Being an RTI Guru:
Resources to Support the School
Psychologist as an RTI Leader
Lynne Thies, Ph.D.
NYASP Conference 2013
Questions to Explore
• What do the NYS laws and regulations say about
the role of RTI in the public schools?
• How is RTI being implemented in your school?
• What should the school psychologist’s role be in
regard to RTI?
• How do school psychologists gain the knowledge
necessary to participate in the RTI development
and implementation process?
• Your questions…….
What I Think you Need to Know to
be an RTI Guru in NYS
1. The law
Federal vs. State, Law vs. Regulations, Regents policies, guidance documents
2. Instruction
Effective practices, Instructional Hierarchy, Curriculum
3. The model
Assessment (screening, progress monitoring); Tiers; Standard protocol vs.
Problem-solving; How to use data to inform instructional decisions;
Interventions
The Law: What Do You Know?
• What is a law? What is a regulation? What about a
Regents policy or guidance document?
• ESEA versus Part 100 – what is important to know?
• IDEA versus Part 200 – which do we follow?
• Important links:
•
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/register.htm
• http://nysrti.org
Academic Intervention Services (AIS)
• Found in NYS Regulations Part 100.2(ee)
• Academic intervention services means additional
instruction which supplements the instruction provided in
the general curriculum and assists students in meeting
the State learning standards and/or
• Student support services which may include guidance,
counseling, attendance, and study skills which are
needed to support improved academic performance;
• Link to AIS Q & A (2000):
• http://www.p12.nysed.gov/part100/pages/AISQAweb.p
df
• Check Qs 37, 39, 40, 41 – RTI precursor??
What does the NYSED say about
Response to Intervention?
• The New York State Education Department (NYSED)
has established a regulatory policy framework for RtI
in relation to school-wide screenings, minimum
components of RtI programs, parent notification
and use of RtI in the identification of students with
learning disabilities.
• The Regents policy establishes RtI as a school-wide
system of organizing instruction and support
resources to deliver high quality instruction to meet
the diverse needs of learners. (RTI Guidance Document, page
1, October 2010)
Part 100 & Response to Intervention
Defines an RTI program as: A school district's process to determine if a
student responds to scientific, research-based instruction
Delineates the following required components:
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appropriate instruction - all students, general education, qualified
personnel
screenings - all students, identify those not making academic
progress at expected rates
Instruction matched to student need - increasingly intensive levels of
targeted intervention &instruction for students not making satisfactory
progress in the level and/or rate of learning re age or grade level
standards
Repeated assessments of student achievement - curriculum
measures, show if interventions result in student progress toward age
or grade level standards
The application of information about the student’s response to
intervention to make educational decisions - re changes in goals,
instruction and/or services and re decision to make a referral for
special education services
Relationship between AIS & Response to
Intervention (Pt. 100)
• Addition to the regulations in 2010:
o
… A school district may provide a Response to Intervention (RTI)
program in lieu of providing Academic Intervention Services (AIS) to
eligible students, provided that:
• the RTI program is provided in a manner consistent with
subdivision (ii) of section 100.2 of this Part (where RTI is defined);
• the RTI program is made available at the grade levels and
subject areas (reading/math) for which students are identified as
eligible for AIS;
• all students who are otherwise eligible for AIS shall be provided
such AIS services if they are not enrolled in the RTI program; and
• the school district shall submit to the Department no later than
September 1st of such school year, a signed statement of
assurance that the services provided under the district's RTI
program meet the requirements of this paragraph.
Relationship between Part 100 &
Part 200 (Special Education) Regulations
• Part 100 defines the components of the RTI program
• Part 200 defines the components of the LD
identification process based on the assumption that
the Part 100 requirements are in place
• Therefore, a district MUST have an RTI tiered service
delivery program in place in order to satisfy the
requirements of the LD identification process under
Part 200, special education regulations
Where does the October 2010 RTI
Guidance Document fit in?
This document provides detailed support for districts in setting up
their RTI programs so that they are in compliance with both Parts 100
& 200 regulations
http://www.nysrti.org/docs/NYSED%20RtI%20Guidance%20Document.pdf
For each component of an RTI program, the document provides:
• the regulatory requirements, followed by guidance, quality
indicators, and tools to assist districts in selecting a specific
structure and model
• Districts that follow the outline provided by the document will be
able to set up a comprehensive, legally-defensible RTI process.
• Document states that teachers who provide the RtI interventions
should participate in the CSE meeting to determine if a student is
eligible for special education under the learning disability
classification.
Instruction: What Do School Psychologists
Need to Know about Instruction?
•
Theories/research come from Educational Psychology
•
Chapters on Instructional Psychology, Effective Instruction,
effective Schools, etc. have appeared in:
all 4 versions of the Handbook of School Psychology
•
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NASP’s Best Practices series
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Handbook 4th Ed.: chapters 4, 21, 35, 36
BP V: chapters 64, 65, 68
Concepts about Instruction are embedded in an understanding of
a Response to Intervention model –
o What Is core instruction?
o What does an effective instructional environment look like?
o Why is Academic Engaged Time so important? What about Opportunity to
Respond, Relevant Practice and Informed Feedback? What should a third
grade student be able to do in regard to reading and mathematics?
Resources on Instruction
• Books & Journals:
The Instructional Hierarchy as a Framework for
Understanding Instructional Level
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Instructional Hierarchy (Haring & Eaton, 1978) - a framework for matching
interventions to a student’s skill proficiency (instructional match)
Based on the theory that learning (academic or social/behavioral)
progresses through a predictable sequence including:
Acquisition - beginning to learn skill but not yet accurate or fluent – goal is accuracy
Fluency – able to complete skill accurately but works slowly – goal is automaticity
Generalization – does not use skill in different situations or confuses with similar skills –
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Adaptation - not able to adapt skill to fit novel task demands or situations – goal is to
•
http://www.interventioncentral.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pdfs_interventions/IH_matrix.pdf
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Burns, et. al (2012) have applied this framework to how to choose
interventions for both academic and behavioral issues
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goal is to use widely and discriminate when to use it accurately
develop the ability to identify elements of skill that can be adapted & used widely
Instructional Deficit versus Behavioral
Deficit
Do you hate the word “lazy” as much as I do?
• Determining whether a student’s inaccurate responses or lack
of responding are due to a skill (can’t do) deficit or a
performance (won’t do) deficit can help guide the direction
of the intervention
• Here’s why to do it:
• http://www.vail.k12.az.us/steep2004/district/step3.php
• See next page for what to do….
The Can’t Do, Won’t Do Assessment
Procedure
(from Witt & Beck, 1999)
Step 1: Obtain several days of the student’s usual baseline data on the same
probe,
Step 2: Say, “During the last __ days on your __ sheet, your highest score has been
__. Today, if you beat that score, I am going to let you (earn a prize, free time, or
something the student indicates he/she truly would like). Do you have any
questions?”
Step 3: Administer the probe.
Step 4: Determine the number correct.
Step 5: If the student’s performance with the incentive is 15‐20% greater than his
or her best performance, then consider the student to have a Won’t Do problem.
Won’t Do Problem –
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Interventions should be targeted toward increasing motivation.
•
Complete a reinforcement menu with the student & develop a plan for providing
reinforcement contingent on accurate work completion.
Can’t Do Problem •
If performance does not increase by 15‐20% (or more), it is likely that the student has a
Can’t Do problem.
•
Interventions would then be targeted toward the specific skill deficits (screen further if
necessary). Provide instruction and practice at the student’s instructional level.
Some Web Resources on Instruction and
Curriculum for School Psychologists
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Links to web resources relating to learning/instruction –
Center on Instruction: http://www.centeroninstruction.org/index.cfm
U. of Oregon Center on Teaching & Learning: http://reading.uoregon.edu
Florida Center for Reading Research: www.fcrr.org
Minnesota Center for Reading Research: www.cehd.umn.edu/reading
Evidence-based Intervention Network: http://ebi.missouri.edu/
• Reading Rockets: www.readingrockets.org
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Information on Common Core LS: http://www.engageny.org/videolibrary
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development –
ASCD: www.ascd.org
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http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/webinars/ascd-webinar-archive.aspx
The Model – Resources for Designing the Multitiered System of Support
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The NYS Guidance Document for RTI implementation provides the
structure for districts to set up the process
The NY model requires that districts specify multiple aspects of the
plan including:
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Screening procedures
Instructional programs to be utilized at all 3 tiers
How decisions about level of support will be made (the rules)
Some of my favorite print resources:
RTI Focused Websites and E-Newsletters
National Center on RTI: www.rti4success.org (The RTI Responder)
RTI Action Network: www.rtinetwork.org
Iris Center-Peabody College Vanderbilt University:
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/rti01-overview/
• RTI in Early Childhood: U. of MN.: www.myigdis.com
• National Center on Progress Monitoring: www.studentprogress.org
• DIBELS: www.dibels.uoregon.edu
• DIBELSnext: www.dibelsnext.org
• AIMSweb: www.aimsweb.org
• Publishers/Intervention materials: EPS, SoprisWest, Guilford, Wiley,
Brookes, Corwin Press
Webinar on math progress monitoring & decision-making:
• http://www.studentprogress.org/library/mathcbm_module/NCSPM%2
0Math%20Module%20final.htm
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Intervention Resources
Intervention resources:
• What Works Clearinghouse: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
• Best Evidence Encyclopedia: http://www.bestevidence.org/
• Books –
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Sites for watching demonstrations of interventions:
Youtube!! (channels to check out: EBINetwork, rdbchidsey, RTIActionNetwork)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svOHaCoDt90&feature=c4overview&list=UUPLMNI10nip96BfiWLEV_7Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71lSRupFjl4&list=UUPLMNI10nip96BfiWLEV_7Q
The Future of RTI – Transactional Model
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Doesn’t this sound good!
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKTG1vxKQuo&feature=c4overview&list=UUPVI9ap-_PaJf_6FZCfbuZA