RTI: Following a Structured Problem-Solving Model

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RTI Following a Structured Problem-Solving Model
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Everybody is entitled to their own opinion but
theyre not entitled to their own facts. The data
is the data. Dr. Maria Spiropulu, Physicist New
York Times, 30 September 2003 (D. Overbye) Other
dimensions? Shes in pursuit. F1, F4
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School-Based Intervention Teams An Introduction
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Workshop Goals

• In this workshop, you will learn
• About the history of the SBIT project
• How pre-referral intervention teams can help
  schools to support struggling learnersin
  general-education classrooms
• What specific roles are assigned to SBIT members
• How to run an SBIT meeting that follows a
  structured problem-solving process
• How to create a plan to start a pre-referral
  intervention team in your own school

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SBIT Meeting Process
Student Assessment
Research-Based Interventions
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The School-Based Intervention Team (SBIT)
Project Definition

• Teams of educators at a school are trained to
  work together as effective problem-solvers.
• SBIT Teams are made up of volunteers drawn from
  general- and special-education teachers and
  support staff.
• These teams use a structured meeting process to
  identify the underlying reasons that a student
  might be experiencing academic or behavioral
  difficulties
• The team helps the referring teacher to put
  together practical, classroom-friendly
  interventions to address those student problems.

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Teachers may be reluctant to refer students to
your SBIT Team because they

• believe referring to SBIT is a sign of failure
• do not think that your team has any ideas that
  they havent already tried
• believe that an SBIT referral will mean a lot
  more work for them (vs. referring directly to
  Spec Ed)
• dont want to waste time on kids with poor
  motivation or behavior problems when more
  deserving learners go unnoticed and unrewarded
• dont want to put effort into learning a new
  initiative that may just fade away in a couple of
  years

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Teachers may be motivated to refer students to
your SBIT Team because they

• can engage in collegial conversations about
  better ways to help struggling learners
• learn instructional and behavior-management
  strategies that they can use with similar
  students in the future
• increase their teaching time
• are able to access more intervention resources
  and supports in the building than if they work
  alone
• feel less isolated when dealing with challenging
  kids
• have help in documenting their intervention
  efforts

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Difficult-To-Teach Students

• Experience greater difficulty with learning and
  retention of information
• May also have behavioral problems
• Fall along a continuum, with some students
  showing more severe needs than others

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Difficult-To-Teach StudentsThe Numbers

• One in ten children in schools is classified as
  Special Education
• 3-5 of students may qualify for ADHD
• In 1998, about 40 of 4th grade youngsters fell
  below grade-level on a national reading test

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Difficult-To-Teach Students

• An increasing body of evidence supports the
  need for students with disabilities to be
  directly taught the processes and concepts that
  nondisabled children tend to learn naturally
  through experiences.
• --Office of Special Education Programs
• 21st Annual Report to Congress (1999)

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Difficult-To-Teach StudentsWhat Works (OSEP,
1999)

• Provide the student with

• Adequate range of examples to exemplify a concept
  or problem-solving strategy
• Models of proficient performancee.g.,
  step-by-step strategies
• Experiences where students explain how and why
  they make decisions

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Difficult-To-Teach StudentsWhat Works (Cont.)

• Provide the student with

• Frequent feedback on quality of performance and
  support so the student persists in activities
• Adequate practice and activities that are
  interesting and engaging

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Small-Group Activity Select a Student to Refer

• Go around the group and have each member briefly
  discuss a child with whom they worked this past
  year who was struggling academically and/or
  behaviorally.
• Select one of these students to serve as your
  groups practice case over the next two days
  as the group tries out the School-Based
  Intervention Team model.

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Core Elements

• SBIT has diverse representation including
  classroom teachers
• SBIT members have a relationship with the
  referring teacher based on equity and a collegial
  relationship
• The SBIT process is collaborative and
  confidential
• Parents are involved in the SBIT process. At a
  minimum, they are informed about the referral and
  meeting outcome.

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Core Elements (Cont.)

• The SBIT process is defined and conducted in a
  structured problem-solving format
• The focus of SBIT is on the student within the
  classroom/school environment
• The referring teachers concerns are explored,
  defined, and prioritized
• The SBIT recommends interventions that have been
  documented to be effective in school settings

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Team Roles

• Coordinator
• Facilitator
• Recorder
• Time Keeper
• Case Liaison

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Team Roles

• Coordinator
• The only non-rotating role
• Makes sure referrals are complete and that a
  case liaison is assigned
• Notifies SBIT members of days, times, and
  locations of meetings
• Coordinates the assignment of substitutes for
  teachers attending the SBIT meeting

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Team Roles

• Facilitator
• Establishes and maintains a supportive atmosphere
• Keeps the meeting agenda goal oriented
• Pay special attention to process issues
• Attempts to elicit an appropriate level of
  agreement throughout the process
• Helps resolve conflicts in the group

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Team Roles

• Recorder
• Keeps an accurate, concise record of the meeting
  using the meeting minutes form
• Asks for clarification about key information
• Assures all relevant information is obtained and
  recorded

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Team Roles

• Time Keeper
• Monitors how far a team has progressed given the
  guidelines in the meeting minutes forms
• Prompts the team to keep focused
  on the issue at hand
• Helps the team come to closure when time is
  running out

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Team Roles

• Case Liaison
• Supports the referring teacher throughout the
  process
• Helps referring teacher complete the referral
  form
• Consults with referring teacher
  about types of assessment techniques that might
  be useful

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Team Roles

• Case Liaison (cont)
• Assists the teacher in collecting information
  prior to the meeting
• Consults with the teacher concerning
  interventions and assessment strategies planned
  during the SBIT meeting
• Assesses the degree to which the interventions
  and assessment procedures were implemented as
  designed

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School-Based Intervention Teams Express Meeting
Related Resources
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SBIT Express Initial Meeting Minutes Form Cover
Sheet
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SBIT Introductory Script
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SBIT Introductory Script

• Welcome to this initial School-Based
  Intervention Team meeting. We are meeting with
  you today to discuss concerns that you have
  about a student, _________________.
• The purpose of this meeting is for us all to
  work together to come up with practical ideas to
  help this student to be more successful in
  school. I am the facilitator for todays meeting.
  The person taking notes during the meeting will
  be _________________ . The case liaison for this
  student is ___________. The time keeper for the
  meeting is __________________.

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SBIT Introductory Script (Cont.)

• You can expect this meeting to last about ____
  minutes. By the time you leave, we should have a
  complete student intervention plan put together
  to help address your concerns. Our team and
  you have a lot to do today and only limited time
  in which to do it. To help us to work efficiently
  and not waste your time, we will follow a
  structured problem-solving model that goes
  through several stages.

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SBIT Introductory Script (Cont.)

• Together, our team and you will
• Assess your major concerns about the student
• Help you to pick the one or two most important
  student concerns for us to work on today
• Set specific student goals for improvement
• Design an intervention plan with strategies to
  help that student improve, and
• Decide how to share information about this plan
  with the students parent(s)

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SBIT Introductory Script (Cont.)

• As the students teacher, you are the most
  important participant in this meeting. Please let
  us know at any time if you disagree with, or
  have questions about, our suggestions. Our
  meeting will not be a success unless you feel
  that the intervention ideas that we offer will
  address the students difficulties and are
  feasible for you to do.

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SBIT Introductory Script (Cont.)

• Our meeting notes will document the students
  referral concerns and the intervention plan that
  we come up with. These notes may be shared with
  others who are not here today, including childs
  parent(s) and the building administrator.
  However, we ask that everyone here keep the
  conversations that take place at this meeting
  confidential.
• Do you have any questions?

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School-Based Intervention Teams QuickGuide
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SBIT QuickGuide
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SBIT Consultative Process

• Step 1 Assess Teacher Concerns
• Step 2 Inventory Student Strengths and Talents
• Step 3 Review Baseline Data
• Step 4 Select Target Teacher Concerns
• Step 5 Set Goals
• Step 6 Design an Intervention Plan
• Step 7 Method of Monitoring Student Progress
• Step 8 Plan How to Share Information with the
  Students Parent(s)
• Step 9 Review the Intervention and Monitoring
  Plans

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Step 1 Assess Teacher Concerns
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 1 Assess Teacher Concerns GOALS
• Allow the teacher to discuss major referral
  concerns
• Review relevant background information,
  including
• Curriculum-based assessment (for academic
  concerns)
• Direct observation data (for academic /behavioral
  concerns)
• Teacher Behavior Report Cards (for academic/
  behavioral concerns)
• Archival information from student cumulative
  folder, etc. (for academic /behavioral concerns)

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SBIT Meeting Step 1 Assess Teacher Concerns
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 1 Assess Teacher Concerns SAMPLE
  QUESTIONS
• Given the information in the referral form, what
  are specific difficulties that you would like to
  address today?
• How is this student problem interfering with the
  students school performance?
• What concern(s) led you to refer the student to
  this Team?
• What information have we already collected that
  can shed some light on the identified concern?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 1 Assess Teacher Concerns
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when
• Team members have a good understanding of teacher
  concerns, and have reviewed relevant background
  and baseline information on the student.

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Step 2 Inventory Student Strengths Talents
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 2 Inventory Student Strengths Talents
  GOALS
• Discuss and record the students strengths and
  talents, as well as those incentives that
  motivate the student. This information can be
  valuable during intervention planning to identify
  strategies that the student will be motivated to
  participate in.

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SBIT Meeting Step 2 Inventory Student Strengths
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 2 Inventory Student Strengths Talents
  SAMPLE QUESTIONS
• What rewards or incentives have you noted in
  school that this child seems to look forward to?
• What are some things that this student does well
  or enjoys doing around the classroom?
• Please tell us a few of the students strengths,
  talents, or positive qualities that might be
  useful in designing interventions for him or her.
• What are hobbies or topics of interest for this
  student?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 2 Inventory Student Strengths Talents
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when
• The team has identified personal strengths,
  talents, and/or rewards that are likely to
  motivate the student if integrated into an
  intervention.

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Step 3 Review Baseline Data
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 3 Review Baseline Data GOALS
• Review any baseline data or background
  information that might be important in
  understanding the students academic or
  behavioral concerns

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SBIT Meeting Step 3 Review Baseline Data
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 3 Review Baseline Data SAMPLE
  QUESTIONS
• What curriculum-based data have we collected on
  this students academic skills?
• What Daily Behavior Report Card data do we have
  on this student?
• What is the students attendance record?
• What disciplinary office referrals does this
  student have?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 3 Review Baseline Data
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when
• All key background information and baseline data
  have been reviewed.

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Step 4 Select Target TeacherConcerns
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 4 Select Target Teacher Concerns GOALS
• Define the top 1-2 teacher concerns in easily
  observable, measurable terms.
• For behavioral concerns, understand the
  dimensions of the problem (e.g., frequency,
  duration, and/or intensity)
• For academic concerns, identify the presence of
  underlying academic skill deficits, mismatch
  between student skills and classroom instruction,
  etc.
• For each teacher concern, decide on what
  functions may help to explain why the student
  displays the target concerns.

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SBIT Meeting Step 4 Select Target Teacher
Concerns
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Reason/Function for Students Presenting
Problem(s) in BEHAVIOR

• Lacks necessary skills
• Has limited motivation
• Seeks attention from adults
• Seeks attention from peers
• Reacting to teasing/bullying
• Tries to escape from work demands of setting
• Seeks access to privileges, rewards

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Reason/Function for Students Presenting
Problem(s) in ACADEMICS

• Lacks necessary skills
• Has limited motivation
• Struggling academically in current instructional
  placement
• Needs drill practice

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 4 Select Target Teacher Concerns SAMPLE
  QUESTIONS
• What are the top one or two problems that you
  would like us to concentrate on today?
• (Academic) What can you tell us about the
  students current skill levels, homework and
  classwork completion, attention to task, general
  motivation?
• (Behavioral) How long does each behavioral
  outburst last? About how frequently do episodes
  occur? How severe are the behaviors that you are
  seeing?
• (Behavioral) What kinds of things happen in the
  room just before the student has an outburst?
  What do you and other students in the room do
  during each outburst?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 4 Select Target Teacher Concerns
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when
• One or two primary teacher concerns have been
  established and stated in measurable terms (as
  behavioral and/or academic difficulties).
• The referring teacher agrees with the selection
  and definition of the top 1-2 problems.
• The team and teacher agree on possible functions
  that explain why the academic/behavioral concern
  is taking place.

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Step 5 Set Observable, Measurable Goals
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 5 Set Observable Goals GOALS
• The team should estimate goals for improvement
  based on the time that will elapse between the
  initial and follow-up meeting
• For each of the academic or behavioral referral
  concerns
• Select at least two ways to monitor student
  progress.
• set ambitious but realistic goals for
  improvement.

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SBIT Meeting Step 5 Set Observable, Measurable,
Realistic Goals for Change (Academic)
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SBIT Meeting Step 5 Set Observable, Measurable,
Realistic Goals for Change (Behavior)
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 5 Set Observable Goals SAMPLE QUESTIONS
• Does the monitoring information really measure
  the teachers referral concern?
• Who will collect the monitoring information?
• How frequently should data be collected?
• How reliable/trustworthy is the information to be
  collected?
• Who on the SBIT Team or in the building is
  available to monitor this student with
• curriculum-based assessment?
• direct observation?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 5 Set Observable Goals
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when
• Ambitious but realistic student goals for
  improvement have been set.
• At least two measures have been identified to
  track each referral concern.
• The referring teacher agrees that both the goals
  for change and the measures selected are
  appropriate for this student case.

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Step 6 Design an InterventionPlan
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 6 Design an Intervention Plan GOALS
• Select at least one intervention that addresses
  each selected referral concern.
• Spell out the particulars of the intervention as
  a series of specific teacher-friendly steps
• Note any important additional information about
  the intervention (e.g., when, where, what
  specialized materials are needed, etc.)
• Review the intervention(s) with the teacher to
  ensure that the plan is acceptable.

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SBIT Meeting Step 6 Design an Intervention Plan
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 6 Design an Intervention Plan SAMPLE
  QUESTIONS
• What intervention ideas would best meet this
  students needs?
• What is it about this particular intervention
  that makes it likely to improve the students
  behavior or academic functioning in the area(s)
  identified?
• Is there specialized training or materials that
  you feel are needed to carry out this
  intervention?
• How can our Team assist you the referring
  teacher with the intervention?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 6 Design an Intervention Plan
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when
• The referring teacher and team members agree that
  the intervention
• directly addresses the identified concern(s).
• is judged by the teacher to be acceptable,
  sensible, and achievable.
• appears likely to achieve the desired goal.
• is realistic, given the resources committed.
• can be expected to achieve the stated goal within
  the timeline selected.

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Step 7 Method of Monitoring Progress
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 7 Method of Monitoring Progress GOALS
• Determine
• who will do progress-monitoring
• how frequently monitoring will take place

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SBIT Meeting Step 7 Method of Monitoring
Progress
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 7 Method of Progress-Monitoring SAMPLE
  QUESTIONS
• How often will we collect data on this student
  to document progress?
• Who will be responsible for collecting and
  analyzing the data?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 7 Method of Progress-Monitoring
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when it has
• selected methods to monitor progress that are
  sensitive to short-term student gain
• has assigned responsibility to specific staff
  members to collect the monitoring data

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Step 8 Plan HowTo Share MeetingInfo With
Parent(s)
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 8 Plan to Share Info With Parent GOALS
• Agree on who will contact the parent(s) to share
  the students intervention plan and invite the
  parent(s) to a future SBIT meeting.

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SBIT Meeting Step 8 Plan to Share Meeting Info
With Students Parents
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 8 Plan to Share Info With Parent SAMPLE
  QUESTIONS
• What specific details about the intervention
  would be of greatest interest to the parent(s)?

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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 8 Plan to Share Info With Parent
• The SBIT Team is ready to move on when
• At least one team member (who could be the
  referring teacher) has taken responsibility to
  contact the parent to share information about the
  students intervention plan and future SBIT
  meeting times and dates.

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Step 9 Reviewthe Intervention Monitoring Plans
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 9 Review Meeting Plans GOALS
• Review main points of the intervention and
  monitoring plans with referring teacher, other
  team members.
• (Case Liaison) Schedule a time within next week
  to meet with the referring teacher to review the
  intervention plan offer any needed assistance
  ensure that the intervention is being put into
  place as planned.
• Schedule a follow-up meeting (usually within 6-8
  weeks of the initial SBIT meeting).
• After the referring teacher leaves the meeting,
  complete the SBIT Team Meeting Debriefing Form,
  debrief as a team about the meeting process and
  content.

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SBIT Meeting Step 9 Review Intervention
Monitoring Plans
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 9 Review Meeting Plans SAMPLE QUESTIONS
• Do the referring teacher and other members of our
  team know what their responsibilities are in
  carrying out the intervention and monitoring
  plans for this student?
• Is our team able to support the teacher in
  identifying the most important referral concerns?
• Did our team help the teacher to assemble a good
  intervention plan that is feasible and can be
  carried out with currently available resources?

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SBIT Meeting Debriefing Form
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SBIT Initial Meeting QuickGuide

• Step 7 Review Meeting Plans
• The SBIT Team is ready to adjourn!

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SBIT Referral Form Page 1
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SBIT Referral Form Page 2