North East School DivisionNorth East School Division

An Introduction to

Response to Intervention (RTI)20092009

KEY QUESTIONKEY QUESTION

What do we do when What do we do when students don’t learn??students don’t learn??

Utilization of the Pyramid Response to Utilization of the Pyramid Response to Intervention framework will create an effective Intervention framework will create an effective

process for all NESD teachers, process for all NESD teachers, administrators, support personnel and administrators, support personnel and division staff to answer this question.division staff to answer this question.

What is Pyramid What is Pyramid Response to Response to Intervention?Intervention?

It is the practice of providing high-It is the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions quality instruction and interventions that match student's needs and that match student's needs and using students’ learning rate over using students’ learning rate over time and level of performance to time and level of performance to make important educational make important educational decisions.decisions.

It is……It is……

RTI or Response to Intervention is an RTI or Response to Intervention is an approach that promotes a well approach that promotes a well integrated system connecting general, integrated system connecting general, compensatory, gifted , and special compensatory, gifted , and special education in providing high quality, education in providing high quality, standards-based standards-based instruction/intervention that is instruction/intervention that is matched to student’s academic, social-matched to student’s academic, social-emotional, and behavioral needs.emotional, and behavioral needs.

A continuum of intervention tiers A continuum of intervention tiers with increasing levels of intensity with increasing levels of intensity and duration is central to RTI. and duration is central to RTI.

Collaborative educational decisions Collaborative educational decisions that are based on data derived from that are based on data derived from frequent monitoring of student frequent monitoring of student performance and rate of learning.performance and rate of learning.

It is…..It is…..

Timely, Directive, Timely, Directive, Systematic, Flexible Systematic, Flexible

SupportSupport

Using this process allows students to receive Using this process allows students to receive timely interventions at the first indication timely interventions at the first indication that they need more time and support.that they need more time and support.

This process should be directive rather than This process should be directive rather than invitational, so that the students get the invitational, so that the students get the extra help they need, consistently and extra help they need, consistently and without interruption until they are without interruption until they are successful. successful.

Interventions are sequences to build Interventions are sequences to build upon each other, from least to most upon each other, from least to most restrictive, from least to most restrictive, from least to most intensive, and from what happens in intensive, and from what happens in every classroom for all children to every classroom for all children to what happens for individual what happens for individual students who need highly focused, students who need highly focused, targeted help.targeted help.

It is not….It is not….

RTI is not a program but rather RTI is not a program but rather a process for ensuring that all a process for ensuring that all students learn.students learn.

RTI is not another add on.RTI is not another add on.

3 Tiers 3 Tiers Pyramid of RTI SupportPyramid of RTI Support

Incr

easing

inte

nsity Fewer students

A Focus on Learning* A collaborative Culture* A Focus on Results

A coherent and viable core curriculum that embeds ongoing monitoring for all students.

TIER 1

Immediate and powerful targeted interventions systematically applied and monitored for any students not achieving.

TIER 2

Intensive Interventions focused on closing the gap.

TIER 3

Why use this model?Why use this model?

When schools operate as professional learning When schools operate as professional learning communities, create a pyramid of intervention, communities, create a pyramid of intervention, they create the opportunity for powerful change. they create the opportunity for powerful change.

It is believed that these three ideas will unite the It is believed that these three ideas will unite the

long-separated worlds of regular education and long-separated worlds of regular education and special education to create a unified system of special education to create a unified system of schooling.schooling.

With the demise of the “wait to fail” model, we With the demise of the “wait to fail” model, we can now move toward a systematic, directive, and can now move toward a systematic, directive, and timely response to all children when they don’t timely response to all children when they don’t learn adequately regardless of labels or learn adequately regardless of labels or subgroups.subgroups.

A Three-Tier RTIA Three-Tier RTI ModelModel

While there is no single, thoroughly While there is no single, thoroughly researched and widely practiced “model” researched and widely practiced “model” of the RTI process, it is generally defined of the RTI process, it is generally defined as a three-tier (or 3-step) model of school as a three-tier (or 3-step) model of school supports that uses research-based supports that uses research-based academic and/or behavior interventions. academic and/or behavior interventions.

At all stages of the process, RTI should At all stages of the process, RTI should focus on discovering how to make the focus on discovering how to make the student more successful rather than student more successful rather than focusing on the student’s lack of success.focusing on the student’s lack of success.

Tier 1Tier 1(A coherent and viable core curriculum that (A coherent and viable core curriculum that

embeds ongoing monitoring for ALL students.)embeds ongoing monitoring for ALL students.)

A Tier 1 curriculum must be prioritized so that the A Tier 1 curriculum must be prioritized so that the students have ample opportunity to master power students have ample opportunity to master power standards. It must also include a component that standards. It must also include a component that specializes instruction and learning based on specializes instruction and learning based on individuals’ and small groups’ disparate needs.individuals’ and small groups’ disparate needs.

The most important step a school can take to The most important step a school can take to improve its core program is differentiating improve its core program is differentiating instruction.instruction.

In Tier 1, educators meet individual student needs In Tier 1, educators meet individual student needs by differentiating the support and time they offer. If by differentiating the support and time they offer. If they need further support (tier 2 or 3), the process they need further support (tier 2 or 3), the process that has been established should be followed.that has been established should be followed.

Tier 1Tier 1

Approximately 75-80% of the Approximately 75-80% of the student population will have their student population will have their educational needs met by Tier 1 educational needs met by Tier 1 interventions.interventions.

Tier 2Tier 2(Immediate and powerful targeted (Immediate and powerful targeted

interventions systematically applied and interventions systematically applied and monitored for any student not achieving.)monitored for any student not achieving.)

The level of the pyramid where The level of the pyramid where supplemental interventions are implemented supplemental interventions are implemented for students who’s educational needs have for students who’s educational needs have not been met by the core program.not been met by the core program.

Small group interventions.Small group interventions.

An additional 10-15% of the student An additional 10-15% of the student population will benefit from Tier 2 population will benefit from Tier 2 interventions.interventions.

Tier 3Tier 3(Intensive Interventions focused on (Intensive Interventions focused on

closing the gap.)closing the gap.)

The level of the pyramid where The level of the pyramid where intensive individual interventions intensive individual interventions are implemented for student’s are implemented for student’s whose educational needs have not whose educational needs have not been met in Tier 1 or Tier 2.been met in Tier 1 or Tier 2.

5-10% of the student population will 5-10% of the student population will require these types of interventions.require these types of interventions.

Others we work with are Others we work with are using this model.using this model.

Various agencies and departments Various agencies and departments are utilizing similar procedures that are utilizing similar procedures that are represented within this model.are represented within this model.

One example of this is the Ministry One example of this is the Ministry of Education and their RTI model of Education and their RTI model that is used to identify Intense Level that is used to identify Intense Level Students.Students.

Saskatchewan Ministry of Saskatchewan Ministry of EducationEducation

*Promising approach*Sound instructional principles such as intervening early, using research based interventions,*Monitoring students’ progress; and using assessments to inform instructional decisions.

An Effective Response to An Effective Response to Intervention Pyramid …Intervention Pyramid …

Will have academic as well as Will have academic as well as behavioral interventions in all 3 tiers.behavioral interventions in all 3 tiers.

Will be built upon a strong core Will be built upon a strong core program.program.

Will have established identification, Will have established identification, placement and monitoring processes.placement and monitoring processes.

OverviewOverview

Successful implementation of the Successful implementation of the RTI process becomes the collective RTI process becomes the collective responsibility of the entire system – responsibility of the entire system – both at the school and division level.both at the school and division level.

The RTI framework will be most The RTI framework will be most effective if it is implemented using effective if it is implemented using the PLC format.the PLC format.

DivisionDivision

What does this RTI What does this RTI Pyramid look like Pyramid look like within our within our division?division?

Your administrator Your administrator will hand out a will hand out a copy of this copy of this Division PyramidDivision Pyramid

Your SchoolYour School

What does this What does this look like in your look like in your school now?school now?

What could it look What could it look like, now that you like, now that you are more familiar are more familiar with this pyramid?with this pyramid?

Activities Activities DiscussionDiscussion