Goodman/20091 RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI) AT THE HIGH SCHOOL Shawn Goodman, School Psychologist, Ithaca High School (607) 274-2212 [email protected].

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RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI) AT THE

HIGH SCHOOL

Shawn Goodman,School Psychologist, Ithaca High School

(607) [email protected]

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The quality of a school as a learning community can be

measured by how effectively it addresses the needs of struggling

students.- Wright, 2005.

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Goals of Presentation

• Overview of using RTI at the High School level• Role of Guidance Counselors in making data-

based decisions• Map out resources, supports, and interventions at

IHS• Discuss how to align student problems with

array of interventions

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The Real Goal: Learn More Acronyms!

• IDEA• IDEIA• PBIS• ADA• IEP• CSE• LD• SLD• MR

• MMR• ED• SED• OHI• RTI• CBM• DIBELS• BEA• NCLB

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Bonus: Solve this acronym:

NCLTFBUHOSCKU

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Learning disabilities have become a sociological sponge to wipe out the

spills of general education.

G. Reid Lyon of the National Institute of Child and Human Development

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Problems with Traditional Approaches • Little empirical support• Too many false positives and negatives• Inappropriate placements• Focus on pathology: failure is prerequisite for

interventions/support• Emphasis on diagnosis and classification rather

than intervention or remediation• Reliance on confusing formulas • Poor outcomes in Special Education

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What is Response to Intervention?

(RTI)

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RTI is a promising approach used to identify and remediate learning

problems. It is a model and not a specific technique or program.

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Advantages of RTI: • Allows for early intervention• Can be used with all students• Provides a map of what works (and what doesn’t) for

individual students• Tracks student response over time (instead of at intake

and release)• Conforms to IDEIA• The focus is on measurable and changeable aspects of

the instructional environment

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Compliance with IDEIA

• May not require the use of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability

• Must permit the use of a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention

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Compliance with Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004)

• Redefines Learning Disabilities to include students with low ability (IQ) and academic delays

• Encourages use of RTI (“show that the student responds to scientific, research-based interventions…”)

• Discourages use of traditional methods associated with poor validity (discrepancy testing)

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Discrepancy Formulas

• SDL = CA (IQ/300 + .17) – 2.5

• (Ysx IQ/100 + 1.0) - AGL

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…Much to be gained by abandoning much of what we were doing (Ysseldyke et al., 1983).

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How RTI works:

1. Universal screening of all students (typically 3 times per year)

2. Progress Monitoring

3. Data (from screening and progress monitoring) used to make decisions about instruction, educational placement, etc.

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1. School-Wide Screening of all students:

• Quick, cheap, repeatable testing of important skills areas or behaviors (such as Reading Fluency)

• Tells us who is “at risk”• Examples include Dynamic Indicators of

Basic Early Literacy (DIBELS), Iowa Test of Basic Skills, etc.

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2. Research-Based Progress Monitoring(For students identified as at-risk)

• At-risk students are assessed weekly• We will use Curriculum-Based

assessments (not standardized): quick and relevant

• We will chart results to show progress• Allows us to see when a student is not

responding – leads to early intervention

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3. Data-based Decision Making

• Schools develop a system to collect and record data on student performance (beyond what standardized tests show)

• Helps to analyze curricular, departmental, and administrative roles

• Establishes a model of constant improvement

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Oral Reading Fluency: Best Academic Indicator

• Empirical studies have consistently demonstrated a strong, positive correlation among oral reading fluency, reading decoding, reading comprehension, and on-task behavior (McDowell & Keenan, 2001; Shinn, Good, Knutson, Tilly, & Collins, 1992)

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ABOUT READING PROBES• Typically last one-minute • Are given at different grade levels • Number of correctly read words is recorded and

measured against benchmarks• Administer consecutively lower grade level

probes until student shows proficiency• Gives very accurate indication of student’s real

reading level (based on actual reading curriculum rather than standardized material)

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The following is an example of a common RTI Reading Probe

(DIBELS):

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DORF Progress Monitoring 15 

Nicknames 

When I was born I was named after my grandfather. Most 11people call me by my nickname instead of my real name, though. 23I got my nickname when I was about six months old and starting 36to eat solid foods. My mother would dip the spoon into my baby 49food and start to bring a bite to my mouth. Before the spoon even 63touched my lips, I would open my mouth very wide and make a 76little noise. 78

My mother said to my father, “Look at him eat. Isn’t he 90cute?” 91

My father said, “He looks just like a baby robin in his nest 104waiting for a juicy worm.” 109

After that, my father started calling me Bird as a nickname. 120he mostly kept it to himself, but then my grandfather began 131calling me Bird. Finally, even my mother called me Bird. 141

Now I’m in the third grade and most of my classmates call 153me Bird. Only my teacher uses my real name. I am so used to my 168nickname that when my teacher calls on me I sometimes don’t 179realize she is talking to me. 185 Whenever my parents really want my attention, they call me 195by my real name. When they call me by my full name and even 209use my middle name I know I better pay attention. 219

    2002 Dynamic Measurement Group, Inc.

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How can IHS use RTI?

Sample Program: represents one of many possibilities

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RTI Pilot:

• Cost: No cost.

• Materials: Downloaded from internet

• Staff: School Psychologist, and one student intern (Ithaca College)

• Participants: 22 students

• Duration: 6 months for all 3 phases

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RTI Pilot: Overall Results(for the graph-phobic among us)

• High level of cooperation, participation, and student satisfaction

• Accurately identified effective interventions for each student

• Students showed significant improvements in reading ability (from session to session and across all sessions)

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Protocol 1. Existing student achievement scores were used

to identify 22 students at-risk for learning disabilities in reading

2. All 22 at-risk students received additional screening using DIBELS probes

3. 6 students were identified with severe reading fluency deficits.

4. Brief Experimental Analysis (BEA) and Extended Analysis were used with these 6 students to identify effective interventions and collect data on response to intervention.

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RTI Pilot: Case Studies

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Sample Case OneJ.S.

Age: 15 years, 7 months

Grade: 8

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J.S. - History

• Repeated first grade• Multiple suspensions and transfers• Multiple residential placements• Longstanding family conflict (adopted,

incarceration of siblings., illness, etc).• Reading is frustrating and embarrassing• Avoids reading and academic tasks

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J.S. - RTI RESULTS

• Assessment and Intervention given by School Psychologist for 30 minutes/session over 3 weeks

• Reading Fluency increased from 85 to 135 Words/Minute

• Errors decreased from 6/minute to 0• Six sessions of Intervention showed an average

increase in Fluency of 8 Words/Minute per session

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J.R. – Brief Experimental AnalysisBrief Experimental Analysis

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J.R. – Extended Analysis

slope = 8

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4/23/2006 4/24/2006 4/25/2006 4/26/2006 4/27/2006 4/28/2006Date

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J.S. – RECOMMENDATIONS (presented to J.S. and Teacher)

1. Material in all subjects to be given at 5th grade level

2. Weekly practice sessions (30 minutes) with a reading specialist to focus on skill acquisition

3. Weekly practice sessions (30 minutes) with a reading specialist or tutor using Intervention.

4. Reassess progress at one month intervals

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Sample Case TwoP.V.

Age: 15 years; 7 months

Grade: 10

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P.V. – History

• History of school failure

• Classified Emotionally Disturbed by Special Education

• Reads at 2nd Grade Level

• Reads very slowly, but makes no errors

• Increased anxiety when reading aloud

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P.V. - RTI RESULTS

• Intervention and assessment given by college intern for 30 minutes/session over 4 weeks

• Reading Fluency increased from 41 to 132 Words/Minute

• Error rate remained 0 • Youth satisfaction high

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P.W. – Brief Experimental Analysis

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P.W. – Extended Analysis

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1. Reading material at the 3rd grade level

2. Instruction/Intervention should include Motivation and Repeated Reading (Practice)

3. Reduce distractions and interruptions

4. Allow extra time, especially during long pauses. Do not finish words or sentences unless she asks for help.

5. Assess anxiety which manifests as stuttering, fidgeting, and giving up.

P.V. - Recommendations

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NEXT STEPS for IHS:

• Introduce RTI to IHS as a way to raise the quality of educational services available to all students – Map all programs, services, resources, and supports currently available

at school and in the community– Develop a practical model of assessment and progress monitoring– Align problems with appropriate interventions or supports

• Use RTI model to track and analyze program effectiveness– Use implementation guides currently available– Establish IHS (or Department-Specific) criteria for “at-risk” status

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Resources• National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD): Core Findings About

Response to Intervention. www.ncld.org/content/view/1220/389• University of Nebraska Omaha. Response to Intervention: The Latest News and

Resources. www.unomaha.edu/psych/schoolrti.php• Big Ideas in Beginning Reading (U of Oregon): www.reading.uoregon.edu• What Works Clearinghouse (US Dept of Education): www.whatworks.ed.gov • Intervention Central: www.interventioncentral.org• CBM Warehouse:

www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/cbmwarehouse.shtml• The Behavior Reporter (Behavior Report Card Generator):

www.jimwrightonline.com/php/tbrc/tbrc.php• Gresham, F.M. (2004). Current status and future directions of school-based behavioral

interventions. School Psychology Review, 33, 326-343.• Fuchs, L.S. (2003). Assessing intervention responiveness: Conceptual and technical

issues. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 18, 172-186. • Mellard, D. (2005). Responsiveness to Intervention: Implementation in Schools.

www.schwablearning.org/

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Resources

• Intervention Central. Jim Wright’s excellent website for RTI, and other interventions. http://www.interventioncentral.org/

• Link to Syracuse School’s model using Intervention Teams. http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/sbit.php

• Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy. http://dibels.uoregon.edu/

• School program using RTI. http://www.projectachieve.info/

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Process of Learning New Tasks

• Acquisition: student learns to read new words• Fluency: student practices accurately reading

words• Generalization: student reads words in different

contexts • Adaptation: student uses knowledge of new

words to decipher words with other sound patterns

- Wilbur, and Cushman, 2006

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Five Possible Reasons for Academic Difficulty

• Not motivated

• Not spent enough time practicing

• Not received enough help

• Not had to use the skill that way before

• Too hard

- Chafouleas, Riley-Tillman, & McGrath, 2002

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Academic Interventions:

• Not motivated?

• Need practice?

• Need help?

• Too hard?

• Provide choices and incentives

• Drills, practice, and structured teaching

• Modeling, prompting, correcting, error corr.

• Modify materials to ensure instr. match