Response to Intervention

Diana Doglio

Excellent RtI Informational Guide from IEA
Daryl Morrison, IEA Policy and Agency Relations Director will answer your questions concerning RtI through the e-mail feature located at the above link. While he can answer questions concerning the RtI initiative, be aware that he will not be able to tell you how we have implemented RtI at Pawnee School, or any other details specific to our plan of action. If your questions are not answered in the article below, you may wish to contact our elementary principal, Linda Cline, with your queries.

Pawnee CUSD #11 RtI Pamphlet
Mrs. Cline has put together an informational pamphlet for you to download and print. You can also obtain a copy by requesting one from your child's teacher or the grade school office at (217) 625-2231.

Overview of RtI Process from IEA
The overview at the above link includes an excellent conventional three tiered Response to Intervention model color diagram.
*Note that 80 to 90% of all students fall into the Tier I category that regular education serves efficiently and effectively. Typically 5 to 15% of all students require Tier 2 interventions, but with proper implementation a majority will make significant gains. Finally, 1 to 5% of the student population will need to continue to Tier 3, and possibly Special Education services. Learning disabilities, such as dyslexia may be a causal factor, though there are other considerations such as the child's age and maturity level, wherein retention may be a more viable option/solution. This should be discussed with your child's teacher and/or the principal.

*Keep in mind that Title I is not RtI or Special Education, and RtI is not Special Education. Title I at Pawnee serves anywhere from 25 to 40% of the total student population in Grades 1-3 and a lower percentage in Grades 4 to 6; from that subgroup, a much smaller percentage receives RtI. In other words, most Title I students respond well to the accommodation and do not need additional instruction at Tier 2 to succeed in Reading. However all RtI Tier 2 Reading students in Grades 1-6 are also Title I students. *While some districts receive federal funds for Title I Math, Title I Reading is the only area funded at PGS.

Response to Intervention, or RtI as it is most commonly referred to, is a mandatory component of schools across America for students in grades Kindergarten through Twelve. Federal laws have directed schools to focus more on helping all children learn by addressing problems earlier, before the child is so far behind that a referral to special education services is warranted. These laws include the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. Both laws underscore the importance of providing high quality, scientifically-based instruction and interventions, and hold schools accountable for the progress of all students in terms of meeting grade level standards.The manner in which states and districts implement RtI varies.

How is RtI defined?
Response to Intervention is defined as the change in behavior or academic performance as a function of an intervention (Gresham, 1991). The Response to Intervention model is generally, but not always outlined as a three tiered model designed to provide educators with a structure with which to classify students. Every student is leveled at a tier based on assessment data and classroom performance. Tiers specify which research based interventions should be used if any, and delineate the amount of time required in order to help learners reach their full potential. Once instructional interventions have been implemented at Tiers 2 and 3, progress monitoring is used to ascertain whether or not the interventions are helping the child achieve proficiency. At Pawnee, a team made up of the principal and a rotating group of three to four teachers meet regularly to review all assessment data, teacher input, and to fine tune the program in order to maximize effectiveness.

What are the benefits of RtI?
Perhaps the most commonly cited benefit of an RtI approach is that it eliminates a “wait to fail” situation because students get help promptly within the general education setting. Secondly, an RtI approach has the potential to reduce the number of students referred for special education services. Since RtI helps distinguish between those students whose achievement problems are due to a learning disability versus those students whose achievement problems are due to other issues such as lack of prior instruction, referrals for special education evaluations are often reduced. Finally, parents and school teams alike find that the student progress monitoring techniques utilized in RtI provide more instructionally relevant information than traditional assessments.

Does my child need the extra one on one or small group work offered through RtI at Pawnee School?
If your child's teacher has recommended him/her for Title I services, you are already aware that s/he is needing a boost in the area of Reading. Often, this accommodation along with your help at home is enough to aid in steady academic growth and success, but if your child is at serious risk of failure and/or is experiencing a high level of frustration, additional intensive instruction is warranted. Currently, we are focusing primarily on Reading and Behavior Modification, but Math and other core subjects are also included in the Response to Intervention initiative and these areas are being addressed at Pawnee School as well.

If your child has been selected to participate in RtI, you will be notified, but parental permission is not required. Students will not be pulled out of core subjects such as Math and Reading for obvious reasons. We may need to work with students when the rest of the class is at a special class such as Library, Music, or Art. Each child's particular interests will be considered in this decision and we welcome your input. If your child is gifted in and loves art, we would attempt to choose another class to pull him/her from. Another approach we have implemented allows the classroom teacher to work with the Response to Intervention group from her own class, while a different, qualified teacher shares learning activities with the rest of the students. Special Education teachers can and do work with RtI students as well, but keep in mind, RtI is not a part of the Special Education program, but rather is a component of the regular education program, much like Title I.

This is our first year to implement RtI at Pawnee CUSD #11. There are a variety of challenges to overcome as we strive to discover the most effective, yet affordable research based interventions/processes, while at the same time look for practical ways to fit it all into an already full school day. Funding for supplemental, research based materials is another serious consideration, as well as the cost of training and finding available qualified staff to implement these programs.

We are very excited and pleased to have employed Catie Boston as an RtI Coach at Pawnee School. She began in January 2009 and has done an exemplary job working with students and teachers. Catie has a full schedule, but welcomes the challenge and would be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have regarding your RtI child, or her program at Pawnee School. She can be contacted through e-mail at cboston@pawneeschools.org or you can leave a message for her at the grade school office (217) 625-2231, and she will return your call in a timely manner. Keep in mind though, Catie does not work with all PGS Response to Intervention groups, some are receiving instruction from their classroom or another qualified teacher in the district.

While we have been successful at utilizing all available formal test data from ISAT, DIBELS, IOWA, DRA, etc., including classroom curriculum based assessments and teacher input to identify those in need of RtI, we have not yet formulated a document outlining specific guidelines for inclusion and placement on tiers. The link below will direct you to grade level RtI Expectations outlined by renowned reading experts Fountas & Pinnell. Pay close attention to Oral Reading Rates listed on each sheet; they are the main indicator of who needs remediation. PGS currently uses one minute DIBELS probes to determine a student's reading rate. Please visit the Fluency page for more information. *Remember, the documents below are brought to us by Fountas and Pinnell; they are aligned to their new Leveled Literacy Intervention Program and are not specific to PGS at this time. However, they will give you a base to compare your child's progress with grade level expectations that run similar across all states since the inception of NCLB. The reading levels you will see on the Fountas/Pinnell documents below are comparable across the various systems we use in schools to level books; see comparison chart.

Grade 1 Expectations
Grade 2 Expectations
Grade 3 Expectations
Grade 4 Expectations
Grade 5 Expectations
Grade 6 Expectations
Grades 7 & 8 Expectations

Reading Level Comparison Chart
Lexile Levels

How can a parent help?
There are many ways you can help. First and foremost show an interest in what your child is doing at school. Ask questions. Contact the teacher for ideas and/or materials to use in working with your child. Listen to him/her read on a daily basis. Read to or with your child as well; this is referred to as Shared Reading. Grades 4 and up fill in assignment books that can be checked daily. Help your child prepare and study for the weekly Spelling test and other exams.

There are many online practice sites for students needing skill reinforcement. There are also wonderful stories, songs, and poems to enjoy. Many of these sites can be accessed from Internet for Classrooms: Simply click your grade level and then choose the area you want to focus on. Reading Activities, from the Reading Teacher's pages on this site will lead you to a wide array of learning activities. Many are for primary students, but as you scroll down the page you'll discover many for older learners as well. Sight Words and the Living Library at MindUniversity are other areas to check out. Grades 3, 4, and 5 can use Study Island as a learning tool; parents are encouraged to help. Don't forget to check out the grade level Learning Tools at the Illinois Interactive Report Card site.

Components of an Effective Reading Program pdf
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension

If you want to purchase access to exemplary learning sites for a small fee check out the Parent's Page for ideas. The page is updated frequently.

Perhaps the best resource is the Pawnee Public Library. Get a card if you don't have one, and visit often with your child; computers are available for public use at the facility. Your child will be able to check out a book at his/her independent reading level, and through the Accelerated Reader program at PGS, s/he will be able to take a comprehension test on the book at school. To discover the reading level of a book and to determine whether or not it is an AR book, Click Here.

The Five Finger Rule is a simple method I would encourage you to use to discover whether or not a book is too difficult for your child.