Re-visioning Intervention: RtI2 in

Secondary

Nancy Frey, Ph.D.

San Diego State University

PowerPoint available at www.fisherandfrey.com

First, the bad news…

There’s no “magic in a box” for RtI

Even worse…

Everyone expects that you’re a magician!

What is Response to Intervention?

Required by IDEA, 2004 A multi-tiered approach to identifying learning disabilities

in reading and mathematics Provides an alternative to discrepancy models Allows proactive intervention before identification Both a policy and a practice Allocates up to 15% of special education funding formula

for proactive intervention Regulations went into effect October 2006

Problems with LD Identification

Traditional approaches to identification through discrepancy models were inadequate

Led to misdiagnosis of oral expression, listening comprehension, reading and math difficulties

Large increases in students identified as having a learning disability

Two possible reasons for reading difficulties

Cognitive processing factors Inherent limitations in reading related to cognitive

difficulties that make it difficult for a student to acquire foundational reading skills

Experiential and instructional factors Deficiencies in the student’s literacy skills and/or

literacy instructionF. R. Vellutino, et al, 2003 RtI Symposium

Misdiagnosing students?

Traditional approach

Definition by discrepancy IQ/Achievement discrepancy (“s/he should be

doing better”)

Definition by exclusion use of exclusionary criteria (“it can’t be anything

else”)

Type I and Type II Errors

Traditional approach failed to discriminate between experiential/instructional inadequacies and true disabilities

Led to misidentification of students with learning disabilities (Type I: “false negatives” and Type II: “false positives”)

Making Instruction and Intervention

Responsive

LEARNING

Traditional View of Learning

When time and instruction are held constant…

… learning outcomesvary.

Adapted from Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009

LEARNING

A New View of Learning

When time and instruction are variable…

… learning is held constant.

Adapted from Buffum, Mattos, & Weber, 2009

“Tears of intervention”

Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI2)

Tier 1: Quality core instruction Tier 2: Supplemental intervention Tier 3: Intensive intervention

Tier 1: 70+%

Tier 2:

20-30%Tier 3:

5-15%

Manipulate variables…Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

What Variables Can You Control?

Frequency (time) Duration (time) Assessment (instruction) Group size (instruction) Access to expertise (instruction) Staff collaboration (instruction) Student Monitoring Team (instruction) Others?

Tier 1: Quality Core Instruction

Tier 1: 70+%

Tier 2:

20-30%

Tier 3:

5-15%

Manipulate variables…Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY

Focus Lesson

Guided Instruction

“I do it”

“We do it”

“You do it together”Collaborative

Independent “You do it alone”

Gradual Release of Responsibility Model Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2008). Better learning through structured teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Red flags for Tier 1 Less than 70% of the

school at or near grade level

Too much whole-group instruction

No evidence of flexible grouping

Blaming students for failure

“This is how I’ve always done it”

Tier 2: Supplemental intervention

Tier 1: 70+%

Tier 2:

20-30%Tier 3:

5-15%

Manipulate variables…Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

What does Tier 2 look like?

PROGRAM Specialized instruction

GROUPING Homogeneous small

groups ASSESSMENT

1-2 times monthly

WHO? General education

teacher, reading specialist, S/LP

WHERE? General education

classroom

DESIGNED TO ACCELERATE LEARNING

Examples of Tier 2 Supplemental Instruction and Intervention

Additional guided instruction Lower group size (2-5 students) Afterschool tutorials Increased expertise (teacher, S/LP, reading

specialist, etc.) Curriculum Based Measures (CBM) for progress

monitoring Family involvement Student Monitoring Team feeds forward to improve

instruction

Small group guided instruction

Additive--done in addition to core program Frequency--should be daily* Intensity--specialized approaches targeted

at specific areas of difficulty Duration--typically 20 weeks* Daily instruction can come from a team of Tier 2 interventionists

Red flags for Tier 2

Replacement instead of supplementary instruction

Disconnected from curriculum

No mechanism for communication between professionals

Used as a Band-aid to fix other schoolwide woes

Tier 3: Intensive intervention

Tier 1: 70+%

Tier 2:

20-30%

Tier 3:

5-15%

Manipulate variables…Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (in press). Enhancing RTI: How to ensure success with effective classroom instruction and intervention. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

What does Tier 3 look like?

PROGRAM Intensive intervention

GROUPING individuals

ASSESSMENT 1-2 times monthly

WHO? General education

teacher, reading specialist, S/LP, outside interventionist

WHERE? Designated by school

STUDENTS WHO ARE “NON-RESPONSIVE” MAY BE REFERRED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TESTING

Red flags for Tier 3

A rush to refer to special education

Lack of patience Too much reliance on

scripted programs Too much reliance on

special education staff Can’t support decisions

with data

Examples of Tier 3 Intensive Instruction and Intervention

One-to-one instruction Increased duration and frequency Frequent CBM for progress monitoring Experts provide instruction--every certificated adult on

campus has students Specialized assessments Increased family involvement Student Monitoring Team feeds forward to improve

programmatic effortsTeacher remains central figure in these efforts

RtI2 in Action

RtI2 in action California public charter high school with 450

students 62% free/reduced lunch 55% English language learners; 14%

unredesignated 12 languages spoken Urban community 9% are students with disabilities Fully inclusive

The problem…

How could students at risk be supported?

How could we avoid the iatrogenic* effect?

Iatrogenic: The surgery was successful but the patient died.

Tier 1 in action

Commitment to a gradual release of responsibility model of instruction in classrooms Scaffolds student learning Provides a means for Tier 2 interventions

Grading based on competencies only, with 10% +/- for participation, etc.

Competencies for English 9 and 10

Fall Competencies Literacy letters Essential Question essay: What is Race and Does It Matter? Persuasive techniques Essential Question essay: Can You Buy Your Way to Happiness? Oral language (retelling and dramatic monologue)

Spring Competencies Literacy letters Essential question essay: Who Am I? Why Do I Matter? Summarizing Poetry Essential Question presentation: Health Is…

Tier 2 in action

Additional guided instruction in the classroom Classroom teacher, special education support

teacher, English language learner support teacher Academic Recovery

Student grades are monitored by the Academic Recovery coordinator

Weekly 90 minute small group sessions scheduled for the entire grade level

Tier 3 in action

One-to-one tutorials at lunch Lunch is 60 minutes; 30 minutes for Tier 3

intensive intervention General dismissal is at 3:00; 3:00-4:00

reserved for tutorials and Tier 3 intensive intervention Staffed by credentialed teachers Academic Recovery coordinator, reading

specialist and math department chair oversee progress monitoring

Purposes of progress monitoring

To determine whether the intervention is effective

Standards-based Assess marker variables that have been

demonstrated to lead to instructional target Sensitive to small incremental changes over

time Comparable across students (NASDSE,

2005)

Progress monitoring in literacy

Oral and silent reading fluency norms (Hasbrouck & Tindal, 2006)

Qualitative Reading Inventory-4 (Leslie & Caldwell, 2006)

Maze assessments (Wiley & Deno, 2005) Content vocabulary measures (Espin, Shin, &

Busch, 2005) Analytic writing assessments (Diercks-Gransee,

Weissenburger, Johnson, & Christensen, 2009)

Analytic writing assessment CBM

1. Total words written (TWW) 2. Average number of words written per minute (AWPM)3. Total words spelled correctly (TWSC) 4. Total number of complete sentences (TCS)5. Average length of complete sentences (ALCS)6. Correct punctuation marks (CPM)7. Correct word sequences (CWS)8. Incorrect word sequences (ICWS)

9. CWS – ICWS =

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Rothenberg, C. (in press).

Leading a Collaborative Effort

for RtI2

Reaching across the divide

Opportunities for collaboration between general and special education in program design:

Conducting professional developmentAssist in selecting screening measurements and

scientifically-based intervention approachesInterpret school’s progress in meeting intervention

needs

Reaching across the divide

Opportunities for collaboration between general and special education in program

implementation:Fostering oral and written language developmentWorking with small groups of students in the

general education classroomWorking with families to understand screening and

progress assessments

Paradigm shifts through leadership

From viewing the problem with the student …

… to analyzing the teaching/learning interaction.

From a placement orientation …

… to a teaching orientation.

Paradigm shifts through leadership

Paradigm shifts through leadership

From measurement …

… to evaluation.

Paradigm shifts through leadership

From special education as a place …

… to special education as a service.Adapted from VanDerHayden & Kurns, 2006

The Takeaway

Instruction and Intervention are linked Manipulate variables (time, assessment,

expertise, instruction) to intensify intervention Build in a feed forward method so that RtI2

results inform classroom instruction and programmatic improvements

Keep the teacher and family at the center of communication

Questions?

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