ELANCO’s RtII FrameworkFrom “Wait to Fail” to “Fail to Wait”

Kevin Kuhn and Dick HallAugust 14, 2012

ScheduleWhy RtII?History & foundation of RtIIKey components: Intervention, universal

screening, progress monitoring, data-based decision making

Team process for RtIIRtII for BehaviorThree tiers of behavioral interventions

Rationale for Implementing RtIIElementary and Secondary Education Act

“Every student should graduate from high school ready for college and a career, regardless of their income, race, ethnic, or language background, or disability status.”

www.ed.gov 4/12/2011No Child Left Behind Act of 2001IDEA Reauthorization 2004

Rationale for Implementing RtIINearly 7,000 high school students drop out

each day.Nationally, more than 1/3 of African

American and Latino students who enter 9th grade will not complete high school with their peers in 4 years.

In PA, 22% of 9th graders fail to graduate from high school within 4 years.

Rationale for Implementing RtIIMany new hires are deficient in basic writing

(72%), mathematics (54%), and reading comprehension skills (38%).

Only 15.9% of all students who graduated in 2009 had access to an advanced placement course that helped them earn a score of 3 or higher (3=predictive of college success).

Half of all first-year college students enroll in one or more remedial courses.

Our StoryHistory of RtII in the ELANCO School District

 • 1990 - 1995 PA Instructional Support Teams (IST)

in place district wide• 1997 - 2005 Began using RtII data as part of SLD

and ED eligibility decisions • 2006 Full Implementation of RtII Framework at

the elementary level• 2006 Blue Ball Elementary School named NRCLD

Model RtII Site• 2011 Certified by the state of PA to use RtII to

make SLD eligibility decisions for reading.• 2011 Universal screening for behavior K-8 using

AIMSweb

Lessons from Past PracticeSolving problems one a time is not particularly

efficient from a resource utilization standpoint.Teachers cannot implement more than 1 or 2

simultaneous interventions with integrity at any given time AND continue teaching an entire classroom effectively.

Individual problem-solving was based mostly on teacher referral, which is reactive and subjective.

State assessments do not provide timely information about student achievement.

Activity!

Things to think about…Blood pressure is pretty effective for

screeningA general intervention might be diet and

exerciseBlood tests can be used to be more

diagnosticMedication is considered only if absolutely

necessary and only after gathering more diagnostic information

The FrameworkTier 1

• All students• core curriculum is rigorous, differentiated and

aligned with standards• minimum of 90 uninterrupted minutes of

Reading, 60 uninterrupted minutes of Math• consistent and frequent small group

instruction• continuous formative assessment• common summative assessments• delivered with fidelity

If less than 80% of students are successful with Tier 1 instruction, core program should be addressed.

The FrameworkTier 2 

• 10-20% of students• 30 minutes in addition to Tier 1 instruction• researched-based, targeted intervention• ideal group size- 1-5 students• progress monitoring every other week or

more

Tier 3• 1-5% of students• 15-30 minutes in addition to Tier 1 and 2• standard protocol intervention• ideal group size- 1-3 students• progress monitoring weekly or more

Intervention IntensityIntervention intensity occurs both between and within tiers•  Tier 1 

o General instructiono General instruction with differentiationo Consultation with professional peers and specialists

• Tier 2o Small group standard instructional protocolo Increase in frequency and duration of interventions o Consultation with peers and specialisto Change to more explicit instructional protocolo Changes made based on additional diagnostic data

• Tier 3o Increasingly diagnostic and individualized instructiono Increase in frequency and duration of interventionso Instruction increasingly explicit and must be research

supported o Involvement of additional support professionalso Involvement of parents in the intervention efforts

Assessments-Universal ScreeningPurpose: Identify current performance level, identify learning needs, and to identify students at risk for academic or behavior difficulties.

Who:  All students are screened in reading, math, and behavior a minimum of three times per year.

What: Screening measures are research based and provide benchmarks and typical rates of student progress. Efficient and easily administered. Nationally norm referenced. By Whom: District Assessment Team and classroom teachers who are trained in measures.  Fidelity checks are maintained.

Analyzed By: Classroom teachers, Support teachers, and administration. Stored on websites and Performance Plus

Universal Screening K-6Reading:  K-6  DIBELS-3 times/year                3-6  4Sight-4 times/year

Math:       1-6  Star Math-3 times/year                3-6  4Sight-4 times/year

Behavior: K-6  AIMSweb                SSIS Motivation to Learn Rating                   SSIS Pro-social Behavior Rating                BESS (Behavior and Emotional Screening System)

Assessments - Progress MonitoringTier 1• Universal Screening: Star Math and Star Reading• AIMSweb used as Progress monitoring • AIMSweb Behavior Screening 

 Tier 2• Students progress monitored using AIMSweb biweekly or

weekly (e.g., ORF and/or MAZE)• CORE Phonics diagnostic• AIMSweb Math MComp and MCAP• Google Docs spreadsheet for Behavior Progress

Monitoring

Tier 3 • Students progress monitored using AIMSweb• Additional diagnostic measures• Can't Do/Won't Do assessment

 ELANCO Progress Monitoring Guidelines

Schedule Structure Common planning time for every grade

level Common language block of at least 90

minutes and common math blocks of at least 60 minutes for every grade level

30 minute intervention time for each grade level for reading and math

Data-Based Teaming Structures

Tier 1 Team(Grade Level)

Meetings: At least 5 times per yearAttendees: Grade Level Teachers, Grade Level Coach/FacilitatorAgenda: Identify grade level needs, set measurable goals, develop strategies to meet grade level goals.

Tier 1 Team(Student Level)

Meetings: At least 5 times per yearAttendees: Individual Classroom Teachers, Principals, Support SpecialistsAgenda: Review Individual Progress monitoring data, determine Tier I instructional changes.

Tier 2 Team(Student Level)

Meetings: Minimum of every 6 weeks or soon as progress monitoring indicates need for instructional changeAttendees: Grade Level Teacher(s), Grade Level Support Specialist or Title One Teacher. Principal, District Support Specialist, ESL Teachers, School Counselor and Special Education Teacher, School Psychologist as appropriate.Agenda: Review individual student progress, evaluate progress monitoring data, make changes to Tier 2 instruction and interventions.

Tier 3 Team(Student Level)

Meetings: Every 6 weeksAttendees: Principal, Support Specialists, School Counselor, School Psychologist, Classroom Teacher(s), and ParentsAgenda: Set individual student goals, develop intervention plans, evaluate progress monitoring, make changes to intervention.

:

ELANCO Elementary Teaming Structure

Goal Setting and Action PlanningTier 1 teams set grade level goals, action plan and monitor team progress.

Individual student goals are set at Tier 2 and 3.

Responding as a Team• Independent to interdependent integrated teams• Instructional changes as soon as progress

monitoring indicates the student is not responding to instruction.

• Links to Tier 1, 2 and 3 protocols

Professional Developmento Collectivist Culture, Shared Ownershipo Learning-Focused Schoolso AIMSweb trainingo Explain and provide a rationale for our RtII

frameworko Provide a clear understanding of the concepts of

"instructional level" and "Rate of Improvement (ROI)"

o Chart sharingo All teachers involved in curriculum writingo Continuous training on implementation of

interventions

Parent Involvement• Tier 1

o Quarterly report cards o Parent-teacher conferences o Back-to-School Nighto PSSA nighto Blogging Nighto Open invitation for parent visitso Parent-Teacher Organization

         

Parent Involvement• Tier 2

o Parent letter informing them of additional services provided (may decline services) and right to request a formal evaluation

o Progress monitoring graphs shared quarterly o Fall Open House o Spring Open House o Family Game Nighto Parent Advisory Committeeo Seven Springs - Summero IU 13 Workshop - Spring

• Tier 3o Active member of meeting to determine goals and

interventionso Child's progress is shared after 6 weeks and 12

weeks of intervention

Then and NowThen

Schedules randomly based on specials and teacher preference.

Support personnel time distributed evenly among teachers.

Interventions prioritized and implemented as time allowed based on referrals.

NowSchedules based on instructional blocks and intervention needs.

Support personnel embedded and time focused on student need.

Intervention for everyone who needs it based on data.

Then and NowThen

My students

Separate teams working in isolation

Infrequent, haphazard, inconsistent progress monitoring

Wait to fail

NowOur students

Coordinated teams working together

Frequent, systematic, consistent progress monitoring

Fail to wait

Why RtII for Behavior?Take 60 seconds in pairs to come up with

a list of as many reasons for or benefits of using RtII for behavioral needs.

Why RtII for BehaviorSafer schoolsSafer, more productive communityHigher academic achievementMore academic engagementLess truancyLower dropout ratesHappier teachers & staffFind kids at risk for social/emotional/behavioral problems

and intervene earlyUniversal screening catches the internalizers tooFor some kids, school is the only place where they can

get emotional and behavioral support

AIMSweb Behavior ModuleAIMSweb Behavior Module walks the RtII team

through:Benchmarking/screeningScreening data analysisIntervention planningProgress monitoring

Links universal screening data to intervention selection

Progress monitoring is automatic, but data entry can be cumbersome and it is difficult to fully customize the plan and monitoring

Our Plan for 2012-2013Multi-gate universal screening through AIMSweb:

SSIS-MTL & SSIS-PB for all studentsBESS for some students

Additional sources of data:Discipline & attendance data from Google Doc E-

Referrals (HS Only?)Observations, teacher input, etc. as needed

Intervention selection:Begin with research-supported standard protocol

interventions; individualize or increase intensity/frequency as needed based on PM data

Our Plan for 2012-2013 (cont.)Progress monitoring using Google Doc

spreadsheetsPMing spreadsheet set up at RtII meetingsData entered directly by

teachers/counselors/paraeducatorsData & graph immediately available to all members

of RtII teamEntire process guided by Behavior RtII Flowchart:

Universal screening cut-offsIntervention & progress monitoring flowDecision rules and next steps for non-responders

Behavioral RtII Tiered InterventionsTier 1 supports – the things you do everyday, and

perhaps some things to try when the things you have done in the past aren’t working

Tier 2 interventions – standard protocol, research-based interventions that work for most kids (90% or more)

Tier 3 – individualized interventions based on functional assessment; can be tier 2 plan that is tweaked, individualized, intensified by adding rewards, consequences, or additional interventions

Behavior Intervention Resources

http://schoolpsychology.wiki.elanco.net/KevinKuhn

Behavioral RtII Intervention MenuIn groups of 3 to present:

Describe the type of kid (no names) who would benefit from this intervention.

What are the main components of the intervention?What are the strengths of this intervention?How would you set up progress monitoring for this

intervention?

Then and NowThen

Problem lies within student

Focus on distal antecedents

Feeling of helplessness leading to inaction

Refer out for psychological services & medication

NowProblem lies within environment

Focus on proximal antecedents

Feeling of hopefulness leading to intervention

Address behavioral and emotional needs within school

Resourceshttp://elancoelementaryrtii.wiki.elanco.net/http://schoolpsychology.wiki.elanco.net/KevinKuhnhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkK1bT8ls0Mhttp://www.rti4success.org/http://www.rtinetwork.org/