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Response to Instruction/Intervention (RtI)

and the Effect on SLD in Florida

SLD Contact Conference CallsFebruary 24/25/26, 2009

Heather Diamond, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services

Heather.Diamond@fldoe.org

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What is RtI?

RtI is the practice of

(1) providing high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs and

(2) using learning rate over time and level of performance to

(3) make important educational decisions to guide instruction

National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 2005

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Avoiding Myths…

RtI IS:• A process designed to maximize student achievement• A method to deliver effective interventions earlier and

efficiently• Focused on outcomes• About student progress

RtI IS NOT:• A way to delay services to students• A way to avoid special education placement• A hoop to jump through to ensure special education

placement (pre-referral)

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Essential Components: Tiered Model of School Supports and Problem-solving Cycle

Tier II: Targeted Group InterventionsStudents who need more support in addition to school-wide positive behavior program

Tier I: Universal InterventionsAll students; all settings

Tier III: Intensive InterventionsStudents who need Individual Intervention

Behavioral Systems

Tier I: Core CurriculumAll students, including those who require enhancements to the curriculum for acceleration.

Tier II: Strategic InterventionsStudents who need more support in addition to the core curriculum

Tier III: Intensive InterventionsStudents who need Individualized Interventions

Academic Systems

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Why RtI: Why Now?Do We NEED It?

• School-based accountability– School Grades– AYP– Accountability is now building-based

• Equitable outcomes for all students• Impact of NCLB

– Disaggregated Data

• Impact of IDEA• FL Regulations – administrative rules, SLD, LI

and E/BD rules• TO PERSISTENTLY PURSUE FINDING OUT

WHAT WORKS FOR EACH STUDENT

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State PS/RtI Initiative:Pilot Status Report

• Year One training and technical assistance for Pilot Schools/Demonstration Districts Completed

– 40 Pilot Schools and 32 Comparison Schools in 8 Districts

– District-based Leadership Teams (DBLTs) established in each district

– School-based Leadership Teams (SBLTs) established in each pilot school

– Intensive training for school-based coaches completed

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• Year One Statewide Training completed– 57 of the 67 districts participated with multiple

School-Based Leadership Teams– Participating Districts identified “District RtI

Contact Person” to facilitate communication between the Statewide Project and districts.

– Technical assistance will be added for Year Two

– Year TWO training begins in January 2009 as a continuation for the previously attending teams.

State PS/RtI Initiative:Statewide Training Status Report

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What are Districts doing now?

1. Establishing a District-Based Leadership Team to develop the district PS/RtI Plan

2. Sending District-Based Leadership Teams to regional meetings for guidance on District plan developments• Using the State Blueprint to guide development of the

district plan• 66 Districts have completed day 2 in the 3-day series of

regional meetings• Day 3 of the 3-day series will tentatively occur in April

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State RtI Plan

• Purpose: To provide districts with the critical components, definitions and applications of RtI to support the development of a district plan. Access at http://www.florida-rti.org/.

• Content:– Overview, Context and Parent Involvement– Scaling up evidence based practices– RtI Implementation– State and District Responsibilities– State-level infrastructure development– Policy Development– Funding Considerations– Application of RtI to English Language Learners– Application of RtI to Special Education Eligibility

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How are resources organized?

• Florida’s RtI Website: http://www.florida-rti.org/– State Plan– On-line Professional Development– Partnerships

• Three Statewide Projects:– PS/RtI Pilot Project: http://floridarti.usf.edu/ – RtI-TLC Project: http://rtitlc.ucf.edu/ – PBS Project: http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/

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NEXT STEPS• Access Florida’s RtI Web site: a central location for

Florida’s perspectives and resources.• Review promising new resources such as:

– RtI Action Network: http://www.rtinetwork.org/ – Special Education Resources for General Educators (SERGE):

http://serge.ccsso.org/index.html – NASDSE: Just released blueprints for implementation at the

state, district and building levels. www.nasdse.org

• Form Study groups around various resources such as the On-line Introductory Course

• Consider integration of Problem-solving/RtI terminology and concepts into existing professional development efforts and existing district/school level plans (i.e., School Improvement Plan, Comprehensive Reading Plan, Student Progression Plan)

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SLD: Rule Status

• Held two publicly advertised stakeholder workgroup meetings in April-May 2007

• Collaborated with SLP stakeholder workgroup• Considered impact and alignment in areas of

E/BD, Pre-K, Developmental Delay, and Gifted• Regional Rule Development Workshops

conducted in February 2008• BEESS Leadership has approved draft• Public Hearing in Tallahassee on October 6th• Presentation to State Board on January 21,

2008. IT WAS ADOPTED!

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How is the Proposed SLD Rule organized?

1. Definition

2. General Education Intervention Procedures and Activities

3. Evaluation

4. Criteria for Eligibility

5. Documentation of Criteria of Eligibility

6. Implementation

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SBER 6A-6.03018 (1) Definition

• Manifests in difficulties affecting ability to listen, speak, read, write, and/or do mathematics

• Associated conditions may include but are not limited to…perceptual disabilities …dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia…

• Not primarily the result of …environmental, cultural, or economic factors

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SBER 6A-6.03018 (2) General education intervention procedures & activities

• To ensure that lack of progress is not due to lack of appropriate instruction…– Data that demonstrate that the student was provided

well-delivered scientific, research-based instruction delivered by qualified personnel in general education settings

– Data-based documentation, provided to parent, of repeated measures of achievement at reasonable intervals, graphically reflecting student’s RtI during instruction

• Requirements in 6A-6.0331 may satisfy

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SBER 6A-6.03018 (3) Evaluation

• Request parental consent to evaluate if– Student has not had adequate response to

intervention or– Effective interventions require sustained and

substantial effort and– Whenever referral is made

• Adhere to timelines in general rule unless mutual agreement to extend

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SBER 6A-6.03018 (4) Criteria for eligibility

• Does not achieve adequately in one or more of the major areas

• Does not achieve adequately based on RtI process, consistent with comprehensive evaluation procedures OR RtI process and pattern of strengths and weaknesses (both include comprehensive evaluation per administrative rules)

• Findings not primarily result of other factors• Team must include: General education teacher, person

qualified to conduct and interpret individual diagnostic examinations, District Designee

• At least one observation in typical learning environment

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SBER 6A-6.03018 (5) Documentation of determination of eligibility

• Written summary of group’s analysis– Basis for determination, noted behavior during

observation, medical findings– RtI data confirming: performance discrepancy, rate of

progress, educational need– Effects of other factors– interventions, support provided, duration, frequency,

student data– parent involvement – Signatures of agreement

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SBER 6A-6.03018 (6) Implementation

• SP&P must identify applicable process school-by-school 1. RtI Process within Comprehensive Evaluation OR 2. RtI Process and relevant pattern of strengths and

weaknesses within Comprehensive Evaluation

• Effective July 1, 2010, schools can no longer require pattern of strengths and weaknesses as allowed in option #2

• For schools using process #2, description of relevant pattern must be included in written summary

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Recent Technical Assistance

• General Education Interventions Requirements for Home Education and Private School Students under Rule 6A.6-0331, Florida Administrative Code (Handout #3)

• General Education interventions Prior to Referral for Special Education (Handout #4)

• Compilation of Stakeholder Input Regarding SLD Rule Memorandum (forthcoming)

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Future Technical Assistance

• Conference Calls- February • Questions & Answers- TAP for 6A.6-0331• Questions & Answers- SLD TAP to be

disseminated Spring 2009 once Rule is Effective• Parent Resource Packet – In development• Regional Meetings- Tentatively scheduled for

Summer 2009• On-line Module- Tentatively available Fall 2009• Revised Program Handbook- Tentatively

disseminated Winter 2010

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Next Steps• Read each section of the proposed rule

(Handout 1), discuss implementation issues, and record (Handout 2) potential technical assistance questions that you need answered in order to effectively implement this rule. Also, review draft Coversheet for Written Summary (Handout 5).

• Submit questions via email to heather.diamond@fldoe.org.

• Bookmark Florida’s RtI Website: http://www.florida-rti.org/