Grand Rapids Public Schools
August 18, 2009
Contact information:
Terri Metcalf
MiBLSi Regional Coordinator for Kent and Ottawa ISDs
tmetcalf@oaisd.org
738-8940 ext 4112
www.cenmi.org/miblsi
What to expect . . .
 What is “response to intervention” or RtI?
 History and background
 RtI and Behavior:
 Overview of Schoolwide Positive Behavior
Support
 Resources and next steps
Background knowledge and importance
What is response to intervention?
Response to intervention
is . . .
Response to intervention is
 RtI
 Special education
eligibility
 RTI
 Three-tier model
 Problem solving model
 The Triangle model
not . . .
 Pre-referral model
 Tier 2 pull-out
 Just for reading
 Just for learning
disabilities
 DIBELS
RtI is . . .
. . .the practice of providing high-quality instruction
and interventions matched to student need,
monitoring progress frequently to make decisions
about changes in instruction or goals and applying
child response data to important educational
decisions.
NASDSE, RtI: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005 (emphasis added).
Core Principles of an RtI Framework
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
We can effectively teach all children.
Intervene early.
Use a multi-tier model of support.
Use a problem-solving method for decision
making.
Research-based interventions/instruction to
the extent available.
Monitor student progress to inform instruction.
Use data to make decisions.
Use assessment for different purposes.
NASDSE, RtI: Policy Considerations and Implementation, 2005
How does this tie into POL?
Why change, why now?
 Research
 Legislation
Research
Converging evidence shows that most children
can be taught to read at grade level
 201 randomly selected children from five elementary
schools serving children from mixed SES and ethnic
backgrounds were followed from the beginning of first
grade to the end of fourth grade.
 Children who scored low on phonemic awareness and
letter knowledge at the beginning of first grade
 Started with lower skills
 Made less progress
 Fell further and further below grade level as they
progressed from first through fourth grade.
Early Screening Identified Children At Risk
5.2
Reading grade level
5
4
High Score (low
risk) on Screening
3
2.5
2
1
Low score (high risk) on Early Screening
1
2
3
4
Grade level corresponding to age
Instruction is What Matters!
Four years later, the researchers went back to the
same school.
Two major changes were implemented:
 First, a research-based comprehensive reading program
was implemented for all students, and
 Second, children at risk for reading difficulty were
randomly assigned to a control group
(no special intervention) or to a group receiving
substantial instructional intervention.
Four years
5.2
Reading grade level
5
4
4.9
Low Risk on
Early Screening
3
2
1
At Risk on Early Screening
1
2
3
4
Grade level corresponding to age
With substantial
instructional
intervention
With research3.2 based core but
without extra
2.5 instructional
intervention
Legislation
Legislation
 Reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Act
(IDEA)
 Became effective October 13, 2006
 Incorporated new requirements for identifying students
with learning disabilities
 Allow districts to consider a child’s “response
to
scientific, research-based intervention”
as part of evaluation process §300.309(a)(2)(i)
 Shortened to response to intervention or RtI
RtI is a Well-Child Program for Education
 Health Care
 Infant screenings
 Annual check-ups
 Comparison to




developmental
standards
Immunizations
Use of research-based
standard protocol
treatments for common
problems
Hypothesis testing as
part of evaluation
Referral for specialist
care if needed
 Education
 Standardized screening
 Three yearly “check



ups”
Comparison to local and
national benchmarks
Use of research-based
instruction for general
education instruction
Hypothesis testing as
part of curriculum and
assessment practices
Referral to special
education only if
progress in other
instruction is not made
Where did this come from???
 We have been using components of RtI for a long time:
e.g. progress monitoring measures, differentiated
instruction, etc.
 Flipping systems from “everyone is assumed to be ok
until they aren’t” to screening and intervening right
away
Multi-Tiered Support
Intensive Intervention
Individualized, functional
assessment, highly
specific
5-10%
Universal Prevention
Core Instruction,
all students,
preventive, proactive
80%
Targeted Intervention
Supplemental, some
students, reduce risk
15-20%
All Students in School
What has been the national impact of RtI
and schools?
 32% of districts expect full implementation of RtI by
2010
 47% of districts have a “defined RtI process” – 53% do
not
 71% of districts report that implementation is led by
general education or a joint general ed/special ed
effort
 84% of districts report implementation for reading,
53% for math and 44% for behavior
CASE Survey, 2008
ELEVATOR TEST: What is RtI?
 Write a brief (30-60
second) description of
RtI
 Share with a partner
What about behavior?
Relationship between behavior and reading
Children of the Code: A Social Education Project
http://www.childrenofthecode.org/
Big Ideas to Improve Behavior
 Specify appropriate behavior
 Teach appropriate behavior
 Monitor behavior
 Encourage appropriate behavior
 Correct inappropriate behavior
 Use data to problem solve
Identifying Behavior
Expectations
Big Ideas…
 People need to know what is expected of them
 Identify small number of expectations that are
comprehensive that reflect the school’s values
 Make the expectations observable
Consider your impressions
of this school
Defining Behavior Expectations
 Behavior expectations must be defined in each
setting
 Definitions should be positively stated
 Definitions should be observable
 Use simple, concrete language
 NEVER assume that the students will
“understand what we mean”
South Range
Westwood School
Portage Community High School
Holland Heights Elementary
Transform broad school-wide Expectations into
specific, observable behaviors.
Lunchroom
Bus
Hallway
Stay in your
seat
Stay to the
right
Keep feet on
the floor
Put trash in
cans
Be at stop
on time
Use your
words
Playground
Classroom
Respect
Others
Use inside
voice
Eat your
own food
Respect
Property
Recycle
paper
Return trays
Do your best
Wash your
hands
Respect
Yourself
Wait your turn
At bell return
equipment
Have a plan
Teaching Behavior Expectations
Big Ideas…
 Learning what to do socially is just like learning what
to do academically
 Proactively teach pro-social behaviors
 Create opportunities for reviewing expectations
throughout school year
Process for Teaching Behavioral Expectations
 Define the Expectation
 Provide a Rationale
 Teach the Critical Discrimination
 Demonstrate Appropriate Behavior
 Demonstrate Unacceptable Behavior
 Practice telling the difference with multiple examples
 If there is a “signal” teach the signal (when should the
appropriate behavior occur?)
 Have everyone practice the appropriate behavior
 Acknowledge students for demonstrating appropriate
behavior
Teaching Behavior
Expectations in
Hallway:
East Elementary
Presentation: By grade, students will file into hallway. Facilitator will
announce expectation to the group, define it, and discuss the rationale.
Volunteers will then demonstrate the incorrect way to act safe and respectful in
the hallway (e.g., touching and pushing others, looking around and not paying
attention, talking in line, and turning around looking and talking to other
students.) Students that are observing will rate the performance by holding up
pre-made signs that either say, “wrong way” or “right way”. A set of students
will then demonstrate the expectation the right way (e.g., walking with hands at
sides and feet to self, watching where class is going, no talking, looking straight
ahead.) Students will then be asked to hold the signs up again. Volunteers will
be acknowledged with reinforcers (pencils/erasers).
Practice: Each individual class will be asked to demonstrate. The remaining
class(s) will rate the demonstrating classroom with performance cards.
Reinforcement: Provide specific verbal praise to students after practice
session. After completion of training, each student will get a punch on the card
with the school-wide settings listed 1) hallway, 2) bathroom, 3) lunchroom, 4)
bus, 5) playground, 6) LMC, 7) Assembly. When all settings have been trained,
the card will be worth a snow cone or free popcorn.
Follow-up Plan: Daily, for the first three weeks of school, teachers provide
precorrections (reminders about what the hallway expectations are as part of
transition to specials, re-entry after recess, and dismissal). Weekly, next four
weeks of school. Students will be reinforced with tickets. A video will be
created to show students as needed for reinforcement.
Materials Needed: Facilitator for lesson, Volunteers to do skit (classroom
teachers for particular grade levels, Kim, Miriam, Special teachers),
Performance cards, Video recorder, tickets, punch cards, and reinforcers.
Build Reward Systems
Systems for Acknowledging Appropriate Behavior.
 Students should be acknowledged regularly (at least
every 2 weeks)
 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative
 Always build toward independence



move from “other” delivered to self-delivered
move from frequent reward to infrequent
move from concrete to natural
 Build on person-to-person relationships
Many schools use a ticket system
Cherokee High School
•
Tied into school
expectations
•
Specific feedback on
High School Students involved in Colorado PBS
student’s behavior
• Provides visible acknowledge of appropriate
behavior for student
•
Helps to remind staff to provide acknowledgements
Effective Discipline System
 Use negative consequences to:

Minimize natural rewards for problem
behavior

Prevent escalating interactions

Allow instruction to continue
 Build predictable, consistent negative
consequences
 Do not expect negative consequences alone
to change behavior.
Data Tools
Big Ideas…
 Data should be easy to collect and use
 Evaluate and regularly act on student behavior
outcome data
 Regularly collect process data and use this to guide
and improve implementation efforts
The School-Wide Information System
 Web-based information system designed to help
school personnel to use office referral data to design
school-wide and individual student interventions.
 Provides school personnel with accurate, timely and
practical information for making decisions about
discipline systems
www.swis.org
Example from Mulick Park
Teaching Tolerance article
 Article on school using Positive Behavior Support
model
How can I find additional information on the
components of RtI?
Additional Resources
MiBLSi (Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning
Support Initiative) Webpage:
www.cenmi.org/miblsi
OAISD Early Intervention Webpage:
www.oaisd.org/earlyintervention
RtI resources page
Links to additional websites on RtI; screening and
progress monitoring assessments; intervention ideas
and lesson plans
Helpful websites
The RtI Action Network
www.rtinetwork.org
National Center on Response to Intervention (RTI)
www.rti4success.org
Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support
www.pbis.org