TARANAKI RTLB SERVICE NEWSLETTER February 2015
Dear Principals/SENCOs
I hope you have had a smooth start to the year. As you know, the Taranaki RTLB service has been going through a process of change during the last three years. The purpose of this newsletter is to give you an update on where we are at as a service.
Taranaki RTLB Lead School
The NPBHS Board of trustees has signed a service agreement to continue to be the RTLB lead school for the next three years. There was a noticeable sigh of relief from yours truly when this was announced because we have set up a successful infra-structure and an excellent working relationship with NPBH during the last three years. I can’t speak highly enough of the support they have provided us. Nor can I speak highly enough of the role Michael McMenamin has played as Lead School Principal. Not only has he helped shape what we do locally but he headed a national RTLB Lead Principal panel last year that had a direct influence on decisions made nationally by the MOE.
RTLB Staffing 2015
We have been allocated a new RTLB position to join our current 24 RTLB field workers. This is great news and will help us cope with the growing number of referrals that have become a regular feature in recent times. (We have just processed 41 referrals for the first round of allocations for 2015, breaking all previous records!)
The new position has been advertised with the successful applicant beginning in term two.
RTLB Liza Albers has been granted a thirty week study leave award for 2015 and will be replaced during this time by Jo Hill. Jo has previous RTLB experience.
There have also been a few office changes for some of our RTLB.
Liaison Schools
Pre-transformation, each RTLB in Taranaki had a group of schools that they delivered a service in. We have retained this model to the extent that all RTLB have liaison schools that they still do much of their work in. The difference is that I am sending RTLB to new schools when the liaison RTLB has a full caseload or if a referral would benefit from a specific area of RTLB expertise.
RTLB also provide an important link in communications between myself and their liaison schools.The first port of call for schools with an RTLB service enquiry should on most occasions be with your liaison RTLB.
There will be a few changes made to some RTLB’s liaison schools, beginning next term.
Allocating RTLB resource
As already mentioned, the RTLB transformation has brought a change in direction regarding the schools that RTLBs potentially work in but there has also been a change in how funding is allocated.
Reviews of the pre-transformation RTLB model of service delivery, among other things, indicated a real concern over equity of access to the RTLB service and its resources. The transformation has brought with it the requirement thatRTLB resource should beallocated through a cluster-wide,needs based process,that the allocation of funding should be contestable and that the processesinvolved should be transparent.
During the last three years we have worked hard to achieve this.
Rain-check on service satisfaction
Responses to the 2014 ‘evaluation of service’ feedback forms sent back to me at the end of last year, indicated that 97% of schools felt the RTLB service had met or exceeded their expectations in terms ofthe over-all RTLB service received during the year. A separate Ministry survey indicated a 94% satisfaction rate.
I am very proud of the efforts of my team but there are still lots of areas where we can do better and we will continue to strive to improve service delivery.
Your feedback to me during the last three years has been invaluable and I urge you to continue to do so both in areas that are working well for your school and areas where we could do better.
What RTLB do?
Traditionally RTLB have helped support teachers of Year 0-10 students with moderate learning and behaviour needs. The word ‘moderate’ has been removed from the RTLB job description and students with severe behaviour needs are regularly referred to us. Learning referrals are now often linked to National Standards terminology such as‘well below’.
In any particular year, RTLB could be also called on to:
-facilitate Incredible Years workshops.
-support ‘PB4L school-wide’ in their liaison schools.
-facilitate the introduction of other school-wide programmes eg Peer Mediation
-be involved in year-long, fixed term areas of responsibility for the cluster eg Making better use of IT.
-work with High Learning Needs students. (Those identified as being long term curriculum level one)
-take responsibility for organising and completing Gateway education profiles for students who have just entered state care.
-attend SENCO, Deans and Pastoral Care meetings.
Any of the above is now considered to be RTLB ‘core business’.
Referral Process
We have had the Taranaki-wide referral process in place for the last two years now and have made small alterations along the way. (Mainly to do with the referral form)
Referral allocation meetings are held every two weeks on a Friday, with the deadline being 12.00 pm the Wednesday of that week.
Referrals must be filled out on the correct form and discussed and signed off by your liaisonRTLB before sending it to me. This requirement has been put in place to ensure that referrals contain all the information we need to prioritise referrals at our allocation meetings or to establish whether the assistance required is best sought elsewhere.
Referral data for term 4 shows that approximately 82% of Taranaki schools received an RTLB service for an individual case or cases in term 4 last year. An attachment with term four’s details accompanies this newsletter.
Intervention Sequence
When an RTLB is allocated a case there is a sequence they must follow. This is a national requirement. The steps are:
- An initial meeting with the key people in the case.
- Data gathering.
- Analysis.
- Goal setting.
- Planning.
- Implementation of the plan.
- Monitoring.
- Post data gathering/follow-up.
- Reflection, review and closure.
When you refer a student to us you will have used up all the tools in your tool kit. In most cases there will be no ‘quick fix’ when we get involved. The intervention sequence ensures that a successful, evidence based approach is followed for all cases that RTLB are involved with.
Key Components Of RTLB Practice
- Inclusiveness and collaboration.
- Being culturally responsive.
- Taking an ecological approach ie the student and their learning environment relate to and define each other.
- Strength-based practices ie finding solutions by looking at the strengths and resources of the key people in the case.
- Reflective practice.
- Evidence based practice.
High Learning Needs Students
Taranaki have been allocated 40 such positions. High Learning Needs students are those who are long-term curriculum level one learners. To be placed on the HLN roll students must already be on an RTLB’s case-load. Initially they will be receiving intensive support for Literacy and Numeracy but in most cases this will lessen in time to the point where they may be taken off the HLN roll.
There are two intake dates during the year, the first being March 11. RTLB’s write the application in collaboration with the school.
Learning Support Funding
Applications for Learning Support Funding are completed by RTLB to support an intervention with a child who is already on their caseload.
Application deadlines for term one are Wednesday, 18 February (Mid-term one to mid-term two allocation period) and 18 March (Term two allocation period.)
I will be sending a summary out to schools soon that shows how LSF was allocated in 2014.
Year 11-13 Funding
The latest information on this has already been sent out to all Secondary Schools earlier in the term. I will be sending out a summary soon that shows how Yr 11-13 funding was allocated in 2014.
Host School Site Agreements
If your school hosts an RTLB office I will be in touch soon re the signing off of a new site agreement.
On behalf of my team I would like to thank you for the way you have accommodated the changes we have made during the last three years. Please don’t hesitate to contact your liaison RTLB or myself if you have any questions about our service.
Chris Greer
Taranaki RTLB Manager