Next steps for RtI or MTSS

We have begun our 3rd quarter of the school year which means we are half way through the year already!  For teachers this means seriously looking at students progress and trying to find additional ways to help their struggling learners.  I know I am getting asked about interventions on a daily basis so I thought I should try to explain what the RtI committee’s next step will be.  Iowa is now calling our RtI program MTSS. (Multi-tiered systems of support)

Who is on the committee (BLT=Building Leadership Team)?

Annalisa Miner was assigned as our External Coach for Hampton-Dumont. Jerry Buseman is the Instructional Leader for the school.  I was assigned the Internal Coach for Hampton-Dumont.  Dollie Dillon was assigned as the Data Coach, Wendy Wikert and Abby Meyer as the Content Specialist.  Jen Koenen is serving on the committe as an administrator and as a data coach if needed.  The roles are defined below.

This fall we have been trying to analyze our Tier 1 instruction which is teaching literacy to the whole class.  We begun using the FAST universal screener which is to show which students are “at-risk”   The goal is to have 80% of our students at grade level after Tier 1 instruction.  From initial analysis we know we want to add some kind of vocabulary program to help SES/ELL population.  This may be a universal intervention that we can add next school year.  This year we are piloting vocabulary in several classrooms using the Rule of 3 system.  This is a vocabulary program our ELL teachers found through a conference they had attended.  Vocabulary may be the key to advancing our readers that are plateauing due to language delays.

The Fall results of the FAST universal screener:

Kindergarten Students: 75% met the Fall Goal

1st Grade Students: 78.3% met the Fall Goal

2nd Grade Students: 58.62% met the Fall Goal

3rd Grade Students:  68.92% met the Fall Goal

Our MTSS committee will begin to make a plan for Tier 2 & 3 interventions.  Next week we will begin to administer the winter universal screener-FAST. 

Once the data is collected from FAST we will decide who are the Tier 2 students & Tier 3 students.  Teachers will create accounts and have access to the Iowa Tier site for South Side.  I will help teachers set up their accounts and how to use the site.  We will work on this during PLC time and then analyze the data at our literacy work days.

 The MTSS committee will produce a specific intervention list to be used for each main area of literacy.  (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency & Comprehension)  Each intervention will have a suggested duration of time to be given (such as 6-8 weeks) and intensity (daily/20 minutes, daily/10 minutes or etc.).  We will also discuss who will be administering the interventions etc.  We will also develop ways to inform parents.  We need to make sure they are aware of the learning need and how they can help.

This is the part that will take a lot of time!! The interventions must be researched based, evidence based and specific to the learning target.  What resources we will use?  How will we make sure we have the materials and resources needed? Who will be delivering the intervention and who will monitor and enter data, weekly or daily for every student receiving intervention. This will require patience as we try things.

For the MTSS approach to work in a school, the system must be well-organized, easy to access and EVERY individual will need to follow the decided approach for Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions.  We will need ALL certified staff to be teaching small groups.  We will ALL need to know how to progress monitor, assess and record the data through the IowaTier site.

As you can imagine we will need to think about sharing students among teachers, letting go of past practices if the practice no longer produces student improvement and finding PD time to learn how to effectively do what we need to do! 

Can you see how much work we have yet to do?  WOWZA!

In the meantime keep strengthening your whole group activities and small groups. Here are some reminders that you may already be doing.  

Strengthen your IDR time with conferring

  Use the CC Pensieve everyday and document who you are working with and what you are teaching them.  Use those CAFE goals.  Where do they struggle, how, what do they need to work?  Does the child know their goal and how to practice it?  If a child is a struggling reader (below grade level) then make every effort to meet with him/her daily (3-5 minute conferring conference).  Use the extra certified staff member during this IDR time.  If you do not use the CCPensieve- start now because conferring is a great Tier 2 intervention and the CAFE goals should be taught at every grade level.  

Guided Reading or Strategy Groups

This is actually considered a Tier 2 intervention.  The Next Step to Guided Reading is a great resource for small groups.  Our BAS leveling kits are also filled with resourceful text in regards to teaching small groups.  You can also plan to observe teachers teaching small groups.  I can also recommend DVDs to watch or look on Youtube. 

Daily 5 Rounds

 Make sure each round is productive for the student.  Fair or equal does not mean each child should get the same thing.  If a child is a struggling reader they need partner reading or read to self an additional time.  If they struggle with English they need listening to reading daily.  MAKE sure they are ready for independence before you send them off. Take advantage of those top kids...let them help the struggling readers during rounds through partner work or small groups.  Daily 5 is only strong if it is truly meeting learning needs.  

Volunteers

If you have many ELL students or struggling readers start looking for outside volunteers.  Email your church groups, mother’s clubs, classroom parents.  Find people that may be willing to come and listen to your readers during IDR time or choice time.  I would find many of my classroom volunteers through church.  If you need help with this, let me know and I can try to help “advertise”.

ENGAGEMENT- make learning fun, make students accountable, be intentional.

Use choral response, use motivational techniques, use brain breaks when needed. Create fun theme reading corners-dinosaurs, insects, fairy tales, legends, penguins, seasonal,  dogs, cats, favorite authors, poetry and on and on.  Think back to our literacy night...that was fun because of the environment, the books and the enthusiasm from adults.

FLUENCY Time- create a time to practice using poetry, reader’s theater, send home fluency packets.  Look back at the book The Fluent Reader and use Mr. Rasinski’s suggested activities with repeated reading, partner reading etc. 

Please know I am working hard at our intervention list. BUT I can’t do it all by myself.  If you have any interventions that you use and find successful please share with our committee.  If you would like to help create the list of interventions, we need your help so let me know!

ALSO remember to  SHARE, SHARE, SHARE what is working in your classrooms with your team.  We can learn so much from each other.

Happy Reading! Mrs. Speake