Introduction to Oregon’s RTI Initiative Application/Needs Assessment
Completing the Application (Please Read)
Please review the important information presented in this introduction thoroughly and then complete the two sections of the application that follow. Please type your answers in the boxes in the application/needs assessment. We recommend allocating one to two hours of word processing time to complete this application. Additional time will be necessary for the collection of evidence. For a large district this may be four to five hours, for smaller districts allocate one to two hours. While one or two people may complete the document, it is critical that a district team discuss and review the commitments and requirements of participation in Oregon’s Response to Intervention (RTI) initiative.
Please be sure to note the signature pages 20 and 21 of this application/needs assessment.
Before proceeding, please note that participation in Oregon’s RTI Initiative may require substantial changes to current operating procedure. The existence of (or demonstrated plan to incorporate) the following components, are considered fundamental requirements for participating districts:
A. Research based core reading program
B. Reading Universal Screening/Progress Monitoring tool (such as DIBELS, AIMSweb, easyCBM)
C. A ninety (90) minute reading block --writing instruction conducted separately
Part 1
1. What is Oregon RTI?
Oregon’s Response to Intervention initiative, sponsored by ODE since 2005, provides intensive training and resources to Oregon school districts. Training is focused on systems requirements, including multi-tiered instruction, teaming, data-based decision making, and using the RTI approach to identify students with learning disabilities.
Participating districts apply and are accepted to take part inOregon’s RTI initiativebased on the district’s willingness and readiness for a district-wide move toward a Response to Intervention system. All districts that apply will receive some level of technical support to move toward a Response to Intervention system. Districts receiving the full level of support will receive funding, training materials, conference style training and on-site coaching for a maximum of five years.
2. What does a district need to know about the application process?
A. Timeline
The Application/Needs Assessment is due to Oregon Department of Education by May 20th 2011.
Once districts are accepted they will need to plan for trainings during the 2011-2012 school year.
- Fall 2011training:2 days in late September/early October (specific dates TBA and location)
All District team members (typically 5 to 10 people) will be required to attend. Team members include (Curriculum and Instruction Director, Special Education Director, all elementary principals, selected coaches and specialists, selected classroom teachers)
- Additional 2011-2012 training 2 days (specific dates and location TBA)
All District team members will be required to attend
- Spring 2012 training: (specific date and topic TBA)
Oregon RTI will provide a spring conference for all districts within the project. The topic of this conference will be based upon feedback and input from districts.
B. Purpose of Application/Needs Assessment
This Application/Needs Assessment is designed to assist school districts, the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon’s RTI initiative staff to determine school district needs and priorities around RTI. An honest assessment helps to provide the initiative staff witha clear understanding of where the most targeted and needed support lies for each district. In other words, misrepresenting or guessing at scores may result in wasting precious resources (time and money) and result in misaligned support for the district.
ThisApplication/Needs Assessment is a framework for the necessary components for a successful RTI system. Oregon’s RTI initiative will support districts to implement all areas outlined in this application.
Districts should complete a self assessment using the attached rubric, and will be scored based on the actions taken in moving toward an RTI system. Districts selected for full participation may not be the district with the highestreadiness scores.
C. Site visits
Prior to final selection, some districts will be selected for an on-site visit or phone interview from Oregon’s RTI initiative staff in order to determine willingness to participate. Prior to this visit, districts will receive information in order to prepare for the visit.
D. Submitting the application
This application/needs assessment is due by May 20th 2011 to Martha Buenrostro at Oregon Department of Education, Office of Student Learning and Partnerships.
Please emailthe completed application/needs assessment and fax or scan the signature pages only (pgs 20-21.)
Fax number for signature pages only: 503-378-5156
3. Why does Oregon’s RTI initiative focus on reading?
While the RTI system may be applied to any subject area, reading is the gateway skill to all other content areas. A majority of the research over the last 20 years around student achievement has focused on reading. Consequently, core programs, screeners and interventions have the largest research base. Oregon schools that have been using the RTI process are finding that behaviors decrease and academic skills across all disciplines have improved. Many participants in Oregon’s RTI initiative began with reading structures in place and then moved to other content areas such as math and writing. The Oregon RTI project will provide support to districts who wish to move in this direction once reading systems are in place.
4. What do districts have to do once they have been accepted into Oregon’s RTI initiative?
A. Participate in training sessions
Oregon’s RTI Initiativeprovides trainings for the leadership team throughout the year. Additionally, Oregon’s RTI Initiativestaff will visit your districtseveral times during the 2011-2012 school year to provide onsite professional development and coaching
B. Develop and implement action plans
With the support and guidance of the initiativestaff, districts will create action plans to come to consensus and build the infrastructure for their district and school wide reading models with specific goals and strategies supported by Oregon’s RTI Initiative. These action plans should be embedded within the district improvement plan and aligned with other school improvement efforts.
C. Develop institutional knowledge
Create a district level team that will attend specified RTItrainings. This team should include: Curriculum and Instruction Director, Special Education Director, all elementary principals, selected coaches and specialists, selected classroom teachers and others deemed appropriate by district leadership.
The Leadership team should be prepared to take the knowledge and skills learned at specified RTI trainings and develop a professional development plan and for district staff on the key components of Response to Intervention.
Response to Intervention priorities should be included in the districts Continuous Improvement Plan.
D. Participate in onsite professional development
Demonstrate high degree of staff involvement in implementation of Oregon’s RTI initiative, including a site-based, principal-led, leadership team of five to seven people who will implement RTI at the school level.
E. Provide access to screening tools
Districts must create a “read-only” username and password for initiative staff to access screening and progress monitoring data.
F. Provide a budget of outlining the use of initiative funds
5. Selection
Selection of districts will reflect geographic and demographic diversity, levels of focus, and levels of willingness for widespread systems change.
Part II – Grant Benefits and Requirements
1.Benefits to Participating Districts
A. Ongoing participation in training opportunities through Oregon’s RTI initiative
B. Professional development, training for coaches, regional consultation support from technical assistance partners
C. Participation in a state network of schools participating in RTI development
D. Access to the intervention, web based tools,webinars, videos, and book studies
E. Funding
District funding is based on availability, school population, and number of schools. These funds can be used for the purchase of materials related to RTI, professional development, and substitutes for RTI based activities.
F. On site coaching and consultation for district staff
Part III – Directions for Completion of the Application/Needs Assessment
1. Important terms to understand to complete this Application/Needs Assessment
Core program / The Florida Center for Reading Research defines a core program as “intended to be the initial instructional tool used to guide high quality instruction in K-5 classrooms. The CCRP (Comprehensive Core Reading Program) correlate to all Reading and Language Arts . . . state Standards and includes instructional content based on the five essential components of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The CCRP contains instructional design components including explicit instructional strategies, coordinated instructional sequences, ample practice opportunities, and aligned student materials.Fidelity and Walk through checklist / A Walk-through tool is a commonly agreed upon set of instructional expectations which principals and coaches use while visiting classrooms. Fidelity checklists are used by supervisors to ensure that programs are being implemented as designed.
Interventions / The Florida Center for Reading Research states that the purpose of an intervention is to “guide more intensive instruction in all five of the essential components of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. These programs are intended for students who are reading one or more years below grade level and who are experiencing difficulty with a broad range of reading skills. The instruction provided through these programs should accelerate growth in reading with the goal of moving students to grade level proficiency. CIRPs also provide more frequent assessments of student progress and more systematic review in order to ensure proper pacing of instruction and mastery of all instructional components.”
Interventions are research based curricula and instruction. Instructional strategies and/or accommodation alone are insufficient.
Progress monitoring / The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring defines progress monitoring as “a scientifically based practice that is used to assess students' academic performance and evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.” The same tool should be used for progress monitoring and screening as they share similar features.
Protocol / A Reading Protocol is a document created by a district that sets the only acceptable research based intervention programs for each tier of support and the instructional time dedicated to each tier of support.
Screening / The National Center on Response to Intervention on screening: “Screening involves brief assessments that are valid, reliable, and evidence-based. They are conducted with all students or targeted groups of students to identify students who are at risk of academic failure and, therefore, likely to need additional or alternative forms of instruction to supplement the conventional general education approach.”
2. Example of completed item
The application has two sectionsfor submission, Consensus and Infrastructure. In the space provided in the center column, please provide text to answer each of the nine questions in each section. Additionally, please determine a self assessment score from the rubric provided at the end of this application.
Below is a sample of one completed item.
3. / Fidelity and walk through checklistare in place for core curriculum and intervention programs for the purpose of determining professional development needs (e.g. quarterly walk through by principal or coach) / The XYZ school district has reviewed the walk through tools available from the publisher. Some of our principals have experimented with the walk through tools. / Self assessment2 / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g.Access to walk through tool, training on the creation of a walk through tool, access to fidelity checklist, development of a fidelity checklist) / We are interested in making the fidelity checks more wide spread, but we are unsure how to go about this process. We need professional development on using fidelity checks and giving feedback.
3. Self Assessment
Each district will determine their score on each of the following items. The score is based on the honest appraisal of the current practice within the district. It does not benefit a district to overstate or understate the current practice. Knowing the honest needs of the district allows the initiative staff to provide the most targeted and effective professional developmentand technical support.
Oregon RTI Application/Needs Assessment
(Please type)
Consensus at all levels is a fundamental component of successful systems-development.
Part 1 – Establishing Consensus
1. / List any actions the superintendent has taken in support of RTI (e.g. budget line items, school board conversations, public speeches) / Self assessment / Initiativeassessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Superintendent summit, presentation templates for school board)
2. / List any actions the cabinet has taken in support RTI (e.g. FTE, professional development days, conversation with union and parent groups) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Training, job description, fidelity and implementation tools)
3. / List any actions the district has taken to establish a rationale for RTI (e.g. show stakeholders RTI connects with ESEA and IDEA, connection to district mission, vision, priorities, values and beliefs.) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. analysis of AYP data, analysis of subgroup data)
4. / List any actionsdistrict and school team members have taken to communicate that the main purpose of RTI meetings is to increase achievement for all students (e.g. share Initiative video, book study, structured conversations at staff meetings) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Coaching and training of meetings)
5. / List any actionsdistrict has taken to implement multi-year systems change (e.g. long term budget plan, hiring practices) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Training, sample hiring questions, helping with budget priorities
6. / List any actionselementary school principal(s) have taken in support of RTI (e.g. staff training, fidelity of core implementation, reorganization of master schedule, ongoing data teams) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Training, school walk through, scheduling assistance, data analysis, priority setting.)
7. / Every elementary principal commits to participate in 100% of RTI trainings during the 2011-12 school year / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. agenda, dates, funds for substitutes)
8. / List any actionselementary classroom teachers have taken in support of RTI (e.g. implement core curriculum, understand purpose and use of assessments, participate in data teams, watch OrRTI video, book study, attend conferences) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g.Training, coaching on strong instruction, responsibility on teams book recommendation, onsite visit)
9. / List any actions plans that have been created to provide professional development to staff in the 2011-12school year on RTI (e.g. district professional development calendar, staff meetings dedicated to RTI concerns, District staff development days, funds dedicated to RTI consensus building, PD, early release/late start) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needed in this area: (e.g. Training, funds)
Oregon RTI Application/Needs Assessment
Infrastructure refers to the fundamental components of a system’s operations that support other activities in the system.
Part 2 - Infrastructure
1. / Schedule 90 minutes of core reading plus flexible intervention block (attach master schedule for each elementary) / Self assessment / Initiativeassessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Training in creating master schedule, example schedules)
2. / List the district expectations around the implementation of one of the ODE-endorsed, research-based elementary reading programs listed below. Every elementary school is expected to teach the core program.
(e.g. implemented in all elementary classrooms, amount of core reading time dedicated to the program, list supplemental core reading materials)
Harcourt Trophies/Storytown
Houghton Mifflin Reading
Macmillan Treasures
Scott Foresman Reading Street
SRA Open Court / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Walk through tool/fidelity checklist, example of literacy framework )
3. / Fidelity and walk through checklistare in place for core curriculum and intervention programs for the purpose of determining professional development needs (e.g. quarterly walk through by principal or coach) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g.Access to walk through tool, training on the creation of a walk through tool, access to fidelity checklist, development of a fidelity checklist)
4. / Describe training and monitoring of high level of student engagement during instruction (e.g. fidelity checklists, professional development in instructional strategies) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Training and coaching, model lessons, teacher observation and feedback)
5. / List all school level teams, their purpose, roles of team members, and frequency of meetings. (e.g. grade level PLC, PBS, safety, site council, pre-referral team) / Team / Purpose / Frequency / Member/role / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Training, modeling, coaching and consultation, videos and books on teaming)
6. /
What reading, math, writing, and/or behavior assessments are currently used? (e.g. DIBELS, AIMSweb, easyCBM, Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA), Qualitative Reading Inventory
(QRI), TotalWords Written, Correct Word Sequences, Functional Behavioral Assessment, Work Samples) / Assessment / Frequency / Purpose / Self assessment / Initiativeassessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Training on purpose, administration and use of assessment)
7. / If currently using a district protocol please attach (please include process and people who created the protocol) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Developing a district wide protocol)
8. / List current district or school wide systems to support behavior(e.g. school wide expectations, majors/minors, reward systems, and how long they have been in place.) / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Data analysis, behavior matrix, tiered interventions, implementation evaluation tools)
9. / List current intervention programs in use, who is trained and how often, and the availability (are there enough programs across all schools and programs-Title I, Special Education) / Program / Training / Availability / Self assessment / Initiative
assessment
List any resource needs in this area: (e.g. Intervention reviews, visits, trainings)
Application/Needs Assessment Scoring Rubric