A short Introduction to Response to Intervention

Getting Started With Response to Intervention: A Guide for Schools

EDA 600 Final Project Working through a Mandated Change
adapted from a PowerPoint by Jim Wright www.interventioncentral.org

January 2006

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RTI Workshop Goals

As a result of this workshop, you will: Better understand the Response to Intervention (RTI) model Know where to find resources on the Internet to start RTI in your school Understand the next steps that your school should take to implement RTI

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Discussion: Read the quote below:

The quality of a school as a learning community can be measured by how effectively it addresses the needs of struggling students.
--Wright (2005)

Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

Source: Wright, J. (2005, Summer). Five interventions that work. NAESP Leadership Compass, 2(4) pp.1,6. EDA 600 SUNY Brockport 3

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IDEIA 2004-05 Federal (US Dept of Education) Regulations: What do they say about LD diagnosis?
300.307 Specific learning disabilities. (a) General. A State must adopt criteria for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability. the criteria adopted by the State (2) May not require the use of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability as defined in 300.8; (3) Must permit the use of a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention Translation : States must adopt a method, but can not force a specific method nor deny a particular method. (Lobbying)
Source: IDEA (2004, 2005). Proposed Regulations from US Department of Education ( 300.307) EDA 600 SUNY Brockport 4

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Why is RTI now being adopted by schools?

The new law Explicitly allows states to use RTI to identify LD Forbids states from forcing schools to use a discrepancy model to identify LD Basically the use of an IEP to change the graduation requirements for a student requires proof that the child is Learning Disabled. RTI can be used to make that determination.
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NYS take on RTI

RTI Must include
Appropriate instruction delivered to all students screens all students in class instruction matched to student need with increasingly intensive levels of targeted intervention repeated assessments of student achievement Information acquired through RTI must be used in decisions about changes in goals, instruction, services and referrals to special education; Notify parents when intervention exceeds general classroom interventions (details)

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What is Response to Intervention (RTI)?

'Response to Intervention' is an emerging approach to the diagnosis of Learning Disabilities that holds considerable promise. In the RTI model: A student with academic delays is given one or more research-validated interventions. The student's academic progress is monitored frequently to see if those interventions are sufficient to help the student to catch up with his or her peers. If the student fails to show significantly improved academic skills despite several well-designed and implemented interventions, this failure to 'respond to intervention' can be viewed as evidence of an underlying Learning Disability.
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What is the purpose of RTI?

Its two-fold To provide early intervention
To provide an alternative method of LD identification

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What are advantages of RTI?

One advantage of RTI in the diagnosis of educational disabilities is that it allows schools to intervene early to meet the needs of struggling learners. Another advantage is that RTI maps those specific instructional strategies found to benefit a particular student. This information can be very helpful to both teachers and parents.

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Prior to RTI, many states used a Test-Score Discrepancy Model to identify Learning Disabilities. A student with significant academic delays would be administered a battery of tests, including an intelligence test and academic achievement test(s). If the student was found to have a substantial gap between a higher IQ score and lower achievement scores, a formula was used to determine if that gap was statistically significant and severe. If the student had a severe discrepancy [gap] between IQ and achievement, he or she would be diagnosed with a Learning Disability.
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What previous approach to diagnosing Learning Disabilities does RTI replace?

Response to Intervention

Learning Disabilities: Test Discrepancy Model Traditionally, disability is viewed as a deficit that resides within the individual, the severity of which might be influenced, but not created, by contextual variables. (Vaughn & Fuchs,
2003)

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Limitations to the test-score discrepancy model (Gresham, 2001):

Requires chronic school failure BEFORE remedial/special education supports can be given. Fails to consider that outside factors such as poor or inconsistent instruction may contribute to a child's learning delay. A severe discrepancy between test scores provides no useful information about WHY the student is doing poorly academically.

Different states (and even school districts within the same state) often used different formulas to diagnose LD, resulting in a lack of uniformity in identifying children for special education support.

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What is the process of identifying Learning Disabled (LD) students in your district?

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Avg Classroom Academic Performance Level

Discrepancy 1: Skill Gap Discrepancy 2: (Current Gap in Rate of Performance Level) Learning (Slope Target of Improvement) Student

Dual-Discrepancy: RTI Model of Learning Disability (Fuchs 2003)

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What does RTI look like when applied to an individual student?

A widely accepted method for determining whether a student has a Learning Disability under RTI is the dual discrepancy model (Fuchs, 2003).
Discrepancy 1: The student is found to be performing academically at a level significantly below that of his or her typical peers (discrepancy in initial skills or performance). Discrepancy 2: Despite the implementation of one or more welldesigned, well-implemented interventions tailored specifically for the student, he or she fails to close the gap with classmates (discrepancy in rate of learning relative to peers).

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The steps of RTI for an individual case

Under RTI, if a student is found to be performing well below peers, the school will: 1. Estimate the academic skill gap between the student and typically-performing peers 2. Determine the likely reason(s) for the students depressed academic performance 3. Select a scientifically-based intervention likely to improve the student's academic functioning 4. Monitor academic progress frequently to evaluate the impact of the intervention 5. If the student fails to respond to several well-implemented interventions, consider a referral to Special Education
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How can a school restructure to support RTI?

The school can organize its intervention efforts into 3 levels, or Tiers, that represent a continuum of increasing intensity of support. (Kovaleski, 2003; Vaughn, 2003). Tier I is the lowest level of intervention and Tier III is the most intensive intervention level.

Tier I Tier II Tier III

Universal intervention: Available to all students Example: Additional classroom literacy instruction Individualized Intervention: Students who need additional support than peers are given individual intervention plans. Example: Supplemental peer tutoring in reading to increase reading fluency Intensive Intervention: Students whose intervention needs are greater than general education can meet may be referred for more intensive services. Example: Special Education
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RTI: School-Wide Three-Tier Framework (Kovaleski, 2003; Vaughn, 2003)

Tier I
School-Wide Screening & Group Intervention

Tier II
NonResponders to Tier I Are Identified & Given Individually Tailored Interventions (e.g., peer tutoring/fluency)
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Tier III
Long-Term Programming for Students Who Fail to Respond to Tier II Interventions (e.g., Special Education)

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Brainstorm Interventions
Try to come up with interventions for reading comprehension, reading fluency, writing, content area vocabulary, spelling, language, math, organizational concerns, behavioral concerns, and social concerns.

Tier One

Tier Two

Tier Three

Universal intervention: Available to all students

Individualized Intervention: Students who need additional support than peers are given individual intervention plans.

Intensive Intervention: Students whose intervention needs are greater than general education can meet may be referred for more intensive services.

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Putting The RTI Model into Practice: 5 Recommended Next Steps for Schools

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What do schools have to do differently under the RTI model?

To implement RTI effectively, schools must develop a specialized set of tools and competencies, including: A structured format for problem-solving. Knowledge of a range of scientifically based interventions that address common reasons for school failure. The ability to use various methods of assessment to monitor student progress in academic and behavioral areas.

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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

1. Adopt evidence-based intervention strategies. Academic interventions will have a higher chance of success if they are based on sound empirical research.

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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

Web resources for evidence-based intervention strategies Big Ideas in Beginning Reading (U of Oregon): reading.uoregon.edu What Works Clearinghouse (US Dept of Education): www.w-w-c.org Intervention Central: www.interventioncentral.org
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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

2. Train staff to collect frequent progress-monitoring data. Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) can be used to assess a students accuracy and speed in basicskill areas such as reading fluency, math computation, writing, spelling, and pre-literacy skills. Teachers also can measure the behavior of struggling learners on a daily basis by using classroom Daily Behavior Report Cards: simple, convenient rating forms to track a childs work completion, attention to task, compliance with teacher directions, and other behaviors that influence learning.
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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

Web resources for progress-monitoring CBM Warehouse: www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/inter ventions/cbmwarehouse.shtml The Behavior Reporter (Behavior Report Card Generator): http://www.jimwrightonline.com/php/ tbrc/tbrc.php
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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

3. Develop building-level intervention programs to address common academic concerns. When faced with large numbers of students with shared academic concerns (e.g., reading fluency), schools can create a building-level intervention program to meet this need. For example, older children could tutor younger students by using simple, research-based techniques to boost their tutees reading fluency (Wright & Cleary, 2006).

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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

Web resource for a building-level intervention program: peer-tutoring/reading fluency Kids as Reading Helpers Peer Tutoring Manual: www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/ interventions/rdngfluency/prtutor.shtml

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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

4. Establish a building intervention team. Made up of teachers and support staff, the intervention team can help referring teachers design feasible strategies for struggling students.

Intervention teams also foster a sense of collegiality and mutual support among educators, promote the use of evidence-based interventions, and assist busy teachers in carrying out intervention plans.

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Sample Intervention Team Model: SBIT Consultative Steps

Step 1: Assess Teacher Concerns Step 2: Inventory Student Strengths and Talents Step 3: Review Background/Baseline Data Step 4: Select Target Teacher Concerns

Step 5: Set Academic or Behavioral Goals

Step 6: Design an Intervention Plan Step 7: Select Method for Progress Monitoring Step 8: Plan How to Share Information with the Students Parent(s) Step 9: Review the Intervention and Monitoring Plans
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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

Web resources on building intervention teams
School-Based Intervention Teams (Syracuse City Schools): http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/ interventions/sbit.shtml Screening to Enhance Educational Performance: STEEP (Joe Witt, Ph.D.): http://www.joewitt.org/steep.htm Instructional Consultation Teams (Sylvia Rosenfield, Ph.D.) http://www.icteams.umd.edu/
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Implementing RTI: Next Steps

5. Align Current Intervention & Assessment Efforts With 3-Tier Model. Many schools already have intervention & assessment initiatives in place. Mapping out those initiatives, standardizing their content, and tying them to the appropriate level of the 3-tier intervention framework can help schools to better coordinate intervention programming while avoiding duplication of services.

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Tier I

Inventory all universal programs in the school intended to prevent student academic or behavioral failure Inventory programs or supports (e.g., Intervention Team, cross-age peer tutoring, Math or Reading Remedial Lab) that can be individualized and matched to students with emerging academic or behavioral difficulties Inventory the most intensive programs (e.g., Special Education services, Wrap-Around Teams, Individual Counseling) reserved for students with severe and chronic academic or behavioral problems that have not responded to Tier I or Tier II supports
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Tier II

Tier III

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References
Chafouleas, S.M., McDougal, J.L., Riley-Tillman, T.C., Panahon, C.J., & Hilt, A.M. (2005). What do Daily Behavior Report Cards (DBRCs) measure? An initial comparison of DBRCs with direct observation for off-task behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 42(6), 669-676. Fuchs, L. (2003). Assessing intervention responsiveness: Conceptual and technical issues. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 18(3), 172-186. Gresham, F. (2001). Responsiveness to Intervention: an Alternative Approach to the Identification of Learning Disabilities. Retrieved January 9, 2006, from http://www.air.org/ldsummit/download/Gresham Final 08-10-01.doc Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, P.L. 108-466 (2004, 2005). 34 C.F.R. 300 (Proposed Regulations). Retrieved January 15, 2006, from http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/0 5-11804.pdf

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References
Kovaleski, J. F. (2003). The three-tier model of identifying learning disabilities: Critical program features and system issues. Paper presented at the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities Responsiveness-to-Intervention Symposium, Kansas City, MO. Shapiro, E. S. (1996). Academic skills problems: Direct assessment and intervention (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford. Shinn, M. R. (1989). Identifying and defining academic problems: CBM screening and eligibility procedures. In M. R. Shinn (Ed.), Curriculum based measurement: Assessing special children (pp.90-129). New York: The Guilford Press. Wright, J. (2005, Summer). Five interventions that work. NAESP [National Association of Elementary School Principals] Leadership Compass, 2(4) pp.1,6.

Wright, J., & Cleary, K. S. (2006). Kids in the tutor seat: Building schools' capacity to help struggling readers through a cross-age peer-tutoring program. Psychology in the Schools, 43(1), 99-107.

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Response to Intervention

RTI Workshop Goals

As a result of this workshop, do you: Have a better understand the Response to Intervention (RTI) model? Know where to find resources on the Internet to start RTI in your school? Understand the next steps that your school should take to implement RTI?

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END

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