Response-to-Intervention – a framework for student success
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Overview | Component 1 | Component 2 | Component 3
An Integrated Assessment/Data Collection
System to Make Informed Decisions
A major component of the RtI framework is the need for the school district to establish an
integrated assessment/data collection system. A district wide comprehensive assessment plan
should be developed and thoroughly explained to all staff members participating in the RtI
problem-solving process.
Assessments serve different purposes and the data that is gathered is used to drive informed
decisions about student instruction in the general education curriculum. It is important to
understand the purpose for each assessment in order to more efficiently analyze the data from
each assessment. Fidelity of implementation can be attained when staff members acquire
knowledge and experience in the selection of assessment tools and in the collection and
interpretation of data.
Student data is crucial in order to:
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Make accurate decisions about the effectiveness of general and remedial education
instruction and interventions;
Undertake early identification/intervention with academic and behavioral problems;
Prevent unnecessary and excessive identification of students with disabilities;
Make decisions about eligibility for special programs, including special education
services
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Determine individual education programs and deliver and evaluate special education
services. (National Association of State Directors of Special Education NASDE , 2008)
There are four categories of assessments contained in a comprehensive assessment plan:
Screening assessments – quick and efficient measures that are administered to all students in the
fall, winter and spring. Screening assessments are used to assess academic and behavioral
strengths and needs of all students. Schools can use the data to establish local norms. The local
norms can be compared to district, state and national norms to determine a rate of increase in
student performance.
For example, The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) benchmark
assessment is a screening tool used to determine if students may be at-risk for developing
essential early reading skills. It provides national norms.
Progress monitoring assessments – brief assessments that are used to continuously evaluate the
effectiveness of instruction and to determine students’ rate of progress. For example, a running
record may be administered to determine if a student’s reading level needs to be adjusted.
Progress monitoring is ongoing at each tier where a student’s level of performance and rate of
progress is tracked. A change in level of intensity, frequency and duration of the intervention is
made for students who do not make the expected rate of progress.
Diagnostic assessments – in-depth assessments administered to selected students in order to
identify the specific area of weakness. For example, if the student is struggling with vocabulary,
The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) may be administered to help plan more intensive
interventions.
Outcome-Based Assessments – provide summative data on broad abilities and is closely related
to expected grade-level content standards. An outcome-based assessment looks at student
performance to see what the students can actually do after they are taught.
For example, The Michigan Education Assessment Program (MEAP) is administered in October.
The data is used by school leaders as feedback about the overall effectiveness of their
instructional program.
By designing an integrated assessment/data collection system as part of the RtI instructional
framework, the school staff will be able to understand the purpose of the assessment tool being
selected, the kind of data that is being collected, and how often to look at the data for each
student.
Below is a sample of a school district’s comprehensive assessment plan for grades K-6 (Table
1).*
* Table is adapted from Idaho Department of Education
Component 3.
A Problem-Solving Method Used to Develop
Intervention Plans
Implementing an RtI framework provides a continuum of school-wide support. Its core principles
are that core instruction is provided with fidelity, student progress is monitored frequently,
students’ responsiveness to intervention is evaluated, and instruction is adapted as needed.
(National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 2005).
The core principles of RtI are implemented through a carefully designed problem-solving
method. The important steps found in a problem-solving method are:
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Define the problem
Analyze the cause
Develop the plan
Implement and monitor the plan
Evaluate the plan
These steps are shown in Figure 2 below.
Figure 2. The Problem-Solving Method.
In a true problem-solving method, an individual student’s failure to respond to interventions is
addressed and an individual plan is tailored to meet his/her needs.
A second approach is the standard-protocol method. Standardized protocols or specific
instructional programs are developed and implemented using prescribed procedures that are
implemented for a specific length of time.
A third option is the blended approach. As part of this method, the five problem-solving
components are utilized along with standard protocols.
Establishing a Student Support Team
Collaboration among school professionals is crucial to the successful implementation of the RtI
framework. Establishing a team of school staff members who effectively communicate and
understand the key components of RtI leads to improved educational outcomes for all students.
Different teams may exist in each school building. These include the School Improvement Team,
Grade-level Teams, Multidisciplinary Teams and Student Support Teams.
It is the function of the Student Support Team to review student performance data and to make
collaborative decisions regarding each student’s level of support. The Student Support Team
(SST) should be comprised of school staff members from different departments. Team members
may shift roles throughout the year but key members include:
Building administrator – actively supports the Student Support Team by scheduling and/or
attending meetings, communicating with team members regularly, and monitoring fidelity of
instruction/interventions.
Student Support Team (SST) building leader – oversees the RtI problem-solving process at
the school. The SST building leader monitors data collection, particularly progress monitoring,
collects SST forms and acts as liaison between the general education and special education
departments as students move through the tiers of support.
Classroom teacher – differentiates instruction, administers benchmark and progress monitoring
assessments, identifies at-risk students, communicates with parents and SST regarding student
concerns, completes SST forms, attends SST meetings and actively participates in developing
and implementing the SST Intervention Plans.
Intervention specialist – member of Student Support Team who provides targeted interventions
to a student or a group of students and is also responsible for collecting benchmark and progress
monitoring data.
Parent(s)/legal guardians – communicates and shares information pertaining to their child with
the SST, attends SST meetings and participates in developing and implementing the SST
Intervention Plan.
School specialists – team members who may become involved at the different tiers of support.
The school specialist may be asked to administer student assessments, provide consultation
services, implement interventions, or assist families throughout the RtI process.
These specialists include:
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school counselors
school psychologists
schoolsocial workers
speech and language pathologists
reading and math specialists
occupational/physical therapists
consultants for visually impaired/hearing impaired
resource room teachers
teachers for English Language Learners
teachers for gifted and talented
school nurse
assistive technology specialists
The team members assume different roles at the SST meeting. These include:
Chairperson – typically is the SST building leader. The chairperson receives the Request for
Support, schedules the initial Student Support Team (SST) meeting, is responsible for overseeing
the implementation of the SST Intervention Plan and convenes follow-up SST meetings.
Facilitator – a team member who may also act as chairperson. The facilitator conducts the SST
meeting and is responsible for following the steps of the problem-solving method. A crucial role
for the facilitator is to keep team members focused, resolve conflicts and maintain a supportive
atmosphere throughout the meeting.
Recorder - a team member who completes the student’s SST Intervention Plan and submits all
relevant paperwork to the chairperson.
Timekeeper – a member of the team who is responsible for keeping each segment of the SST
meeting within its allotted time.
Case manager/coach – another general education teacher or school specialist who assists the
classroom teacher with implementing the SST Intervention Plan. – could be our Grade-level
Teams?
Contact Shirley Veldhuis, Ed.S., CCC-Sp
RtI Consultant
313-570-6303
shirleyveldhuis@gmail.com
Simply RtI
PO Box 2657
Dearborn, MI 48123
Article from: http://www.simplyrti.com/