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

srobertson@usf.edu

321-246-6550

Pam Sudduth, M.A.

PS-RtI Project, Learning and Development Facilitator of Literacy

psudduth@usf.edu

(727) 421-0590