RTI ,Eligibility, Services and Progress Monitoring under IDEA

International Dyslexia AssociationGeorgia Branch Conference 2014

Allison Vrolijk, Esq.Sandra Riggs, B.S., Educ.

AdvocatePam Ballato, Ed.D, SLP-CCC

Specific learning disability is defined as a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations.

Deficits in basic psychological processes typically include problems in attending, discrimination/ perception, organization, short-term memory, long-term memory, conceptualization/reasoning, executive functioning, processing speed, and phonological deficits.

Specific Learning Disability

(a) Oral expression (b) Listening (c) Written   (d) Basic reading (e) Reading (f) Reading Fluency Skills (g) Mathematics (h) Mathematical problem solving

AREAS of SLD

Dyslexia is a medical term. It is diagnosed by a medical doctor.

A medical diagnosis does not automatically qualify a child for an eligibility classification in the school environment.

School teams determine educational eligibility based on set criteria.

Dyslexia vs SLD

Deficit in basic psychological processing that is related to academic underachievement

Failure to master academics in regular grade level curriculum – to the level expected for grade level (not child’s ability level)

Determined by appropriate assessments Progress monitoring must indicate that the

child is not making the expected progress toward grade level standards.

Eligibility for SLD

Required to have at least 12 weeks of progress monitoring

Can be done at the same time as the evaluation is in progress

Some children will make significant gains when provided with effective instruction.

Some will continue to struggle even after receiving instruction in a core reading program and Tier 2 & 3 interventions.

Progress Monitoring for SLD Eligibility

Response to Intervention

Intention was to provide early intervention for struggling students instead of a “wait til you fail” model

NCLB requires high quality, research based instruction, universal screening, progress monitoring, early intervention

IDEA 2004 reauthorization permits use of “alternative research-based measures for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability.”

RTI Basics, cont. IDEA: Team must consider following to

make sure inappropriate instruction is not cause of underachievement in child suspected of “having a specific learning disability:”› Evidence of appropriate prior instruction› Data from repeated assessments “at

reasonable intervals” of student progress “which was provided to parents”

Does RTI Work?

Research so far has focused on above components, not process as a whole.

Evidence “is emerging” that RTI improves reading achievement

Much depends on age of child, fidelity to interventions

Promising practices

RTI Process Can’t Be Used to Delay-Deny Evaluation for Eligibility

Memo from OSEP to State Directors of Special Education

Even though student is receiving successful interventions through RTI, student may still be evaluated for special education

Parents can make direct request for evaluation

Comprehensive Evaluation of Reading

Phonological Awareness Rapid Naming Word Recognition Nonsense Words Fluency Reading Comprehension

Specialized Instruction

Systematic and explicit Designated reading block Extended duration Small group Clearly defined sequence

Research Based Instruction

WHO (the student)

DOES WHAT -- state an *observable behavior* describing what the student will do to complete the goal.

WHEN - relating to  a specific point in time when something will have been learned or completed

GIVEN WHAT -- state the "conditions" that describe the  "givens" that will need to be in place for the goal to be completed

HOW MUCH - describes the performance accuracy of the behavior needed for the goal to be considered mastered

CRITERIA - describes how many times the behavior must be observed for the goal to be considered completed

HOW WILL IT BE MEASURED - performance data

IEP Goals and Objectives

Assessments Screening for readiness Screening for student interest Screening for student learning style Diagnostic assessments Progress monitoring Outcomes

Assessment

Different districts have different reading programs available. Staff members at an individual school are not always aware of programs available.

If a child requires a particular type of program in order to make meaningful gains, it should be discussed and written into the IEP.

Programs Used In School

Resources and References USED, Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services (OSEP 11-07), Memo to State Directors: A response to intervention (RTI) process cannot be used to delay-deny an evaluation for eligibility under the IDEA.

ww2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/memosdcltrs/osep11-07

Questions and Comments

Summary from moderator and panel

Questions from participants

References, continued Shaywitz, S. (2003). Overcoming

dyslexia: a new and complete science-based program for reading problems at any level. New York: Knopf Publishing.

Vellutino, F., Scanlon, D.,Sipay, E., Small, S., Chen, R., Pratt, A., & Denckla, M. (1996) Cognitive profiles of difficult-to-remediate and readily remediated poor readers, J. Ed. Psychology, 88, 601-638.

References, continued Vellutino, F., Fletcher, J., Snowling, M.,

and Scanlon, D. Specific reading disability (dyslexia): what we have learned in the past four decades. J. Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45 (1) 2-40.

Wright, J. RTI toolkit: A practical guide for schools. Port Chester, New York: Dude Publishing, 2007.

References, continued www.interventioncentral.org www.gadoe.org National Center for Learning

Disabilities www.LD.org Wright, J. (2007). RTI toolkit: a practical

guide for schools. Port Chester, N.Y.: Dude Publishing.

References A Parent’s Guide to RTI. National

Center for Learning Disabilities. www.RTInetwork.org

Interventions for Struggling Readers- Florida Center for Reading Research www.fcrr.org

A Child Becomes a Reader: Birth through Preschool. Second Edition. Proven Ideas from Research for Parents  http://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED481898 A Child Becomes a Reader: Kindergarten through Grade 3 https://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pages/pubs_details.aspx?pubs_id=5698 Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read (Teacher’s Guide), Kindergarten through Grade 3  http://nationalreadingpanel.org/Publications/researchread.htm