Infrastructure Necessary for Effective Instruction and Intervention within
an MTSS
47th Annual Leadership ConferencePanama City, FL
July 17, 2014
Pam Sudduth, M.A.Shelby Robertson, Ph.D.
Day 1 Intensive Intervention: Purpose, foci, and implications
Best practices for intensifying Tier 1 core instruction
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Day 3
Day 2 Applying a continuum of support to address high probability and
high intensity barriers to student engagement and learning
Problem-solving necessary to design and implement effective intensive intervention
Planning for Intensive Intervention
Problem-solving around an individual student focusing on technology
Districts That Participated
in All Trainings
Blue=Day 1Yellow=Days 2 and 3Green=All Days
Barriers to Implementation
• Time• Resources (Materials/personnel)• Collaboration• Support• Fidelity/Consistency/Accountability• Lack of knowledge/lack of PD• Buy in• Resistance to change• Infrastructure• Unclear mission/vision• Silos
Support for Implementation
• Support from the top• PD• Examples• Resources• Technical assistance• Strategies• This PD for entire district• Continuation of this PD—Days 4 and 5• A way to document interventions
FoundationSince 2004, Florida has engaged in continuous efforts to determine how systematic problem solving and the RtI framework integrate the various elements of Florida’s education system.
Foundational Beliefs1. Research-based instruction and evidence-based practices
2. Differentiated instruction to meet individual learning needs
3. Reliable, valid, and instructionally relevant assessments
4. Ongoing, systematic problem solving consistently utilized
5. Student data guides meaningful decision making
6. Professional development and follow-up coaching to ensure effective instruction
7. Actively engaged administrative leadership for data-based decision making is inherent to the school culture
8. All stakeholders are part of one proactive and seamless educational system
Critical Elements for Infrastructure
to Implement and Sustain MTSS1. Leadership that connects the MTSS framework district and school
improvement efforts
2. Alignment of policies and procedures across the continuum from state to classroom
3. Utilize a problem-solving process to support planning and implementation of a MTSS
4. Collaborative partnerships with all stakeholders
5. User-friendly data systems for supporting decision-making
6. Coaching supports to assist school team and staff problem-solving efforts
7. Ongoing data-driven professional development that align to student outcomes
8. Communicating outcomes with stakeholders
9. Celebrating success frequently
The Game PlanParticipants will engage in open discussions regarding the critical infrastructure that is necessary to support instruction/intervention design and implementation within a multi-tiered system of support.
systemic supports
effective teaming
roles and responsibilities
resource mapping
Build the Bench
What We Know…
Each district (and school within each district) is unique and has its own “DNA”…
What works in one does not necessarily work in another.
Systemic Supports
A multi‐tiered system of supports involves the systematic use of assessment data to most efficiently allocate resources in order to improve learning for all students.
Catcher
Directs and leads other players in a defensive way
Data, Data, Data
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one
has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
(1859-1930)
Utilizing Data
Data are used to:• Identify students in need of intensive support
Historical data, screening data, EWS• Understand student needs
Diagnostic assessment data, learning scales, Discovery Ed., etc.
• Monitor student progress Progress monitoring data: academic, behavior,
engagement• Evaluate effectiveness of tiered intervention
support Program evaluation data:
Academic, behavior, engagement
Using Data to Understand Student Needs
Every system is perfectly aligned for the results it gets.
~Adapted from The Practice of Adaptive Leadership
Utilizing Data
Data will lead you to the changes you need to make…
Reflection
Are the decision- making processes in your district/school allowing for effective implementation of a MTSS?
What barriers are hindering effective implementation of a MTSS?
Baseball Fielding PositionsPitcher, Catcher, First Baseman, Second Baseman, Third Baseman, Shortstop, Left Fielder, Center Fielder, Right Fielder – Essential to the Game
Effective Teaming
Strong teams are essential to retaining and sustaining teachers.
If a team is effective, then people learn from each other.
Teaming Structures
School-Based Leadership TeamLiteracy Leadership TeamsContent Area TeamsSpecialist Teams
ManagerResponsible for strategy on the field
and team leadership
School Based Leadership Team• Determine and monitor school-wide learning and
development goalsTier 1- Common issues (school-wide, grade-level, teacher
teams and classroom) Consider how to integrate supports with other school-wide intervention
or initiatives and monitor effectiveness.Tier 2- Develop weekly or bi-weekly support lists to identify
groups of student with common needs that require problem-solving to moderate intensity
Tier 3- Monitor effectiveness Determine students that require more intensive individualized problem-
solving and supports (through Specialist Team)• Develop action plans to meet school improvement goals
(e.g., SIP)Allocate the resources needed to fully implement
instructional and intervention plans Manage and coordinate efforts between all school teams
BarriersHigh intensity barrier- • significant impact on
individual student engagement and learning (e.g., small group & individual instruction, DI, aligned with learning needs)
High probability barrier-
• wide-spread or common barriers that impact many students’ engagement and learning (e.g., integrate strategies that support cognitive processing through academic instruction, DI, provide adequate instructional time)
Buckets of BarriersHigh Intensity
InstructionCurriculumEnvironmentLearner
High Probability InstructionCurriculumEnvironmentLearner
Across Multipl
e Domain
s
High Intensity
Instruction Curriculum Environment
Learner
High Probability
Instruction Curriculum Environment
Learner
Tier 3 Barriers
Tiers 1 and 2 Barriers
Multi-faceted needs of students
Teaming Structures
School-Based Leadership TeamLiteracy Leadership TeamsContent Area TeamsSpecialist Teams
Superficial or Authentic?
Pinch Hitter/Runner or Designated Hitter
Skilled players on the team
Literacy Leadership Team (LLT)
The purpose of the Literacy Leadership Team is to create capacity of literacy knowledgeThe team…
Utilizes the problem solving frameworkCommitted to ongoing work outside of regular meeting timesHighly visible, staying connected with each other, the school site and
the communityFocused on manageable initiatives in an effort to enhance student
learningRepresents a cross-section of all members of the school (administrator,
grade level or department representatives, special area teachers, support personnel)
Establishes and adheres to ground rules for meetings (balancing conversation, honoring all ideas, listening, common goals)
Structures work using a literacy planCelebrates success ~Comprehensive Research-Based Reading Plan, Florida DOE
Teaming Structures
School-Based Leadership TeamLiteracy Leadership TeamsContent Area TeamsSpecialist Teams
Superficial or Authentic?
Starting Pitcher
Someone you can count on to get the job done
Content Area TeamsAnalyze student data around the content area goalsImplement instructional and intervention plans with
fidelity to achieve established content area goals Utilize allocated resources Collect and analyze student data to determine
student response to interventionRecommend programming changes to leadership
team as necessaryEngage in professional development which allows
for continuous improvement
Lesson Study
Research shows that…Common team planning time is the single most significant factor in determining the level of implementation and the academic achievement gains shown by teams.
~Teaming With Purpose: Unleashing the Potential (http://education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/lifelonglearning/adolescence/articles/teamingwithpurposeunleashingthepotential/)
"Students will not succeed if faced with a group of teachers whose work together is disjointed, disconnected, or, in some cases, dysfunctional.“
http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin408_a.shtml#sthash.214Ns7uE.dpuf
Teaming Structures
School-Based Leadership TeamLiteracy Leadership TeamsContent Area TeamsSpecialist Teams
Superficial or Authentic?
Relief Pitcher or Left Handed Specialist
Expected to perform for a short period of time – provides the support needed to get the job done
Specialist Teams
Effective intensive intervention planning occurs within collaborative, specialist teams, which include team members with personal knowledge of the student and relevant and specialized academic and behavior expertise.
(related to data analysis, student learning, engagement, curriculum, instruction, technology, and resource allocation)
Specialist TeamsUtilize a problem solving process to identify
barriers and inform the intensity of instruction and set goals
Collect and review ongoing progress monitoring data to evaluate the effectiveness of support
Understand core instructional goals and plan interventions explicitly to support students’ achievement of those goals
Develop action plans (with all stakeholders) to address identified barriers to meeting core goals
Specialist TeamsImplement individualized action plans to
address identified barriers to meeting core goals
Implement intervention plans with fidelityCollect and analyze student data to
determine the student’s response to intervention
Evaluate intervention response (with all stakeholders)
Make adjustments to intervention plans as indicated by the student data
Reflection
Are teams in your school/district superficial or authentic?
Are teams sustainable?
Roles and Responsibilities
UmpiresEnforces the rules of the game and the grounds, makes judgment calls on plays, and handles the disciplinary actions
Roles and ResponsibilitiesThe Role of District Leadership:·Allocate resources ·Support the design of school schedules ·Evaluate the effectiveness of tiered interventions as a whole, and·Provide feedback to schools
The Role of School Leadership:·Design the master schedule ·Allocate sufficient resources ·Monitor the effectiveness of tiered interventions as a whole, and ·Provide feedback to intervention providers and planning teamsThe Role of the Coach:· Guide individuals and teams to build their capacity· Guide the planning and implementation of intensive
interventions · Assist with effective collaboration skills, coaching efficient
problem solving techniques and providing effective continuous professional development.
· Coach on a continuum – scaffold learning approach
Roles and ResponsibilitiesRole of Core Instruction Providers:·Identify high probability and high intensity barriers to student achievement·Plan and implement core instruction ·Collaborate with intervention providers to ensure integration and alignment of instruction and intervention ·Evaluate effectiveness of instruction and interventions·Provide input to SBLT
Role of Intervention Specialist:·Work with core instructional providers to identify barriers to learning and engagement ·Collaborate with core instructional providers to ensure integration and alignment of intervention strategies and supports with core instruction ·Manage the implementation of Tier 3 intervention plans and actively support core instructional providers’ integration of effective intervention strategies and supports·Monitor individual student’s response to intervention and make timely changes to intervention strategies and supports as needed.
Reflection
Is communication and collaboration supported?
Are members of the team(s) building capacity individually?
Resource Mapping
Starting Line Up
The starters are usually the best players on the team
Resource Mapping
What currently is available to achieve goals and address problems?
What else is needed to achieve goals and address problems?
Resource Mapping Analyzes to clarify gaps and recommend
priorities for filling gaps related to programs and services and deploying, redeploying, and enhancing resources
Identifying needs for making infrastructure and systemic improvements and changes
Clarifying opportunities for achieving important functions by forming and enhancing collaborative arrangements
Resource Mapping in Stages
“Who’s Who” and what do they do?List of programs, activities, services,
materials, etc.Map the dollars and related resources
Reflection
How does your school/district effectively map resources?
How can you address barriers to implementing MTSS effectively through resource mapping?
Evaluation of Key Components
Resources
Build Capacity
New Vision
Contact Information
Shelby Robertson, Ph.D.
PS-RtI Project, Learning and Development Facilitator of Mathematics
321-246-6550
Pam Sudduth, M.A.
PS-RtI Project, Learning and Development Facilitator of Literacy
(727) 421-0590