BRAIDING RESPONSIVENESS TO INSTRUCTION/INTERVENTION RTI Carol White, Ed.D; Daniel Haithcox; Nancy Keuffer; Michael Thomas Artist: Mark Farrington Durham School of the Arts OBJECTIVES Broaden awareness of the RtI Framework Define braiding Illustrate connections between RtI and school supports RTI: DEFINITION The practice of: 1) providing high quality instruction and interventions matched to students needs, 2) monitoring progress frequently to make changes in instruction or goals and, 3) applying student response data to important educational decisions. Benefits of RtI Eliminates a wait to fail situation because students receive early intervention within the general education setting Differentiates between inadequate instruction and a student disability Provides information that supports teachers in evaluating student needs for alignment with instruction through progress monitoring Supports standards 6 and 8 of the NC educator evaluation instrumentstandards 6 and 8 RESEARCH Models of integrated behavior and reading supports produce larger gains in literacy skills than the reading-only model. Stewart, Benner, Martella, & Marchand-Martella, 2007 Quality instruction can reduce student engagement in problem behavior. Sanford, 2006; Preciado, Horner, Baker, 2009 Children who fall behind academically will be more likely to find academic work aversive and engage in escape behaviors. Mcintosh, 2008 Essential Components of RtI How have we historically addressed this childs needs in the regular education classroom? What could be assumed about this child if he did not perform well today? Who should address his needs? Our education system has grown up through a process of disjointed incrementalism (Reynolds, 1988) Gifted ECELL Title 1 Regular Ed. Unintended effects Conflicting programs Conflicting funding streams Redundancy Lack of coordination across programs Nonsensical rules about program availability for students Extreme complexity in administration and implementation of the programs RtI. Universal: General Education Targeted Intervention Intensive Intervention Tier I Tier II Tier III Activity: Resource Identification Braiding It All Together IS THERE ONE WAY TO BRAID IT ALL TOGETHER? EC Law Common Core PEP SIOP PBIS PLC Assessments ITS ALL THE SAME THING Dont be overwhelmed Assessments Common Core SIOP EC Law PBIS PEP Braiding Defined Braiding is A combining of services and funding to create a system of comprehensive support in an educational setting. Walker, 2009 Benefits of Braiding Aligns all resources to meet the needs of the whole student Fosters a culture of collaboration Between departments Between Stakeholders Provides continuity across curricular areas, instruction and assessment Increases program sustainability PLCRtIPBIS Teaching & Learning Common Core (Standards-Based) What do we expect students to know? Effective Core Program (Universal-Tier I) Common purpose and approach to discipline Standards-Based Curriculum All Initiatives, including curriculum and instruction Focus on All students learning using collaborative teams Collective responsibility for All students Collaborative using universal behavior and common language Collective responsibility for All students Assessments & Monitoring How will we know they learned it? Universal screenings; Progress monitoring (formative & summative) Behavior screening and progress monitoring State, District data sources What purpose does each data source serve, how do we use it, how do we respond to it? InterventionsWhat will we do when they dont learn? Timely, research-based interventions Data Based Decision Making How do we know its working, where do we go next? Instructional decisions are linked to available data Are our core expectations and reinforcements working, where do we go next? Instructional decisions are linked to available data,. Are our core curriculum and instructional strategies working? Common core Response to Intervention Academics Behavior Tier III Intensive Tier II Strategic Tier I Universal Common core Response to Intervention Tier I Universal Screening Evaluate Core Early Intervention Engaging, high quality instruction Supports ALL students 80% meet or exceed requirements Slide created by Carol White Ed.D BRAIDING LESSONS LEARNED: TIER I Provide training for use of screening data during PLC Set guidelines for intensifying instructional supports within tiers of intervention Make decisions about ESL and Gifted learners Create a district RtI Team inclusive of a variety of stakeholders (i.e. principals, teachers, facilitators) Evaluate use of assessments Identify redundancies Know what purpose they serve and how to use the information Identify resources Common core Response to Intervention Tier II Strategic Develop E-PEP Academic/Behavior Plans Cyclical process Progress Monitoring Multiple data sources Interventions are time & frequency sensitive 15% of students in need of services Slide created by Carol White, Ed.D BRAIDING LESSONS LEARNED: TIER II Continue to make connections to other district initiatives such as equity work and dual language Ensure collaboration with PBIS team members Collaborate regularly across departments Create supportive community and business partnerships Strengthen communication between EC and General Education Continue ongoing parent contact Common core Response to Intervention Tier III Intensive Continue E-PEP Cyclical process Progress Monitoring Multiple data sources Intervention time & frequency increased Possible referral for EC evaluation 5% of students in need of services Slide created by Carol White, Ed.D BRAIDING LESSONS LEARNED: TIER III All stakeholders work to develop and implement a collaborative plan utilizing research-based interventions that will support the individual student Schedule Problem Solving Team meetings to include the partners needed to support the plan created Partners collaborate to identify how stakeholders will know when to refer students for EC services ROLE OF DISTRICT LEADERSHIP Sets the vision of an integrated system of student support Monitors for accountability and fidelity Insures stability during change Protects the effort (e.g., policies, financial and human resources, hiring, professional development) Addresses challenges (infrastructure, technology deficits etc.) (Kellerer, Larsen & Mellard, 2010) BRAIDING LESSONS LEARNED: LEADERSHIP Conduct a district evaluation of all state and district assessments Design a long range RtI plan that utilizes implementation science frameworks Provide a RtI District Coordinator/Director position along with school-based support staff Ensure the District Coordinator is included in district leadership sessions that inform and guide implementation decisions Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. -Napoleon Hill, American speaker and motivational writer