Meredith Johnson's Page

Teacher Readiness for Response to Intervention (RTI) Implementation
Note - many of the links require the user to scroll through beginning introductions/slides before locating the information the pertains to their area of interest.

STRAND 1: Measurement System

1. You understand the universal screening system for making general education decisions about the growth and development of ALL students’ literacyy and mathematics skills? You also understand the abbreviations that are used in the CBM Edusoft program (pg. 24 - 25) ?
2. You collect this data 3 or more times a year in order to show growth and development?
3. You understand how to input the data and retrieve (pg.29) it in an easy-to-read format?
4. You use the data to identify at-risk students at the beginning of the year (pg.23) ?
5. You understand how to input student data into a standard graph that can be used to show the risk status of individual students (e.g., box plot)?
6. You use the data used to help in instructional planning?
7. You use the (pg. 33) standard graph to show the growth and rate of progress of students?
8. You share collected data (page 92 - 98 of the manual) (screening data and progress monitoring data) with parents? (ed.gov resources for Spanish speaking parents)
9. You use the measurement system weekly to monitor progress for students receiving targeted instruction (Tier 2)?
10. You use the measurement system weekly to monitor progress for students receiving intensive instruction (Tier 3)?

STRAND 2: Curriculum & Instruction
AREA 1: Curriculum
1. Your core literacy curriculum is evidenced based and addresses the five necessary components: phonemic awareness, phonics/word study, fluency, vocabulary, & comprehension?
2. Your writing instruction is integrated with reading instruction?
3. The curriculum you teach is aligned with NV Standards?
4. Is yourliteracy blockprioritized and protected from interruption for a minimum of 90 minutes?
5. Do you use flexible grouping during core instruction to maximize student performance?

STRAND 2: Curriculum & Instruction
AREA 2: Instruction
1. You are knowledgeable of the five dimensions of reading and how they interrelate?
2. You are knowledgeable of research-based principles for effective instruction in the area of text comprehension instruction?
3. You are knowledgeable of research-based principles for effective instruction in the area of vocabulary development?
4. You are knowledgeable of research-based principles for effective instruction in the area of phonics?
5. You are knowledgeable of research-based principles for effective instruction in the area of fluency?
6. You are knowledgeable of research-based principles for effective instruction in the area of phonemic awareness?
7. You teach high quality, research-based writing instruction in the general education setting?
8. You receive feedback on general principles of effective instruction such as high rates of engagement, frequent positive feedback, immediate error correction, opportunities for students to make active responses, etc?

STRAND 3: Problem Solving & System Supports
Area 1. School wide Organization
1. You can effectively manage the RtI process by using data for decision-making purposes and finding the resources necessary to meet student needs.
2. You know where to locate evidenced based curriculum, instruction and/or strategies identified for Tier 2 and 3 supports?
3. Your grade level’s reading and math instruction schedule maximizes use of resources?

4. Your grade level has a common 90 minute daily block dedicated to reading and another 90 minutes to mathematics instruction?
5. Your grade level teaching team meets to discuss student progress and instructional changes on a monthly basis?
6. You take part in the comprehensive and on-going professional development in curriculum, instruction, measurement, and problem solving offered to staff as part of a continuous improvement process?

STRAND 3: Problem Solving & System Supports
Area 2. Team Support
1. You understand the purpose of the IAT to help general education teachers and parents solve student problems?
2. You have an understanding that the IAT is for general education rather than a special education process?
3. You have the general understanding that the IAT has a regularly scheduled meeting time and place, that it has balanced representation of grade level, general and special education staff, an administrator is a team member (roles/responsibilities begin on page 26), that the IAT uses procedures, forms, and resources?
4. You have a general understanding of the forms used at the meeting to lead the team through the Problem-Solving process and that the guidance counselor maintains records on the students served through the team?

STRAND 3: Problem Solving & System Supports
AREA 3: Problem Identification
1. At your PLC meeting are problems defined operationally (i.e., observable and measurable)?
2. When multiple problems are identified, does your PLC prioritize them?
3. Does a PLC team member review records, conduct interviews, observations, and/or testing to determine the presence of discrepancies between expectations and what is occurring?
4. You understand how to take the data collected during the Problem Identification stage and display it in a graphic or summary format?
5. You understand that when there is a discrepancy between a student and his/her peers as displayed on a benchmark assessment the student(s) is/are provided with targeted support(s)?
6. You understand that parents are provided with a description of assurances of what general education Problem-Solving will provide (e.g., timeline, data to be collected, decision-making rules)?

STRAND 3: Problem Solving & System Supports
AREA 4: Problem Analysis
1. Does your PLC team have a systematic approach to analyzing problems?
2. Does your PLC team use survey-level assessment procedures to analyze academic problems?
3. Does your PLC team use functional behavioral assessment techniques to analyze behavioral problems?
4. Does your PLC team assess whether the identified problem is a skill-based or a performance-based problem?
5. Does your PLC team develop hypotheses for why a problem may be occurring?
6. Does your PLC team develop hypotheses that are specific, observable, measurable, and testable?
7. Does your PLC team generate hypotheses during Problem Analysis that considers all potential factors that influence behavior/academics (e.g., child, curriculum/instructional, peer school/community factors)?
8. Does your PLC team use Problem Analysis data in designing and implementing interventions?
9. Does your PLC team obtain baseline data before a plan is developed?

STRAND 3: Problem Solving & System Supports
AREA 5: Plan Development
1. Is the intervention plan you select supported by research and the most valid or alterable hypothesis?
2. Is the plan you develop a result of the Problem Identification and Analysis processes (i.e., Is the intervention linked to the assessment)?
3. Do you understand that the plan should be focused on those factors that are most alterable (i.e., instruction, curriculum, and/or environment)?
4. Do you understand that there should be a written description of the plan (ELL)with the following components:
• A description of the specific intervention
• The length of time (such as the number of weeks) that will be allowed for the
intervention to have a positive effect
• The number of minutes per day the intervention will be implemented (such as 30 to 45
minutes)
• The persons responsible for providing the intervention
• The location where the intervention will be provided
• The factors for judging whether the student is experiencing success
• A description of the progress monitoring strategy or approach, such as CBM, that will
be used
• A progress monitoring schedule
• Frequency with which teachers/parents will receive reports about their child’s
response to the intervention.
5. Is the student involved in the development of an intervention plan (page 19), when applicable?

STRAND 3: Problem Solving & System Supports
AREA 6: Plan Implementation
1. Is there a method of determining intervention integrity?
2. You have an understanding that there must be an evaluation as to whether the intervention is being implemented as planned?
3. Student progress towards the identified goal must be evaluated on a regular basis, as described?
4. You understand about using the data and displaying it in a graph for decision-making purposes?
5. You understand that the plan progress must be communicated to parents?
6. Do you feel there is there sufficient support provided to implement intervention plans?

STRAND 3: Problem Solving & System Supports
AREA 6: Plan Evaluation
1. Your PLC team follows decision-making rules (pg 3) when evaluating plans?
2. You understand how to show that the baseline and progress monitoring data are displayed in a graph for the purpose of evaluating the plan effectiveness?
3. When a plan has not been successful, does your PLC team recycle through the Problem-Solving process?
4. When a plan is effective, does your PLC team make decisions about fading the intervention?
5. You have an understanding that the student’s response to the intervention must be communicated to parents as indicated on the written plan?
6. You have an understanding of the criteria for determining when a child’s needs exceed the resources of the Problem-Solving team and special education eligibility is considered?

Outstanding web sites I want to share:
http://dww.ed.gov/priority_area/priority_landing.cfm?PA_ID=6 - English Language Learners
http://visual.merriam-webster.com/ - Outstanding resource for ELL students to use!
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/rti_math_pg_042109.pdf - Mathematics Instruction
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/ost_pg_072109.pdf - Structuring Out of School Time to Improve Instructional Achievement
http://www.easycbm.com/teachers/auth/ - progress monitoring probes in several different areas