Intervention: Soup to Nuts

Purpose: To provide an overview of effective intervention practices that reliably raise student achievement Process: A presenter-led interactive workshop Payoff: Development of a strong AIS component in your CEP and your school!

Dr. Esther Klein Friedman New York City Department of Education efriedm@schools.nyc.gov

Is there a fire in the house?

Yes! Were IN a literacy crisis:

3,000 students drop out of high school DAILY The most commonly cited reason is that they do not have the literacy skills required by the high school curriculum 8 million students in grades 4-12 are struggling readers: 70% entering grade 9 and 60% in grade 12 are below proficiency 70% of secondary school students require some kind of differentiated instruction

HS students in lowest 25% of their class are 20 TIMES MORE LIKELY to drop out
Only 70% of HS students graduate on time with a regular diploma and this is fewer than 60% for minorities; these numbers are even more drastic for students within special education

About 53% of HS grads enroll in remedial courses in college

How Serious?

In a typical high-poverty urban school, approximately half of incoming ninth-grade students read at a sixth- or seventh-grade level OR BELOW!
(Balfanz et al., 2002)

A Capacity Assessment Tool for Academic Intervention Services

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The 5Ws of Academic Intervention

Who receives AIS? All students achieving below proficiency are entitled to academic and behavioral intervention services In What Areas? Literacy, mathematics, assessed content areas, behavior When and Where? Tier I, II, III supplementary to the foundational program, during the school day (after school can provide remediation, but it does not count for the obligatory AIS for eligible students which must be delivered during the school day) Why? To recover these students academically How? Through the use of scientifically research based treatment options utilizing Response to Intervention/Instruction RTI protocols

What Should Intervention Structures Look Like in a School?

Formation of an intervention team:

These members should be individuals selected for their knowledge base in interventions across a range of areas. This team is separate from the PPT, but may have members who serve on both. A list of team members should be kept in the intervention accountability binder. In some schools, the Inquiry Team has assumed this role. However, the Inquiry Team works to find treatment protocols for groups of students whereas the intervention team determines treatment protocols for individual students (taught individually or in groups). The team should have a team leader responsible for facilitating this group and ensuring that accountability records are maintained: The team leader will typically be the individual who attends professional development in intervention topics and will, in turn, turnkey this information to school administrators, teachers and other relevant staff members.

Building in Time to Think and Plan

What Should Intervention Structures Look Like in a School (2)?

The team holds regularly scheduled meetings to discuss struggling students. Sign-in forms maintained for these meetings kept in intervention binder. The team, with other staff, determines all ais eligible students based on assessment results and creates data rosters identifying level 1 and 2 students.

The team discusses several students at each meeting in a case-study format and determines assessment needs, provides diagnostic information based on assessments, determines suitable treatments at relevant tier, as well as the frequency, duration and span of these treatments (in other words, creates assessment and treatment plans).
The team determines appropriate points for temperature checks (RTI protocol) to determine if treatments are effective, including frequency and dates that temperature checks should take place.

The team puts in place a plan for completion of PIPs (or other accountability document) to show that targeted students, especially holdovers, receive particular attention vis a vis intervention needs.
The team establishes parent involvement protocols (at a minimum this must involve a startup letter at initiation of service each year and an exit letter when ais is terminated). The team has a continuous focus on building its own capacity and that of the schools in meeting the needs of struggling students.

What Should Intervention Structures Look Like in a School (3)?

The Intervention Teams Work

The team will establish their meeting calendar for the school year. The team will maintain notes and planning docs of students discussed. The team, with other relevant staff members, will develop a package of useful assessments (i.e., use of writing samples, Roswell-Chall, Slosson, IRI(s), etc.) to add to the Intervention Toolkit. The team, with other relevant staff members, will utilize and build up the School Intervention Toolkit of scientifically-research-based treatments targeted to individual student needs. In conjunction with administration and based on team and teacher needs, professional development will be planned, procured and provided to build capacity in intervention-related topics. A timeline will be created for each child on teams roster (i.e., assessments to be completed by end of September; Great Leaps instituted for students with fluency needs by October 15th, temperature check by February 1st, etc.) The team manages the response to intervention (RtI) structure

What is Response to Intervention?

Think of a medical model. If you go to the doctor with a medical problem, s/he will typically perform some assessments (from less to more extreme as the need presents itself). Based on the assessment results, s/he will prescribe some medication or other treatment. S/he will set a point at which you will come back for a check-up to see if the treatment is working and/or has not harmed you. If the treatment is successful, s/he will decide whether or not and for how long to continue it. If the treatment is not successful, s/he will determine whether to try a bit longer or if a new treatment is warranted and decide when to check again.

Response to Intervention (RTI)

The geranium on the windowsill just died, but teacher you went right on.

I know I taught it, but did they learn it?

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The Multi-Tiered Model

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The Road To or Away From Special Education Placement Tier I: Takes place in the classroom and is provided by the classroom teacher. It is typically embedded in the lesson architecture. (Intervention begins in the mini-lesson.) Tier II: Is provided as a push-in or pull-out service by a specialist in the intervention area (i.e., a reading or math intervention specialist). More intensive than Tier I. Tier III: Much more intensive service, including special education services. Remember that placement in the special education class does not constitute ais provision. This is the most intensive level of service.

The Three Tiers

The number of tiers is arbitrary. Some experts delineate other multi-tiered systems (i.e., Shanahans 9-tier structure). The road between the tiers is paved by RTI results.

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RTI in schools

Typically, tier I treatment goes on for a while. If it does not appear to work, the child is referred to the intervention team for discussion and possible referral to tier II services.

The team makes recommendations for assessment and subsequently for treatment. A temperature check date is determined. Typically these might come in 10-week cycles, but can be more or less frequent depending on the type of intervention. (Some interventions work more quickly than others; some students respond more quickly than others.)

The challenge: Who will do Tier II in small schools where staffing is intrinsically more limited?

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Consider problem solving model vs. standard protocol model

One Example of RTI: Torgesens Decision Tree

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The Hoops Before Tier III

One of the definitions of disability in NYS is a lack of response to scientifically-validated interventions. However, these have to be good ones and lack of RTI would have to be proven prior to entry into Tier III. More and more, referral to special education will have to be backed up by solid data regarding RTI for any student, especially by 2012 in NYS. (See NYSED memo) RTI is the remedy for Matthew Effects!

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Matthew Effects
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Each year that children are lagging in achievement creates a greater and greater gap between them and their grade-level peers. Think of this phenomenon with over-age, under-credited, AND severely academically delayed students Where do you start? [Its all about teacher capacity.] And worry about Tatums acute angle:

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How Will I Know Its Working?

Formative and summative assessment data Targeted assessments

Relevant to the areas you are treating How often?

And remember: Insanity can be defined as repeating the same behavior over and over even though it is evident that it is not working.

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A Suggested Battery of Assessments to Determine Literacy Needs

Conversation Sample Writing Sample General Screening Tool(s) Phonics Assessment (Phonological Awareness/Auditory Discrimination Assessments IF indicated) Graded Word List (yielding standardized score) IRI (only make your own if you know you can) Fluency Measure (use your IRI and a timer) Listening Comprehension Measure (use your IRI)

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So What Do We Actually Use For The Treatment?

We develop the schools toolkit targeted and evidenced based, please!

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Treatment

Develop an intervention toolkit customized to your needs and your capacity. (See sample of Intervention Toolkit in your packet.) Consider the targeted nature of assessment and treatment Use treatments that are (really) research based Think about the individuals response to intervention/instruction (RTI2) Build up inventory of tools such as hi-lo materials and assistive technology tools Build up schoolwide use of specific methods strategies

i.e., a small set of comprehension strategies used across subjects (where and when appropriate) i.e., use of Rewards syllable looping strategy when confronting challenging multisyllabic words i.e., use of a repeated reading strategy for complex text

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Think of it as a living document that allows for change Build intervention on top of your base program intervention will not be effective if the foundational curriculum and instruction is inadequate.

For Example, A Continuum of Literacy Interventions for At-risk Readers from Least Intensive to Most Intensive
Wilson Reading Program (intensive multi-sensory decoding) or other OrtonGillingham-type system (for most intensive needs) from 60 to 90 minutes to two hours per day

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Rewards Program (higher-level mini-course in phonics) or other structural analysis program

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Great Leaps or Soliloquy or Focus on Fluency or Read Naturally or Quick Reads or Method of Repeated Readings (fluency building programs)

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Intensive Comprehension Strategies (Archer, Deshler, Beer, Raphael, etc.), including those embedded in programs such as Read 180/AMP/Jamestown Reading Navigator/Ramp-Up which focus on comprehension strategy instruction and vocabulary acquisition strategies)
Some of these strategies are also embedded in mini-lessons in the base developmental program

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BASE DEVELOPMENTAL PROGRAM FOR ALL STUDENTS: COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY PROGRAM INCLUDING READERS AND WRITERS WORKSHOP (Look here first when you identify an at-risk student.)

Example of Treatment: Fluency

Definition: Speed Accuracy Prosody Huge correlation between the fluency & comprehension (.85-.92!) How to assess:

If you observe dysfluent reading, then assess WCPM in 60 seconds with an independent- or instructional-level piece of text as per benchmark (such as Hasbrouk-Tindale norms); or use DIBELS 60-second fluency measure (https://dibels.uoregon.edu/ -scroll down to free downloads option in sidebar)

Research Base: Method of repeated readings How to teach:

No Cost Option: Method of repeated readings; readers theater; shared reading For-Cost Option - Paper: Great Leaps; Quick Reads; Six Minute Solutions For-Cost Option - Tech: Focus on Fluency; Read Naturally; Reading Assistant

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Progress Monitoring: Occurs at each sitting Relevant Tiers: (I,) II, III (same product can be used in each, but must be more
intensive as you move up the tiers

Example of Treatment: Comprehension

(A Few Strategies You Should Expect To See)

Self-questioning Strategies

ReQuest QAR Story Grammars KWL Venn Diagrams Story Mapping

Text Structure Strategies

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Since you would expect to see these strategies in your foundational program, what ramps these up to become interventions?

A Self-Questioning Strategy: Request

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A Self-Questioning Strategy: QAR

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A Self-Questioning Strategy: Story Grammar

Who is the story about? Where/when does the story take place? Wants?

Someone?

What is a problem in the story?

But?

How is the problem solved?

So?

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A Self-Questioning Strategy: Story Grammar

Who is the story about? Where/when does the story take place? Wants?

Someone?

What is a problem in the story?

But?

How is the problem solved?

So?

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A Self-Questioning Strategy: KWL

What do you What do you know about ___? want to find out? What did you learn?

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A Text Structure Support: The Venn Diagram

mammals

plants

reptiles

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A Text Structure Support: The Story Map

First,

Then,
Then, At the end.
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The Goal of It All Being: Automaticity

Achieved through direct instruction in a gradual release of responsibility model: I do it We do it You do it together You do it
as per Fisher & Frey; As per Pearson)

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Question: How many strategies that your teachers use do you see your students use on their own when they need them (and in the correct context)?

When Are You Done With AIS?

When student hits grade level? Do you trust your base program to pick up from there? What if you let go too soon? What if you hold on too long? Consider a weaning off process, PALS, periodic follow-up consultation with student and teacher. What are some ways to track academically fragile students who have exited from AIS

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In Ongoing Capacity Building, Refer to the Big Buzz Documents and Organizations

Reading Next (Alliance for Excellent Education) Writing Next (Alliance for Excellent Education) Content Area Literacy (Alliance for Excellent Education) Florida Center for Reading Research What Works Clearinghouse Best Evidence Encyclopedia IES The research literature Ask Esther for scores of others

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Reading Next
Fifteen recommendations to guide literacy reform: a need-to-know document

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What Choices Do We Have?

The Fifteen Elements of Effective Literacy Programs

Instructional Improvements
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Infrastructure Improvements
10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

Direct, explicit comprehension instruction Effective instructional principles embedded in content Motivation and self-directed learning Text-based collaborative learning Strategic tutoring Diverse texts Intensive writing A technology component Ongoing formative assessment of students

Extended time for literacy Professional development Ongoing summative assessment of students and programs Teacher teams Leadership A comprehensive and coordinated literacy program

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Alliance for Excellent Education

What is the Solution?

Finding the right mix of strategies

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When Creating Your Ideal Mix Remember This

15 3 = 0
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What is the Role of Interventionists?

Capacity assessment and capacity building. Building your toolkit. Developing an RTI mindset for yourself, your team and your school. Determine what you need to know and determine how to learn it. (A peer, a mentor, a conference, an article, a book, a course, etc.) How much do you know about how good a doctor you are?

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What To Do When You Get Less Than Expected Progress: Treatment Resisters Consider: MATCH of instruction QUALITY of program and instruction FIDELITY to the instructional protocol INTENSITY of instruction DURATION of instruction

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Ask: Does our school have a system of more and more intensive interventions for students who need them? Are students moving back and forth across the continuum of intensity?

Appendix 1: Academic Intervention Services (AIS) Summary Form

New York State Education Department (SED) requirement for all schools

Identify groups of students who have been targeted for AIS, and the established criteria for identification:

Students in Grades K 3 who are considered at-risk for not meeting State standards as determined by their performance on ECLAS 2 or other identified assessments, or who have been identified as potential holdovers. Students in Grades 4 8 who are performing at Level 1 or Level 2 on New York State English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies assessments. Students in Grade 9 who performed at Level 1 or Level 2 on NYS Grade 8 ELA, mathematics, science, and social studies assessments. Students in Grades 10 12 who scored below the approved passing grade on any Regents examination required for graduation in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Refer to your CEP template for useful guidance.

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Resources: Handouts & Web Sites

Workshop PowerPoint NYSED Guidelines for AIS RTI NYSED Memos Literacy and Mathematics Toolkits Web Sites

NYCDOE AIS: http://schools.nyc.gov/StudentSupport/AcademicInterventionServices/defa ult.htm Florida Center for Reading Research: www.fcrr.org What Works Clearinghouse: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ Best Evidence Encyclopedia (BEE): http://www.bestevidence.org/index.cfm Alliance for Excellent Education: www.all4ed.org

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Q and A
Ask now or later.

efriedm@schools.nyc.gov ef2192@nyu.edu
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