Intentional & Effective: Strategies For Involving Parents in RTI Implementation Barb Buswell

Region 5 Parent Technical Assistance Center

Debra Jennings

Region 1 Parent Technical Assistance Center

Connie Hawkins

Region 2 Parent Technical Assistance Center

S T R E S S

is the confusion created when one’s mind overrides the body’s basic instinct to choke some idiot who desperately needs it!

RTI Pinch Points...Causing STRESS

 RTI being a philosophy rather than a framework for rigorous educational practices with sound progress monitoring  Progress monitoring without validity and fidelity / lack of teacher expertise and skill

  Lack of a universal definition and language Parents having difficulty in understanding RTI because of the multiple programs, tracking forms, approaches, and language based on different definitions and implementation approaches of RTI in a state, district, and even schools within a district

  Families being told they can’t get an evaluation because the child has to "do RTI" first Lack of understanding that IDEA mentions RTI in relationship to identifying students with learning disabilities only

 Tiers being defined as locations rather than intensity of instruction  Difficulties in understanding the need for providing intense instructional support that is not special education  A Special Education "Tier"

Reducing Stress

 Stress can be reduced through personnel preparation and parent communication/collaboration

I don’t know who it is, but the author of these “easy-to-assemble” instructions should be severely punished!

Reflections

  “Students will need more than just good teachers and smaller class sizes to meet the challenges of tomorrow. For students to get the most out of school, we need to promote a partnership between parents, community leaders, and teachers. . .Only through partnerships can our schools keep improving and stay on the right track.” -Susan Castillo, Oregon Superintendent of Public

Instruction ~ June 2003

Start with Explaining RTI to All Families

 At the beginning of the year and through out the school year  Remember you are explaining a regular education initiative that is actually a response to instruction

Incorporate Information

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Incorporate RTI information into existing school-wide parent involvement strategies

Framework

 Many schools are using Joyce Epstein’s Framework of Six Types of Parent Involvement

Learning at Home Communicating Parenting PLUS Collaborating Volunteering Decision-making

School, Family and Community Partnerships Your Handbook for Action Epstein et al. (2002)

TYPE 1: Parenting

 Help all families establish home environments to support children as students

TYPE 2: Communicating

 Effective forms of 2-way communications about school programs and children's progress

TYPE 3: Volunteering

 Recruit and organize parent help and support

TYPE 4: Learning At Home

 Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students at home with homework and other curriculum-related activities, decisions, and planning

TYPE 5: Decision

 Include parents in school decisions, developing parent leaders and representatives

TYPE 6: Collaborating with Community

 Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices, and student learning and development

RTI

 Fits easily into this frame work

What Should We Tell Parents about RTI

 Core principles of RTI can provide a good explanation and important information for families

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CORE PRINCIPLES of Response to Intervention

We can effectively teach all children  Intervene early   Use a multi-tier model of service delivery Use a problem-solving method to make decisions within a multi-tier model

CORE PRINCIPLES of Response to Intervention

 Use research-based, scientifically validated interventions/instruction to the extent available  Monitor student progress to inform instruction

  

CORE PRINCIPLES of Response to Intervention

Use data to make decisions Use assessment for three different purposes Screening applied to all children to identify those who are not making academic or behavioral progress at expected rates

 

CORE PRINCIPLES of Response to Intervention

Diagnostics to determine what children can and cannot do in important academic and behavioral domains; and Progress monitoring to determine if academic or behavioral interventions are producing desired effects

Problem-Solving Method Define The Problem

Is there a problem? What is it?

Evaluate

Did it work?

Analyze

Why is it happening?

Develop a Plan

What should be done about it?

Make Sure Families Know…

The language, RTI steps and processes being used in your school

Tell parents about any new instructional practice that will be used in the classroom and how the students’ progress will be monitored

 Teach families the vocabulary the school will be using

 Learn from the research based success of Positive Behavior Support

Let ALL parents know what they can do at home to reinforce what is happening at school

Make sure families know how the school will communicate with them and how they can request information or talk to the teacher

When moving a student to Tier two or three, make sure parents clearly understand why a child is getting additional instruction/ interventions, what academic areas are being included, what they can do at home, and how progress or problems will be communicated

Cultural Differences can be perceived as obstacles:

“The world in which you were born is just one model of reality. Other cultures are not failed attempts at being you: they are unique manifestations of the human spirit.” ~ Wade Davis

Consider family diversity (including culture, education, language, and poverty) when designing your school/family methods of communication

Explain the data, communicate and celebrate progress!

Always listen to family concerns about their child having a disability and quickly respond to questions and requests for evaluation. DO NOT try to limit these discussions to students receiving Tier 2 interventions.

Explain How RTI Overlaps with Special Education

Individualized strategies and the component of Specific Learning Disability Determination (approx. 5% of students) is required by IDEA 2004.

Defining SLD (Specific Learning Disability) In Terms of RTI:

Assumption: If a child does not respond to instruction that is effective for the vast majority of children, then something is different about the child causing the non-response. RTI, when implemented with high quality, eliminates poor instructional quality as a viable explanation for learning difficulty.

If the child is being referred for an evaluation to determine special education eligibility, educate and support the family to understand the special education process and their child’s present level of performance.

Special Education Procedures

Follow special education procedures but do not create legal barriers to communication

In Summary

DO NOT underestimate the importance of the families in the successful implementation of RTI and evidence based instruction

Successful implementation of school and classroom improvement activities is like a three legged stool. The three legs are educators, students, and families and the stool cannot stand successfully if any one of the legs is shorter or smaller than the others.

“Never, never think outside the Box !

”

Helpful Websites:

National Research Center of Learning Disabilities: http://nrcld.org/sea/index.html

National Center on Student Progress Monitoring: www.studentprogress.org

What Works Clearinghouse: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ Best Evidence Encyclopedia http://www.bestevidence.org/ RTI Action Network: www.RTIActionNetwork.org