A c o n ti n u u m o f s e r v i c e s f o r A L L c h i l d r e n

Response to Intervention:Guidance for Federal Funds

Office of Consolidated Planning & Monitoring

Who’s in the room?

► Teachers► School Principals► Other school personnel► District personnel► State personnel► Others

► Title I School-wide Schools► Involved in school improvement planning team► Involved in district strategic planning team

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What made you choose this session?

On the note card provided, explain why you chose this session.

Specific questionsTopics of interestAreas of concern

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Objectives & Overview

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Session Objectives

► Provide overview of RTI2 and how ED grants can support

► Review RTI2 guidance document

► Discuss RTI2 programs in other districts

► Answer questions you may have

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Overview

► Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2): a framework for addressing student needs, not a specific service or activity

► State guidelines require LEAs to use an RTI2 process to determine whether a student has a Specific Learning Disability (SLD); however, LEAs are not limited from using ED grants to support RTI2 activities to provide opportunities for struggling students

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Program Definitions

►Title I► The purpose of Title I is to ensure that all

children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education. Title I provides funds to improve achievement of the lowest-achieving students – those who are failing, or are most at risk of failing, to meet State academic achievement standards – enrolled in high-poverty schools.

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Program Definitions

►Title II► Improving teacher and leader quality by

providing resources for professional development (not direct services to students).

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Program Definitions

►Title III► The purpose of Title III is to help ensure that

limited English Learners (ELs) master English and meet the same challenging State academic achievement standards that all children are expected to meet.

► Provide high-quality language instruction educational programs.

► Provide high-quality professional development for classroom teachers.

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Program Definitions

► IDEA Part B► The purpose of IDEA is to ensure that students

with disabilities have access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE).

► FAPE must include special education and related services designed to meet a student’s unique needs and prepare him or her for further education, employment, and independent living.

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Program Definitions

► IDEA Part B► Coordinated Early Intervening Services

(CEIS) is a set of coordinated services for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (with a particular emphasis on students in K-3) who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment

A c o n ti n u u m o f s e r v i c e s f o r A L L c h i l d r e n

RTI2 TDOE Guidance for Federal Funds

http://tennesseegms.blob.core.windows.net/publicgmsdocuments/66e43acb-8894-4544-bbba-7b3df90ea431.pdf

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What is RTI2?

►RTI2:

► A process where schools use data to identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions- adjusting the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness

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What is RTI2?

►Goals:

► All students have access to high-quality instruction responsive to their needs

► Early identification of struggling students ► Determining whether a student has a Specific

Learning Disability (SLD) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

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What is RTI2?

►Tennessee RTI2 components

► Tier I – Core Instruction 80-85%

► Tier II – Targeted Intervention 10-15%►below 25th percentile or district/school cutoff

► Tier III – Targeted Intervention 3-5%►below 10th percentile or 1.5 to 2 grade levels

behind or district/school cutoff

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What does TN require regarding RTI2?

►The Tennessee State Board of Education approved Special Education Guidelines and Standards regarding Evaluations for Specific Learning Disabilities that require all districts and schools to use RTI2 to determine the eligibility of students to receive special education services in the category of SLD, effective July 1, 2014.

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What does TN require regarding RTI2?

►The new Board-approved Guidelines address one facet of an RTI2 framework: determining a student’s eligibility for special education services based on an SLD under IDEA.

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How do the new state guidelines impact the use of ED Grant funds for

RTI2?

►ED’s largest grant programs – including Title I, Title II, Title III and IDEA – are governed by supplement not supplant provisions: ED grant funds must be used for services in addition to what a district or school would be expected to provide with state or local funds as part of a basic educational program.

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Exercise

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RTI2 Across TN

►Break into your groups► Introduce yourselves► Identify a note taker to share at least two

items of interest

►Discuss the following:1. How are you implementing RTI2 in your district

or school?2. Who is responsible for progress monitoring?3. Who is providing interventions?4. What funds are used to support RTI2?

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Funding RTI2

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Generally, how can you fund RTI2?

►Tier I ► Typically considered core instruction and

funded through the state and local resources

►Tiers II & III► ED Grants and state and local resources ► Supplemental resources supporting eligible

populations

►District Coordination of RTI2► Typically funded through the state and local

resources

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Can ED Grant funds supportTier I activities?

►Title I School-wide Program► Improving the curriculum► Reorganizing school day and resources► Professional development

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Can ED Grant funds support Tier I activities?

►Title II, Part A► Support all teachers and leaders in learning

new core content and instructional strategies to implement college-and-career-ready standards

► Assist teachers in improving classroom behavior

► Assist teachers in using data to improve instruction

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Can ED Grant funds supportTier I activities?

► IDEA, Part B► Provide professional development to both

regular and special education teachers on meeting the needs of students with disabilities in the regular education environment

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Can ED Grant funds supportTier I universal screeners?

►Typically considered core instruction and funded through the state and local resources and ED Grant funds use is restricted because of:► Title I regulations► IDEA regulations► Supplement not Supplant provision

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Can ED Grant funds supportTier I universal screeners?

►School-wide Programs► To be allowable, this scenario presumes each of

a district’s schools is responsible for purchasing its own universal screener – not made at the district level on behalf of all schools AND► It were part of the school’s comprehensive Title I SW

plan for improving its educational program consistent with its needs

► The district must demonstrate it provided the school with all of the state and local resources it would have received if it did not participate in the Title I program (based on how the district allocates resources to schools)

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Can ED Grant funds support Tiers II & III?

►Tiers II & III: Interventionists► Title I, Part A

►District: could not use Title I to pay for these costs in Title I schools and then use state or local funds to pay for the same costs in non-Title I schools

► School-wide: all costs must be consistent with the school’s needs assessment and school-wide plan

► Targeted assistance: targeted to specific students► Title II, Part A

► Provide PD to interventionists to identify appropriate interventions for the core academic subjects they teach, or

► Effective instructional methods, include managing student behavior

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Can ED Grant funds support Tiers II & III?

►Tiers II & III: Interventionists► Title III

► Provide resources to identified ELs► IDEA, Part B Coordinated Early Intervening

Services (CEIS)►Hire interventionists to work with nondisabled

students who have not reached grade-level proficiency

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Can ED Grant funds support Tiers II & III?

►Tiers II & III: Intervention Tools ► Title I, Part A

►District: could not use Title I to pay for these costs in Title I schools and then use state or local funds to pay for the same costs in non-Title I schools

► School-wide: all costs must be consistent with the school’s needs assessment and school-wide plan, including materials and supplies

► Targeted assistance: targeted to specific students► Title II, Part A

► Provide PD to assist teachers and leaders to identify appropriate interventions for the core academic subjects to support their use of high-quality intervention materials

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Can ED Grant funds support Tiers II & III?

►Tiers II & III: Intervention Tools ► Title III

► Provide resources to identified ELs► IDEA, Part B Coordinated Early Intervening

Services (CEIS)► Purchase supplemental materials and supplies

needed for nondisabled students► Provide PD to support the use of high-quality

intervention materials

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Can ED Grant funds support Tiers II & III?

►Tiers II & III: Progress Monitoring ► Title I, Part A

►District: could not use Title I to pay for these costs in Title I schools and then use state or local funds to pay for the same costs in non-Title I schools

► School-wide: all costs must be consistent with the school’s needs assessment and school-wide plan, including progress monitoring tools for use with individual students or an entire class

► Targeted assistance: targeted to specific students► Title II, Part A

► Provide PD on how to implement progress monitoring and analyze data

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Can ED Grant funds support Tiers II & III?

►Tiers II & III: Progress Monitoring ► Title III

► Progress monitoring tools for identified ELs when used to determine the response to intervention

► IDEA, Part B Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS)► Progress monitoring tools for nondisabled students► Provide PD on how to conduct progress monitoring

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Can the LEA or school split the cost of the same RTI2 activity between one or

more funding sources?

► Individual program eligibility requirements must be met at all times.

►ED grants can only pay for the part of an activity that benefits eligible participants.

►Title IIII may be able to support part of the activity to the extent it benefits eligible students (ELs)

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Exercise

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A c o n ti n u u m o f s e r v i c e s f o r A L L c h i l d r e n

A sample student:

Even with Core Instruction, Lisa struggled with decoding words.

Like all 1st graders, Lisa was screened in the fall and her reading rate was at the 20th percentile.

Lisa received targeted interventions specifically designed to address her weaknesses.

Throughout the interventions, Lisa’s progress was monitored and by mid-winter her reading rate had increased to the 55th percentile.

Lisa now functions successfully with only

Core Instruction. A spring rescreening of

all students found that Lisa did

not require any

additional interventions.

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Can the LEA or school split the cost of the same RTI2 activity between one or

more funding sources?

►Break into your groups►Answer the question above ►What are the potential funding sources?

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Supplement not Supplant

►Title I, Title III and CEIS each has a supplement not supplant requirement that affects the use of funds to implement RTI.

►This raises questions about using ED grants due to restrictions with Supplement not Supplant. It makes the question of allowability a situation-specific decision.

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Supplement not Supplant

►Three basic presumptions of supplanting:► services it provided with state or local funds in

the prior year► services LEAs are required to make available

under other federal, state, or local laws► providing services to Title I students with

federal funds that it provides with state or local funds to non-title students

► NOTE: there are exceptions to these presumptions with regard to IDEA part B Maintenance of Effort and school-wide programs

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Supplement not Supplant

► In general, the supplement not supplant requirement is intended to ensure that services provided with Federal funds are in addition to, and do not replace or supplant, services that students would otherwise receive.

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QUESTIONS?

RTI2 Resources

►http://www.tncore.org/math/rti_manual.aspx

►ePlan/TDOE Resources/Response to Intervention

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W W W.T N . G O V/E D U C AT I O N

Eve.Carney@tn.gov

Debbie.Owens@tn.gov

Assigned CPM Regional Consultant

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FRAUD, WASTE or ABUSE

Citizens and agencies are encouraged to report fraud, waste or abuse in State and Local government.

NOTICE: This agency is a recipient of taxpayer funding. If you observe an agency director or employee engaging in any activity which you consider to be illegal, improper or wasteful, please call the state Comptroller’s toll-free

Hotline:

1-800-232-5454

Notifications can also be submitted electronically at:

http://www.comptroller.tn.gov/hotline