RTI.... Let's see if we can turn these kids around! book summary

ideas - http://www.khanacademy.org/  for interventions if applicable

Chapters 1-3 reflection...

RTI is the organizing framework that schools will align their mission, vision, and values with school programming

RTI moves away from a "wait and fail" model and allows for proactive instruction, early intervention, and prevention

RTI framework is broken down into three tiers but is the key thus far is improving instruction so that 80% of the students receive effective instruction in the classroom. The intention is to meet the demands of graduation, make sure instruction and interventions is appropriate, and to have a system that will support school improvement to improve outcomes. Every page, every paragraph continues to illustrate the almighty importance of a strong general education program and using evidence based practices. How do we achieve this?! PD, PD, PD! Tier 2 intervention supports academic, behavior, and engagement skills; target skill instruction. Once these skills have been developed, it NEEDS to be connected to the general education population and scheduling has to be worked out. Think of RTI as a means to integrate the best from instruction, intervention, and assessment to better our students.

PLC-- need to have already in place: meeting times to collaborate and curriculum map, can be used for intervention, progress monitoring -- p 8 RTI and PLC in practice. One question with the chart -- are these truly PLCs.... professional learning communities? or are they groups to discuss interventions? PLC designed to work on students or on teachers or both?

Regarding PBIS - In order to effectively reach the students, you must also look at the behavior. ?Are the interventions that we are using - are they effective - do they change the behavior?? What are the precipitating factors leading to the misbehavior?? First, we must have clear and consistent expectations.
-p. 44: PBIS 7 main components: discipline, positive statement, expectations, teaching expectations, maintain outcomes, discourage rule violating behavior, monitor effectiveness

DBDM - data based decision making needs to have a school improvement team, hypothesis, gather data, evaluate and use it, develop data based action plan, monitor progress.

p. 11 chart

The IDEA is in place -- Where do we go now?!?

1. How do we define success?? -- Essential outcomes (p. 16) list
-improving teaching and learning; -revisit school's mission statement -- What is our school's goal? pay attention to the 4 attributes - p. 19

2. How can RTI meet these goals?
-need to integrate research based initiatives not only to screen and monitor progress, but to use DI and UD to support students

3. What has to happen if RTI will work?
-collect data from interviews, surveys, observations, focus groups, etc --
a. current state of instruction, performance, and learning
b. resources and programs already available
c. IDs gaps
d. results that can be sued to set priorities, planning and make decisions
e. gives the big pictures -

4. what data can be used to inform implementation efforts
-continuous improvement will be more challenging than 1st step
-2.1 sources of data to evaluate RTI process

5. create system of analyzing and evaluating data
-continuous improvement checklist - p. 25
-needs to have logistics worked out -- meeting times, access to data, efficient and reliable information, training, collaboration time

In order to have an effective RTI --
1 PD programs
2. admin
3. stay course
4. redefine roles/change school culture
5. time for staff

Too many kids on intervention (25% Fs) -- core program needs adjusting. Tier 2 is the most troublesome/hardest struggle; we need to focus on tier 1. Interesting aspect - Tier 2 and Tier 3 mentors. Teachers need PD, materials, infrastructure


Chapters 4-6


ch 4 UNIVERSAL SCREENING - identify those that need help and those that do not
3 categories: a. at risk for dropping out b. have learning needs c. at risk for not meeting performance benchmarks

-collecting data: enrollment information, transcript information, attendance information, behavior grades
-what do we want the data to tell us?
    -outcome? how poor performance defined? what tools/instruction will we use? what will happen after screening is done?

Leader -- 1, screening team 2. resources for them 3. begin with existing data, 4. time / resources for collection/review 5. staff trained 6. periodically review rules


ch 5 TIER 1 INSTRUCTION - 
instructional program in the gen ed classroom
1. preventive sciences - proactive approaches
2. focus on all students - most cost effective way to address all learners

need gen ed program that is effective instruction - how do we know it is in place?
-80-85% meet state/local benchmarks
-research based practices across content areas
-plus PBIS model in place

Secondary level tier 1
-focus shift on developing content and critical thinking skills
-business as usual approaches will not support 80-85% of students meeting

Big ideas
1. literacy development - reading/writing - supportive web of related learning/writing to learn
2. schoolwide PBS
3. model practices of effective middle and high schools
-strong leadership, collaborative culture of inquiry
-set goals
-PD focus on set goals
-teachers responsible for learning of all students
-active learning
-data used to make informed decisions

in order to implement
1. what are our greatest areas on instructional need across content based on data
2.  what evidence based instructional strategies are effective for these needs
3. how are teh instructional strategies identified in #2?
-research based strategies, DI, how to improve with strong collaboration (PLC) and PD
4. clearly set behavioral expectations schoolwide? protocol?

Once these addressed - develop set of small goals for improving instruction
-goals are collaborative// common commitment / align PD / gen ed program sets foundation for RTI process

Need to by leader:
1. PLCs
2. est schoolwide instructional goals
3. connect instructional goals with PD
4. encourage teachers to use new strategies
5. time for teachers to collaborate
6. monitor and eval

****What about the students that already know the material - what is their intervention?

ch 6 - tier 2 and 3 interventions
--what are our foundational skills needed
need - increase level of instruction /increase student motivation and engagement
-wait to fail DOESN'T WORK

1. what are our greatest areas of intervention need across the content areas and grade levels based on student data?
2. what evidence based interventions are effective for targeting student needs?
-problem solving approach
-standard protocol approach
-strategy instruction approach
3. to what extent are these instructional strategies in place?
***can we create a class period for ARI - academic recovery intervention
4. do we have clearly defined PBIS
-engagment and motivation

ch 7
progress monitoring
-routine assessment to see if student responding adequately to instructional program
-all tiers of instruction
-student/classroom/school level to determine efficacy
1. docuemtn of progress
2. better infromed instructional and intervention devices
3. higher expectations
4. improved outcomes

use: CBM, CBA

mastery measurement - type of assessment used by teachers - seris of short term instructional objectives
CBA - assessemnt  to see if instructional needs of students
CBM - set of procedures measuring student growth; long term goals (rding proficiency) - show growth over time

tier 1: allows teacher sto see whether all students are achieveing at expectd grade-level performance benchmarks
tier 2:  determine both short and long term outcomes of interventions primarlity thru CBM

Implementation
school wide progress-mointoring procedures
-need systematic assessemnt and progress monitoring at all tiers
p. 105 chart
common assessments at tier 1 -- not possible here


----
progress monitoring
? - student accountability - could they monitor their own progress?
I can statements - skills to achieve by end of the year
-need assessment to demo the

--
Tier 1 - tools for getting started
center for applied special technology p. 81
cast.org - graphic organizers/modify curriculum/communicate w parents --
center on instruction.org - resource/no tools

storing programs p. 61
ucla site - students in need of assistance/how do you know you have students going to higher learning?

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rti believes in addressing achievement gap; believes in instructional methods
-studnets can access themselves in a different way
challenges - HS
1. scheduling/credits - think flexibly
-move fluidly as needs dictate
-immediate changes
-respond to the data - here is a need; need to learn how to fix it
2. screen every child - need /placement/followup
-prevention - and use data to place
-rding intervention class becomes rding class - the same content
-doing more with core curriculum
-constantly scaffold
3. make it happen
-sharing data; look at students
-80% should be successful
2-small group - hear it another way
RTI
4. benefit - decide what is most importnat thing to do - teach kids to read at high level

??do we just focus on READING --??? was first against it