Responsiveness to Instruction(RtI)
Defining A Continuum of Supports
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction2012
Objectives
•Understand the importance of defining a continuum of supports, beginning with the Foundational Core
•Begin discussions about developing systems to ensure materials and practices are evidence-based, aligned with behavioral & academic standards, and utilized/implemented with fidelity
Defining A Continuum of Supports: Foundational Core
Foundational Core
Standards
Strategies
Materials
MappingAssessment
Define Foundational Core• Identify gaps
• Grapple with common components of core philosophy in classes
• Focus on problem solving based on factors within school/LEA control
• Ensure equal exposure to effective curricular materials, instructional practices and standards
Define Foundational CoreFacilitate an open discussion
•Skill level with the standards
•Instructional strategies for teaching
•Staff ideas for subject areas
•Materials for teaching
•Assessments
Team Time
1. Select a grade span (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
1. Select a content area
1. For content area in that grade span, discuss:– What are the standards?– What curricular materials are used?– What instructional strategies are used?– Is curriculum mapping a part of the culture?– What assessments are used?
• What were some of the difficulties/barriers in the discussion?
Standards (Academic)
• Knowledge and skills students should possess at critical points in their educational career
• Goals for schooling
• Provide focus for schooling
• Provides a means for alignment of resources
Wonderland County Schools All Elementary Schools July 15, XXXX
x
English Language Arts
Common Core Standards - English Language Arts
Monthly August – June XX-XX school year
All k-2 teachers3-5 ELA teachersElementary PrincipalsInstructional Coaches
August 17, XXXX
All k-2 teachers3-5 ELA teachersElementary Principals/APInstructional Coaches
New hires and permanent substitutues
August 16, XXXX
Weekly walk-throughs during ELA Instructional block
District-created checklist
Instructional Coaches
1. ICs will provide training on 8/16 & 8/172. ICs will use feedback from training and Principal observations/walk-throughs to determine coaching needs for the XX-XX school year.
District Literacy Team
Team Time
• Using the same grade span and content area selected earlier, begin completing the blank Academic Standards form.
• What are your team’s next steps with academic standards?
Standards (Behavior)
• Skills students should demonstrate in certain environments
• Clearly and positively stated
• Provide focus/goals for learning
Wonderland County Schools Utopia Elementary June 13, XXXX
x
Behavior
Behavior Matrices•Hallways•Cafeteria•Restrooms•Classrooms•Playground
June 13, XXXX
August 17, XXXX
August 16, XXXX
All XX-XX faculty/staff were involved indeveloping behavior matrices.
All XX-XX faculty/staff and new hires forXX-XX school year.
New hires for the XX-XX school year and permanent subs.
Principal/AP will conduct informal walk-throughs and will look for evidence of teaching behavior standards.
PBIS Team created checklist
PBIS Team members
Behavior - PBIS Team
PBIS Team members will provide training on8/16 & 8/17. Follow up from training & feed-back from principal walk-throughswill determine coaching needs. Analyze ODR data for additional problem-solving.
Team Time
• Take time to discuss the Foundational Core – Behavior Standards form.
• What are your team’s next step for behavior standards?
Selecting Curricular Materials & Instructional Strategies
Curricular MaterialsInstructional
Strategies
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with Student Needs
Evidenced-Based Evidenced-Based
Aligned with Student Needs
Aligned with School Resources
Aligned with School Resources
Alignment (State Standards)
North Carolina Standard Course of Study
– Common Core State Standards
– North Carolina Essential Standards
Curriculum Mapping
Curricular MaterialsInstructional
Strategies
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with Student Needs
Evidenced-Based Evidenced-Based
Aligned with Student Needs
Aligned with School Resources
Aligned with School Resources
Alignment (Students’ Needs)
• What do the data tell you?
– Culturally responsive
– Language acquisition
– Academic strengths & weaknesses
• What about vertical alignment?
Curricular MaterialsInstructional
Strategies
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with Student Needs
Evidenced-Based Evidenced-Based
Aligned with Student Needs
Aligned with School Resources
Aligned with School Resources
Scientifically Based Researchsection 9101(37) of the ESEA
Handout
Curricular Materials/Instructional Strategies: Evidence-Based Worksheet
Research Methods Cheat Sheet
Curricular MaterialsInstructional
Strategies
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with State Standards
Aligned with Student Needs
Evidenced-Based Evidenced-Based
Aligned with Student Needs
Aligned with School Resources
Aligned with School Resources
Alignment with Available Resources
• Student/teacher ratio• Cost• Time• Teacher skill set• Professional development
Curriculum Materials/Instructional Strategies
Wonderland County Schools All Middle Schools March 5, XXXX
x
Digits - Pearson
District Math Team
Mathematics
June 11-12, XXXX
All 6-8 math teachersInstructional CoachesPrincipals/AP
NA
NA
NA
NA
Formal observations quarterly utilizing the fidelity measure provided by Pearson
Pearson measure
Instructional Coaches (ICs)
-initial training 6/11-6/12-stipends will be used to pay a group of teachers to work on curriculum mapping this summer-ICs will be provide assistance & coaching during the school year
Wonderland County Schools March 15, XXXX
x
All content areas
Flexible Grouping
Training across all schools XX-XX school year
All teachers were required to attend.
Fall XXXX
Only new hires
All previously trained teachers need a refresher and new hires need more in-depth training.
Aug. 16, XXXX
Locally created checklist
Instructional Coaches (ICs) & Lead Teachers
ICs will provide district-wide training for new hires 8/16.ICs will work with principals to schedule refresher training during the firs quarter of the school year.
Principals/AP/ICs will conduct at least annual fidelity checks in each classroom.
Florida Center for Reading Research
http://www.fcrr.org/
Foundational Core
Standards
Strategies
Materials
MappingAssessment
Common Findings
• Not all in agreement of common practices
• Staff members missing training component(s)
• Lack of fidelity with ensuring Foundational Core is being addressed – Curricular Materials – Instructional Strategies– Mapping/Pacing Guides– Assessment
• A lot of resources available, but not always connected/aligned
Define Continuum of Supports: Supplemental & Intensive
Define Continuum of Supports: Supplemental & Intensive
• Remediate academic skill deficits so students will be successful with Foundational Core alone
• Provide targeted supports for students who are not meeting grade-level standards
Define Continuum of Supports: Supplemental & Intensive • Remediation of existing problems
• Prevention of more severe problems
• Prevention of the development of secondary concerns as a result of persistent problems
Define Continuum of Supports: Supplemental & Intensive
• Skill deficits vs. objective(s) non-mastery
• Supports should be directly linked to Foundational Core & aligned with standards
• Adults should be able to articulate the connection between supports and Foundational Core
• Supports should be aligned with students’ needs
Define Continuum of Supports: Supplemental & Intensive
• Supports should be aligned with resources
• Supports should be evidence-based
• Assessments should be aligned with supports
• As the intensity of supports increases, the intensity of assessment should increase
• Focus on problem solving based on factors within school/LEA control
Define Continuum of Supports: Supplemental & Intensive
• A data management system
• Appropriate interventions based on what is shown by the data
• Team charged with the oversight and management
What Works Clearinghouse: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
Define Continuum of Supports: Supplemental & Intensive
Specify:
• who will provide the intervention(s)
• who will collect data
• who will have overall responsibility for monitoring data
• who will lead the team through the problem-solving
• professional development and coaching supports
Team Time1. Select one grade span and content area
1. Discuss the following:– Are our current interventions/supports directly linked to the
Foundational Core? Can we articulate how they are linked?
– What curricular materials are used for interventions/supports?
– What instructional strategies are used for interventions/supports?
– What assessments are used?
2. Who is making decisions regarding supports provided within the district/school and how are those decisions being made?
"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes."—Henri Kaiser
"The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year."
— John Foster DullesFormer Secretary of State
"The majority see the obstacles; the few see the objectives; history records the successes of the latter, while oblivion is the reward of the former."
— Alfred Armand MontapertAuthor
District and school leadership teams develop a plan:
– Define your continuum of supports, including the Foundational Core, by asking:
• What are our academic standards?
• What are our behavior standards?
• Have we aligned our materials and practices to the standards?
• How do we assess learning?
– As you answer the questions above, use the provided forms to:
• Ensure materials and practices are evidence-based
• Ensure materials and practices are utilized/implemented with fidelity
• Develop a professional development plan for the district and each school
• Investigate before selecting new materials/strategies