An Introduction to Response to Intervention

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An Introduction to Response to Intervention
MN Response to Intervention Center
Ann Casey, Ph.D. Director St. Croix River Ed.
District acasey_at_scred.k12.mn.us www.scred.k12.mn.
us/RTI/RTIcontact.htm
RtI
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Objectives for today

• Learn
• What is RtI
• Why our school needs RtI
• What are the components that comprise an RtI
  system - must haves
• Underlying assumptions for the model
• RtI is about school improvement - not about
  identifying students for special education
• Decide if our school wants to commit to
  implementing an RtI model of service delivery

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Fundamental Assumptions

• All the students are all our responsibility
• All students can make progress when given the
  amount and kind of support needed
• Teaching to the middle doesnt meet all students
  needs.
• Therefore, we must use our resources in new,
  different and collaborative ways to ensure each
  student is as successful as possible!

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One final assumption

• Schools have not had all the tools and/or
  training needed to implement such a model where
  all resources are organized around ensuring each
  student is as successful as possible

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What is RtI?

• Response to Intervention is a 3 tiered model of
  instructional support for all students
• RtI is a process comprised of 3 main components
• Evidenced Based Instructional practices
• System of Universal Screening and Progress
  Monitoring
• Problem Solving as a decision making system to
  determine who gets what interventions, when and
  by whom
• The first assumption when students are not
  succeeding is that they are struggling with the
  curriculum or instruction, and therefore, we need
  to make a change in one or both of those areas.

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Whats a 3-tiered system?
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Why a pyramid?
Tier 1
An aerial view- the implication is that all
students need a strong foundation in core
instruction
Tier 2
Tier 3
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Why does my school need a 3 tiered system?

• Many schools have had few options for struggling
  students - Title I services or special education
• Those have not been ideal methods in preventing
  failure
• In fact, special education has really been a
  wait to fail model, and Title I is a funding
  source and whether those resources resulted in
  student improvement varies greatly from school to
  school
• Even if your school is making AYP, there are
  students at every grade level who are not on
  target for proficiency

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Sea of Ineligibility
Reading Recovery
Amount of Resources Needed To Solve Problem
Special Education
Title 1
Peer Tutoring
Counseling
General Education
Intensity of Problem
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RtI is a process

• Comprised of 3 components
• Measurement system that allows for frequent
  monitoring of progress
• Instruction that is evidenced based for both core
  and interventions
• Problem Solving process that relies on data to
  determine who needs intervention, when, how, and
  what interventions to be delivered.

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Problem Solving
RtI an integrated System
Measurement
Instruction
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Measurement

• Schools have to make many choices about
  measurement tools - and often end up with several
  measures for the same purpose
• We need different measurements for different
  purposes

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RtI requires an easy to use measurement system

• A system that allows for quick screening that is
  highly reliable and valid
• A system that allows for frequent measurement to
  determine if students are progressing
• Such systems are referred to as general outcome
  measures or curriculum-based measurements

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www.studentprogress.org/chart/chart.asp

• Schools should visit the National Center on
  Student Progress Monitoring to determine which
  measurement system best meets your schools needs

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Evidenced Based Practices

• RtI is a process for improvement that can be used
  for both academics and behavior however the MN
  RtI Center is funded to improve literacy outcomes
  at this time

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Evidenced Based Literacy Practices

• 5 foundational skills of EBP for literacy
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics/word study
• Fluency/automaticity
• Vocabulary
• Comprehension

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Literacy Professional Development

• The professional development we undertake will be
  based on our student needs indicated by the data
  we collect, as well as teacher expertise or
  teacher need for expertise.
• A study group/professional learning community
  model is encouraged

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Problem-Solving Process

• All school staff need to learn the problem
  solving process so we have a common approach to
  solving problems

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Problem Solving A 5 step process

• Problem Identification
• Problem Analysis
• Plan Development
• Plan Implementation
• Plan Evaluation

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Building PS team IEP consideration
Grade Level teams
Resources for Problem Solving
Teacher Parent
Intensity of the problem
Adapted from Tilly, 2002
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Problem Solving is used in each part of the
pyramid

• Grade level teams problem-solve regarding core
  instruction as well as deciding who are
  candidates for tier 2 interventions and what the
  interventions will be
• A building problem solving team may decide who
  needs more intensive, tier 3 support, including
  special education

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Think about Problem Solving in new and different
ways

• Old
• Student referred by teacher/parent
• One student at a time
• Decisions not necessarily data-based
• Not very prevention oriented
• RtI
• Teaching teams review data of all students in the
  team
• Students not at benchmark are targeted for Tier 2
  support in addition to strong core instruction
• Focus is on success - keeping students from
  needing special education

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A Quick Review

• RtI is a process of 3 things EBP, progress
  monitoring, problem solving
• The instructional practices comprise a 3 tiered
  model of support with a strong core for all
  students, targeted supports for some, and
  intensive supports for a few.
• We use universal screening and progress
  monitoring to help us determine flexible
  groupings and determine whether students are
  progressing or not.

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Commitments for School Participation

• Internal coach appointed part time to work with
  MN RtI Center and Site leadership team
• SiteTeam for RtI implementation to include
  administrator, coach, and both general and
  special ed. staff
• 80 staff agreement and principal support
• Completion of an RtI Readiness checklist- can be
  done by the team
• Embed RtI process in the schools ongoing
  improvement process/plan
• Agree to work with MN Rti Center through 2008-09
  school year