Maurice McInerney, Daryl Mellard

1. Tiered Intervention at the High School Level Maurice McInerney, Daryl Mellard Presented at: National High School Center’s Summer Institute Washington, D.C. June 19, 2008

2. Center Mission Build the capacity of State Educational Agencies (SEAs) to assist Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in implementing proven and promising RTI models.

3. Center Objectives • To identify, adapt, evaluate, and scale up RTI models for identifying and serving students with disabilities; • To provide SEAs and LEAs with ongoing TA support, as needed and appropriate, to implement comprehensive RTI programs in local districts, schools, and classrooms; and • To disseminate information about proven and promising RTI models to parents, service providers, program administrators, policymakers, and other interested stakeholders across the country.

4. Center Service Areas • Technical Review Committee evaluation of RTI tools and practices for: • Rigor and Impact • Conditions for successful implementation • Cultural and linguistic competence • Technical Assistance for SEA Capacity-Building: • Face to Face • At a Distance • Information Dissemination: • Web-based Communities of Practice • Library of Products for Educators and Families

5. Center Strategic Partners • Center for Early Literacy Learning • Center for Evidence-Based Practices • Center on Instruction • Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports • IDEA Partnership • IRIS Training Center • National Center on Student Progress Monitoring • National High School Center • National Research Center on Learning Disabilities • Project Forum

6. What is RTI? • Response to Intervention • Organizational framework for instructional and curricular decisions and practices based on students’ responses • RTI Components • Screening • Tiers of instruction • Progress monitoring • Fidelity indicators

7. What do we mean by RTI? Response to intervention integrates assessment and intervention within a multi‑level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavior problems. With RTI, schools 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, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities.

8. Tiered Interventions

9. Presentation topics • Essential considerations at the secondary level • Research findings on RTI at the secondary level • Tiered Instruction example from KU’s Center for Research on Learning • Implementation issues

10. Considerations at the Secondary Level • What percentage of the students are meeting expected performance levels? • What role do the instructors have in developing students’ literacy skills and strategies? • Fundamental Issue: The quality of the primary level of curriculum and instructional practices

11. Research Studies of RTI at the Secondary Level • No experimental studies in an RTI framework of commonly associated components • Screening • Student progress monitoring • Tiered level of services • Implementation fidelity • Descriptive studies of a few high schools

12. University of Kansas:Center for Research on Learning • Founded in 1978. Almost 30 years of scientifically-based research; accepted as “Best Practices” nationally. • Designed Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) • Learning Strategies • Content Enhancement Routines • Cooperative Strategies • Community Building Strategies • Motivation Strategies • Developed Content Literacy Continuum • Over $120 million R & D McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

13. Content Literacy The listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking skills and strategies required to learn in each of the academic disciplines.

14. RtI in Secondary School Setting: Riverbank High School Story - Implementing the Content Literacy Continuum Ken Geisick, Ed.D. Riverbank High School Principal Peggy Graving-Reyes National Site Coordinator, Midwest CLC Research Project CLC/SIM Professional Developer, KU Center for Research on Learning Silvia DeRuvo Program Associate California Comprehensive Center at WestEd McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

15. Thinking about the curriculum: Knowledge and Outcomes

16. Thinking About the Curriculum... Knowledge Critical Content Course

17. The CLC says… • Each member of a secondary staff has unique (but very important) roles relative to literacy instruction • While every content teacher is not a reading teacher, every teacher instructs students in how to read and process content. • Instructional coaches may be necessary but aren’t sufficient. • Some students require more intensive, systematic, explicit instruction of content, strategies, and skills McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

18. Content Literacy “Synergy” CONTENT CLASSES Level 1. Enhanced Content Instruction TIER I CONTENT CLASSES Level 2. Embedded Strategy Instruction TIER I Level 3. Intensive Strategy Instruction • strategy classes • strategic tutoring Level 4. Intensive Basic Skill Instruction Level 5. Therapeutic Intervention Foundational language competencies Improved Literacy KU-CRL CLC- Lenz, Ehren,& Deshler, 2005 McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

19. A Continuum of Literacy Instruction(Content Literacy Continuum -- CLC) Level 1:Enhanced content instruction (mastery of critical content for all regardless of literacy levels) Level 2:Embedded strategy instruction (routinely weave strategies within and across classes using large group instructional methods) Level 3:Intensive strategy instruction (mastery of specific strategies using intensive-explicit instructional sequences -4th & above) Level 4:Intensive basic skill instruction (mastery of entry level literacy skills at the PreK-3rd: decoding, fluency…) Level 5:Therapeutic intervention (mastery of language underpinnings of curriculum content and learning strategies) McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

20. SUBJECT MATTER STRATEGIES TIER I HIGHER ORDER LEVELS 1 2 3 4 5 Enhance content instruction Tier I: Universal Instruction in CERs Embedded strategy instruction Tier 1:Universal Instruction in Learning Strategies (LS) Intensive strategy instruction Tier II: Targeted Interventions in LS (Short Term) Tier III: Specialized Treatments in LS (Long Term) SKILLS Intensive basic skill instruction Tier II: Target Interventions (Short Term) Tier III: Specialized Treatments (Long Term) LANGUAGE Therapeutic intervention Tier III: Specialized Treatments (LSs, CERs, Traditional…)

21. Content Enhancement Teaching Routines Teaching Concepts Concept Mastery Routine Concept Anchoring Routine Concept Comparison Routine Planning & Organizing Course Organizer Unit Organizer Lesson Organizer Exploring Text, Topics, & Details Framing Routine Survey Routine Clarifying Routine Order Routine Increasing Performance Quality Assignment Routine Question Exploration Routine Recall Enhancement Routine McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

22. Learning Strategies Expression of Competence • Sentence Writing (Fundamentals and Proficiency) • Paragraph Writing • Error Monitoring • Theme Writing • Assignment Completion • Test-Taking • Essay Test Taking Acquisition • Word Identification • Paraphrasing • Fundamentals of Summarizing & Paraphrasing • Self-Questioning • Visual Imagery • Word Mapping • Interpreting Visuals • Multipass Storage • First-Letter Mnemonic • Paired Associates • Listening/Notetaking • Vocabulary McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

23. Strategies for Effectively Interacting with Others • •SLANT - A Classroom Participation Strategy • • Possible Selves (Motivational - Goal Setting Strategy) • Cooperative Thinking • THINK Strategy (Problem Solving) • LEARN Strategy (Learning Critical Information) • BUILD Strategy (Decision Making) • SCORE Skills: Social Skills for Cooperative Groups • Teamwork Strategy • Community Building Series • Focusing Together • Following Instructions Together • Organizing Together • Taking Notes Together • Talking Together McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

24. Analyzing Change vs. Stability • RTI Components • (Technology) • Current practices • Change agent School Culture (Social System) • Team relationships • Team chemistry • Perceived Role • ( Personal Theory) • Professional beliefs • Context William Reid (1987)

25. How can teaming be organized at the secondary level? • Site-based literacy teams • Teachers working across subject areas • Teachers working within subject areas

26. Data Analysis Teaming Teams of like teachers working together to… • Access critical data on all students’ performance related to achievement of standards • Analyze data and find which students have which gaps in attainments • Set measurable goals to close the gap • Brainstorm or create instructional strategies

27. RTI in a School Reform Framework • What happens for those students reading below the 4th grade level? • What’s in place in core classes to ensure that students will get the “critical” content regardless of their literacy skills? • What happens for students who know how to decode but can’t comprehend well? • Are procedures for teaching powerful learning strategies embedded in courses across the curriculum? • What happens for students who have language problems?

29. Resources: Content Literacy Continuum -- University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning: www.kucrl.org -- Strategic Learning Center www.smarttogether.org McInerney & Mellard, RTI Ctr

30. Tiered Intervention at the High School Level Maurice McInerney (American Institutes for Research) Daryl Mellard (University of Kansas) The National Center on RTI is funded under a cooperative agreement (# H32E070004) issued by the Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, to the American Institutes of Research. The views expressed in this presentation do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the U.S. Department of Education and no official endorsement should be inferred.