The Early Intervention Team (EIT)

Department of Special Populations McKinney ISD

2007-2008

Child Find

• MISD is responsible for providing a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to all individuals with disability age birth through 21 who live within our school district.

• Regardless of the severity of the disability, MISD will make every effort to locate, identify, and evaluate these individuals.

IDEA ’04 mandated:

• “A child shall not be determined to be a child with a disability if the determinant factor for such determinations is:

Historical Background for EIT

• (A) lack of appropriate instruction in

reading including in the essential

components of reading instruction

• (B) lack of instruction in math

• (C) limited English proficiency

IDEA ’04 also mandated:

• “Professional development for teachers and other school staff to enable such personnel to deliver scientifically based academic instruction and behavioral interventions…”

• All grade levels were included but particular emphasis was placed on grades

Kindergarten through Grade 3

PBMAS Considerations

• District PBMAS Ratings– Too Many Students in Special Education– Disproportionate Representation of African-

American Students in Special Education– Disproportionate Representation of Hispanic

Students in Special Education– Response to Intervention (RTI)

Our Goals for the EIT Process

• Better quality referrals

• Data driven decision making

• True response to intervention

What is “Response to Intervention”?

Response to Intervention is the practice of:

1) Providing high-quality instruction and intervention matched to each student’s individual needs

2) Using learning rate over time and level of performance to make important education decisions

What are the components of the “Response to Intervention” model?

• The General Education committee must:– Define the problem – Can be academic and/or behavior-related– Develop a written intervention plan– Implement the intervention plan– Evaluate the intervention plan

To define the problem General Education must:

• Determine IF a problem exists

• Determine WHY the problem is occurring

To develop a written intervention plan- General Education must:

• Determine what is being done to address the problem

• Determine what can be done differently

• Determine who will do it

• Determine the goal(s) of the intervention plan

To implement the intervention plan General Education must:

• Determine who will be charged with implementing the intervention.

• Determine if additional support staff may be needed for consultation (esp. w/ behavior intervention plans).

• Determine what methodology will be used to implement the intervention plan.

• Determine when the intervention will occur.• Determine how long the intervention will be

utilized.

To evaluate the intervention plan General Education must:

• Determine if the goal(s) has been reached.

• Determine if the plan has been successful in remediating the issue.

• If not, what else could we have done?

What are “scientifically based” interventions?

• “Scientifically based” interventions are intervention strategies that have been documented to be successful with students

What are some examples of “scientifically based’ interventions?

• Examples include: – Providing additional instruction in individual,

small group or with technological assistance– Matching curricular materials and instructional

levels

• Increasing task relevant practice

• Increasing opportunities to engage in active academic responses including writing, reading aloud and answering questions in class

• Offering mini-lessons in areas of skill deficit

What are NOT “scientifically based” interventions?

• Preferential seating

• Shortened assignments

• Parent contacts

• Classroom observations

• Suspension

• Doing MORE of the same/general classroom assignments

• Retention

Remember:

• Response to Intervention is a General Education initiative designed to support individual students in the classroom in order to maximize exposure to grade-level curriculum and research-based instruction.

Early Intervening Team Process

• Four tier model• Heavy on documentation of intervention efforts• Mindset of “How are we going to intervene so

the student will be successful in the general ed. classroom?”

• Keep in mind that now most special education students will now be accountable for grade level state mandated testing.

Tier ProcessTier 1Timeframe:

8-10 weeks

Tier 2Timeframe:

8-10 weeks

Tier 3Timeframe:

8-10 weeks

Tier 4

1. A teacher or parent is concerned about a student.

2. A meeting with EIT Coordinator is set up to start the process & set up a review date.

1. If student did not respond to tier 1 efforts, tier 2 process begins by meeting with the EIT Coord. & review date set up.

2. Upon review, data will determine what is the next step

1. Teacher meets with EIT Coord. & the date for an EIT team meeting is set up.

2. Upon review, data will determine if a tier 4 referral is warranted.

Student would be referred for one of the following:

Special Education, 504 & Dyslexia-testing would be completed during the dyslexia testing windows.

Tier 1

– High-quality instructional & behavior supports based on MISD scope & sequence.

– On-going benchmarking of academic competencies & schoolwide behavior expectations. (9 week assessments, TPRI, DRA, writing samples, running records, rubrics, checklists & behavior documentation)

– Research supported strategies with differentiated instruction.

– Students are taught in a flexible group setting. Students are engaged in the five components of literacy by engagement in real reading and writing, supported comprehension activities, supported writing activities, decoding and spelling activities, and world/word knowledge are the critical components of a balanced classroom program that will result in eliminating the risk of literacy failure for most children.

Tier 1 Cont.

– Students are encouraged to investigate, question, and defend mathematical answers. The emphasis of mathematics instruction is on the process of understanding.

– If student is not responding to tier 1 efforts, they move to tier 2. All of which is data driven.

TIER 1 Triggers

• BOY/MOY=70 or below (Mastery Minus) or 55 or below (Deep Intervention)

• TPRI= 3 or more levels “Not Developed”

• DRA= Student is not performing at expected level for current 9-weeks

• Failed TAKS

• Grades performance of 1 or below 70

Tier 2: Should strategically support individual students in the general education classroom whose behavior or academic performance and rate of progress lag behind the norm for their grade and educational setting and have not responded to Tier 1 efforts.

• Tier 1 activities will continue to help support the student.• Informal & formal assessment will be used to define the problem

area.• ARI Curriculum used (Prime Series, Comprehension Tool Kit, etc) • 30 minutes of tutoring during the school day.• Teacher Encyclopedia for Behavior Management• Data taken every two weeks to measure progress such as running

records, informal & formal assessments, etc.• Parent will be notified in writing of academic or behavioral concerns

• Create/flexible scheduling to allow for small group instruction.

Tier 2 Triggers

• Data collected in Tier 1 supports the student did not make progress with remediation lessons.

• MOY/EOY=70 or below (Mastery Minus) or 55 or below (Deep Intervention)

• TPRI= 3 or more levels “Not Developed”• DRA= Student is not performing at expected

level for current 9-weeks• Failed TAKS• Grades performance of 1 or below 70

Tier 3: Should provide more intensive services for individual students in the general education classroom whose behavior or academic performance and rate of progress lag behind the norm for their grade and educational setting and have not responded to Tier 1 & 2 efforts.

• All of the previous tier activities will continue to help support the student

• Early Intervening Team will meet to review previous tier data and strengths and weaknesses will be discussed and reviewed to help in determining relevant interventions.

• School to home activities/strategies provided

• Tutoring (groups of 1-3 only) for 30 minutes before or after school at least 3 times a week

• Computer based reading & math supplemental intervention programs such as “My Reading Coach”, Number Worlds, and Larson Math

Tier 3 cont.

• Intervention Manual used to problem solve specific behavior problems

• Intervention staff to work with the student and consult with classroom teacher and parent

• Data taken every week to measure progress such as running records, informal & formal assessments, etc.

• Use of curriculum-based monitoring tools such as AIMSweb

Tier 3 Triggers 

• Data supports that student has not responded to remediation activities, ARI/AIM specific lessons.

• TPRI scores reflect still developing• Grades remain 1 or below 70• New TAKS data reflects TAKS failure• DRA score are below expected 9-week

levels

Tier 4

• When students do not respond to intervention on Tiers 1-3, then the EIT may consider the following:– Referral to 504 (may include dyslexia)– Referral to dyslexia (w/out 504)– Special education Referral– Continue RTI process

Team Approach

We need many tools to get the job done….

The Early Intervention Team includes teachers, administrators, and other key staff members working together to maximize each student’s potential.

McKinney ISD exists to provide an excellent education for all.

504 Services

• Referral concerns should go through EIT • Student must have a disability – documentation

of disability is not as stringent• Disability must impair a major life function –

learning• 504 Committee must develop an Individual

Accommodation Plan (IAP)• Implementation of IAP is required

Dyslexia Services

• All Campuses have dyslexia services

• MTA program

• Some of our teachers are CALT certified – all have specific training

• Should be referred to Dyslexia Program through EIT

Special Education Services

•Students must have a disability and educational need for specially designed instruction (SDI).

Questions & Answers