Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network
Angela Kirby-WehrDirector
PaTTAN-Harrisburg
RtII in Pennsylvania: What We’ve Learned!
PaTTAN’s Mission
The mission of the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance
Network (PaTTAN) is to support the efforts and initiatives of the
Bureau of Special Education, and to build the capacity of local
educational agencies to serve students who receive special
education services.
PDE’s Commitment to Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)
Recognizing that the placement decision is an Individualized
Education Program (IEP) team decision, our goal for each child
is to ensure IEP teams begin with the general education setting with the use of supplementary
aids and services before considering a more restrictive
environment.
Session Objectives
1. Explicitly define the connection between SAS and RtII.
– What we’ve learned!
2. Identify robust instructional strategies and interventions.
– What we’ve learned!
3. Apply characteristics of successful implementation in order to close the “what-how” gap.
Instruction
Use of Student Data
Continuous Staff Development
Leadership
Policy Support
Cross Role Learning
Time
Technical Assistance
Sustained Effort
Comprehensive School Reform Models…
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Objective #1:
Define the connection between SAS and RTII.
Essential Question #1:
How would you explain the SAS/RtII connection to a colleague?
Define the connection between SAS and RtII
Tier I of the RtII framework provides access to high quality standards based
curriculum and instruction for all students. RtII organizes assessment
practices and requires schools to use the four types of assessments to determine
the effectiveness of curriculum/intervention and
drive instructional adjustments. Examples,
Summative: PSSA, PVAASBenchmark: 4 Sight
Diagnostic: GRADE, GMADEFormative: Formal and
Informal (progress monitoring, ticket out the
door)RtII organizes curriculum and instruction to
ensure all students receive the standards
aligned core curriculum. ALL staff (Gen, Sp Ed,
Title, ESL) assume responsibility and an
active role in instruction in the core curriculumHigh quality instruction is at the heart of RtII.
The framework organizes instruction to ensure the use of high leverage, research-based
instructional practices at each Tier. Processes are in place to ensure instructional fidelity.
RtII requires the selection and use of materials and resources that align with
standards based curriculum and research based standard protocols to address
specific skill acquisition.
Research-validated interventions are implemented based on the type, level and
intensity of student need.
SAS and RtII: The Connection
The RtII Framework
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In PA, RtII has dual meaning
• A comprehensive standards-aligned school reform strategy that enables early identification and intervention for students needing additional opportunities to learn high level content -- while providing benchmark students the opportunity to enrich and “grow” their skills and talents
• An alternate to the aptitude-achievement discrepancy model for the identification of students with learning disabilities
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Tier 3: Supplemental Small
Group Instruction/Intervention Period for
a FEW Students (5-10%)
Daily for an extended period of time
Instructional Focus: Basic Skill Deficiencies
Tier 2:Supplemental Instruction/ Intervention Period for SOME Students (15-20%)3-5 times per week or cycleLower class sizeInstructional Focus: Extended core instruction in subject area content and/or targeted instruction/intervention
Tier I:High Quality Standards-Aligned Core Instruction for ALL students (100%)English and Math Courses aligned to PA/Common Core standards and KeystonesESL Core Instruction aligning ELP and Content Standards Content literacy focus within all courses & use of evidenced-based strategies
Instructional Focus: Subject Area Content (e.g., 9th grade Algebra I &9th grade English Composition)
Pennsylvania’s Secondary RtII Framework
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Examples of Relevant DataCurrent/Projected Academic Performance Data:*PVAAS Projections*Performance: PA Keystone exams*ACCESS for ELLs Data*Performance: Classroom Diagnostic Tools*4Sight*Common Summative Assessments*STAR*Formal instruments or informal observations used to inform instruction and enhance student learning outcomes. *Individually and/or group administered diagnostic measuresExisting Data (Use to establish career and college risk and readiness)*PSSA* End of Year (EOY) Failing Grades in core subjects as early as 4th grade*Failing Grades in beginning and end of 9th grade fall semester courses*Earning Fewer than 2 credits; lack of promotion to 10th grade* <70-80% Attendance (5 weeks or more of missed school)(>10 days in first month of 9th grade)*Mobility between 8th and 10th grade*Retention in elementary or middle grades*Intervention history*Poor final grades in behavior/disengagement*Abuse/neglectProgress-Monitoring Tools: Maze passages, written expression prompts, vocabulary matching, ORF, Test of Contextual Silent Word Reading Fluency (TOCSWRF); Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE); CORE Phonics Survey. CORE Phoneme Segmentation Test
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support Model
2010-2011 Work Scope
Where We’ve Been
• Elementary School• Middle School RtII
Learning Sites• ESL/ELL/RtII• SLD/RtII• Statewide Workgroup• Parent Engagement• Statewide Training• On-site Support• Colleges/Universities• Administrator Series
Present
• Algebra • English Composition• Elementary and
Secondary Data-Analysis & Instructional Matching
• Background Knowledge• Role & Function• Colleges and
Universities• ESL/ELL RtII • Middle School Learning
Sites• Partners & Research
Elementary Pilots
• Largest amount of movement occurs in the earliest grades
• Largest amount of movement occurs from the BOY to MOY.
• Reinforce the importance of early intervention and the need to attend to improving literacy skills at the youngest grades
• Still change possible at higher grades as well as from MOY to EOY, the stabilization of student performance over grades and time is the predominant finding from these data
Background: PA’s Secondary RtII Subgroup• Secondary Subgroup Membership
– Listed in the Framework document• Year I – 2007-08
– RtII Framework (Guidelines and Recommendations; Initial Training)
• Year II – 2008-09– Update/refine the Secondary RtII Framework– Development of Secondary RtII Toolkit
• Three sub-committees – Assessment– Interventions– Tier I: High Quality Core Instruction
• Year III – 2009-10– Six Learning Sites (middle school level)– Data based decision making, Infrastructure– Tier I (high leverage instructional strategies i.e. active
engagement)• Year IV – 2010-11
– Five Learning Sites (middle school level)– Training of Trainer of Secondary RtII Overview– Statewide Secondary Training Events
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Essential Question
Why do we need RTII at the secondary level?
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Pennsylvania Statistics
• About 22% of 9th graders in Pennsylvania fail to graduate from high school in 4 years
• Of these, many lack the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in post-secondary education and careers that pay family sustaining incomes (PDE Ensuring Success for All High School Graduates, 2007).
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The RtII Framework at Secondary
• The RtII framework allows schools to:– identify students at risk for poor
learning outcomes, – monitor student progress, – provide evidence-based
interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness (National Center on Response to Intervention, 2008).
1919
RtII Holds Promise…
…for middle and high schools by aligning curriculum, instruction and interventions, assessment, social/emotional and behavioral supports, and infrastructure to increase learning opportunities and improve achievement and
outcomes for secondary students.
2020
2010-11 Learning Sites
Five Middle School RtII Learning Sites:
1.Eastern Region– Drexel Hill Middle School – Upper Darby SD– Roosevelt Middle School – Bristol Township SD
2.Central Region– Swatara Middle School – Central Dauphin SD
3.Western Region– Chartiers Valley Middle School – Chartiers Valley
SD – Clairton Middle School – Clairton City SD
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Project Objective for MS Learning Sites
Pennsylvania will scale up RtII efforts to include five middle school learning sites. The purpose of the Learning Project is to study the implementation of the RtII Framework in middle schools and to disseminate findings from the learning sites across the state. Schools will customize the RtII Framework to design an assessment and instructional system to provide tiered intervention supports to middle school students prior to academic failure. Increased student achievement and improved student engagement in the learning process are the expected outcomes of this longitudinal project.
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Lessons Learned…
• Implementing the RTII Framework takes several years to implement. It’s not a “quick fix” or “magic bullet” but rather a process based on evidence-based research and practice.
• The infrastructure has to be in place in order for it to be successful (changing the schedule, flexible grouping, time for teachers to meet and collaborate, etc.).
• What are two or three things we can target or focus on that will really make an impact on increasing student achievement? This can be a very overwhelming process for all involved and it is easy to get off-track when everything becomes a priority or there isn’t any follow through with administrators.
• Focusing on Tier 1 core instruction in which all of the content area teachers consistently use and embed effective instructional practices.
• Professional development throughout the year needs to be consist with the priorities and areas of focus.
• As Don Deshler says, “Students should leave their Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention classes sweating.” It’s not slowing down but working to close the achievement gap.
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Lessons Learned…
• Schools have become proficient in having data team meetings, but what is happening in the classroom between data team meetings? Formative assessment and progress monitoring are critical on an ongoing basis.
• Leaders come in many forms from the superintendent, the principal, to team leaders of teachers.
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Fidelity of SAS and RTII: A Barometer for Inclusive Practices
What We’ve Learned? An “all-ed” Standards Aligned Service Delivery Framework
Objective #2:
Identify robust instructional strategies and interventions-
What We’ve Learned- INSTRUCTION MATTERS
MOST!!!!!
Data-Based Instruction and Intervention- Why?
Essential Question #2:What instructional strategies and
interventions do you currently have in place?
Critical Focus Area-Instruction: Identifying Robust Instructional
Strategies and Interventions
Successful teaching accounts for up to 45% of the variance in student achievement.
(Brophy, 1986; Hattie, 2003; Rowe, 2003)
Let’s TALK ABOUT A COMMON LANGUAGE FOR INSTRUCTION!!!!!
Effective Instruction and Learning Theory
• Instructional Design and Delivery- FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT …..– Impacting Theories
• Behavioral• Cognitive• Constructivist
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Instructional Design
• …The systematic development of instructional specifications using learning and instructional theory to ensure the quality of instruction. It is the entire process of analysis of learning needs and goals and the development of a delivery system to meet those needs. Includes:– development of instructional materials and
activities; and – tryout and evaluation of all instruction and learner
activities. www.umich.edu/~ed626/define.html
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Purposes of Instructional Design
• To identify the outcomes of the instruction
• To guide the developing the instructional content (scope and sequence)
• To establish how instructional effectiveness will be evaluated.
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Contextual Variables
• Behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism - what works where and how…we must allow circumstances surrounding the learning situation to help us decide which approach to learning is most appropriate.
• It is necessary to realize that some learning problems require highly prescriptive solutions, whereas others are more suited to learner control of the environment. (Schwier, 1995)
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• A behavioral approach can effectively facilitate mastery of the content of a profession (knowing what)
• Cognitive strategies are useful in teaching problem solving tactics where defined facts and rules are applied in unfamiliar situations(knowing how)
• Constructivist strategies are especially suited to dealing with ill-defined problems through reflection-in-action. (Ertmer P. & Newby, T., 1993)
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Behavioral
• Tasks requiring a low degree of processing (e.g., basic paired associations,discriminations, rote memorization) seem to be facilitated by strategies mostfrequently associated with a behavioral outlook (e.g., stimulus-response, contiguityof feedback/reinforcement). – For example: word reading skills, math
computation (basic and advanced), learning facts and terminology in the content areas, social skills, other?
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Cognitive
• Tasks requiring an increased level of processing (e.g., classifications, rule orprocedural executions) are primarily associated with strategieshaving a stronger cognitive emphasis (e.g., schematic organization, analogicalreasoning, algorithmic problem solving).– For example: identifying the main idea,
summarizing, problem solving, learning to write (e.g., paragraph writing strategy, writing persuasive text), other?
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Constructive
• Tasks demanding high levels of processing (e.g., heuristic problem solving,personal selection and monitoring of cognitive strategies) are frequently learned with strategies advanced by the constructivist perspective (e.g., situated learning, cognitive apprenticeships, social negotiation).– For example: comprehension monitoring,
Questioning the Author (Beck & McKeown, 2006), conducting a science experiment, “interviewing” a historic figure, other?
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Research-based Components of Effective Teaching
• Teach essential skills and strategies.• Provide differentiated instruction based on assessment
results• Provide explicit and systematic instruction with lots of
practice—with and without teacher support and feedback including cumulative practice
• Provide opportunities to apply skills and strategies in reading and writing meaningful text with teacher support.
• Don't just "cover" critical content; be sure students learn it—monitor student progress regularly and re-teach as necessary.
(Denton, Fletcher, Simos, Papanicolaou, & Anthony, 2007; Simos et al., 2002) 37
High Yield Instructional Strategies
CategoryCategory AverageAverage
ESESPercentile Percentile
GainGainIdentifying similarities and Identifying similarities and differencesdifferences
.52.52 2020
Summarizing Summarizing .49.49 1919
Tracking student progress and Tracking student progress and scoring scalesscoring scales
1.001.00 3434
Building vocabularyBuilding vocabulary .51.51 2020
Haystead, M.W. &Marzano, R,. J. (2009). Meta-analytic synthesis of studies conducted at Marzano Research Laboratory on instructional strategies. Marzano Research Laboratory. Engelwood, CO.
38
High Yield Instructional Strategies
CategoryCategory AverageAverage
ESESPercentile Percentile
GainGainInteractive gamesInteractive games .53.53 2020
Setting goals/objectivesSetting goals/objectives .66.66 2525
Note-takingNote-taking .44.44 1717
Nonlinguistic Nonlinguistic representationsrepresentations
.44.44 1717
Student Student discussion/chunkingdiscussion/chunking
.43.43 171739
Where are We Now?
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Where are We Now?
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Shawn:
“I used to do a lot of explaining, but now I do a lot of questioning. I used to do a lot of talking, but now I do a lot of listening. I use to think about teaching the curriculum, but now I think about teaching the student.”
(Heritage, 2010, p. 4).
A Focus on Instruction
• Are the curriculum and supports all focused on the same mission and outcome?
• Are all services to students based upon performance data?
• Can a parent take a student any building in the district and realistically expect the same positive outcome for their child?
• Is the curriculum integrated across the tiers?
• Are students engaged?
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Clarify Theory-based Instructional Practices/Strategies – What
We’ve Learned!
• Common Language– General Education, Special Education, Title
I, ESL, Reading Coaches, Leadership exc..
• FOCUS ON CORE INSTRUCTION FIRST!• Application and Discussion Activity
– Tools for Secondary Response to Instruction and Intervention- Tier 1 Core Instruction
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Objective #3:
Apply characteristics of successful implementation in order to close the “what-how” gap.
Source:
Essential Question #3: Do you think that these are common
practices?
1. Think deeply about the standards students need to meet and what content they need to learn.
2. Collaborate about how to teach those standards .3. Create/use formative assessments to tell whether
students have learned the material. 4. Look at the data to see who didn’t learn.5. Collaborate about what they need to do differently
in order to intervene with students who didn’t learn.
Please talk with a partner. Agree on those activities that are usually accomplished when teachers get
together.
Critical Focus Areas for Improvement: Continuous Professional Development
1.A Focus on Instruction2.Continuous Professional Development
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Professional Development
Training Steps
Knowledge Acquisition
Skill Acquisition
Classroom Application
Theory Medium
50%
Very Low
5%
Very Low
0%
Theory & Demonstration
High
85%
Low
15%
Very Low
0%
Theory, Demonstration & Practice
High
85%
High
80%
Very Low
5%
Theory, Demonstration, Practice & Coaching
High
90%
High
90%
High
95%
Joyce, B. & Showers, B. 2002 48
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Reflection
Evaluate your school’s current professional development model.
Are there any action steps you could take to continue to enhance and
positively influence future PD opportunities?
Closing the Science to Practice Gap
Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blase, K. A., Friedman, R. M. & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation Research: A Synthesis of the Literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, The National Implementation Research Network (FMHI Publication #231).
Rethinking the Implementation Challenge
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How do we build organizational and relational
trust?
Trust and Organizational Values
Strongest Level Of Trust: • 1 in 2 chances of making significant improvements in student
learning
Weakest Level of Trust: • 1 in 7 chances of making significant improvements in student
learning
- Bryk and SchneiderTrust in Schools: A Core Resource for
Improvement
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Science to Service
Closing the What-How Gap:What Doesn’t Work
1. Information dissemination alone (researchliterature, mailings, promulgation of practiceguidelines) is an ineffective implementationMethod
2. Training (no matter how well done) by itself is an ineffective implementation method.
What Doesn’t Work
3. Implementation by edict does not work4. Implementation by “following the
money” does not work5. Implementation without changing
supporting roles and functions does not work
(Paul Nutt, 2002)
Core Components of Evidenced Based Practices
1.Clearly described (who/what)2.Practical measure of fidelity3.Fully operationalized (do/say)4.Field tested (recursive revision)5.Contextualized (org./systems fit)6.Effective (worth the effort)
Critical Focus Areas: Cross Role Learning
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The Power of PLC’s
Professional Learning Communities
The most promising strategy for sustained and substantive school improvement is building capacity of school personnel to function as a professional learning community. The path to change in classrooms lies within and through professional learning communities.
Dufour & Eaker
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A Learning Community is Characterized by
1. Shared Mission, Vision, and Values2. Collaborative Teams 3. Collective Inquiry4. Action Orientation/experimentation5. Commitment to Continuous school
improvement6. Results Oriented7.SMART goals
Dufour, Dufour & Eaker
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Collaboration
“Even the best professionaldevelopment may fail to create
meaningful and lasting changes inteaching and learning – unless
teachers engage in ongoingprofessional dialogue to developa reflective school community.”
Regie Routman, 2002
Spoof on Collaborative-Planning
DuFour - PLCs 59
Stages of Implementation
• Exploration• Installation• Initial Implementation (2-4
Years)• Full Implementation
• Innovation• Sustainability
(Fixsen, Naoom, Blase, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005)
Implementation
What do we need to know about successful
Implementation methods?
Implementation is not an event.
Source:
“I knew achievement wouldn’t be a problem once we got the structures in place.”
Terri Tomlinson, principal,
George Hall Elementary School,
2004
What We’ve Learned….
• Alignment, Implementation Capacity and Leadership MATTER (Fixen, 2005)– practitioners are the intervention, new
notions of distributed leadership that are challenging historic bureaucratic conceptions of schools
– Skills, collaboration, coordination and stamina
“ Some of our children live in pretty dire circumstances. But we can’t dwell on that, because we can’t change it. So when we come here, we have to dwell on that which is going to move our kids.”
• --Barbara Adderley, former principal,M. Hall Stanton Elementary, Philadelphia
Professional Development
Training Steps
Knowledge Acquisition
Skill Acquisition
Classroom Application
Theory Medium
50%
Very Low
5%
Very Low
0%
Theory & Demonstration
High
85%
Low
15%
Very Low
0%
Theory, Demonstration & Practice
High
85%
High
80%
Very Low
5%
Theory, Demonstration, Practice & Coaching
High
90%
High
90%
High
95%
Final Essential Question: What resources are available on the Standards Aligned System to close the “what-how” gap?
Web Sites – Framework References
21st Century Skills• http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/Gates Foundation• http://www.gatesfoundation.org/topics/Pages/high-
schools.aspxCenter on Instruction• http://www.centeroninstruction.org/International Reading Association-Response to Intervention• http://www.reading.org/Libraries/Resources/
RTI_brochure_web.sflb.ashxNational Center on Response to Intervention• http://www.rti4success.org/index.php?
option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=8&Itemid=110PA Standards Aligned System Portal• http://www.pdesas.org/RtI Action Network• http://www.rtinetwork.org/Learn/Why/ar/RadarScreen
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Web Sites – Framework References
World-Class Instructional Design and Assessmenthttp://www.wida.us/The IRIS Centerhttp://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/Institute of Educational Scienceshttp://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ies/index.htmlFlorida Center for Reading Researchhttp://www.fcrr.org/National High School Centerhttp://www.betterhighschools.org/topics/
dropoutprevention.aspAchievehttp://www.achieve.org/
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References
Contact Information www.pattan.net
Angela Kirby-WehrDirector-PaTTAN-Harrisburg
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Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaTom Corbett, Governor
Pennsylvania Department of EducationRonald J. Tomalis, Secretary
Carolyn C. Dumaresq, Ed. D., Deputy Secretary
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
John J. Tommasini, DirectorBureau of Special Education
Patricia Hozella, Assistant DirectorBureau of Special Education