TO: All Parents and Guardians

Date:

TO: All Parents and Guardians

FROM:

RE: Response to Intervention and Screening Tools for Behavior

< School District> has begun the process of creating systems of academic and social-emotional support linked directly to the assessed needs of our students. This system, known as Response to Intervention or RtI, provides all students with timely and targeted interventions based upon the results of universal screening tools in reading, math and behavior.

Universal screening helps school staff to determine which students may be academically or behaviorally “at risk”. These screenings can include recent results of state or district tests as well as specific academic or behavior screening tests; these screening assessments are typically administered to all students two or three times per year. Students whose scores fall below a certain cut-off are identified as possibly needing more specialized academic or behavior interventions. The use of universal screenings refines and strengthens our efforts to help all of our students be successful by allowing us to take positive and preventative measures as early as possible.

The universal screening tools in math and reading are very similar to tools we use every day to help us determine where students might have gaps in knowledge and need assistance. The behavior screening tool, <insert name of screener>, focuses on academic engagement behaviors of students.

The <insert name of screener> is completed by teachers and is available at your school for your review. The results of the tool will be used to provide identified students with mentoring, social skill building and other supports to help them engage positively in learning. As with our academic universal screenings, you will be notified if your student is selected for participation in an intervention program. After reviewing the <insert name of screener>, please contact your child’s principal if you have questions about your child’s participation.

Thank you for your willingness to assist <School District> in building a system of student supports that is linked directly to data. This will ensure that each of our students has the opportunity to receive the assistance they need to achieve academic and social-emotional success. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions.

School Letterhead

Dear Parents of ______,

As you know, we have the very highest expectations for ______’s success at (School Name). We have concerns in the area of ______.

Currently, ______’s performance is ______.

Our goal for ______is ______.

The type of support we will provide includes ______.

We will update you monthly on ______’s performance.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office. We would be happy to provide you more information. We care so much about our students and will not stop striving for success for all.

______

(Teacher) (Principal)

Date

Dear Parents,

For the last couple of years, schools in Huron County have taken a new approach to helping students learn; we call our plan the Student Achievement Model. It involves all schools and all teachers and uses what has been proven to work in research as a foundation.

You have likely heard the old adage, “A stitch in time save nine.” This same thinking applies to what we are doing with students who are struggling in their learning. By helping students catch up early—before they get too far behind—better learning takes place down the road. This means that some students will receive additional help in math, reading, writing, and behavior from trained adults in the school beside their teachers. These supports may come and go throughout the year based on an individual child’s progress.

Before your child receives extra support, you will receive a phone call from his or her teacher telling you what kind of extra help your child will be receiving. Students will be tested periodically to make sure students are progressing in their learning.

We are excited about the Student Achievement Model and helping kids early on. We believe it is good for all children and will improve learning K-12.

If you have questions, please call your teacher or principal.

Sincerely,

Principal

Denmark Early Childhood Center

450 North Wall Street

Denmark, Wisconsin 54208

(920) 863-4176

August 30, 2010

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

I would like to inform you about an instructional practice that is being implemented in the Denmark School District as well as school districts across the State of Wisconsin as part of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s Response To Intervention (RTI) initiative. RTI is an instructional model that allows students to receive extra support as part of their instruction during the regular school day. RTI, in essence, is good teaching and learning that responds to students’ individual needs based on students’ growth and readiness on an as needed basis.

At some point this school year, based on student academic or social growth and assessment results as well as teacher recommendation, your child may qualify to receive additional instructional support in areas of need or in areas of strength, depending on each child’s development. During this support time, teachers work with small groups of children on specific academic or social skills. These small groups will vary depending on the skills and usually meet for 20 minutes two times a week at the end of the day (play time) or during rest time, so students are not missing other core learning activities or specials classes such as art and music. Students who qualify for RTI services will be monitored every four to six weeks, and groups are fluid in terms of who may or may not be eligible for and/or receive extra support based on assessment results. During RTI instruction, the kindergarten teachers share responsibility for working with students, so your child may travel to other classrooms and be working with a teacher other than his or her homeroom teacher.

RTI program goals include providing foundational emergent reading, writing, math and/or social-emotional skills, teaching students to use strategies for learning, and encouraging student confidence in their abilities through practice and application.

In the event your child may qualify for RTI support at some point during the school year, you will receive a letter from your child’s teacher to that effect noting the specific skill area(s) your child will be receiving additional support. Because you are your child's first and most important teacher, we are asking that if you receive notice that your child has qualified for RTI service that you continue to support him or her at home in the identified areas. Your child’s teacher can provide information about many fun activities that you can do at home to support this learning that will be greatly beneficial and appreciated.

I look forward to seeing you at the various school activities throughout the year. If you have any questions or concerns about RTI, please feel free to contact me anytime at 863-4176 or .

Thank you,

David D. Harper

Early Childhood Center Principal

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Dear Parent or Guardian:

The Wrightstown Community School district provides students assistance through a Response to Intervention Program or RtI. RtI is in place to assist students in developing basic skills through individual or small group instruction. RtI is required by the state of Wisconsin in order to best help students to learn skills they may not have learned through participation in the core curriculum.

Students who receive instruction from one of the RtI Learning Support teachers will meet with her for 20-30 minutes every day. Each student’s progress is monitored closely. If the child does respond to the research-based intervention, the student no longer meets with the RtI Learning Support teacher.

Since RtI instruction is provided based on a student’s performance on assessments given to all students, RtI instruction is stopped when students perform at or near an average level on those same assessments. The assessments used may include: WKCE State Assessments, NWEA MAP Assessments as well as AIMS Web Assessments all of which test reading and math skills.

Information on the back provides information about your child’s RtI participation at this time. Contact information for the RtI Learning Support Teacher is also provided. Please contact her with any questions about your child’s progress.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Caroline Mihalski

Director of Student Services

Student Name: Grade: School Year: 2013-2014 Tier: II

Assessment Results - All scores are given in percentiles. Students are considered for RtI Learning Support when their scores are at or below the 20th percentile. The average score for any assessment is the 50th percentile. Student classroom performance and classroom teacher recommendation are also part of consideration for RtI Learning Support. Learning Support continues until a student makes good progress toward the average score.

Date M/Y / Date M/Y
Assessment /Area / Scores / Scores

Child’s RtI Learning Support Teacher(s): Mrs. Kristin Higgins Contact Information: , 920-532-4818

Ms. Cortney Joosten , 920-532-4818

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