The RTI Action Network shares a video of a high school principal, Jay Engein, addressing the challenges of implementing RTI at the high school level.  You mary also want to visit Tigard High School in Portland, Oregon, to see how RTI is being implemented at the high school level.   

In addition, the network makes available several resources for secondary students and their teachers, including information for screening for reading problems in grades 4-12.  

The National Center on Response to Intervention offers a webinar on Resources for RTI at the Secondary Level with a follow-up webinar answering questions generated by the original participants. There is also a handout that identifies organizations and resources especially valuable for the implementation of RtI at the secondary level.  

ASCD also provides a short video on RTI at the secondary level, featuring Margaret Searle, author of What Every School Leader Need to Know about RTI. 

What Every School Leader Needs to Know about RTI 

• Where should we start?
• Where do I find research-based interventions?
• What's a pyramid of interventions and who can show me what to put in the tiers?
• If this means more testing, how are we going to have any time to teach?
• How is this whole thing going to work without killing us?

RTI Continues to Improve Student Achievement, Student Behavior and a System

The foundational blocks of grade-level meetings at East Sac County Elementary (ESCE) include: solid core instruction, universal screening data, time to review data and collaboration. This is the process ESC uses to respond to the needs of all students. We are starting our sixth year of conducting grade level meetings at ESCE and have accomplished a great deal. Improvements made to our meeting structure and our system have been nothing short of exceptional. Results have been seen in our students and staff. Mike Fischer, ESCE principal for the last five years, stated, "Through the outstanding efforts of the entire teaching staff, support staff, local AEA staff and students, we have seen increased student achievement and an enhanced learning environment."

East Sac County Elementary uses a 3-Tier Model as a response to intervention framework providing support for all students. At the foundation of our RTI system is effective core instruction that is grounded in research-based reading, math and behavior strategies. We screen our students three times per year (Fall, Winter, Spring) using the CBM, BRI fluency/comprehension inventory and the Phonological Awareness Test 2. Students that are identified at the Tier II level or need additional support are assisted in a small group setting. Students identified at the Tier III level are met one-on-one. The foundation of this process is not solely focused on increased student scores, but on the student's ability to become a life-long learner.

The administration at East Sac County Elementary believes so strongly in the impact of grade level team has had on the student achievement and culture of the system that it has committed to hiring two substitute teachers bi-weekly. These substitute teachers move from room to room, freeing up grade level teachers to meet with the principal, counselor, AEA Special Education consultant, AEA Behavior Consultant, Title 1, Special Ed, and At-Risk instructors. The schedule for the day is set around the most optimal time for each grade level to meet. Teachers do not miss prep periods or lunch hours. There is an attempt to adhere to the schedule, but flexibility among the staff allows for special circumstances. Once the schedule is set up, it is usually followed throughout the school year. Each grade level meeting can last anywhere from 30-45 minutes, depending upon student needs and group collaboration.

This collaborative team approach to analyzing student data promotes a shared responsibility in providing a meaningful and specific intervention for all students that need assistance. The grade level meeting process continues to provide valuable information about every student. The grade level team analyzes and collaborates about student data and progress. Some students make necessary gains in the classroom and some need extra assistance, but NO student will slip through this process if there is an identified need.

The process continues to evolve and in the 2009 - 2010 school year behavior data and collaboration were added to our grade level meetings.  At ESCE we implement School-Wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This systems approach to meeting the behavior needs of all students has meshed nicely with the RTI process we use for academics. All students are taught core behavior expectations for every location in our buildings.   Behavior data is collected and monitored by the Universal, Tier 2 and Tier 3 PBIS teams. These teams created data decision guidelines determining when a student requires a Tier 2 or Tier 3 behavior intervention. The Tier 2 team also worked to create behavior interventions that are easily accessible to all students and efficiently managed by the teaching staff.   Once a student is identified, a Tier 2 behavior intervention is implemented within 2 days.   Currently, we are planning to implement a universal screening for behavior disorders. This screener will ensure that we are screening all students, even students who exhibit internalizing behaviors, for an identified need of a Tier 2 or Tier 3 behavior intervention. The Grade Level Team works collaboratively with the PBIS team using behavior data to identify students with behavior issues and develop interventions to create a positive climate where learning can take place.

The grade-level team has recognized the importance of our early childhood program. Therefore, we are planning to expand collaboration time to include data from our four-year old preschool program and prekindergarten program. It is our hope that this information will provide valuable academic and behavior data to give students assistance even earlier in their educational experience.

In addition to assisting students, we now have five years of data, and are starting to be able to use this information to make system changes and look at trends. We presently have two elementary buildings in two different communities that create difficulties. As a result of grade level team meetings we have increased collaboration by grade level teachers within the district.  

Fortunately, compelling evidence shows that Response to Intervention (RTI) is our best hope for giving every student the additional time and support needed to learn at high levels (Burn, Appleton, & Stehouwer, 2005). So what is next? At ESC we will continue to look at academic and behavior data at grade level meetings to determine the most innovative additions we can integrate into current system.

Iowa ASCD thanks Mike Fischer, Becky Halbur, and Mary Ann Peters for sharing with The Source.  If you would like to feature your "School on the Move," please contact Lou Howell. 

Screening is conducted to identify or predict students who may be at risk for poor learning outcomes. Universal screening tests are typically brief, conducted with all students at a grade level, and followed by additional testing or short-term progress monitoring to corroborate students' risk status.

In screening, attention should focus on fidelity of implementation and selection of evidence-based tools, with consideration for cultural and linguistic responsiveness and recognition of student strengths.

The National Center on Response to Intervention offers The Screening Tools Chart to assist educators and families in becoming informed consumers who can select screening tools that best meet their individual needs.   

The Center's Technical Review Committee (TRC) on Screening independently established a set of criteria for evaluating the scientific rigor of screening tools. The TRC rated each submitted tool against these criteria but did not compare it to other tools on the chart.

The presence of a particular tool on the chart does not constitute endorsement and should not be viewed as a recommendation from either the TRC on Screening or the National Center on RTI. Please note that all submissions to the TRC review process were voluntary.

Other charts provided by the National Center on RTI include Progress Monitoring and Instructional Intervention Tools. 

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) offers a Primer for Parents.  This article shares with families the essential components of RTI as well as descriptions of key terms and how parents can be involved in the RTI process. 

The University of Texas provides several resources for parents in both English and Spanish that help build RTI capacity, including Dr. Pamela Bell's article on "Response to Intervention, What Parents Want to Know."   

Students struggling with mathematics may benefit from early interventions aimed at improving their mathematics ability and ultimately preventing subsequent failure.

The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) published this practice guide, providing eight specific recommendations intended to help teachers, principals, and school administrators use Response to Intervention (RtI) to identify students who need assistance in mathematics and to address the needs of these students through focused interventions.

The guide provides suggestions on how to carry out each  recommendation and explains how educators can overcome potential roadblocks to implementing the recommendations.

Each recommendation also receives a rating based on the strength of the research evidence that has shown the effectiveness of a recommendation.

This study guide is designed to enhance your understanding and application of the information contained in Enhancing RTI, an ASCD book written by Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey, published in May 2010, and featured at the Iowa ASCD Fall Institute last Thursday. 

You can use the study guide before or after you have read the book, or as you finish each chapter. The study questions provided are not meant to cover all aspects of the book but, rather, to address specific ideas that might warrant further reflection.

Most of the questions contained in this study guide are ones you can think about on your own, but you might consider pairing with a colleague or forming a study group with others who have read (or are reading) Enhancing RTI.

Sample questions from Chapter 1: Choose Your Adventure

• How do you explain the human learning process?  Consider the various theories you have been exposed to and discuss your own philosophy.
• Think about your experiences with each of the three learning environments presented as options for Adam. Describe your personal or professional experiences with each.
• Identify a student in need of additional help, and talk with colleagues about assessments that can guide your instruction and intervention.
• Using a Venn diagram, compare and contrast RTI and RTI2. What additional benefits does a focus on instruction offer a school system?
• Audit your school or district prereferral process, and identify areas that need improvement.

Iowa ASCD is the source for developing instructional leadership. Serving more than 775 educators - teachers, principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, technology specialists, college professors, AEA staff - Iowa ASCD strives to develop the collaborative capacity to impact the learning of each and every student in Iowa.