Implementing Orchard Targeted Educational Software as an Effective Response to Intervention Model

Transcription

1 Implementing Orchard Targeted Educational Software as an Effective Response to Intervention Model A Position Paper Author: Annie Galvin Teich, The Teich Group, Inc. Executive Summary The Response to Intervention (RTI) model provides schools with a framework to more accurately and more rapidly identify students with specific learning disabilities and address their learning challenges. RTI allows schools to focus early on intervention and prevention instead of solely on remediation. Incorporating a solution such as Orchard Software into a school s core curriculum helps educators effectively and efficiently implement an RTI model by providing them with the tools and resources they need such as research-based instructional content, customizable benchmark assessments, and powerful data-reporting tools. 1

2 What is Response to Intervention? Simply stated, the Response to Intervention (RTI) model is a school wide, multi-tiered intervention strategy focused on identifying students with specific learning disabilities. RTI begins in the regular classroom where all students are taught a scientifically based curriculum in reading, writing, and math by highly qualified teachers. All students receive periodic screening to establish an academic and behavioral baseline. According to Dr. James B. Hale, Associate Professor, School Psychology Program, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, over the years, special education became a place and not the service it was intended to be. In addition, too many students with special needs continued to struggle academically. And many of them were not identified for assistance until they had already failed. The RTI model was developed to intervene before failure occurs. Based on results of benchmark testing, approximately fifteen percent of students are identified for Secondary or Tier 2 intervention. If for some reason more than twenty percent of students are not successful with the curriculum, the curriculum and/or the instruction should be examined for contributing factors. Because early intervention and high-quality, research-based instruction to all students are core principles of the RTI model, it can also be utilized as a strategy to help schools and districts meet No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. Students that are identified as being at risk are given supplemental instruction during the school day in the regular classroom. At the end of a reasonable period of time (no more than eight weeks), students who have significantly improved will remain in the regular classroom while students who are still struggling are moved to Tier 2 or Secondary Intervention. Tier 2 students are given intensive instruction according to their needs and abilities. This research-based, differentiated instruction usually takes place in small groups of students. Students are continually monitored for progress. In K-3, most interventions are in reading and math. At this point, students may move back to Tier 1 or modifications may be made to the Tier 2 intervention. Or students may be identified for Tier 3 or Tertiary Intervention. 2

3 Tier 3 instruction is more individualized, more intensive and targets skill deficits. Students are still continuously monitored for progress. At the end of this stage some students may move back to Tier 2, some may remain at Tier 3 with modifications to individualized instruction or students may be recommended for comprehensive assessment and evaluation to determine eligibility for special services according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). Student data from Tiers 1, 2, and 3 are used to determine eligibility. The overall intention of the RTI model is that the earlier that struggling students can be identified and provided with appropriate (modified) instruction, the higher the likelihood that they can be helped to be successful learners and maintain their class placement. 3

4 Strategies for Success According to the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), the curriculum and instructional process should: Be scientifically research based. Be easily differentiated and individualized to accommodate a range of student needs. Incorporate benchmark testing or universal screenings. In addition, data from these universal screenings should be reported in formats that allow for evaluation and analysis of school-wide, group, and individual performance on specific skills. Orchard and the Core Concepts of RTI Orchard Software is a comprehensive software solution for schools and districts, which includes more than 150 programs that cover 5,000 essential skills in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Orchard includes state-specific formative assessment tools, targeted instruction, and powerful data reporting. Orchard s formative and benchmark assessments identify student needs; its instructional activities strengthen weak skill areas; and its reports help inform critical decisions about student learning. The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) identifies eleven concepts that are at the core of every effective RTI model. Orchard s individualized assessments and instruction provide a solid strategy to support each core concept. 4

5 NRCLD Core Concept High quality instruction. Research-based content. Staff conducts universal screening of academics and behavior. Orchard Strategy Award-winning K-9 math, language, and science content with more than 5,000 lessons and activities. Aligned to Dr. Robert Marzano s Effective Teaching Strategies, National Reading Panel s (NRP) Reading Principles, and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards, among others with proven results. State-standards aligned assessments for formative or benchmarking use. Staff is active in student s curriculum assessment. Intuitive management and reporting allows for assessment and curriculum customization. Continuous progress monitoring. Progress monitoring pinpoints student difficulties. School staff implements specific, researchbased interventions for student difficulties. Progress monitoring is used to determine intervention effectiveness and need for modification. Systematic assessment determines integrity of instruction and interventions. The RTI model is well described in written documents. Site designated as using standardized treatment protocol or individualized, problemsolving model. Reports record student results instantly including open-ended responses and students voiced recordings. Reports provide at-a-glance and detailed analyses of student standard mastery and identify areas in need of intervention. Assessments automatically diagnose students needs and assign instruction designed according to scientifically-based teaching principles in math, language arts, and science. Reports provide results for strategic decision making, and can be used to compare by specific demographic subgroups. Reports detail time on task and test item analysis at school and district level to determine fidelity. Orchard provides training guides, interactive tutorials, and documentation detailing pedagogical underpinnings, targeted instruction, strategy, data management and reporting. Orchard is adaptable to whole-class, differentiated instruction in tutoring groups or individualized interventions. 5

6 Integrating Orchard Software into the core curriculum helps schools effectively implement an RTI model using research-based content and technology tools with a focus on prevention and intervention rather than remediation. Imbedded goals and objectives of the RTI model include: Teaching with the best curriculum resources and highly trained teachers. Early intervention at all levels. Universal and frequent screening. Differentiated instruction for non-responding students. The use of student behavior as indication of progress. Differentiated Instruction Differentiated instruction, a critical component of Tier 1 Intervention, is at the heart of Orchard Software, which utilizes state-specific assessments to pinpoint individual needs and create individual learning paths for each student. These custom assignments are built around Orchard s robust content, which is presented using a wide variety of instructional approaches: SkillBuilders programs provide step-by-step instruction and practice opportunities to master essential skills. Learning Games use a motivating learning environment to reinforce key skills and increase time-on-task learning. Critical Concepts programs contain a variety of activities and lessons to help students explore new concepts and build required skills. Math Concepts programs utilize interactive, graphic tutorials to help students learn key concepts. The depth and variety of Orchard contents allows teachers to easily modify content for any student to ensure that he or she is motivated and engaged in his or her learning. For example, if a student is having difficulty grasping a particular concept, instruction can be adapted to include other lessons that teach the concept in a different manner. Benchmark Testing Orchard Software includes ready-to-use, standards-based assessments for easy implementation of school-wide benchmark assessment testing or the universal screening required for a successful Tier 1 intervention. In addition, Orchard also provides educators with flexible assessment options through the Assessment & Assignment Builder tool. This tool enables teachers to create 6

7 customized, standards-based tests and assign them at specific intervals. Teachers can adjust question content, the number of questions per skill and share the assessment across the grade level to ensure consistency of the data. These customized tests can be automatically added to the student s assignment at specific intervals. As the student completes each assignment, the Orchard system automatically adjusts the student s assignment to target skills that he or she is still having difficulty mastering. This automatic assignment of targeted assessments and assignments helps educators efficiently implement a potentially complex but critical step of the RTI model. With Orchard s simple, but powerful management system, teachers can modify content as needed whether it is in particular Skill Trees, the order in which programs appear on a student s assignment list, as well as a variety of other program parameters including skills covered, voice options, and access to helpful tools such as calculators. Reporting Options Results from the embedded benchmark testing are immediately available in a variety of ready-touse reports that allow teachers to analyze both group and individual performance. The reports enable educators to view complex correlations and data in easy-to-understand charts, graphs and tables. Teachers then have information that can be used immediately to inform their instruction plans and differentiate their lessons as necessary. For example, the Recent Standards Achieved by Standard Report provides a listing of standards assessed by the selected test. For each standard tested, the number of students tested as well as the percentage of students achieving mastery of the standard is displayed in the report. When viewed online, this report allows easy-click access to details on each learning standard in addition to individual student achievement for each standard. This is critical information for teachers assessing student progress as well as determining what prescriptive content should be used to bring the student up to proficiency. Until the student achieves success, instruction can be continually assessed and modified. 7

8 How does this work as a practical matter? If 82 percent of students in a class achieved mastery of a particular skills or standard, the teacher is assured that the instruction was sufficient and she can now move the remaining 18% of students to Tier 2 for supplemental instruction. However, if only 45 percent of students in this class achieved mastery of a particular skill, the teacher needs to adjust the core instruction for all students as it was clearly not effective. Other reports such as the Student Growth & Targeted Instruction Report can confirm the need to move a particular student into Tier 2 or Secondary Intervention. This report presents results of periodic benchmark testing and also lists the standards or skills that may need further intervention. The depth and breadth of reporting detail helps teachers make good data-driven decisions about moving their students to more intensive interventions. A report that measures Orchard s effectiveness as a Tier 2 intervention is the Student Instructional Progress Report. This report puts essential information in the hands of the teacher and allows the teacher to determine if sufficient achievement has occurred from test to test. If the student is not progressing as expected, the report provides a level of data detail that enables the teacher to make informed instructional decisions for each individual student. Effective Instruction Used as a Tier 2 intervention, Orchard Software provides teachers with scientifically-based content that has built-in flexibility as to how it is delivered. For example, students may work independently with interactive tutorials that provide instructional feedback or teachers can work with small groups utilizing Orchard s SkillBuilders Skill Trees which provide step-by-step instruction followed by multiple practice opportunities. This flexibility in instructional delivery allows this activity to take place in multiple settings such as classroom, computer labs or with a resource teacher. Because of its high-quality, research-based and motivating content, educators may choose to include Orchard as part of a Tier 3 intervention. The instructional process at this level is more intensive and individualized, so if Orchard was used with a small group for 30 minutes a day as a Tier 2 intervention, it may then be used to supplement other research-based interventions at Tier 3. Whether or not Orchard Software is used as an integral part of Tier 3 interventions, the 8

9 comprehensive and easy-to-use benchmarking and assessment reports are instrumental in helping teachers make sound, data-driven decisions about student instruction. Conclusion The RTI model provides teachers with a framework to more accurately identify students with specific learning disabilities and more rapidly address their needs. It allows schools to focus on early prevention, instead of solely on remediation. Continuous monitoring and evaluation or student performance are also key components of an effective RTI process. In order to implement this model successfully, educators need to identify resources such as Orchard Software to meet the multiple requirements of each tier of intervention. Orchard s targeted, research-based content helps teachers meet the diverse needs of their students, while its customizable benchmark assessments help educators efficiently monitor student progress. Finally, Orchard s powerful data-reporting tools give educators the detailed information they need to educationally sound, data-driven decision making. This dynamic combination of features makes Orchard Software an ideal, school-wide solution for schools incorporating the RTI model. Additional information The RTI Action Network, is dedicated to the effective implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) in school districts nationwide. National Center on Response to Intervention, supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. 9