Response to Intervention….
More Than Six Data Points
Andrea Ogonosky, Ph.D., LSSP, NCSP
Licensed Psychologist
aogonosky@msn.com
(832)656-0398
Agenda
• Technical Adequacy of Process
• District Expectations
• Multiple Sources of Data
• Staff Knowledge
• Leadership
Technical Adequacy
The District Guidance Document
RtI: Problem Solving
Assessment
Progress Monitoring
Diagnostics
Progress Monitoring
Diagnostics
Universal Screening
Progress Monitoring
Interventions
Student Instructional Level
Supplemental Interventions
120 min per week additional
Student Instructional Level
Supplemental Interventions
90 min per week additional
Grade Level
Instruction/ Support
The Reality of Striving for the Goal of
Change…
“I was so excited about RtI -I went about enthusiastically building a
technically sound guidance document. As I began to work with staff on
implementation [from the cultural perspective of shifting the way we
think about problem solving] I realized suddenly that to me, RtI had
become….
RtI
One swirling VORTEX OF TERROR!”
---Dr. Quentin Woods, Pine Tree ISD
Pair and Share
• Have you ever felt like this? Why?
• What has been your greatest challenge?
On a scale of 1-5 where is your district as far as implementing a true
problem solving process centered around Tier 1?
Do you continue to hear staff refer to RtI as a referral process or a
documentation journey on the road to special education?
From the Student Perspective
The Goal is to create…
Academic
Learning,
Mastery, and
Achievement
Independent
Learner
RtI Foundations for Success
1.
2.
3.
4.
Multiple Tiers of Instruction and Assessment
Using Data: Balanced Assessments
Technology
Highly Qualified Staff
The strongest processes that show sustained student
growth are those that go beyond technical adequacy….
They are ones that promote a cultural responsiveness to
the learning needs of all students (think Tier 1- 8-%)and
are not dependent on a rote “decision rule” of six points
on a graph.
Let’s start at the beginning….
10
RtI Is not simply implementing a different type of problem
solving. It also involves giving up certain beliefs in favor of
others. Systems will need to change….
Response to Intervention
Is an organizational system
with increasing layers of
intensity.
Is designed for smooth
movement
Not a categorical system for
labeling students.
Not a service or place.
Increased intensity of
Not a referral system for
instruction -matches student special education eligibility.
need -determined by data.
Leadership
The road to student success begins here….
Well versed
in District RtI
Philosophy
Focused on
Ongoing RtI
Vision
Strong Leader
Uses ongoing
evaluation of
needs to
drive
resource
allocation and
professional
development
Critical
Leadership in
RtI
 Create a culture of common values and work
together to achieve common goals.
 Provide clear staff expectations
 Ensure fidelity by having meaningful
conversations with staff about data.
 Creatively allocate limited resources to ensure
personnel have access to necessary supports.
Essential Tasks for Leadership Team
Use hybrid model of
problem solving.
Embed data based decisions
across all systems
Study and plan ongoing RtI
development.
Campus Culture
Question
who
“If an educator keeps using the same
strategies over and over and the student
keeps failing,
Who really is the slow learner?”
Michael Rettig
Professor, Emeritus James Madison University
• Resiliency: Over 40% of teachers do not
make it to their 5th year of teaching- many
leave by year 3.
• Encouragement of Innovation: PD to
support advances in technology. Teachers
reinforced and encouraged for “thinking
outside the box”.
• Quality of Student teacher relationships
The use of technology makes ongoing data
collection, data consumption, and data-based
decision making a more plausible proposition,
and it can keep these important aspects of RtI
from monopolizing teacher time
“The highest predictor of
academic achievement is the
proficiency of teachers in
effective instructional
practice.”
Donna Walker Tileston
Why Culture Counts
The most important aspect of a strong RtI
process is the richness of the conversations
that occur because of the layers of multiple
occurring data sources.
It is essential to implement both
Professional Learning Communities (PLC) and Response to
Intervention (RTI) because these complementary processes
are considered research-based best practices
to improve student learning.
Connections
• What exactly do we expect all
students to learn?
• How will we know if they’ve
learned it?
• How will we respond when
some students don’t learn it?
• How will we respond when
some students have already
learned?
• Core program
• Standards
• Alignment Documents
Connections
• What exactly do we expect all
students to learn?
• How will we know if they’ve
learned it?
• How will we respond when
some students don’t learn it?
• How will we respond when
some students have already
learned?
• Progress monitoring
• Universal screener
• Diagnostic assessments
• Formative Assessments
Connections
• What exactly do we expect
all students to learn?
• How will we know if they’ve
learned it?
• How will we respond when
some students don’t learn it?
• How will we respond when
some students have already
learned?
• Differentiated Strategies
• Interventions
• Decision rules
• Protocol
Connections
• What exactly do we expect
all students to learn?
• How will we know if they’ve
learned it?
• How will we respond when
some students don’t learn it?
• How will we respond when
some students have already
learned?
• District Expectations
• Decision rules
• Protocol
• PLC Essential Characteristics
RTI Fundamental Elements
• Focus on learning and
collaborative culture
• Collective responsibility
and teaming
• Focus on results (data driven)
• Universal screening and
progress monitoring
• Systematic interventions
and decision protocols
• Research based core
program and interventions
• Action experimentation
(is your system able to respond)
• Collective inquiry
Underscoring a Problem
“Most teachers just do not possess the skills to collect data,
draw meaningful conclusions, focus instruction, and
appropriately follow up to assess results. That is not the set
of skills we were hired to do.”
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Balancing Assessments
-- Assessment systems
-- Multiple measures
-- Varied types
-- Varied purposes
-- Varied data sets
-- Balanced with needs
Align Data Sources
Universal Screening
Progress Monitoring
Diagnostic Assessments
Outcome Assessments
Does the data tell a clear
and concise story of the
student’s learning?
If there is inconsistency
team must investigate why
Review integrity of
instruction
 Align to student needs
Student variables
You must have multiple sources of
data to have effective data-driven
instruction.
With that said, assessing students
while they are learning yields real
time data to steer teachers towards
differentiated practices.
Assessment and Instruction are inseparable.
“Assessment is today’s means of
understanding how to modify tomorrow’s
instruction.”
Carol Tomlinson
Question
Do your teams spend more time talking about
individual kids or do they spend time more time on the
needs of ALL kids?
Team Philosophy
• The 1st intervention is always
effective classroom instruction
and classroom management
which yield high rates of
academic engagement.
• The team always uses the model
of problem solving-consultationinstruction/intervention
approach.
Characteristics of a Strong Data Team





Meeting Norms
Process of Collecting Meaningful Data
Culture of Collaboration
Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
There is a process to measure where students are
in the curriculum.
 There is a RtI plan in the school district to help
students who are not achieving or who are
excelling
Problem Identification
• Review existing information
• Determine student’s functional
level
• Identify initial concerns
• Analyze multiple data sources
• Operationally define the problem
Existing Data Review
• Determine the Student’s
Current Classroom Status:
Academic Progress and Work
Samples
• Teacher Describes and
quantifies concerns
• Review of Records
• Parent Contact(s)
• Medical Information
• Classroom Observations (ICEL)
Determine Student Functional Levels
• Identify assets and weaknesses
• Identify Critical Life Events,
Milestones, Circumstances (Positive
and Negative)
• Identify medical and/or
physiological sources of concern
• Identify academic variables such as
“speed of acquisition” or retention
of information
• Identify issues of attendance,
transitions, motivation, access to
instruction
Identify Initial Concerns
• RtI team is available for any
academic, behavioral, teacher or
student concern.
• Teacher reports concerns in a
data oriented manner.
• Team aligns concerns with data
sources
Supplemental Supports
• Do your students show movement in the Tiers?
• How long is too long?
• Do you have students who are referred and then DNQ? What
happens next?
Do you have teams that are reluctant to move kids out of Tiers because
they are successful?
Monitor Fidelity




Intervention Well Checks
Observe in Tiers 1 and 2/3
Consult with Teacher
Review data weekly in PLC/
Planning meetings
 Check data collection
 Talk to parent
Tips for Moving Forward
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Be aware of appeals to mindless precedent.
Make sure the system of intervention is fluid.
Systems of intervention work better when they are
supporting teams rather than individual teachers.
Realize that no support system will compensate for
bad teaching.
Ensure a common understanding of “system of
interventions.”
aogonosky@msn.com
(832) 656-0398
I am happy to help you!