Response to Intervention and Professional Learning Communities

Chinese Institute

The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America’s Schools

“American education is filled with

instances in which students with similar

backgrounds and traits achieve

very different results” (McKinsey and Company, 2009 p. 21-22).

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Why do we do what we do?

So, we can give every student a shot!

• All children deserve to reach their potential

• We can’t leave any child behind?– At the core of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is

a reminder of the moral imperative to ensure that every student achieves

– It’s the response of the adults that is critical

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Three Guiding StrategiesLessons from Sanger

1. Hope is not a strategy. – It is the actions of the adults. – We have to change as adults

2. Don’ t blame the kids

3. It’s all about student learning – Teaching must result in learning. – We must guarantee learning takes place

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Culture is what we allow

“Ultimately it will come down to which do we

value more, promoting the autonomy of

adults to work in isolation and do as they

please in their classrooms, or promoting

high levels of learning for all students.”

Rick DuFour, 2007

RTI² Is…

RTI² is a systematic, data-driven approach to instruction and intervention that benefits

every student. It is meant to communicate the full

spectrum of instruction, from general core, to

supplemental or intensive, to meet the academic and behavioral needs of students.

RTI² integrates resources from general education, categorical programs and

special education.

Overarching Principles of RTI

All RTI practices are based on the assumption and belief that all students can learn and that teachers can effectively teach all students.

It is the responsibility of school staff to identify the most effective curricular, instructional, and environmental conditions that enable learning and provide necessary resources to enable each student to learn.

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RTI² Makes Sense

RTI² is a systematic, three tiered,

data-driven approach

to instruction and intervention

that focuses on the

Academic and Behavioral

aspects of learning

RTI² Pyramid

Tier 3Intensive,Individual

Intervention

Tier 25-15% of Students

High EfficiencyRapid Response

Tier 180-85% of Students

PreventiveProactive

All Settings

RTI²Response

to

Instructionand

Intervention

1-5% of students

BehavioralA

cade

mic

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SDUSD Three-Tiered Model of RTI² Academic Systems

Tier 3

Intensive,Individual

Intervention

Tier 25-15% of Students

High EfficiencyRapid Response

Tier 180-85% of Students

PreventiveProactive

All Settings

1-5% of student

s

Tier 3: Intensive, Individual Interventions1. Flexible groupings2. Intensive support blocks3. Intensive literacy/math programs & classes4. Use of diagnostic assessments5. SST to determine appropriate

interventions6. Possible referral for Special Education

services

Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions1. Elementary: In-class small group

instruction focused on specific strategies or skills, preview and review; push-in support

2. Secondary: In-class small group instruction; support classes for students up to 2 grades below grade level.

3. Use of diagnostic assessments to determine specific needs and formative assessments for frequent monitoring

4. Grade level/department meeting to determine specific interventions for struggling students

Tier 1: Core Instructional Interventions

1. Purposeful planning2. Differentiated instruction3. Collaborative/cooperative

productive group work4. Scaffolding instruction 5. Content area literacy 6. Technology7. Collaboration with site-based

experts8. Effective instructional strategies9. Use of data to monitor progress

towards standards10. Instruction aligned to grade level

standards11. Teacher efficacy

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SDUSD Three-Tiered Model of RTI² Behavioral Systems

Tier 3

Intensive,Individual

Intervention

Tier 25-15% of Students

High EfficiencyRapid Response

Tier 180-85% of Students

PreventiveProactive

All Settings

1-5% of students

Tier 3: Intensive, Individual Interventions1. One-on one counseling2. Home visits3. Mental health support4. Frequent (daily) monitoring5. Individual contracts 6. Behavioral support plans

Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions1. Counseling groups2. Mentoring programs3. Parent groups4. Use of contracts5. Regular monitoring

Tier 1: Core Instructional Interventions

1. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

2. Safe and Culturally responsive classroom environments

3. Teachers model appropriate behaviors

4. Teachers explicitly teach behaviors

5. Consistency across the school6. Regular communication

and/or parent conferences with teachers

7. Refocus contracts8. Universal interventions

RTI Provides a Systematic Process for Instruction and Intervention

That Is…• Universal• Interactive• Systematic• Practical• Effective• Essential• Directive• Mandatory

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Identifying Percentages

Analyzing site data to determine the

percentage of students who are successful in Tier 1 is a critical first step in determining RTI plan for schools

Pair-Share: How Is RTI Implemented in China?

Challenges to RTI in China

The educational system in China is changing to provide

students with special needs inclusion in the least restrictive

Environment.

Many Hurdles to Overcome…• Providing student support with large class sizes

– Individualized instruction

– Intervention

• Supporting teachers as they work with students who need extra support

• Addressing cultural beliefs that lack of achievement is a result of insufficient effort rather than lack of ability

• Low expectations for students with disabilities• Limited resources

DuFour’s Big Ideas of

Professional Learning Communities

Ensure that students learn What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has

learned it? How will we respond when a student

experiences difficulty in learning?

PLCs Provide A Culture of Collaboration

1. Staff work together to achieve a collective purpose of learning to ensure all students learn

2. Staff build structures to promote a collaborative/ supportive culture

3. Staff understand that working collaboratively represents best practice

4. Staff jointly focus on how to respond when students aren’t learning and agree on a plan of action.

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The Role of PLCs in working with RTI

To Support Quality Instruction By Receiving and providing information Implementing the interventionsExamining achievement data and making appropriate

recommendationsEnsuring fidelity to Tier I academic and behavioral support Being willing to discuss how to support students as a

whole groupProviding flexibility and ownership of studentsSupporting each other in improving instructional practicesUtilize technological tools to support instructionSupporting interactive instructional practices

High Performing Teams: Actions

• Create synergy by blending members’ knowledge, creativity, interests, skills and background.

• Value the talents, skills and diversity of individual members

• Balance individual and group needs• Make data discussion an integral part of every

meeting• Establish group norms and use Protocols to

structure conversations• Adopt an improvement process

High Performing PLC Teams: Skills

PLCs Members effectively… Deal with dissent Resolve conflict Listen Participate and communicate Commit to ongoing learning Work together to become clearer about the team’s common

purpose and goals Develop and commit to a shared sense of responsibility.

Collaboration in China

Collaboration in China can be seen in:• Teaching and research groups• Joint lesson planning using National curriculum

– Teachers rotate to model lessons to finalize lesson

• Sharing of resources• Organized discussion of articles related to

subject-specific teaching• Talks given by educational experts• District organized demonstration lessons

observed and critiqued by other teachers in the district

Sargent & Hannum, 2009

Facilitative Structures for Professional Collaboration/Development in China

• Physical arrangements of schools– Large workroom in school for all teachers to hold offices.– In workrooms teachers prepare lessons, correct papers, and

discuss teaching techniques

• Teachers instruct only 2-3 classes per day in a single subject

• Greater number of required hours in school day– Teachers spend on average 9.1 – 9.7 hours a day– Teachers arrive early and stay late to meet together and work

with students who need extra help

• Recess after every academic class• Large amount of non-teaching time for teachers

Student Structures

• Large class sizes (40-70) per class

• Students have 90-120 minutes for lunch

• Primary mode of instruction is whole group and small group, so students support one another

• Independent work is done through homework

PLCs in China• Have strengthened connections• Have helped bridge the gap for the immediate

needs of teachers • Have provided professional learning• Have resulted in improved student achievement.• Are viewed as a highly desirable strategy for the

improvement of teaching and learning in resource constrained settings by…– Sharing technical language– Agreeing upon sound practice– Forcing teachers to bare their practice publicly

Constraints/Obstacles

• Seeing RTI² as “one more thing to do”• Ensuring fidelity/implementation of intervention

strategies• Failure to utilize limited resources creative• Committing to

collaboration• Effectively working

in teams

The Work is Worth It!

#1 This may create some discomfort

#2 This requires a paradigm shift

for some folks

#3 This is tough work

Round Table Questions

1. Share how educators in China respond to students who aren’t learning.

2. It is clear that educators (teachers and administrators) embrace collaboration, learning, and sharing best practices. How is this accomplished

3. What is the primary purpose for teachers coming together for collaboration in China?

4. Do you believe that a similar three-tiered model for instruction and intervention would be beneficial for students in China? If so, what would be the constraints to implementing such a model?

5. What is the method for meeting with students who are having difficulty to address their learning needs?