The Never-Ending Journey: Developing and Implementing Response to Intervention in Middle School June 28, 1:45 – 2:45pm, Room: Delaware B Join a middle school principal, school psychologist, and language arts teacher, as they share their journey of successfully implementing Response to Intervention (RTI, including what has worked and what has not worked. Attendees will hear three different perspectives on the process and advice on how to work as a team. Attendees will gain a better understanding of benchmarking, specific intervention programs, data collection, reinventing the Intervention Assistance Team process, and changing the culture of how teachers work with students. Main Presenter: Charles DiLuaro, cipal, Hudson City Schools Co-Presenter(s): Julie Dittman and Amanda Mooney, Hudson City School

1. The RtI
Never Ending Journey:
A Road Map
Hudson Middle School
Presenters: Chuck DiLauro (Principal); Kim Cockley (Assistant Principal);
Julie Dittman (ELA Teacher); Amanda Mooney (School Psychologist)
Copyright © DiLauro, Cockley, Dittman & Mooney

2. The RtI Journey
“Our lessons come
from the journey, not
the destination.”
~Don Williams, Jr.
An RtI Road Map

3. RtI is a Journey – Begin with a Smile
“The shortest distance between two points is under
construction.”
~Noelie Altito
“The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror
with a cop in it.”
~Dudley Moore
“If all the cars in the United States were placed end
to end, it would probably be Labor Day Weekend.”
~Doug Larson
“The one thing that unites all human beings,
regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status Let’s all move forward with the
or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we
ALL believe that we are above average
confidence that we are above
drivers.” average drivers and that we can
~Dave Barry conquer this journey that is RtI!
An RtI Road Map

4. Hudson Middle School Profile
 Located in northeastern Ohio between Cleveland and Akron
 ~1200 students grades 6-8
 ~75 teachers
 Excellent with Distinction past 4 years
 4th highest ranked middle school in the state (based on 2011 Ohio
performance index)
 2012 Recipient of Ohio Middle Level Association Best Middle Level
Practice
 16% of our students receive special education services in our district.
 17% of our students receive special education services in our building.
An RtI Road Map

5. History of RtI at HMS
 Year One:
– No systematic RtI – teachers tried it during study halls
– Grant – Amanda Mooney and Susan Penrod
– Pilot AIMSweb in a 6th and 7th grade classroom
– No specific interventions
– Focus on Reading
 Year Two:
– Whole School benchmarking
– More formal RtI groups – still not reaching all students
– Focus on Reading – pilot Math
– Specific Interventions
– Problem Solving Team (PST)
 Year Three:
– Reading and Math
– Whole school available for RtI during FOCUS period
An RtI Road Map

6. 4 Steps of RtI
1. Benchmark
2. Identify students who need
interventions (Team
Meeting)
3. Begin Interventions
4. Review progress data and
determine next steps (PST)
The next several slides illustrate how these
4 key steps fit within our 8 non-negotiable
tenets of a successful RtI program.
An RtI Road Map

7. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development
2. Universal screening
3. Multiple tiers of intervention
4. Scientific research-based interventions
5. Progress monitoring
6. Intervention/data teams
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

8. Non-Negotiable #1:
Professional Development Year One
 Mark Forget – MAX-Teaching
 Margaret Searle -Raising the Bar For All Learners
 Pat Quinn – videos during staff meetings
 Ross May – RtI Specialist for Summit County – Professional
Development for Language Arts and Math teachers
 Visit to North Royalton Middle School
 OSPA – Spring Conference – RtI team
 Summit County SERRC – Academic/RtI series
An RtI Road Map

9. Non-Negotiable #1:
Professional Development Year Two & Three
 Year Two -
– Pat Quinn - “RtI Guy”
– Dr. McCook
– Ohio Middle School Conference (RtI break out session)
– Model Schools Conference (RtI break out session)
 Year Three –
– Pat Quinn – “RtI Guy”
– Dr. Daggett - Model Schools Conference
– Webinars in math/reading interventions
– Discussions in monthly staff meetings
An RtI Road Map

10. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development 
2. Universal screening & Step 1 of RtI
Process
3. Multiple tiers of intervention
4. Scientific research-based interventions
5. Progress monitoring
6. Intervention/data teams
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

11. Non-Negotiable #2:
Universal Screening
AIMSweb
 R-CBM - fluency
 Three 1-minute reading prompts (online on AIMSweb)
 MAZE – comprehension
 One 3-minute assessment (score by hand; input into AIMSweb)
 Math – computation
 One 8-minute assessment (score by hand; input into AIMSweb)
 Math – application
 One 8-10-minute assessment (score by hand; input into AIMSweb)
** Benchmark 3 times per Year
An RtI Road Map

12. Non-Negotiable #2
& Step 1 of RtI Process: Logistics
Step 1: Benchmark
Logistics:
Reading Comprehension and Fluency Benchmark
 75-minute period; Adjusted schedule school-wide
 In homeroom whole-group Maze Assessment
 Individual fluency assessment: team teacher and a helper (computer
scoring)
 Other students should SSR while fluency assessment is occurring
 Grade maze and input into AIMSweb
Math Computation and Application Benchmark
 Math teachers administer in math class
 Team teachers all assist with scoring and entering into AIMSweb
An RtI Road Map

13. Non-Negotiable #2
& Step 1 of RtI Process:
Problems/Suggestions
Step 1: Benchmark
Problems/Suggestions:
 School-wide reading benchmarking in AM: difficult to get
started first thing in the morning; difficult to train
substitute teachers before homeroom began.
– Suggestion: Move benchmarking period to the end
of the day.
 Password problems – teachers did not remember and
password had to be changed often.
– Suggestion: Have 2 to 3 “trouble shooters” available.
 School-wide math benchmarking was not necessary,
given that the tests are given as a group.
– Suggestion: Math teachers administer math
benchmarks during a portion of each math period.
An RtI Road Map

14. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development 
2. Universal screening 
3. Multiple tiers of intervention
4. Scientific research-based interventions
5. Progress monitoring
6. Intervention/data teams
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

15. Non-Negotiable #3:
Multiple Tiers of Intervention
Tier One
In our general education classrooms (key)
Tier Two
Year 1: During planning/study hall
(Reading)
Negatives: could not see all students – time
issues
Year 2: LA teachers had one less class –
used additional period for RtI
Negatives: could not see all students – no
common planning
Year 3: FOCUS periods – all students are
scheduled for intervention or enrichment
period
Tier Three
Increase frequency – decrease students
An RtI Road Map

16. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development 
2. Universal screening 
3. Multiple tiers of intervention 
4. Scientific research-based interventions
& Steps 2-3 of RtI
5. Progress monitoring Process
6. Intervention/data teams
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

17. Non-Negotiable #4:
Scientific Research-Based Interventions
 Change curriculum
 Add intensive one-on-one or small
group instruction
 Change scope and sequence of
tasks
 Increase guided and independent
practice
 Change types and method of
corrective feedback
An RtI Road Map

18. Non-Negotiable #4
& Step 2 of RtI Process
Step 2: Identify students who need interventions
(Team Meeting)
– Decide which students would benefit from Tier 2
Intervention
Criteria to decide intervention:
 AIMSweb score
 OAA scores
 Classroom progress
 Classroom assessment
 Classroom Behavior
 At-risk students list
An RtI Road Map

19. Tier 2 Interventions: Reading
 RAZ-Kids (K-6)
 Comprehension
 Fluency (recording capabilities)
 Study Island
 Also good for short-cycle assessments
 My Skills Tutor
 Comprehension
 Read Naturally
 Fluency
 Reading Detective
 Comprehension
 Readers Theater/Poetry with Audacity
An RtI Road Map

20. Tier 2 Interventions: Math
 Catch-up Math
 Computation
 Application
 ALEKS
 Comprehension
 Application
 Study Island
 Standards-based
 Also good for short-cycle
assessments
 Moby Math
 Special education
 Diagnostic
 Lower grade levels
 Progress monitoring
An RtI Road Map

21. Tier 2 Interventions: Organization & Behavior
 Executive
Function
 Organization
 Study skills
 Impulse Control
 Behavioral RtI
An RtI Road Map

22. Non-Negotiable #4
& Step 3 of RtI Process
Step 3: Begin Intervention
 Meet 5 days with student for intervention per week
 Choose 1-2 interventions to focus on for the duration of the
intervention period
 Write goal on AIMSweb
 Progress monitor weekly
An RtI Road Map

23. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development 
2. Universal screening 
3. Multiple tiers of intervention 
4. Scientific research-based interventions 
5. Progress monitoring
6. Intervention/data teams
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

24. Non-Negotiable #5:
Progress Monitoring
 The purpose of progress
monitoring is to take frequent
measures, usually weekly, of a
student’s performance to
determine whether s/he is
making progress in response to
the intervention.
 Most models that have been
researched have used CBM for
weekly progress monitoring.
***Hudson Middle School uses AIMSweb:
CBM(Fluency), MAZE, MCAP, & MCOMP
An RtI Road Map

25. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development 
2. Universal screening 
3. Multiple tiers of intervention 
4. Scientific research-based interventions 
5. Progress monitoring 
6. Intervention/data teams & Step 4 of RtI
Process
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

26. Non-Negotiable #6:
Intervention/Data Teams
 Belief systems
 Team roles
 Purpose
 Leadership issues
***Hudson Middle School: changed
from IAT (Intervention Assistance
Team) to PST (Problem Solving
Team)
***PST Folder on Server
An RtI Road Map

27. Non-Negotiable #6
& Step 4 of RtI Process
Step 4: PST - Review Progress Data and Determine Next
Steps
Review RtI data information with the team:
 At least 6 AIMSweb data points
 Grades
 OAA scores
After discussion, 3 possible choices:
 Exit Intervention (meet with Problem Solving Team & present data): If
exited, file paperwork in guidance & student returns to study hall or team
support.
 Continue Tier 2 Intervention: Set new deadline, increase frequency,
change intervention.
 Recommend Tier 3 Intervention: Guidance maintains paperwork
An RtI Road Map

28. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development 
2. Universal screening 
3. Multiple tiers of intervention 
4. Scientific research-based interventions 
5. Progress monitoring 
6. Intervention/data teams 
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

29. Non-Negotiable #7:
Integrated Data Collection/Assessment
System
 Integrated data assessment/analysis
 Team level for targeted students to alter instruction
based on response to the intervention
 School level use of data
 District level use of data
*** Hudson Middle School teachers meet weekly in grade level teams
to discuss students’ data by team & Language Arts /Math teachers
discuss reading/math data specifically at weekly PLC meetings.
***Final data discussed at Problem Solving Team Meeting
An RtI Road Map

30. Decision Point for Tier 2
Student is at or below 10th Percentile on
universal screening at grade level
AND
Growth rate is less than average(25th percentile as a beginning point)
Continue to Tier 3
An RtI Road Map

31. Decision Point for Tier 2
Student achieves 25th percentile at grade level or above with 6 data points
Exit Tier 2
Some progress but above 10th percentile
Continue Tier 2
An RtI Road Map

32. Decision Point for Tier 3
Student is at or below 10th Percentile on universal screening at grade level
And
Growth rate is less than average(25th percentile as a beginning point)
Proceed to Special Ed. Consideration
An RtI Road Map

33. Decision Point for Tier 3
Student making progress but below 10th percentile at grade level
Continue Tier 3 or Return to Tier 2
Student achieves 25th percentile at grade level
Exit Tiers
HMS - 50%tile
An RtI Road Map

34. Non-Negotiables of RtI: Our Travel Plan
1. Professional Development 
2. Universal screening 
3. Multiple tiers of intervention 
4. Scientific research-based interventions 
5. Progress monitoring 
6. Intervention/data teams 
7. Integrated data collection/assessment system 
8. Fidelity
An RtI Road Map

35. Non-Negotiable #8:
Fidelity (2-Step Process)
1. Typical step: How long do we do the intervention (number
of sessions or time)?
2. Most overlooked step: Are we doing the intervention in the
manner it was designed?
 6- to 12-minute walk-throughs
***Hudson Middle School has chosen programs that can be implemented
in our RtI timeframe/schedule. They are consistent from day to day.
An RtI Road Map

36. Hudson Middle School Schedule
FOCUS Hybrid Block Schedule
• FOCUS period at end of day (30 • 3 days/week of regular 9
minutes)
period day (including lunch
• RtI for students who need and FOCUS)
interventions (Language Arts,
Math, Special Education – 50 minute core classes
teachers) – 40 minute encore classes
• Enrichment for students who do – 30 minute lunch
not (Social Stud, Science, – 30 minute FOCUS
Unified Arts, Encore teachers) • 2 days/week of block periods
– Year 3: FOCUS Units were 3- for core classes
weeks long, developed by FOCUS
teachers, as extensions of their – 100 minute block core classes
curriculum – 40 minute encore classes
– Year 4: Literature Challenge in 9- – 30 minute lunch
week units, modeled after The
Book Whisperer – 30 minute FOCUS
An RtI Road Map

37. The Impact of RtI at HMS:
Initial ETR History
30
25 5
20
DNQ
15
IEP
1 22
10
1
1
5 11
8 7
0
2011-12 2010-11 2009-10 2008-09
An RtI Road Map

38. The Impact of RtI at HMS:
Special Education Evaluations
STUDENTS INITIALLY EVALUATED, BUT NOT ELIGIBLE AS OF 02/08/2012
SY DNQ EHPS EV EH2 MD EW HMS HHS
06 07 27 3 2 4 2 13 3 0
07 08 31 8 4 0 4 11 4 0
08 09 33 12 6 2 1 6 5 1
09 10 10 1 0 0 1 5 1 2
10 11 11 2 0 0 2 3 1 3
11 12 4 0 0 0 1 3 0 0
6 YEAR TOTAL 116 26 12 6 11 41 14 6
Students may have been determined ineligible at initial testing,
OR may have exited special services since initial identification.
An RtI Road Map

39. The Impact of RtI at HMS:
Student OAA Progress
OAA Data from 09-10 to 10-11
(with only Reading RtI at HMS):
– 6th Grade: 90% of students in
RtI improved their Reading
OAA score
– 7th Grade: 30% of students in
RtI improved their Reading
OAA score
– 8th Grade: 72% of students in
RtI improved their Reading
OAA score
An RtI Road Map

40. Years 1-3 Problems/Obstacles:
What We’ve Learned
 Too much paperwork!
– AIMSweb allowed us to create a
goal, store progress monitoring
data on the program, and have a
central place to access data during
PST meetings.
– We eliminated all paperwork.
 Benchmarking school-wide has
evolved into our current model due
to obstacles discussed in Step 1.
 Gradual implementation with
teacher ownership is critical.
An RtI Road Map

41. Years 1-3 Problems/Obstacles:
Our Continued Journey
• How many data points are needed
before the students can be brought to
the PST for exiting student from
interventions or to move to tier 3?
• What does tier 3 look like?
• Where will tier 3 take place?
• Who will provide tier 3 services?
• How do you establish progress?
• Educating teachers to think differently
(IAT/PST)
• What interventions to use? When to
change interventions?
An RtI Road Map

42. Two Purposes of RtI (Pat Quinn, The RtI Guy)
 The first purpose of RtI is to help students get the help
that they need. RtI is great at doing this because it is
constantly asking the question, "Is what we are doing
now actually working?" Progress monitoring helps you
check this and if the current intervention is not working
you should try something else.
 The second purpose of RtI (and it is important to keep
the two purposes separate) is to identify students as
eligible for Special Education Services. Your state has
adopted rules to show you how RtI can be used to
identify a specific learning disability.
An RtI Road Map

43. Staff Testimonial
Just a quick note to say how valuable I think our math
RtI has been. This is making a tremendous impact on
many of the students I see on a daily basis. The extra
time, attention and effort they are putting forth is
allowing them to make progress they otherwise would
never have made. Without RtI, they would have dug
themselves into a much deeper hole this year.
I know you already know all this, but the results that I am
seeing are simply amazing. Kudos to you and everyone
who made this opportunity possible for the students that
need it the most!
Courtney (8th grade Math Teacher)
An RtI Road Map

44. Student Testimonials
“I liked coming to FOCUS. It was fun and I learned a lot.”
“I did not want other kids to know, but then I started to like coming!”
“It was valuable because it taught me everything I had trouble with.”
“I enjoyed learning more and it brought my grade up.”
“I was not happy at first, but happy in the end, because it made me better
because I wasn’t doing so good.”
“I do think my skills improved. I could read and infer better.”
“I got smarter.”
An RtI Road Map

45. RtI is a Journey
We wish you well on your journey and hope
that you’ve learned from our journey.
Thank you!
Chuck, Kim, Julie, and Amanda
Hudson Middle School
An RtI Road Map

46. The RTI Never Ending Journey:
A Road Map
An RtI Road Map