The RtI Never Ending Journey:

A Road Map

Hudson Middle School Presenters: Chuck DiLauro (Principal); Kim Cockley (Assistant Principal);

Julie Dittman (ELA Teacher); Amanda Mooney (School Psychologist)

Copyright © DiLauro, Cockley, Dittman & Mooney

An RtI Road Map

The RtI Journey

“Our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” ~Don Williams, Jr.

An RtI Road Map

RtI is a Journey – Begin with a Smile

“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.”  ~Dave Barry

“The shortest distance between two points is under construction.”~Noelie Altito

“The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop in it.”  ~Dudley Moore

“If all the cars in the United States were placed end to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.”  ~Doug Larson

Let’s all move forward with the confidence that we are above average drivers and that we can conquer this

journey that is RtI!

An RtI Road Map

Hudson Middle School Profile

Located in northeastern Ohio between Cleveland and Akron ~1200 students grades 6-8 ~75 teachers Excellent with Distinction past 4 years 4th highest ranked middle school in the state (based on 2011 Ohio

performance index) 2012 Recipient of Ohio Middle Level Association Best Middle

Level Practice

16% of our students receive special education services in our district.

17% of our students receive special education services in our building.

An RtI Road Map

History of RtI at HMS

Year One:– No systematic RtI – teachers tried it during study halls– Grant – Amanda Mooney and Susan Penrod– Pilot AIMSweb in a 6th and 7th grade classroom– No specific interventions– Focus on Reading

Year Two:– Whole School benchmarking– More formal RtI groups – still not reaching all students– Focus on Reading – pilot Math– Specific Interventions– Problem Solving Team (PST)

Year Three:– Reading and Math– Whole school available for RtI during FOCUS period

An RtI Road Map

4 Steps of RtI

1. Benchmark2. Identify students who

need interventions (Team Meeting)

3. Begin Interventions4. Review progress data and

determine next steps (PST)

The next several slides illustrate how these 4 key steps fit within our 8 non-negotiable tenets of a successful RtI program.

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development2. Universal screening3. Multiple tiers of intervention4. Scientific research-based interventions5. Progress monitoring6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment

system8. Fidelity

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #1: Professional Development Year One

Mark Forget – MAX-Teaching

Margaret Searle -Raising the Bar For All Learners

Pat Quinn – videos during staff meetings

Ross May – RtI Specialist for Summit County – Professional Development for Language Arts and Math teachers

Visit to North Royalton Middle School

OSPA – Spring Conference – RtI team

Summit County SERRC – Academic/RtI series

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #1: Professional Development Year Two & Three

Year Two - – Pat Quinn - “RtI Guy”– Dr. McCook– Ohio Middle School Conference (RtI break out session)– Model Schools Conference (RtI break out session)

Year Three – – Pat Quinn – “RtI Guy”– Dr. Daggett - Model Schools Conference – Webinars in math/reading interventions – Discussions in monthly staff meetings

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development 2. Universal screening3. Multiple tiers of intervention4. Scientific research-based interventions5. Progress monitoring6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment

system8. Fidelity

& Step 1 of RtI Process

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #2: Universal Screening

AIMSweb R-CBM - fluency

Three 1-minute reading prompts (online on AIMSweb) MAZE – comprehension

One 3-minute assessment (score by hand; input into AIMSweb) Math – computation

One 8-minute assessment (score by hand; input into AIMSweb) Math – application

One 8-10-minute assessment (score by hand; input into AIMSweb)

** Benchmark 3 times per Year

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #2 & Step 1 of RtI Process: Logistics

Step 1: Benchmark

Logistics:

Reading Comprehension and Fluency Benchmark 75-minute period; Adjusted schedule school-wide In homeroom whole-group Maze Assessment Individual fluency assessment: team teacher and a helper (computer

scoring) Other students should SSR while fluency assessment is occurring Grade maze and input into AIMSweb

Math Computation and Application Benchmark Math teachers administer in math class Team teachers all assist with scoring and entering into AIMSweb

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #2 & Step 1 of RtI Process: Problems/Suggestions

Step 1: Benchmark

Problems/Suggestions:

School-wide reading benchmarking in AM: difficult to get started first thing in the morning; difficult to train substitute teachers before homeroom began.– Suggestion: Move benchmarking period to the end of the

day.

Password problems – teachers did not remember and password had to be changed often.– Suggestion: Have 2 to 3 “trouble shooters” available.

School-wide math benchmarking was not necessary, given that the tests are given as a group.– Suggestion: Math teachers administer math benchmarks

during a portion of each math period.

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development 2. Universal screening 3. Multiple tiers of intervention4. Scientific research-based interventions5. Progress monitoring6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment

system8. Fidelity

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #3: Multiple Tiers of Intervention

Tier One In our general education classrooms (key)

Tier Two Year 1: During planning/study hall (Reading)

Negatives: could not see all students – time issues

Year 2: LA teachers had one less class – used additional period for RtI

Negatives: could not see all students – no common planning

Year 3: FOCUS periods – all students are scheduled for intervention or enrichment period

Tier Three Increase frequency – decrease students

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development 2. Universal screening 3. Multiple tiers of intervention 4. Scientific research-based interventions5. Progress monitoring6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment

system8. Fidelity

& Steps 2-3 of RtI Process

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #4: Scientific Research-Based Interventions

Change curriculum

Add intensive one-on-one or small group instruction

Change scope and sequence of tasks

Increase guided and independent practice

Change types and method of corrective feedback

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #4 & Step 2 of RtI Process

Step 2: Identify students who need interventions (Team Meeting)– Decide which students would benefit from Tier 2

InterventionCriteria to decide intervention:

AIMSweb score OAA scores Classroom progress Classroom assessment Classroom Behavior At-risk students list

An RtI Road Map

Tier 2 Interventions: Reading

RAZ-Kids (K-6) Comprehension Fluency (recording capabilities)

Study Island Also good for short-cycle assessments

My Skills Tutor Comprehension

Read Naturally Fluency

Reading Detective Comprehension

Readers Theater/Poetry with Audacity

An RtI Road Map

Tier 2 Interventions: Math

Catch-up Math Computation Application

ALEKS Comprehension Application

Study Island Standards-based Also good for short-cycle

assessments Moby Math

Special education Diagnostic Lower grade levels Progress monitoring

An RtI Road Map

Tier 2 Interventions: Organization & Behavior

Executive Function Organization Study skills

Impulse Control Behavioral RtI

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #4 & Step 3 of RtI Process

Step 3: Begin Intervention Meet 5 days with student for intervention per week

Choose 1-2 interventions to focus on for the duration of the intervention period

Write goal on AIMSweb

Progress monitor weekly

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development 2. Universal screening 3. Multiple tiers of intervention 4. Scientific research-based interventions 5. Progress monitoring6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment

system8. Fidelity

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #5: Progress Monitoring

The purpose of progress monitoring is to take frequent measures, usually weekly, of a student’s performance to determine whether s/he is making progress in response to the intervention.

Most models that have been researched have used CBM for weekly progress monitoring.

***Hudson Middle School uses AIMSweb: CBM(Fluency), MAZE, MCAP, & MCOMP

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development 2. Universal screening 3. Multiple tiers of intervention 4. Scientific research-based interventions 5. Progress monitoring 6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment

system8. Fidelity

& Step 4 of RtI Process

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #6: Intervention/Data Teams

Belief systems Team roles Purpose Leadership issues

***Hudson Middle School: changed from IAT (Intervention Assistance Team) to PST (Problem Solving Team)***PST Folder on Server

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #6 & Step 4 of RtI Process

Step 4: PST - Review Progress Data and Determine Next Steps

Review RtI data information with the team: At least 6 AIMSweb data points Grades OAA scores

After discussion, 3 possible choices: Exit Intervention (meet with Problem Solving Team & present data): If

exited, file paperwork in guidance & student returns to study hall or team support.

Continue Tier 2 Intervention: Set new deadline, increase frequency, change intervention.

Recommend Tier 3 Intervention: Guidance maintains paperwork

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development 2. Universal screening 3. Multiple tiers of intervention 4. Scientific research-based interventions 5. Progress monitoring 6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment

system8. Fidelity

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #7: Integrated Data Collection/Assessment System

Integrated data assessment/analysis Team level for targeted students to alter instruction

based on response to the intervention School level use of data District level use of data

*** Hudson Middle School teachers meet weekly in grade level teams to discuss students’ data by team & Language Arts /Math teachers discuss reading/math data specifically at weekly PLC meetings.

***Final data discussed at Problem Solving Team Meeting

An RtI Road Map

Decision Point for Tier 2

An RtI Road Map

Decision Point for Tier 2

An RtI Road Map

Decision Point for Tier 3

An RtI Road Map

Decision Point for Tier 3

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan

1. Professional Development 2. Universal screening 3. Multiple tiers of intervention 4. Scientific research-based interventions 5. Progress monitoring 6. Intervention/data teams 7. Integrated data collection/assessment system

8. Fidelity

An RtI Road Map

Non-Negotiable #8: Fidelity (2-Step Process)

1. Typical step: How long do we do the intervention (number of sessions or time)?

2. Most overlooked step: Are we doing the intervention in the manner it was designed? 6- to 12-minute walk-throughs

***Hudson Middle School has chosen programs that can be implemented in our RtI timeframe/schedule. They are consistent from day to day.

An RtI Road Map

Hudson Middle School Schedule

FOCUS• FOCUS period at end of day (30

minutes)• RtI for students who need

interventions (Language Arts, Math, Special Education teachers)

• Enrichment for students who do not (Social Stud, Science, Unified Arts, Encore teachers)– Year 3: FOCUS Units were 3-weeks

long, developed by FOCUS teachers, as extensions of their curriculum

– Year 4: Literature Challenge in 9-week units, modeled after The Book Whisperer

Hybrid Block Schedule• 3 days/week of regular 9

period day (including lunch and FOCUS)– 50 minute core classes– 40 minute encore classes– 30 minute lunch– 30 minute FOCUS

• 2 days/week of block periods for core classes– 100 minute block core classes– 40 minute encore classes– 30 minute lunch– 30 minute FOCUS

An RtI Road Map

811

7

221

1

1

5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09

DNQ

IEP

The Impact of RtI at HMS:Initial ETR History

An RtI Road Map

The Impact of RtI at HMS:Special Education Evaluations

STUDENTS INITIALLY EVALUATED, BUT NOT ELIGIBLE AS OF 02/08/2012

SY DNQ EHPS EV EH2 MD EW HMS HHS

06 07 27 3 2 4 2 13 3 0

07 08 31 8 4 0 4 11 4 0

08 09 33 12 6 2 1 6 5 1

09 10 10 1 0 0 1 5 1 2

10 11 11 2 0 0 2 3 1 3

11 12 4 0 0 0 1 3 0 0

6 YEAR TOTAL 116 26 12 6 11 41 14 6Students may have been determined ineligible at initial testing,

OR may have exited special services since initial identification.

An RtI Road Map

OAA Data from 09-10 to 10-11 (with only Reading RtI at HMS):

– 6th Grade: 90% of students in RtI improved their Reading OAA score

– 7th Grade: 30% of students in RtI improved their Reading OAA score

– 8th Grade: 72% of students in RtI improved their Reading OAA score

The Impact of RtI at HMS:Student OAA Progress

An RtI Road Map

Years 1-3 Problems/Obstacles:What We’ve Learned

Too much paperwork! – AIMSweb allowed us to create a goal,

store progress monitoring data on the program, and have a central place to access data during PST meetings.

– We eliminated all paperwork.

Benchmarking school-wide has evolved into our current model due to obstacles discussed in Step 1.

Gradual implementation with teacher ownership is critical.

An RtI Road Map

Years 1-3 Problems/Obstacles:Our Continued Journey

• How many data points are needed before the students can be brought to the PST for exiting student from interventions or to move to tier 3?

• What does tier 3 look like? • Where will tier 3 take place? • Who will provide tier 3 services?• How do you establish progress?• Educating teachers to think differently

(IAT/PST)• What interventions to use? When to

change interventions?

An RtI Road Map

Two Purposes of RtI (Pat Quinn, The RtI Guy)

The first purpose of RtI is to help students get the help that they need.  RtI is great at doing this because it is constantly asking the question, "Is what we are doing now actually working?"  Progress monitoring helps you check this and if the current intervention is not working you should try something else.

The second purpose of RtI (and it is important to keep the two purposes separate) is to identify students as eligible for Special Education Services.  Your state has adopted rules to show you how RtI can be used to identify a specific learning disability.

An RtI Road Map

Staff Testimonial

Just a quick note to say how valuable I think our math RtI has been. This is making a tremendous impact on many of the students I see on a daily basis.  The extra time, attention and effort they are putting forth is allowing them to make progress they otherwise would never have made.  Without RtI, they would have dug themselves into a much deeper hole this year.   I know you already know all this, but the results that I am seeing are simply amazing.  Kudos to you and everyone who made this opportunity possible for the students that need it the most!   Courtney (8th grade Math Teacher)

An RtI Road Map

Student Testimonials

“I liked coming to FOCUS. It was fun and I learned a lot.”

“I did not want other kids to know, but then I started to like coming!”

“It was valuable because it taught me everything I had trouble with.”

“I enjoyed learning more and it brought my grade up.”

“I was not happy at first, but happy in the end, because it made me better because I wasn’t doing so good.”

“I do think my skills improved. I could read and infer better.”

“I got smarter.”

An RtI Road Map

RtI is a Journey

We wish you well on your journey and hope that you’ve learned from our journey.Thank you!Chuck, Kim, Julie, and AmandaHudson Middle School

An RtI Road Map

The RTI Never Ending Journey: A Road Map