Baylor School District Response to Intervention Plan for the 2011-2012 School Year

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a school-wide model of student support. The foundation of RTI in any school is strong core instruction happening in all classrooms. The school also uses screening data to identify students who need additional intervention assistance. The school then designs specific intervention plans for those at-risk students to meet their learning needs and monitors their intervention progress. All interventions used under RTI should be ‘research-based’: shown through rigorous research to be effective in school settings.

This document describes the RTI plan currently in place in the Baylor School District. The district intends to use RTI to better support students in general-education classrooms who are struggling with academic and/or behavior problems. Additionally, the Baylor School District is applying the RTI model to improve special education services.

During the current (2011-2012) school year, the district is focusing its RTI model in our elementary schools to address student reading difficulties in grades K-4. This K-4 reading focus is the subject of the current RTI plan.

In the 2012-2013 school year, the district plans to extend the RTI reading model to cover grades 5 and 6, and will introduce RTI for math in grades K-6. In the 2013-2014 school year, the middle school (grades 7-8) and high school (grades 9-12) will adopt the RTI model. Additionally, the elementary schools will extend the RTI model in 2013-2014 to cover student behavior and social-emotional development.

Tier 1 Core Instruction

All elementary schools in the Baylor School District use the Reading Mastery Signature Edition (SRA/McGraw Hill) as a core instructional reading program. Reading instruction is provided in a daily 90-minute uninterrupted block. The district has defined as a cutpoint for adequate core instruction in literacy that at least 80 percent of students at each grade level will attain the benchmarks on the DIBELS Next school-wide screenings that are conducted 3 times per year (Fall, Winter, Spring).

Tier 1 General-Education Classroom Intervention

Tier 1 (classroom) interventions are provided by the classroom teacher to those students who need additional support during core instruction.

Tier 1: Process for Planning Interventions. Teachers have two alternative ways to meet with colleagues to plan Tier 1 classroom interventions and to schedule follow-up meetings to evaluate student progress:

Consultant. The school district has compiled a list of consultants in each schoolwho are available to meet with individual teachers or grade-level teams to help them to create and to document an intervention plan.

Grade-Level Team. Teachers can bring students to their regularly-scheduled grade-level, instructional, or department teams to conduct intervention-planning meetings with their instructional colleagues.

Tier 1: Cut-Points/Entrance Criteria. Teachers are encouraged to provide Tier 1 interventions to any student who, in their judgment, appears to need sustained extra assistance to master core instructional material. At minimum, however, it is an expectation that teachers will provide Tier 1 interventions to those students who:

Are failing a class, course, or subject area.
Are receiving Tier 2 or Tier 3 supplemental intervention services.
Are being considered for possible grade-retention.

Tier 1: Scheduling.Tier 1 interventions are typically provided during core instruction. Therefore, Tier 1 reading interventions are provided during the uninterrupted block of reading instruction in place in all of the elementary classrooms.

Tier 1: Intervention Programs/Strategies. Baylor School District has provided classroom staff with a collection of RTI interventions for used in assembling their Tier 1 intervention plans that contains research-based strategies in reading, math, writing, and behavior management.In addition, teachers are encouraged to consult the table Tiers 1-3: Internet Sources for Research-Based Interventionson page12 of this planfor additional district-approved internet sources of quality research-based intervention ideas.

Tier 1: Group Size: Student groups for Tier 1 interventions are limited to up to5 students.

Tier 1: Length of the Intervention: Tier 1 interventions will be implemented for 4 to 8 instructional weeks.

Tier 1: Progress-Monitoring: Tools. Teachers are encouraged to use DIBELS Next measures to monitor Tier 1 interventions in reading. A listing of additional tools appropriate for classroom progress-monitoring for a variety of student concerns appears on page 8 of this plan in the table Methods to Monitor Tier 1 (Classroom) Interventions.

Tier 1: Progress-Monitoring: Frequency. Tier 1 interventions are monitored at least weekly to allow the teacher to judge quickly whether interventions are effective or should be changed.

Tier 1: Progress-Monitoring: Adequate Progress. Adequate progress will be defined as the student reaching or exceeding the intervention outcome goal set by the teacher. If the teacher is using DIBELS Next progress-monitoring measures at Tier 1, she or he will also use DIBELS Next performance norms to set ambitious goals for student progress. If the teacher uses classroom progress-monitoring methods other than DIBELS Next, the teacher will use expert judgment to calculate student goals.

Tier 1: Procedures for Changing the Intervention: If, at the end of a Tier 1 intervention, the teacher finds that the student has made insufficient progress toward the intervention goal, the teacher will modify or replace the intervention. In addition, the teacher has the option to refer a student who is non-responsive to Tier 1 interventions for additional RTI support by filling out the RTI Request for Assistance form (which appears on page 13 of this plan) and submitting it to the designated school RTI Contact. (NOTE: In Baylor School District's elementary schools, the RTI Contact is the school psychologist.) The classroom teacher continues to provide Tier 1 intervention for students who are placed in interventions at Tier 2 or 3.

Tier 2Supplemental Intervention

Tier 2 (supplemental) interventions are provided outside of core instruction by classroom teachers, reading teachers, and other staff. Typically, Tier 2 interventions are group-based, use evidence-based intervention programs, and are evaluated periodically to ensure that students are making adequate progress. Tier 2 interventions follow the standard-protocol model; in which students are grouped according to a shared intervention need and assigned to research-based intervention programs that address that need.

Tier 2: Process for Planning Interventions. Each of the elementary schools in the Baylor School District has established a Data Analysis Team (DAT) at Tier 2. It is the Data Analysis Team's responsibility to meet with grade-level teams soon after each of the three school-wide DIBELS Next screenings (fall, winter, spring). At those meetings, the DAT and grade-level teachersevaluate the screening data and place students found to be at risk into appropriate Tier 2 interventions.

The membership of the Data Analysis Team is determined by each building. As a group, the DAT should have a skillset that includes being:

knowledgeable of all intervention personnel and evidence-based programs available for Tier 2 interventions.
able to identify students who have failed to meet expected screening benchmarks
skilled in using the benchmarks to estimate the risk for academic failure of each student picked up in the screening
able to match identified students to appropriate interventions while providing students with sufficient instructional support.
ready to document the Tier 2 intervention set up for each student

The Data Analysis Team also meets at least once between each screening period to review the progress of students currently on Tier 2 intervention, to apply screening benchmarks, and to decide for each student whether to maintain the current intervention, change the Tier 2 intervention, move the student up to more intensive Tier 3 intervention, or (if improved) discontinue the Tier 2 intervention and transition the student down to Tier 1 (classroom) support alone.

Tier 2: Cut-Points/Entrance Criteria.The Baylor School District has developed cut-points at each grade level to determine student eligibility for Tier 2 services using school-wide screening tools and the New York State Assessments (if applicable for that grade level). See the cut-points developed for each grade level in the section Grade-Level Cut-Points for Tier 2/3 Services appearing on pages 17-18 of this plan.

Tier 2: Scheduling. Tier 2 interventions are considered to be supplemental and therefore must occur outside of core instruction. All elementary schools in the Baylor School District have set aside a daily 30-minute 'intervention block' at each grade level when Tier 2 RTI services are provided. All classrooms at a grade-level share the same intervention block; this allows at least one teacher at each grade level to run a Tier 2 intervention group of up to 5 students while that teacher'sremaining students go to other classrooms to take part in various review activities. Additionally, the intervention blocks between grade levels do not overlap, permitting building-level reading teachers to provide push-in or pull-out Tier 2 RTI services at each grade level.

Tier 2: Intervention Programs/Strategies. Intervention programs appropriate for Tier 2 are those that have research evidence of their effectiveness. The table Tier 2/3 Intervention Programs at a Glance appearing on page 15 of this planpresents a list of the current evidence-based programs available at our elementary schools to support reading interventions.

Tier 2: Group Size: Student groups for Tier 2 interventions are limited to up to 5 students.

Tier 2: Frequency and Length of the Intervention: Tier 2 interventions are implemented for 6 to 8 instructional weeks. At minimum, Tier 2 interventions are delivered in 30-minute sessions, 3 days per week but may meet for longer sessions or more frequently depending on student need and availability of intervention staff.

Tier 2: Intervention Integrity: The quality, or integrity, of Tier 2 interventions will be measured as follows: 1. The Tier 2 provider will self-evaluate the quality of the intervention at least weekly, and 2. The Tier 2 provider will keep a contact log detailing the number of intervention sessions the student actually attends. This intervention integrity information will be collected and stored for future access as needed.

Tier 2: Progress-Monitoring: Tools. Intervention providers at Tier 2 will monitor students using the DIBELS Next progress-monitoring materials that match the reading component(s) addressed in the intervention program. The intervention provider also has the discretion to select additional monitoring tools to track student progress.

Tier 2: Progress-Monitoring: Frequency. The progress of student on Tier 2 interventions is monitored at least twice per month.

Tier 2: Progress-Monitoring: Adequate Progress. Goals for student progress on reading interventions will be derived from the DIBELS Next benchmarks. Adequate progress at Tier 2 will be defined as the student reaching or exceeding the intervention outcome goal by the end of the intervention period.

Tier 2: Procedures for Changing the Intervention:The Data Analysis Team (DAT) will meet at least 5 times per year (after each of 3 school-wide screenings, and once each between the fall/winter and winter/spring screenings). During each of these check-up meetings, the DAT will review students' (1) performance in comparison to the grade-level DIBELS Next benchmarks and (2) progress toward their own Tier 2 intervention goals. Based on this analysis ofa particular student's data, the DAT will decide whether to continue the current intervention without change, modify the current intervention, refer the non-responding student for more intensive Tier 3 services, or exit the successful student down to Tier 1 (classroom) support and discontinue Tier 2 intervention. If the student is to be referred for more intensive Tier 3 support, the DAT will fill out the RTI Request for Assistance form and submit it to the designated school RTI Contact. (NOTE: In Baylor School District's elementary schools, the RTI Contact is the school psychologist.)

Tier 3Intensive Intervention

Tier 3 (intensive) interventions are provided outside of core instruction by reading teachers and other staff. Tier 3 intervention plans are developed using the problem-solving model, in which a particular student's unique intervention needs are analyzed and a customized intervention program is developed to match that student's needs. Typically, Tier 3 intervention plans are delivered individually or in small groups, consist of research-based elements, and are evaluated periodically to ensure that students are making adequate progress.

Tier 3: Process for Planning Interventions. At each school, an RTI Problem-Solving Team ('RTI Team') has been established to hold intervention-planning meetings for individual students who have not responded to lesser levels of intervention. The RTI Team is multi-disciplinary, made up of both teachers and support staff. The RTI Team:

follows a consistent, structured problem-solving model during its meetings.
schedules initial meetings to discuss student concerns and follow-up meetings to review student progress and judge whether the intervention plan is effective.
develops written intervention plans with sufficient detail to ensure that the intervention is implemented with fidelity across settings and people.
builds an ‘intervention bank’ of research-based intervention ideas for common student academic and behavioral concerns.

Tier 3: Cut-Points/Entrance Criteria.The Baylor School District RTI Teamshaveset clear guidelines for when to accept a Tier 3 student referral. The RTI Team reserves its meetings for any student with serious academic and/or behavioral challenges that has failed previously to make appropriate progress with Tier 1 (classroom) and Tier 2 (supplemental) intervention services. While in general, the RTI Team requires that students first receive Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports before being considered for Tier 3, the team also has discretion to accept student referrals in an expedited manner if there are unique circumstances that demand urgency (e.g., a student who transfers into the school with large academic-skill deficits and a poorly documented school history). To help to determine if a student should be accepted for Tier 3 intervention support, the RTI Team also will consult the school-wide screening cut-points developed for each grade level that appears on pages 17-18 of this plan in the section Grade-Level Cut-Points for Tier 2/3 Services.

Tier 3: Scheduling. Tier 3 interventions are supplemental and therefore must occur outside of core instruction. All elementary schools in the Baylor School District have set aside a daily 30-minute 'intervention block' at each grade level when Tier 3 RTI services can be provided.

Tier 3: Intervention Programs/Strategies. Because Tier 3 intervention plans are customized to the student's needs, a single planmay contain several intervention strategies or programs. However, any of the elements included in a Tier 3 intervention plan should have research evidence to support their effectiveness. The table Tier 2/3 Intervention Programs at a Glance appearing on page 15 of this plan presents a list of the current evidence-based programs available at our elementary schools to support reading interventions.

Tier 3: Group Size: Student groups for intensive Tier 3 interventions are limited to up to 2 students.

Tier 3: Frequency and Length of the Intervention: Tier 3 interventions are implemented for 6 to 8 instructional weeks. At minimum, Tier 3 interventions are delivered in 30-minute sessions, 4-5 days per week but may meet for longer sessions depending on student need and availability of intervention staff.

Tier 3: Intervention Integrity: The quality, or integrity, of Tier 3 interventions will be measured as follows: 1. The Tier 3 provider will self-evaluate the quality of the intervention at least weekly; 2. The Tier 3 provider will keep a contact log detailing the number of intervention sessions the student actually attends; and 3. a designated person at the school will conduct a structured observation of the Tier 3 intervention at least twice during the intervention timespan and give feedback to the Tier 3 provider about the quality with which that intervention is carried out. This intervention integrity information will be collected and stored for future access as needed.

Tier 3: Progress-Monitoring: Tools. Intervention providers at Tier 3 will monitor students using the DIBELS Next progress-monitoring materials that match the reading component(s) addressed in the intervention program. The intervention provider also has the discretion to select additional monitoring tools to track student progress.

Tier 3: Progress-Monitoring: Frequency. The progress of student on Tier 3 interventions is monitored at least weekly.

Tier 3: Progress-Monitoring: Adequate Progress. Goals for student progress on reading interventions will be derived from the DIBELS Next benchmarks. Adequate progress at Tier 3 will be defined as the student reaching or exceeding the intervention outcome goal by the end of the intervention period.

Tier 3: Procedures for Changing the Intervention: The RTI Problem-Solving Team will meet to review the progress of any student on Tier 3 intervention at intervals of 6-8 instructional weeks. During each of these check-up meetings, the RTI Team will review students' (1) performance in comparison to the grade-level DIBELS Next benchmarks and (2) progress toward their own Tier 3 intervention goals. Based on this analysis of a particular student's data, the RTI Team will decide whether to continue the current intervention without change, modify the current intervention, refer the non-responding student for possible special-education services, or exit the successful student down to Tier 2 (supplemental) or Tier 1 (classroom) support and discontinue Tier 3 intervention.

School-Wide Screening Tools

The Baylor School District has adopted the DIBELS Next literacy screening tools to collect universal academic screening data.These literacy screenings are conductedthree times per year— in fall, winter, and spring. Each school shares that screening data with classroom teachers to help them to adjust their instructional practices. Additionally, the school uses academic screening data to determine which students are performing below academic expectations and will require additional Tier 2/3 intervention services. Ultimately, this universal screening information can help our schools to better allocate instructional and intervention resources to the appropriate grade levels or pockets of struggling students. A listing of the DIBELS Next literacy screening tools by reading component and grade level appears on page 16 of this plan.