Glossary of RTI/PLC Terms
Benchmarks (As related to standards)
A subset of a standard designed to bring more specific targets or benchmarks for student
performance. (sample at end of Glossary)
Benchmark Indicators (As related to standards and benchmarks)
A subset of the benchmark that describes specific grade level performance targets. (sample
at end of Glossary)
Behavior Intervention Plan
A behavior plan is based on a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA). It is developed and
implemented by a collaborative team, which includes the student and parent. The plan
includes positive behavior supports (PBS), identified skills for school success, and specific
strategies for behavioral instruction.
Common Assessment
Any assessment used by more than one teacher to commonly assess student learning.
Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM)
A precise tool for directly measuring student competency and progress in the basic skill areas
of reading, spelling, math, and written language, using simple tests called “probes.”
Data-Based & Data-Driven Decision Making
The process of planning for student success (both academic and behavioral), by collecting
and analyzing information to guide instruction or to develop, implement and evaluate an
action/intervention.
Differentiated Instruction
The process of designing lesson plans that meet the needs of the entire range of learners in
the classroom; such planning includes objectives, grouping practices, teaching methods,
varied assignments, and varied materials chosen based on student skill levels and learning
preferences.
Duration
Duration is the length (number of minutes) of each session multiplied by the number of
sessions. “Sufficient duration” is dependent on a number of factors including the program or
strategy being used, age of the student, and severity of the deficit involved. Some programs
offer guidelines or recommendations for duration.
Essential Learning
The critical concepts, skills, knowledge, and dispositions each student must acquire as a
result of each course, grade level, and unit of instruction that are embedded in standards..
They are the highest priority for instructional time, attention, and resources. They establish
instructional priorities and are taught to mastery, not “covered”. They have Endurance,
Leverage, and provide Readiness for the next level or course. Essential learnings may also
be referred to as essential outcomes or power standards.
Essential Standards
.PSD’s efforts to organize state standards by grade level with more specific
targets/benchmarks and specific grade level performance indicators.
Endurance
The knowledge, skills, and dispositions that students are expected to retain over time as
opposed to merely learning something for a test.
Equity
The practice by which educators will ensure that all students have a fair and equal access
to a high-quality education regardless of the students’ race, color, national origin, culture or
linguistic difference, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation or disability
Fidelity
Fidelity refers to the accuracy, loyalty and attentiveness with which an intended research
design for instruction and/or intervention is implemented. To ensure standardization,
intervention specialists must generally follow a prescribed protocol in order to attend to a
program’s or strategy’s fidelity.
Flexible Grouping
Groups are formed according to specific student needs. Prescriptive, focused, researchbased interventions are provided to these groups by any trained or skilled staff member,
regardless of special or general education categorization of the students or the educator’s
special or general education job description. Students move in and out of groups according
to need.
Formative Assessment
An assessment for learning created collaboratively by a team of teachers responsible for the
same grade level and/or content area. Used frequently throughout the year to identify (1)
individual students who need additional time and support for learning, (2) the teaching
strategies most effective in helping students acquire the intended knowledge and skills, (3)
program concerns-areas in which students generally are having difficulty achieving the
intended standard- and (4) improvement goals for individual teachers and the team
An assessment for learning used to advance and not merely monitor each students learning.
Formative assessments are used to guide instruction. Formative assessments are used to
ensure any student who experiences difficulty reaching or exceeding proficiency is given
additional time and support as well as additional opportunities to demonstrate his or her
learning. Formative assessments are also used to help students monitor their own progress
toward an intended standard of proficiency.
Frequency
Documented how often an intervention or behavior occurs. It is an important element of a
student’s prescribed intervention and should be monitored as an element of implementation
fidelity.
Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA)
This is the process of determining the cause (or function) of behavior before developing an
intervention or Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP). The intervention/BIP is based on the
hypothesized cause (function) of behavior.
Gap Analysis
A method of measuring the difference between a student’s or group’s current level of
performance and benchmark/targeted expectations. It is also used to determine progress of
learning over time.
Intensity
The adjustment of duration, length and teacher-to-student ratio for a student’s academic or
behavioral needs within an intervention.
Intervention
The systematic and explicit instruction provided to accelerate growth in an area of identified
academic and/or behavioral need. Interventions are provided by both general and special
education teachers and are based on training, not titles. They are designed to improve
performance relative to a specific, measurable goal. Interventions are based on valid
information about current performance, realistic implementation, and include ongoing student
progress monitoring.
Leverage
Knowledge and skills that will be of value across contents.
Mission
The primary purpose of an organization.
Multi-tiered Model
School resources/interventions provide differing levels of intensity. Tier I is the universal or
core academic and behavioral instruction that all students receive. Tier II are
targeted/supplemental strategies. Tier III are intensive interventions. All are based on
student responsiveness, with ongoing progress monitoring and focused assessment. See
definition of Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3.
Norms
Rules or commitments developed by a team to clarify expectations on how to work together
to achieve mutual goals.
Outcomes
Academic and social/emotional/behavioral targets that are endorsed and valued by students,
families, and educators, and aligned with district goals.
Positive Behavior Supports
Establishes and maintains effective school environments that maximize academic
achievement and behavioral competence of all learners. Behavior supports are provided for
individual students in Tiers 2 and 3. It is data driven.
Practices
Interventions and strategies for all students that are evidence based.
Problem Solving Process
The problem solving process is an interdisciplinary, collaborative team process which is
based on a multi-tiered model and includes data-driven decision making, parent-school
partnerships, progress monitoring, focused assessment, flexible service delivery, and
prescriptive, research based interventions for behavior and/or academics.
Student Success Team (aka Problem Solving Team)
Interdisciplinary teams composed of general and special education staff members who plan
prescriptive interventions for students at risk for school failure or underachievement by
completing targeted assessments, collecting and reviewing data, making data-driven
decisions, partnering with parents, and participating in ongoing problem solving.
Professional Learning Community (PLC)
The essence of a PLC is a focus on and a commitment to the learning of every student. A
PLC is composed of collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to achieve
common goals linked to the purpose of learning for all. Inherent to a PLC are a persistent
disquiet with the status quo and a constant search for a better way to achieve goals and
accomplish the purpose of the organization: Educating All Children. Educators dedicated to
working collaboratively in a process of collective inquiry and action research to achieve
greater gains for students.
Progress Monitoring
The ongoing process that involves collecting and analyzing data to determine student
progress toward benchmark or attainment of specific skills. The data generated is essential to
determine effectiveness of the instruction/intervention and for making instructional decisions.
Readiness
Essential skills and knowledge that students need to be ready for the next grade level or
course.
Research-Based Instruction/Intervention/Practice
Found to be reliable and valid based on evidence to suggest that when the program is used
with a particular group of students, the students can be expected to make adequate gains in
achievement. Ongoing documentation and analysis of student outcomes helps to define
effective practice. In the absence of evidence, it must be considered “best practice” based on
available research and professional literature.
Response to Intervention (RtI)
RtI is a school wide, systematic, collaborative process in which all school resources are
aligned and matched to student’s academic and/or behavioral needs. Progress is monitored
frequently in order to make important educational decisions. The outcome is to ensure that
all students learn at high levels.
Scaffolding:
An instructional technique of breaking a complex task into smaller, more manageable
components, providing support as students learn the task.
Schoolwide PBS Team
A team that develops the PBS structures within the school building. They train and support
the teachers in implementing the PBS process.
Schoolwide RtI Team
A team that develops the RtI structures within the school building. They train and support the
teachers in implementing the RtI process.
SMART Goals
Goals that are strategic & specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented, and time bound.
Focused on specific needs of students and linked to school district goals.
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Is an identifiable category of disability in both the federal law, Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004), and Colorado law, Exceptional Children’s Education Act
(ECEA). This disability category was previously referred to in Colorado law as
Perceptual/Communicative Disability or PCD.
Specific, Measurable Outcomes
A specific desired result from an academic and/or behavioral intervention. It should be
written in observable and quantifiable terms to be measurable.
Standard Protocol Interventions
Refers to the implementation of a specific academic and/or behavioral intervention that is
supported by research to be effective with students with similar needs/deficits. There are
usually well defined entry criteria and clear progress monitoring tools. They are often chosen
as an initial intervention for struggling students with similar problems. The standard protocol
can be implemented in any tier, but is most commonly applied at the universal or targeted
levels. When students are unresponsive to the intervention trial, more intensive ore
individually designed interventions might be necessary.
Summative Assessment
An assessment of learning designed to provide a final measure to determine if learning goals
have been met. It measures students’ level of learning after a unit of study. They yield a
dichotomy: pass or fail, proficient or not proficient. CSAP and Final exams are an example of
summative assessments
Systems
Supports that are needed to enable adults to implement evidence based practices with
accuracy and consistency.
Systematic Data Collection
Monitoring student progress through setting a baseline and regularly monitoring student
progress through the use of appropriate assessments.
Tier 1 (Universal/Core) Interventions
Research-based core instruction provided to all students in the classroom, regardless of
individual needs. Appropriate differentiation of instruction in content, process, and product
may occur. Tier 1 must meet the needs of 80-90% of the student population.
Tier 2 (Targeted) Interventions
Targeted interventions are to be implemented when data analysis indicates that a student is
not making adequate gains from universal/core instruction alone. Generally, these are small
group interventions with other students with similar needs. Progress monitoring is ongoing,
thus the groups are fluid. It is intended to remediate deficits and promote continuous
participation with universal instruction.
Tier 3 (Intensive) Interventions
Intensive interventions offer a student highly individualized, systematic and explicit instruction
in the area of need. Progress monitoring happens more frequently than at Tier 2.
Universal Screening
The process of assessing all students in a school in specific content areas to determine
performance in relation to the benchmarks and standards.
Universal Assessments in use in PSD are CSAP (grades 3-10), NWEA’s MAP-Measure of
Academic Progress (grades 2-9), DRA2 (grades K-6) SRI (grades 7-12)
Validity
An indication that an assessment accurately measures what it is designed to measure.
Sample of Standard, Benchmark & Indicator Hierarchy
PSD Essential Standards for Language Arts
State Standard 1: Reading
Students read and understand a variety of materials
1.1 Comprehension Skills (BENCHMARK)
Students will use a variety of comprehension skills in
reading (e.g., preview, predict, compare and contrast,
self-monitor, summarize)
1.1.a Paraphrase, summarize and synthesize information
from a variety of texts & genres with support (INDICATOR)
1.2 Prior Knowledge (BENCHMARK)
Make connections between texts and prior knowledge
and identify knowledge needed before reading about
topics
1.2.a Make connections between texts and the world (INDICATOR)
1.3 Reading Purpose (BENCHMARK)
Adjust reading strategies for different purposes
1.3.a Determine reading purpose and use strategies
appropriate to that purpose (INDICATOR)
1.3.b Use text structures (e.g., cause and effect,
problem/solution and compare/contrast) to locate
and recall information (INDICATOR)
1.4 Word Recognition Strategies(BENCHMARK)
Use a variety of word recognition skills and resources
1.4.a Locate definitions of unfamiliar words using
dictionaries, glossaries and other sources (INDICATOR)
1.5 Vocabulary (BENCHMARK)
Use information from reading to increase vocabulary
and enhance language usage
1.5.a Select appropriate definitions from the dictionary
to determine appropriate word meaning (INDICATOR)