Finding Our Place: Librarians and

Response to Intervention

Floyd Pentlin, Jenny Robins, Sandra Jenkins, and Pat Antrim

University of Central MissouriAASL - October 29, 2011

IntroductionsJennifer RobinsFloyd PentlinSandra JenkinsPatricia AntrimBack Channel supported by Sandra and Twitter

Feed, #AASL2011rti

RtI is. . .

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a school-wide, three-tiered model of instruction and instructional intervention.

It incorporates:Data-driven decision making, Research-based instructional strategies, Student-centered personalized instruction, A high level of collaboration among school personnel

Definition: RtIResponse to Intervention (RtI) “The Organizational

framework for instructional and curricular decisions and practices based on students’ responses” (Mellard, 2010).

Components includeScreening Progress MonitoringTiers of InstructionDecision-Making Rules

Data-based Decisio

n Making

Screening

Progress Monitorin

g

Tiered Instructional

and Behavioral

System

RtI is. . .RTI is a component of No Child Left Behind It is supported with funds from IDEA. It is a required component of Race to the Top It is mandated for schools AYP targets.Little is available in the research literature about the

role school librarians play in RTI schools. Researchers in the LIS program at UCM asked:

How is RtI implemented in MO? What is the role of school librarians?

The RtI ConversationIs the librarian involved in the RtI

conversation?How do librarians support student

learning in an RtI school?How do librarians support teachers in

an RtI school?Where can librarians learn more about

how to engage in RtI?

Why RtI and Reading are linked:5% of children learn to read effortlessly20-30% learn relatively easily once expose to reading

instructionFor 60% of children, learning to read is a much more

formidable taskFor at least 20-30% of children, reading is one of the

most difficult tasks that they will have to masterFor 5% of students even with explicit and systematic

instruction, reading will continue to be a challenge. (MacKenzie as cited in Harris)

Connections

RtI integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement

RtI seeks to prevent academic failure by catching issues early and providing individual students the supports they need

In Missouri RtI is also associated behavior management decisions

RtI is often a school-wide initiative, changing the work of everyone in the school (or district)

HistoryRtI grows out of a history of

Public Health Prevention as applied to EducationPrediction InoculationTiered Intervention (triage)

School-wide Reform EffortsReading First, NCLB, & Race to the TopData-driven Decision Making

Special Education strategies to identify disabilities

AdvantagesStudents

Get help when they need itReceive good instructionAvoid future academic difficulties

Teachers Receive useful feedback on their instructionWork together with other teachers, not in isolationMake instructional decisions based on data about individual

students Parents

Receive better information more frequently about their child’s progress

BenefitsAvoid the burden of catch-up growth

Some students start out ahead; others behindAnd the gap widens over time

Use prevention rather than remediation If instruction is $5,143 per student per year,

remediation is an additional $5,000 per year (Kennewick, Washington, School District)

Provide best possible instruction for all students How do we know? Assessment Data!Teachers use data the same way surgeons do. Teachers use the best available teaching practices Teachers continually monitor for improvement of

their own teaching practice.

The Model

DESE. http://dese.mo.gov/3tieredmodels/rti/

Levels of InstructionTier 1: Regular instruction // Target about 80% of

populationTier 2: Standard Treatment Protocol // Target

about 15% of population. May be scripted, structured, and explicit or not. Small groups or individuals.

Tier 3: Problem-solving Intervention // Target about 5% who have failed in two previous protocols. Requires a high level of expertise and creativity. Individualized instruction

T 3

T 2

T1

Implement with Fidelity to Benefit StudentsAccountability

Link interventions to improved outcomes

SpecificityDefinitively describe operations, techniques, and

componentsConsistency

Clearly define responsibilities of specific personsCreate a data system for measuring operations,

techniques, and components

AuthorityCreate accountability measures for non-compliance

Our StudyLast Spring

Early responses from a four-question survey67 Respondents24 Respondents indicated little or no involvement in

the RtI process; 40 described varying levels of involvement

This FallFollow up interviews with several respondentsAnalysis of interviews for themes and patterns

ResultsIn this section we provide details about what we discovered in our survey and in interviews with librarians embedded in RtI schools.

RtI -7 Processes

Get Starte

d

Train

Plan

Assess studen

ts

Schedule

Intervent

Implement Intervent.

Getting StartedLots of gurus

Mike Mattos, Pat Quinn District administrators went to 5 meetings with DESE

in Jeff City. District tested RtI in her school.

Multi-year implementation:Started last year to prep for this year. In the 2nd year building piloted RtI for the district.

District made up a paper trail of how to keep track of process.

Training – District LevelThe preparation is done: The district has the

pyramid and the learning plans laid out. There are PD days devoted to RtI and there is an

online course available. Small group trained at first to try it out, then the

entire group of teachers are trained.The PLC joins with the PD committee to determine

how to do RtI.

Training with the LibrarianShow teachers how to enter data and how to run

reports.Teach all teachers and students to search for readings

by Lexile levels. “Textbooks are written at 1200 – 1400 level.”

Recommend support programs, provide bibliographies of readings that might work

Offer suggestions for how to teach units for all 3 tiers: Present plans to staff then share ideas

Work with teachers to brainstorm interventions

Planning – When does it happen?

Takes time: Plan periods, PLC & Team meetings “Two times a month teachers meet with their grade regular

levels.” Impromptu - Take advantage of opportunities,

Hall conversations & lunch Email teachers and tie in with what they are doing in class“Plan time is often 10 minutes in the hall.”“The library is in the area where the specials classrooms are

and teachers have to walk by the library when they take classes to specials. This is a time for impromptu planning.”

“I Go to grade level chairs and ask about pacing guides to align library activity.”

“Teachers know and trust each other. They know what each one brings to the table. So short planning times can work well.”

Planning & LibrariansPart of professional learning communities (PLCs)

“I work with teachers on reading progress and goal setting. Serve on district and building level committees with teachers. “

Plan with grade teams at elementary level in all reading, math, and writing to improve learning

“I match students and teachers on spreadsheet”

Librarian meets with Title and LD teachersLibrarian meets with administrators and specialists,

“Music teacher collaborated too and taught poetry and choral reading, repetition, rhymes, fun. The next year the students were reading on grade level.”

Collaborate with other librarians

Assessing StudentsPlan, resource, and monitor programs like:

Reading Counts, AR and Star, Study Island, AIMSweb

Reports allow for benchmarking and progress monitoring“We use tools to diagnose difficulties”“We conduct universal screening 3 times a year”

HS librarian gets a list of reading levels from 8th grade teachers.

6 week intervention, test, repeat as necessary.Review student progress

In PLCs and other collaborative teams

Assessing Students – Librarian’s RoleShe has an AIMSweb manager acct and could get into

everyone’s records and reports (the Principal is the other person with a manager acct).

She doesn’t enter data. She teaches teachers to enter data and print reports.

The librarian meets with teachers monthly to share data The Principal has her print reports from STAR reading

and math and every qtr.Tutors collect data for librarian. Librarian makes charts.

All students see charts with progress.

Scheduling – Time/Time of Day

RtI time is 30 minutes in the morning.30 minutes late morning.The librarian She started taking T2 kids at the end of the day

last year.The librarian took high end 2nd graders for 20 minutes at 3PM Tutors and students meet together for 20 min per day during

advisory or home room.Co-teach 30 minutes a dayEvery other week, weekly class, 3 times weekly, every day

“Wed changes each week.”

Scheduling – with StudentsLibrarian uses an Outlook calendarThis year she is going to have one time with higher

kids for a few weeks, then have a T2 or T3 group .Usually groups consist of 3 teachers, but librarian

started taking 4th grade students last year. Sometimes the librarian works with a whole class

and sometimes with a small intervention group. Sometimes teacher requests help for students.

“Teachers plan, I appear and help her”

Librarian, “likes to float.”

Implementation – in the Library

Reinforce literacy/ reading skills. Provide interventions or enrichment for any group assigned

“I do author studies with above grade level readers.”

Develop alternative assignmentsFind resources around a theme, readers’ advisory,

homework helpJust right reading materials

“I collect high interest, low level books.” “ I assist with program (ie: PALS and RtI) book selection.”Library has lots of leveled readers. Librarian “looks closely at books to see students aren’t overly

challenged.”

Implementation –with LibrarianRepeat back to LMS, work on fluency and comprehension,

listen to them read, have them reread. Worked on comprehension and depth of knowledge. She did more mentoring talking with them and having them

to critical thinking, but nothing was assessed- instead concentrated on choice, enrichment, having them take a risk.

They use very scripted, quick reads.First students learned their reading levels.She also integrates Web 2.0 tools in classrooms, those tools

allow for creating graphic representations this can align with RtI model as well.

EvaluationStaff need to see if interventions are working

“No data on how this is working. Hopefully the school will make AYP next year.”

Review teacher interventions “There are a hodgepodge of what works for a targeted

skill.Compare strategies that help students learnWe need to “work collaboratively to continually

evaluate what is working to find out what works.”

Evaluation

Evaluation Getting

Started

Training

Planning

Assessing

Scheduling

Implementing

IssuesMany tools have not been mastered yet. “Teachers feel they can’t raise objections.”The librarian would “like to have the right books (that

interest them) but this is a pipe dream because there are over 200 red-flagged kids.”

“Everyone has a different idea of how RtI is supposed to run. People don’t agree on who should be the interventionist within the tiers. “

Specials teachers are trying to figure out where they fit in.

Issues - continuedSome librarians were used mainly for testing or

data entry.“I’m not asked to be a part” “Basically the librarian is ignored.”“I’m given no directions on what to do with them

so I treat them as a gifted and talented group.”“This is a rung on an evolutionary ladder in

education. It won’t go away for at least 3 years.”“Teachers question how long RtI is going to last.”

Benefits It has increased the value of the librarian’s positionThe librarians is more aware of the range of reading levelsThe librarian has more contact with studentsRtI promotes reading“I’m glad we are being held accountable.” “This Something we didn’t do in the past – we are making

data on kids available.“Before in a regular day, you couldn’t give that individual

attention to students.”

Benefits - continuedThe librarian can use higher level books for RtI.

“ Students are more willing to take a risk and read something different.” “ The teacher believed in it [the need to know students Lexile

levels] once he saw it.”Now the librarian knows who the struggling readers are because

she recognizes students with T2 and T3 because she’s seen them before.

“Now she knows which kids struggle she tries to let them spend more time with the librarian.”

“T2 is more private. Other students don’t know what goes on, so they are not looked down on. Small groups help each other out and support each other.”

“RtI opened my eyes to the absolute need a lot of these kids have. “

Implementation( Take away –can be mapped to the 7 processes)Plan for a multi-year implementation process (Getting

Started)Build consensus (getting started)Build components to support staff and students,

PLCs (Planning) Time for data analysis and collaboration, (Planning) Time for Tier 2 and 3 instruction (Scheduling)

Plan for generous professional development in support of individual sense-making, behavior, values, attitudes, norms, and expectations (Training)

Conduct a needs assessment, policies, procedures, technical assistance, and data management system( Getting Started)

Evaluate for fidelity and sustainability (Evaluation)

Implementation (Take away – can be mapped to 7 processes)Elementary grades and sometimes into middle school. RtI

is more challenging, but not impossible, to implement in high school (Getting Started)

Supported by Professional Learning Community (PLC) (Planning)

Focused on Reading usually, may also include Math (Implementation)

Strategies used vary from very programmed to more imaginative curricula (Implementation)

Well-implemented programs are supported by intense training for those involved (Training)

RtI Resources

Best Evidence Encyclopedia www.bestevidence.org/ Florida Center on Reading Research www.fcrr.org/ IDEA Partnership www.ideapartnership.org/ Center on Instruction www.centeroninstruction.org Harris, Chris. (2011. Apr 15) “RTI – The Library Role.” Infomancy. 15 Mar.

2006.. http://schoolof.info/infomancy/?p=173 IRIS Center iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/rti/chalcycle.htm Mellard, Daryl. (2010) Response to Intervention: Research, Best Practice

and a National Perspective. National Center on Response to Intervention.

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Three-Tiered Models of Intervention and Evidence-Based Practice dese.mo.gov/3tieredmodels/index.html

National Center on Response to Intervention RTI4Success.org Essential Componentswww.rti4success.org/pdf

/rtiessentialcomponents_042710.pdf What Works Clearinghouse ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc