A District Model for Integrated RtI Systems

Dawn MillerShawnee Mission School District

Shawnee Mission, KS

dawnmiller@smsd.org

Steve GoodmanMichigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi)

sgoodman@oaisd.org

miblsi.cenmi.org

2012 National PBIS Leadership Forum

Rosemont, IL

Abstract

Durable implementation of behavior and academic Response to Intervention (RtI) focuses on developing structures of support to ensure fidelity and successful student outcomes. This session will describe the critical features of a "scaled-up" district model for integrated behavior and academics. Examples from Michigan and Kansas will be provided.

Session Objectives• Learn of critical components for structuring

organizational systems to support implementation of RtI

• Understand the importance of sustaining implementation efforts through a district vs. school building approach

• Understand the logic of scaling up an integrated behavior and academics within a district approach

Why an integrated model of Response to Why an integrated model of Response to Intervention?Intervention?

Why an integrated model of Response to Why an integrated model of Response to Intervention?Intervention?

• Both are critical for school success

• Share critical feature of data-based decision making

• Both utilize three tiered prevention model

• Both incorporate a team approach at school level, grade level, and individual level

• Models of integrated behavior and reading supports produce larger gains in literacy skills than the reading-only model

– (Stewart, Benner, Martella, & Marchand-Martella, 2007)

Why Integrate Behavior and Academic RtI?

High quality academic instruction (e.g., content matched to student success level, frequent opportunity to respond, frequent feedback) by itself can reduce problem behavior

(Filter & Horner, 2009; Preciado, Horner, Scott, & Baker, 2009, Sanford, 2006)

Implementation of schoolwide positive behavior support leads to increased academic engaged time and enhanced academic outcomes

(Algozzine & Algozzine, 2007; Horner et al., 2009; Lassen, Steele, & Sailor, 2006)

Children who fall behind academically will be more likely to find academic work aversive and also find escape-maintained problem behaviors reinforcing

(McIntosh, 2008; McIntosh, Sadler, & Brown, 2010)

Why a District Approach?Why a District Approach?Why a District Approach?Why a District Approach?

• Unit of implementation is at the building level

• Unit of support is at the district level (to develop local implementation support capacity)

District-wide Approach

• Efficiently organize/distribute resources, technical assistance, & professional development opportunities

• Establish district-wide policy to guide efforts & increase accountability

• Centralize & streamline action planning and decision making

• Allow district administrators to provide reminders and acknowledgements to maintain school efforts

• Collect, summarize, and analyze information/data on-going basis to guide decision making

• Invest in and establish behavioral/reading expertise and competence

District-wide Approach (cont.)

• Give priority to identification, adoption, and sustained use of evidenced-based practices

• Focus their attention on prevention-based approaches to behavior and reading

• Provide opportunities for school to learn from and support each other’s successes and challenges

District-wide Approach (cont.)

Michigan Example

http://miblsi.cenmi.org

What is MiBLSi?What is MiBLSi?

A statewide structure to create capacity for an integrated Behavior and Reading Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) that can be implemented with fidelity, is sustainable over time and utilizes data-based decision making at all levels of implementation support

Two Categories of Work

• Access to Effective Practices– Ensuring that students (staff) have access to

effective practices in an integrated behavior and reading Multi-Tiered System of Supports

– Practices are selected based on: Need, Fit, Resource Availability, Evidence, Readiness for Replication, Capacity to Implement

• Support for the Practices– Ensuring that the interventions are implemented

correctly with the “right people”, at the “right time”, in the “right amounts” (Implementation Fidelity)

Logic of MiBLSi• Emphasis is on developing local implementation

capacity

• Partnership between ISD and Local School District focuses on shared ownership and accountability around implementation of an integrated MTSS model

• Schools/Districts will be supported through stages of implementation rather than through a training sequence

• Goal: Schools/Districts implement MTSS practices with fidelity supported by infrastructure the promotes continuous improvement and sustainability

Why we need to do something different…

• Schools do not always get to criteria for fidelity of implementation.

• Schools do not always maintain implementation efforts

• Supporting a school based participation model cannot be scaled through MiBLSi

Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support for MiBLSi

StudentsStudentsStudentsStudents

Building StaffBuilding StaffBuilding StaffBuilding Staff

Building Building Leadership TeamLeadership Team

Building Building Leadership TeamLeadership Team

LEA District LEA District Cabinet and Cabinet and

Implementation Implementation TeamTeam

LEA District LEA District Cabinet and Cabinet and

Implementation Implementation TeamTeam

Across State

Multiple ISD/LEA Teams

All staff

All students

Multiple schools w/in local district

Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support, and implementation supports

Provides coaching and TA for LEA and/or ISD Teams

Provides guidance and manages implementation

Provides effective practices to support students

Improved behavior and reading

ISD Cabinet and ISD Cabinet and Implementation Implementation

TeamTeam

ISD Cabinet and ISD Cabinet and Implementation Implementation

TeamTeam

Regional Regional Technical Technical

AssistanceAssistance

Regional Regional Technical Technical

AssistanceAssistance

MichiganMichiganDepartment of Department of

Education/MiBLSi Education/MiBLSi LeadershipLeadership

MichiganMichiganDepartment of Department of

Education/MiBLSi Education/MiBLSi LeadershipLeadership

Multiple LEAs w/in intermediate district

Provides guidance, visibility, funding, political support, and implementation supports

Statewide Structure of Support

Who is supported?

How is support provided?

Framework for Addressing Practice and Supports

Develop Organizational Structures

Develop Staff Competencies

Schools effectively implementation MTSS Practices

Successful Student Successful Student OutcomesOutcomes

Outcomes OutcomesInputs

Feedback Loops

Requirements for Participation• Cabinet level support with standing agenda to

review and improve implementation of MTSS• Establish an Implementation Support Team• Participate in an integrated reading and behavior

MTSS model• Include MTSS implementation efforts as a

standing agenda item at the cabinet level• Allocate resources (funding, time, personnel) to

support implementation efforts and long term sustainability that includes the development of a coaching and training infrastructure

Requirements for Participation (cont.)• Engage in continuous data-based decision

making through the use of both student and process outcome (fidelity) data

• Collaborate across departments to create efficiencies around resources and align practices and priorities in an ongoing manner

• Develop feedback loops at multiple levels

• Establish and participate in ongoing communication loops with all stakeholders

• Support use of measures (i.e., DIBELS, or AIMSweb, SWIS and SRSS)

District CabinetDistrict Implementation Team• Vision

• Priority• Policy• Providing for implementation

supports (coaching, training, evaluation)

• Barrier busting

• Develop/implement/monitor plan• Create materials• Collect and summarize data• Identify barriers to implementation

Coordination

Liaison

District RtI Coordinator

Implementation SupportsDirectionTrainingCoachingContent ExpertiseMaterialsEvaluation

Implementation SupportsDirectionTrainingCoachingContent ExpertiseMaterialsEvaluation

Schools

Schools

District Model

Cabinet Leadership TeamCabinet Leadership TeamPurpose: provide direction/vision for the practices and allocation of resources to enable the Capacity and Competency drivers to be in place. The term leadership refers to the function of leadership rather than an individual’s position within the organization.

Membership: Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents, Directors, (those responsible for programming at the building level)

Guided Notes for District Meeting

Implementation Support TeamImplementation Support TeamPurpose: The purpose of the Implementation Support Team is to plan for conditions that make implementation of effective practices with fidelity both easy and durable.

Membership: Cabinet Liaison, MTSS coordinator, other members who have knowledge and skillsets in both the MTSS practices and implementation supports.

Constant Tension of Three Factors regarding implementation

Resource Resource AllocationAllocation

Implementation Timeframe

Implementation Quality

How Fast Should We Go???

Developing Individual Staff Competencies

• Training– Specific sessions with formal activities

designed for skill development• Coaching

– Ensuring transfer from training to practice– On-site skill development, enhancing the

skills through prompting and reinforcement• Technical Assistance

– An expert with specific technical/content knowledge provides information to address an identified need with customized solutions.

Intensity of Supports

from K. Blase, 200929

Stages of Implementation Applied at District Level

• Implementation is not an event

• A mission-oriented process involving multiple decisions, actions, and corrections

Stages of ImplementationFocusFocus StageStage DescriptionDescription

Exploration/Adoption

Decision regarding commitment to adopting the program/practices and supporting successful implementation.

Installation Set up infrastructure so that successful implementation can take place and be supported. Establish team and data systems, conduct audit, develop plan.

Initial Implementation

Try out the practices, work out details, learn and improve before expanding to other contexts.

Elaboration Expand the program/practices to other locations, individuals, times- adjust from learning in initial implementation.

Continuous Improvement/Regeneration

Make it easier, more efficient. Embed within current practices.

Process for “Quick Sorting” Schools into Categories of Support

Criteria for identifying completion of the stages of Implementation

District

Model Schools

Universal Supports

Model Schools

Targeted/Intensive Supports

Scale-Up Schools

Targeted/Intensive Supports

Scale-Up Schools

Universal Supports

Embedded Stages within Embedded Stages within District Implementation of RtIDistrict Implementation of RtIEmbedded Stages within Embedded Stages within District Implementation of RtIDistrict Implementation of RtI