47th Annual Leadership Conference
Panama City, FL
July 17, 2014
Infrastructure Necessary for
Effective Instruction and
Intervention within an MTSS
Pam Sudduth, M.A.
Shelby Robertson, Ph.D.
Day 1
 Intensive Intervention: Purpose, foci, and implications
 Best practices for intensifying Tier 1 core instruction
 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Day 2
 Applying a continuum of support to address high probability and high
intensity barriers to student engagement and learning
 Problem-solving necessary to design and implement effective intensive
intervention
 Planning for Intensive Intervention
Day 3
 Problem-solving around an individual student focusing on technology
Blue=Day 1
Yellow=Days 2 and 3
Green=All Days
Barriers to Implementation
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Time
Resources (Materials/personnel)
Collaboration
Support
Fidelity/Consistency/Accountability
Lack of knowledge/lack of PD
Buy in
Resistance to change
Infrastructure
Unclear mission/vision
Silos
Support for Implementation
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Support from the top
PD
Examples
Resources
Technical assistance
Strategies
This PD for entire district
Continuation of this PD—Days 4 and 5
A way to document interventions
Foundation
Since 2004, Florida has engaged in continuous
efforts to determine how systematic problem
solving and the RtI framework integrate the
various elements of Florida’s education system.
Foundational Beliefs
1. Research-based instruction and evidence-based practices
2. Differentiated instruction to meet individual learning needs
3. Reliable, valid, and instructionally relevant assessments
4. Ongoing, systematic problem solving consistently utilized
5. Student data guides meaningful decision making
6. Professional development and follow-up coaching to ensure
effective instruction
7. Actively engaged administrative leadership for data-based
decision making is inherent to the school culture
8. All stakeholders are part of one proactive and
seamless educational system
Critical Elements for Infrastructure
to Implement and Sustain MTSS
1.
Leadership that connects the MTSS framework district and school
improvement efforts
2.
Alignment of policies and procedures across the continuum from state to
classroom
3.
Utilize a problem-solving process to support planning and implementation
of a MTSS
4.
Collaborative partnerships with all stakeholders
5.
User-friendly data systems for supporting decision-making
6.
Coaching supports to assist school team and staff problem-solving efforts
7.
Ongoing data-driven professional development that align to student
outcomes
8.
Communicating outcomes with stakeholders
9.
Celebrating success frequently
The Game Plan
Participants will engage in open discussions
regarding the critical infrastructure that is
necessary to support instruction/intervention
design and implementation within a multi-tiered
system of support.
systemic supports
effective teaming
roles and responsibilities
resource mapping
Build the Bench
What We Know…
Each district (and school within
each district) is unique and has
its own “DNA”…
What works in one does not
necessarily work in another.
Systemic Supports
A multi‐tiered system of supports involves the
systematic use of assessment data to most
efficiently allocate resources in order to improve
learning for all students.
Catcher
Directs and leads
other players in a
defensive way
Data, Data, Data
“It is a capital mistake to
theorize before one has
data. Insensibly one begins
to twist facts to suit
theories, instead of theories
to suit facts.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(1859-1930)
Utilizing Data
Data are used to:
• Identify students in need of intensive support

Historical data, screening data, EWS
• Understand student needs

Diagnostic assessment data, learning scales, Discovery Ed., etc.
• Monitor student progress

Progress monitoring data: academic, behavior, engagement
• Evaluate effectiveness of tiered intervention support

Program evaluation data:
 Academic, behavior, engagement
Using Data to
Understand Student Needs
Every system is perfectly aligned
for the results it gets.
~Adapted from The Practice of Adaptive Leadership
Utilizing Data
Data will lead you to the
changes you need to make…
Reflection
 Are the decisionmaking processes in
your district/school
allowing for effective
implementation of a
MTSS?
 What barriers are
hindering effective
implementation of a
MTSS?
Baseball Fielding Positions
Pitcher, Catcher, First Baseman, Second
Baseman, Third Baseman, Shortstop, Left Fielder,
Center Fielder, Right Fielder – Essential to the
Game
Effective Teaming
 Strong teams are essential
to retaining and
sustaining teachers.
 If a team is effective, then
people learn from each
other.
Teaming Structures
 School-Based Leadership Team
 Literacy Leadership Teams
 Content Area Teams
 Specialist Teams
Manager
Responsible for strategy on the field
and team leadership
School Based Leadership Team
• Determine and monitor school-wide learning and development
goals
 Tier 1- Common issues (school-wide, grade-level, teacher teams and
classroom)
 Consider how to integrate supports with other school-wide intervention or
initiatives and monitor effectiveness.
 Tier 2- Develop weekly or bi-weekly support lists to identify groups of
student with common needs that require problem-solving to moderate
intensity
 Tier 3- Monitor effectiveness
 Determine students that require more intensive individualized problem-solving
and supports (through Specialist Team)
• Develop action plans to meet school improvement goals (e.g., SIP)
 Allocate the resources needed to fully implement instructional and
intervention plans
 Manage and coordinate efforts between all school teams
Barriers
High intensity
barrier• significant impact on
individual student
engagement and
learning (e.g., small
group & individual
instruction, DI, aligned
with learning needs)
High probability
barrier• wide-spread or common
barriers that impact many
students’ engagement and
learning (e.g., integrate
strategies that support
cognitive processing
through academic
instruction, DI, provide
adequate instructional
time)
Buckets of Barriers
 High Intensity
 Instruction
 Curriculum
 Environment
 Learner
 High Probability




Instruction
Curriculum
Environment
Learner
Across
Multiple
Domains
High
Intensity
Instruction
Curriculum
Environment
High
Probability
Learner
Tier 3 Barriers
Instruction
Curriculum
Environment
Learner
Tiers 1 and 2 Barriers
Multi-faceted needs of students
Teaming Structures
 School-Based Leadership Team
 Literacy Leadership Teams
 Content Area Teams
 Specialist Teams
Superficial or Authentic?
Pinch Hitter/Runner
or Designated Hitter
Skilled players on the team
Literacy Leadership Team (LLT)
The purpose of the Literacy Leadership Team is to create
capacity of literacy knowledge
The team…
 Utilizes the problem solving framework
 Committed to ongoing work outside of regular meeting times
 Highly visible, staying connected with each other, the school site and the
community
 Focused on manageable initiatives in an effort to enhance student learning
 Represents a cross-section of all members of the school (administrator, grade level
or department representatives, special area teachers, support personnel)
 Establishes and adheres to ground rules for meetings (balancing conversation,
honoring all ideas, listening, common goals)
 Structures work using a literacy plan
 Celebrates success
~Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan, Florida DOE
Teaming Structures
 School-Based Leadership Team
 Literacy Leadership Teams
 Content Area Teams
 Specialist Teams
Superficial or Authentic?
Starting Pitcher
Someone you can
count on to get the
job done
Content Area Teams
 Analyze student data around the content area goals
 Implement instructional and intervention plans with fidelity
to achieve established content area goals
 Utilize allocated resources
 Collect and analyze student data to determine student
response to intervention
 Recommend programming changes to leadership team as
necessary
 Engage in professional development which allows for
continuous improvement
Lesson Study
Research shows that…
Common team planning time is the single most
significant factor in determining the level of
implementation and the academic achievement
gains shown by teams.
~Teaming With Purpose: Unleashing the
Potential
(http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/lifelo
nglearning/adolescence/articles/teamingwithpur
poseunleashingthepotential/)
"Students will not succeed if faced with a group of
teachers whose work together is disjointed,
disconnected, or, in some cases, dysfunctional.“
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admi
n/admin408_a.shtml#sthash.214Ns7uE.dpuf
Teaming Structures
 School-Based Leadership Team
 Literacy Leadership Teams
 Content Area Teams
 Specialist Teams
Superficial or Authentic?
Relief Pitcher or
Left Handed Specialist
Expected to perform for a short period of time –
provides the support needed to get the job done
Specialist Teams
Effective intensive intervention planning occurs
within collaborative, specialist teams, which
include team members with personal knowledge
of the student and relevant and specialized
academic and behavior expertise.
(related to data analysis, student learning,
engagement, curriculum, instruction, technology,
and resource allocation)
Specialist Teams
 Utilize a problem solving process to identify barriers
and inform the intensity of instruction and set goals
 Collect and review ongoing progress monitoring data
to evaluate the effectiveness of support
 Understand core instructional goals and plan
interventions explicitly to support students’
achievement of those goals
 Develop action plans (with all stakeholders) to
address identified barriers to meeting core
goals
Specialist Teams
 Implement individualized action plans to
address identified barriers to meeting core goals
 Implement intervention plans with fidelity
 Collect and analyze student data to determine
the student’s response to intervention
 Evaluate intervention response (with all
stakeholders)
 Make adjustments to intervention plans as
indicated by the student data
Reflection
 Are teams in your
school/district
superficial or
authentic?
 Are teams
sustainable?
Roles and Responsibilities
Umpires
Enforces the rules of the game and the grounds,
makes judgment calls on plays, and handles the
disciplinary actions
Roles and Responsibilities
The Role of District Leadership:
Allocate resources
Support the design of school schedules
Evaluate the effectiveness of tiered interventions as a whole, and
Provide feedback to schools
The Role of School Leadership:
Design the master schedule
Allocate sufficient resources
Monitor the effectiveness of tiered interventions as a whole, and
Provide feedback to intervention providers and planning teams
The Role of the Coach:
Guide individuals and teams to build their capacity
Guide the planning and implementation of intensive interventions
Assist with effective collaboration skills, coaching efficient problem
solving techniques and providing effective continuous professional
development.
Coach on a continuum – scaffold learning approach
Roles and Responsibilities
Role of Core Instruction Providers:
Identify high probability and high intensity barriers to student achievement
Plan and implement core instruction
Collaborate with intervention providers to ensure integration and alignment of
instruction and intervention
Evaluate effectiveness of instruction and interventions
Provide input to SBLT
Role of Intervention Specialist:
Work with core instructional providers to identify barriers to learning and
engagement
Collaborate with core instructional providers to ensure integration and
alignment of intervention strategies and supports with core instruction
Manage the implementation of Tier 3 intervention plans and actively support
core instructional providers’ integration of effective intervention strategies and
supports
Monitor individual student’s response to intervention and make timely changes
to intervention strategies and supports as needed.
Reflection
 Is communication
and collaboration
supported?
 Are members of the
team(s) building
capacity
individually?
Resource Mapping
Starting Line Up
The starters are usually the best players on the team
Resource Mapping
 What currently is available to achieve goals and
address problems?
 What else is needed to achieve goals and
address problems?
Resource Mapping
 Analyzes to clarify gaps and recommend
priorities for filling gaps related to programs
and services and deploying, redeploying, and
enhancing resources
 Identifying needs for making infrastructure and
systemic improvements and changes
 Clarifying opportunities for achieving
important functions by forming and enhancing
collaborative arrangements
Resource Mapping in Stages
 “Who’s Who” and what do they do?
 List of programs, activities, services, materials,
etc.
 Map the dollars and related resources
Reflection
 How does your
school/district
effectively map
resources?
 How can you
address barriers to
implementing
MTSS effectively
through resource
mapping?
Evaluation of Key
Components
Resources
Build Capacity
New Vision
Contact Information
Pam Sudduth, M.A.
Shelby Robertson, Ph.D.
PS-RtI Project, Learning
and Development
Facilitator of Literacy
PS-RtI Project, Learning
and Development
Facilitator of Mathematics
psudduth@usf.edu
srobertson@usf.edu
(727) 421-0590
321-246-6550