District Administration - April 2010 - (Page 48)

RTI Goes Mainstream states are interested in integrating both academ-ic and behavioral aspects. RTI can be used for preventing serious behavioral issues in schools. So the idea of a prevention model fits on both sides, Safer says. The Tigard-Tualatin School District in Tigard, Ore., is a good example. Erin Lolich, associate director of student services for RTI, says the district started using a positive-behavior support system in the late 1990s. “It’s the behavioral equivalent of RTI,” she says. The district follows a system that stems from research done at the University of Oregon that defined behavioral expectations in schools. The district uses a data system that tracks behavioral issues, such as problems in hallways or on the school bus, as well as referrals to the main office and attendance issues, and then teachers and administrators use that data in monthly team meetings to pinpoint which students to reteach and reinforce expectations with, Lolich says. Then the district incorporated academics into that system, she says, because “there is absolutely a ton of research” that links academic and behavioral issues. The district applied for a grant from the federal Office of Special Education programs and received one for $900,000 over six years, starting in 2001. “That was the inception of RTI, when we infused the behavioral and academic systems,” Lolich says. The district started screening elementary students three times a year in reading and then used progress monitoring, or brief weekly assessments of target skills, using all the data to make decisions about their reading programs and behavioral systems, Lolich says. Each school has an Effective Behavior and Instructional Support (EBIS) team, including the principal, the grade-level or content-area team, a literacy specialist, and specialists representing special education and English as a second language. The grade-level teams meet with the core team every six weeks to review the data and make instructional decisions, Lolich says. For example, the team may meet to discuss 48 april 2010 A student in class uses a clicker, one of the technological tools used in RTI, to give her teacher immediate feedback as to what concepts and lessons she understands and what she doesn’t. attendance data for fifth-graders. “If a student has five or more absences in a 30-day period, then we implement an intervention,” Lolich says. “Or if a student has two or more office referrals, we will implement a strategic intervention according to our behavior protocol, such as check-in, check-out or mentoring.” There is also a protocol for reading, writing and math. “Our protocols guide students. They can easily aggregate data and then provide information about each student’s progress, Safer says. The Lamar County (Miss.) School District started using Scientific Learning’s Fast ForWord reading intervention software, which is used in RTI programs, in the fall of 2005. The district’s team of teachers implemented it at the tier 2 and tier 3 levels for middle and high school students, “If a student has two or more office referrals, we will implement a strategic intervention according to our behavior protocol, such as check-in, check-out or mentoring.” —Erin Lolich, associate director of student services, Tigard-Tualatin (Ore.) School District our intervention choices,” Lolich adds. The results have been positive. Discipline referrals to the main office have been steadily decreasing since the system started. About 1,000 students were referred to the main office in the 19981999 school year, compared to about 470 students in 2008-2009. Lolich attributes this to the RTI system. Technology Tools A whole range of computer-assisted tools now makes it easier for teachers to input data and look at the trends for individual for elementary students who were struggling English language learners, and for students in special education. In addition to seeing improved scores on high stakes tests, the district has had about 40 percent fewer referrals to special education over the past two years, according to Peggy Williams, the newly retired director of instruction at the Lamar County School District. “Students have more self-confidence and less frustration in class, as well as better grades across all subject areas.” The tools are in place, Safer says. District administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2010

District Administration - April 2010
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Health
Standards
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Conversations
Sports for Life
Reaching Digital Natives on Their Terms
RTI Goes Mainstream
Double Duty: Schools as Community Centers
Online Edge
Tech Disruptions
Product Focus
New Products
Student Counsel

District Administration - April 2010