Dr. Denise P. Gibbs, Director

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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 being provided today at no
cost 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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RTI and Legal Mandates

• NCLB (No Child Left Behind) and IDEA (Individuals
  with Disabilities Education Act) establish RTI
  parameters which center around
• scientific, research-based instruction and
  intervention AND student outcomes!
• New IDEA eligibility requirements dictate that
  schools be able to document use of research-based
  instruction and interventions along with progress
  monitoring prior to SLD determination!
• Also included in state administrative code

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What is RTI?

• the practice of providing high-quality
• research-based instruction/intervention matched
  to student needs
• and
• using learning rate over time
• and level of performance
• to
• inform educational decisions

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What is RTI?

• high quality 80 rule
• research-based backed by evidence of
  effectiveness
• matched to student needs LEARN what needs are
  and proceed!
• learning rate over time monitor progress to
  determine weekly rate of improvement needed and
  achieved
• to inform educational decisions let student
  performance dictate whether you continue, alter,
  or change what you are doing.

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What are your students needs?
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Do your students

• Struggle to meet basic academic standards?
• More problems in some content areas than in
  others?
• Show growth across all skill/ability levels?
• ALL students are moving up (not just low getting
  higher)?

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Do your students

• Exhibit considerable behavioral issues?
• Much time devoted to crowd control and
  discipline
• Exhibit no problems what so ever!
• Lake Wobegon?

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If your students struggle in reading..are you
like..

• Reading Next (2004) ?
• 90 who struggle with reading have comprehension
  problems and only 10 have word-level problems.
• Deshler (2007)?
• 45 who struggle with reading have word-level
  problems!

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If your students struggle in math...

• Do you see more operations problems.basic math
  facts?
• Do you see more concept and analysis problems?

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If your students evidence too many behavior
issues...

• Do you have positive behavior supports in place?
• Can you identify causes of behavior issues?
• How do behavior issues relate to academic issues?
• Could cant do look like wont do?

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• When you build YOUR RTI framework around the
  needs of YOUR students, everybody wins and
  success will follow!!

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Alabama RTI Framework

• Response to Instruction document available online
  at www.alsde.edu
• RTI for K-12
• RTI for academics and behavior.
• Three tier model

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RTI Essential Elements

• Scientific, research validated instruction and
  interventions
• Tiers of effective instruction/ intervention
  matched to student needs
• Assessment
• Problem Solving Teams (instead of BBSST)
• Implementation consistency

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Scientific, research-validated instruction and
interventions
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Research-based literacy instruction (National
Reading Panel, 2000)

1. Phonemic awareness
2. Phonics
3. Vocabulary
4. Fluency
5. Comprehension

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Research-based math instruction (National
Mathematics Advisory Panel, 2008)

• In mastering whole numbers, fractions and
  geometry and measurement students need to gain
• Conceptual understanding
• Computational fluency
• Problem solving

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Consistent Recommendations from Grade 4-12
Research

• Focus upon explicit learning strategy instruction
  and provide time for students to practice using
  these strategies in small group experiences in
  daily classes.
• Include this strategy instruction in ALL content
  area classes

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Consistent Recommendations from Grade 4-12
Research

• Address the need to ensure student engagement and
  motivation by providing students appropriate
  materials and meaningful classroom activities
  which allow them to be active participants in the
  learning process.

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Consistent Recommendations fromGrade 4-12
Research

• Make intensive intervention classes available for
  students who need them
• Provide and require participation in professional
  development to equip educators to accomplish the
  mission

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Tiers of Effective Instruction and Interventions
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Elementary Tier Model (K-3)
PlusSpecial Education
?
5
Tier 3
Intensive Intervention 60 minutes
Intervention 30 minutes per dayin the classroom
Tier 2
15
Comprehensive Core 90 minutes per day reading60
minutes per day math
Tier 1
80
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Academically, what should Tier 1 include for
elementary students?

• MINIMUM of 90 minutes in reading and 60 minutes
  in math of uninterrupted core instruction
• NRP and NMAP suggest a combination of whole and
  small group differentiated instruction
• The five big ideas from the NRP and critical
  benchmarks from NMAP!

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Tier 2 for elementary students.

• Additional small group instruction
• Best when provided by classroom teacher
• At least 10-12 weeks in duration
• Frequent progress monitoring
• 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

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Tier 3 for 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
• 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

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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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About Grades 4-12 Tier 1

• Students learn how to learn
• Strategic teaching 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

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About Grades 4-12 Tier 2

• Differentiated strategic teaching
• Teacher explicitly models strategies with
  students and scaffolds as needed
• Opportunities for peer-tutors and heterogeneous
  grouping (weaker with stronger and teacher
  rotates among groups)
• Opportunities for homogeneous grouping (weak come
  together and teacher works with that group)

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About Grades 4-12 Tier 3

• Intensive intervention classes for students who
  need them (math, reading, and behavior)
• Reading Word-level interventions and
  comprehension interventions
• Math Computation and problem solving
  interventions
• Behavior- small group sessions/classes
• Scheduling options
• Grade specific intervention times
• Acceleration block

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SPED (Tier 4) after RTI

• LRE will be impacted!
• How will we use inclusion?
• Need for DIRECT services
• Intensive, intensive intervention if Tiers did
  not result in success!
• Probably some 11
• Must have homogeneous grouping if not 11
• Ongoing progress monitoring

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RTIB K-12 Tiers
PlusSpecial Education
?
5
Tier 3
Intensive Intervention classes
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Supplementalbehavior supports implemented in
classrooms
Tier 2
Tier 1
80
Universal positive behaviorsupports practiced
school-wideor district-wide
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RTIB Tier 1 Universal Support

• Environment, environment, environment!
• Small set of school or system-wide rules
• Be safe, be responible, be respectful
• As a system-wide Universal Support effort in
  schools, positive behavior support (PBS) consists
  of rules, routines, and physical arrangements
  that are developed and taught by school staff to
  prevent initial occurrences of problem behavior.
• Be safe Example Walk in the hallways

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RTIB - Assessment

• Office Discipline Referrals (ODR) may be a type
  of screening and progress monitoring tool.
• Could set criteria for movement to Tier 2 as X
  number of ODRs over a given period of time.
• Teacher nomination forms may also serve as
  assessment tools to screen for students who need
  Tier 2 behavior intervention.

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RTIB Tier 2 Supplemental Support

• Behavior plan, check-in/check-out, etc
• (1) teaching the student to use new skills as a
  replacement for problem behaviors,
• (2) rearranging the environment so that problems
  can be prevented and desirable behaviors can be
  encouraged, and
• (3) monitoring, evaluating, and reassessing this
  simple plan over time.
• Progress monitor behavior report card

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RTIB Tier 3 Intensive Intervention Support

• May include behavior intervention class utilizing
  various curricula such as
• Skillstreaming Series
• The PREPARE Curriculum Teaching Prosocial
  Competencies
• Behavior Education Program
• I Can Problem Solve
• Bullying Prevention Program

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RTIB Websites

• http//www.pbis.org/
• http//flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/

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RTI Uses of Assessment
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RTI Uses of Assessment

• To determine IF intervention is needed
  (screening)
• To determine WHAT intervention is needed
  (Additional assessment)
• To monitor the progress of students in
  interventions (progress monitoring)

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Screening to determine IF intervention is needed

• For elementary students, ALL students should be
  screened at the beginning of school (also
  referred to as benchmark testing).
• For secondary students, schools could screen all
  entering students OR complete a records review
  and then screen students below a designated
  level or students with an intervention history!

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Screening Tools

• A few of the peer-reviewed screening tools
• AIMSWEB (reading, math, spelling, written
  expression pre K-12)
• DIBELS (reading K-6)
• STEEP (reading and math K-12)
• Independent, peer-review of screening and
  progress monitoring tools
• www.rti4success.org

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System-wide intervention criteria

• School systems will need to determine the
  screening outcomes which will result in
  intervention consideration and referral to one of
  the problem solving teams.
• If score is below ___ then student reviewed by
  the appropriate problem solving team

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Problem Solving Teams
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Number and structure of problem solving teams

• Must have at least one team but probably best to
  have several teams at each school!
• Some suggestions
• Grade-level PSTs
• Across grade level PSTs (K-2, 3-5, etc)
• Teacher team PSTs
• Departmental PSTs
• Other
• Good to involve as many school personnel as
  possible on teams.

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Problem Solving Team and BBSST

• With some modifications of perceived PURPOSE,
  BBSST can evolve into RTI Problem Solving Team
• Purpose is no longer SPED gatekeeper, or SPED
  gateway, or SPED roadblock!
• New purpose will be to
• Make sure that appropriate interventions are
  provided for ALL students
• Set measurable intervention goals for each
  student
• Systematically evaluate data reflecting student
  progress in interventions

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Problem Solving Team and BBSST

• With some modifications of PROCESS, BBSST can
  evolve into RTI Problem Solving Teams
• Must NOT recommend accommodations but scientific
  research-based interventions instead
• Must use progress monitoring data rather than
  anecdotal information to form decisions.
• Must be able to carry-over to next year as needed
• Must rethink timelines

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Problem Solving Team Members

• Needed Members
• Teachers
• Instructional Coaches
• SPED personnel
• Intervention teachers
• Counselors
• Principal or designee

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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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Problem Solving Teams Work

• Match students with appropriate interventions
• Select appropriate progress monitoring tools
• Set measurable intervention goals
• Review progress monitoring data
• Make recommendations re discontinuing,
  continuing, modifying (smaller group or more
  time), or replacing intervention.
• Send progress reports to parents on a regular
  basis
• DOCUMENTATION!!!!

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Implementation Consistency
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Keys to Consistency

• DOCUMENTATION!
• Applies to all tiers and all components
• Walkthroughs
• Professional development
• Coaches
• General school culture and commitment to outcomes
  and change as needed

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• THANK YOU!
• gibbsdenise_at_aol.com
• RTI for Middle and High School Structures and
  Strategies for Literacy Success (2009)
• www.LRP.com