standard group
intervention protocols often cannot be
individualized easily to accommodate a specific
students unique needs. Problem-solving
(Classroom-Based Intervention). Individualized
research-based interventions match the profile of
a particular students strengths and limitations.
The classroom teacher often has a large role in
carrying out these interventions. A plus of the
problem-solving approach is that the intervention
can be customized to the students needs.
However, developing intervention plans for
individual students can be time-consuming.
26
Tier II Standard Protocol Treatments Strengths
Limits in Secondary Settings

• Research indicates that students do well in
  targeted small-group interventions (4-6 students)
  when the intervention treatment is closely
  matched to those students academic needs (Burns
  Gibbons, 2008).
• However, in secondary schools
• students are sometimes grouped for remediation by
  convenience rather than by presenting need.
  Teachers instruct across a broad range of student
  skills, diluting the positive impact of the
  intervention.
• students often present with a unique profile of
  concerns that does not lend itself to placement
  in a group intervention.

Source Burns, M. K., Gibbons, K. A. (2008).
Implementing response-to-intervention in
elementary and secondary schools Procedures to
assure scientific-based practices. New York
Routledge.
27
Tier II Individual Student Intervention Plans Can
Have Several Components

• Pull-Out Student receives the intervention in
  a separate group or during a class period.
• Classroom Content-area teachers implement
  classroom-appropriate interventions.
• Push-In An adult (e.g., helping teacher,
  paraprofessional) pushes into the classroom
  setting to provide intervention support.
• Student-Directed The student is responsible for
  accessing elements of the intervention plan such
  as seeking extra teacher help during drop-in
  periods.

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7-Step Lifecycle of a Tier II Intervention Plan

1. Information about the students academic or
   behavioral concerns is collected.
2. The intervention plan is developed to match
   student presenting concerns.
3. Preparations are made to implement the plan.
4. The plan begins.
5. The integrity of the plans implementation is
   measured.
6. Formative data is collected to evaluate the
   plans effectiveness.
7. The plan is discontinued, modified, or replaced.

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Caution About Secondary Tier II Standard-Protocol
Interventions Avoid the Homework Help Trap

• Tier II group-based or standard-protocol
  interventions are an efficient method to deliver
  targeted academic support to students (Burns
  Gibbons, 2008).
• However, students should be matched to specific
  research-based interventions that address their
  specific needs.
• RTI intervention support in secondary schools
  should not take the form of unfocused homework
  help.

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Traditional Schedule Tier II Intervention
Delivery for Standard Protocol Interventions

• Class length of 50-60 minutes
• 6-8 classes per day
• Typical solution Students are scheduled for a
  remedial course. Drawbacks to this solution are
  that students may not receive targeted
  instruction, the teacher has large numbers of
  students, and students cannot exit the course
  before the end of the school year.
• Tier II Recommendation (Burns Gibbon, 2008)
  Pair a reading interventionist with the
  content-area teacher. The reading teacher can
  provide remedial instruction to rotating small
  groups (e.g, 7-8 students) for 30 minute periods
  while the content-area teacher provides
  whole-group instruction to the rest of the class.

Source Burns, M. K., Gibbons, K. A. (2008).
Implementing response-to-intervention in
elementary and secondary schools Procedures to
assure scientific-based practices. New York
Routledge.
31
Block Schedule Tier II Intervention Delivery for
Standard Protocol Interventions

• Class length of 1.5 to 2 hours
• Four classes per day
• Alternating schedule to accommodate full roster
  of classes in a year (either alternating days
  AB or alternating semesters4 X 4)
• Tier II Recommendation (Burns Gibbon, 2008)
  Pair a reading interventionist with the
  content-area teacher. The reading teacher can
  provide remedial instruction to rotating small
  groups (e.g, 7-8 students) for 30 minute periods
  while the content-area teacher provides
  whole-group instruction to the rest of the class.

Source Burns, M. K., Gibbons, K. A. (2008).
Implementing response-to-intervention in
elementary and secondary schools Procedures to
assure scientific-based practices. New York
Routledge.
32
Secondary RTI Teams Student Mental Health
Services
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Secondary RTI Linkage to Student Mental Health
Services

• From our perspective, it is time to take a
  close look at all the pieces that make up school
  mental health services. To date, there has been
  no comprehensive mapping and no overall analysis
  of the amount of resources used for efforts
  relevant to mental health in schools or of how
  they are expended. Without such a "big picture"
  analysis, policymakers and practitioners are
  deprived of information that is essential in
  determining equity and enhancing system
  effectiveness. The challenge for those focused on
  mental health in schools is not only to
  understand the basic concerns hampering the
  field, but to function on the cutting edge of
  change so that the concerns are effectively
  addressed.

Source Center for Mental Health in Schools.
(n.d.). Mental health in schools An overview.
Retrieved on June 30, 2008, from
http//smhp.psych.ucla.edu/aboutmh/mhinschools.htm
l.
34
Secondary RTI Linkage to Student Mental Health
Services

• Systemic changes must weave school owned
  resources and community owned resources together
  to develop comprehensive, multifaceted, and
  integrated approaches for addressing barriers to
  learning and enhancing healthy development.
  Moreover, pursuit of such changes also must
  address complications stemming from the scale of
  public education in the U.S.A. Currently, there
  are about 90,000 public schools in about 15,000
  districts. Thus, efforts to advance mental health
  in schools also must adopt effective models and
  procedures for replication and scale-up."

Source Center for Mental Health in Schools.
(n.d.). Mental health in schools An overview.
Retrieved on June 30, 2008, from
http//smhp.psych.ucla.edu/aboutmh/mhinschools.htm
l.
35
Secondary RTI Linkage to Student Mental Health
Services Recommendations

• Establish formal linkages with agencies to
  enhance access and service coordination for
  students and families at the agency, at a nearby
  satellite clinic, or in a school-based or linked
  family resource center (Adelman Taylor, 2001,
  p. 18). NOTE RTI Teams can be the catalyst to
  set up and sustain these linkages.
• Create district-level (or school-level)
  multi-disciplinary mental health unit that
  organizes personnel with expertise in youth and
  mental health issues to coordinate intervention
  plans. (This team can coordinate with RTI Teams
  as needed.)

Source Adelman, H., Taylor, L. (2001). Mental
health in schools Guidelines, models, resources,
policy considerations. Los Angeles Center for
Mental Health in Schools. Retrieved on July 2,
2008, from http//smhp.psych.ucla.edu/pdfdocs/poli
cymakers/cadreguidelines.pdf