Assessment Outcomes
RTI and Differentiation
"A really good teacher is someone who: knows that a student can teach and a teacher can learn, integrates him[self] or herself into the learning environment, literally taking a seat among the conglomerate of desks, proving that he or she enjoys associating with the minds made of sponges, ready to absorb, appreciates that what one thinks and says is more important than what one uses to fill in the blanks" -Krista
(Tomlinson, 1999, p. 25).
(Tomlinson, 1999, p. 25).
R.T.I. - Response to Intervention
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Response to Intervention, or RTI, is a multi-tier support system that is implemented to enhance instructional effectiveness by using evidence-based practice and collected data (Lembke, n.d.). RTI has two main components that are essential for this support model:
RTI involves three tiers, all of which include and require the completion of assessment. All students begin in Tier 1. If the students are unsuccessful in the universal screening, or assessment, at this tier, the move up to Tier 2. At this tier, students receive additional instruction time and once again, get assessed. If students show improvement, they are moved back to Tier 1. If students need more support, however, they are moved up to the highest, most intensive interventions, Tier 3. Each tier serves an important purpose toward student success and achievement. Dr. Erica Lembke explains the tiers as follows:
- The model should be should to identify students with learning disabilities.
- This model should be an ongoing collection of data that is used to provide evidence-based instruction to all students.
RTI involves three tiers, all of which include and require the completion of assessment. All students begin in Tier 1. If the students are unsuccessful in the universal screening, or assessment, at this tier, the move up to Tier 2. At this tier, students receive additional instruction time and once again, get assessed. If students show improvement, they are moved back to Tier 1. If students need more support, however, they are moved up to the highest, most intensive interventions, Tier 3. Each tier serves an important purpose toward student success and achievement. Dr. Erica Lembke explains the tiers as follows:
Tier 1 - Primary Prevention
- To begin with, all students are assessed to identify possible at-risk students. This is done through a Universal Screening process.
- If the assessment reveals possible at risk students, these students will remain in this tier, with the addition of specific progress monitoring. The progress monitoring either:
o confirms risks, in which students would move up to secondary prevention (Tier 2) to be provided additional
support.
- Tier 1 involves differentiated and effective instruction. It involves all settings, all students, and is both preventive and proactive.
Tier 2 - Secondary Prevention
- This tier involves specific, research-based tutoring.
- This additional tutoring and intervention is provided in small groups and can be directed by either the general education teacher or a specialist.
- Students receive progress monitoring on a weekly or monthly basis.
- After the allotted time for tutoring is complete, the progress monitoring determines whether students were:
monitoring, OR
o Unresponsive to tutoring, in which students would move to tertiary prevention (Tier 3) and receive intensive
intervention.
Tier 3 - Tertiary Prevention
- This is the most intensive stage of intervention and includes, but is not limited to, special education services.
- Students receive progress monitoring on a weekly basis.
- This progress monitoring is used to:
o Set Individualized Education Program (I.E.P.) goals
0 It is also used to monitor student progress. If the student is able to achieve benchmark goals, the student may exit
this tier and move back to either secondary or primary prevention. This student will continue to have progress
monitoring.
Differentiation
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"Differentiation is not a set of strategies. It is a way of thinking about teaching and learning" (Tomlinson, 2008, n.p.). Differentiation in the the classroom is for the teacher to recognize, "students varying background knowledge, readiness, language, preferences in learning, interests, and to react responsively" (Hall, 2002, p. 2). Differentiation gives students multiple options for taking in information and making sense of the ideas attained through the instruction.
According to Tomlinson (1999), teachers can use data collected from assessments to modify content, process, or product:
Content:
This is what the teacher wants the students to learn and also identifies that materials, mechanisms, and/or strategies that will be used to accomplish student success.
Process:
This "describes activities designed to ensure that students use key skills to make sense out of essential ideas and information" (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 11).
Product:
These are the ways in which students "demonstrate and extend" what has been learned and gives the students the opportunity to show what they know, or the knowledge that has been acquired (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 11).
In additional to these three factors, the learning environment must be adaptable and suitable for meeting the needs of all students. Included in this, is the method in which teachers incorporate and/or acknowledge the different multiple intelligences within the classroom. Teachers must provide multiple avenues for students to demonstrate learning and use a diverse spread of instructional strategies.
According to Tomlinson (1999), teachers can use data collected from assessments to modify content, process, or product:
Content:
This is what the teacher wants the students to learn and also identifies that materials, mechanisms, and/or strategies that will be used to accomplish student success.
Process:
This "describes activities designed to ensure that students use key skills to make sense out of essential ideas and information" (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 11).
Product:
These are the ways in which students "demonstrate and extend" what has been learned and gives the students the opportunity to show what they know, or the knowledge that has been acquired (Tomlinson, 1999, p. 11).
In additional to these three factors, the learning environment must be adaptable and suitable for meeting the needs of all students. Included in this, is the method in which teachers incorporate and/or acknowledge the different multiple intelligences within the classroom. Teachers must provide multiple avenues for students to demonstrate learning and use a diverse spread of instructional strategies.
Implementing R.T.I. & Differentiation in my Classroom
"In differentiated classrooms, teachers begin where students are, not the front of a curriculum guide"
(Tomlinson, 1999, p. 2).
(Tomlinson, 1999, p. 2).
RTI in My Classroom
This multi-tier support system will be a valuable tool to use (or some version of it), to meet the needs of all students and provide intervention when needed. I will use RTI to identify students who need additional support services, including but not limited to special education services. Each tier will be met in the following ways:
- Tier 1: For all of my students, I will provide differentiation and effective instruction. I will strive to meet the needs of all of my students by providing multiple opportunities for success and multiple ways for students to demonstrate learning.
- Tier 2: At this level, I will meet with at risk students in small groups to provide quality intervention. When necessary (and when available), I will call in the help of a specialist to assist students further. I will continually monitor student progress, and when the desired benchmark is performed accurately and achieved, I will move the student back down to Tier 1, but will continue to monitor that student and offer additional support.
- Tier 3: If the student is still unsuccessful in Tier 2, I will suggest that student for a more intensive prevention system. This will include anything from a 504 plan, to an IEP. Students may also be recommended for special education services if the risk is high enough. At this point, I will do all that I can to meet the needs of these students, however, much of the intervention will be given by a specialist.
Differentiation in My Classrom
To accommodate for all students needs, I will implement different instructional strategies to ensure that all students are learning at their academic level. My plans for differentiation will be dependent on my classroom demographics and differ from student to student. I will intentionally identify students' specific needs and look for areas in which students may be struggling or excelling. I will build off of student strength and provide support for areas where confusion may take place.
Carol Ann Tomlinson suggests several strategies for differentiation within the classroom to better meet individual or small group needs (1999). These strategies will be used in my classroom to address the needs of both struggling students and exceptional learners. The strategies for differentiation are as follows:
Part of meeting all students' needs, is the implementation of instruction involving multiple intelligences. I will differentiation my instruction to provide for those who learn in the following ways:
- To see how differentiation might be used in my classroom, click HERE (Tomlinson, 2003, p. 12-13).
- To see an example of how I have specifically implemented differentiation into my lessons, see Quality Lesson.
Carol Ann Tomlinson suggests several strategies for differentiation within the classroom to better meet individual or small group needs (1999). These strategies will be used in my classroom to address the needs of both struggling students and exceptional learners. The strategies for differentiation are as follows:
- Stations
- Agendas
- Centers
- Tiered Activities
- Learning Contracts
Part of meeting all students' needs, is the implementation of instruction involving multiple intelligences. I will differentiation my instruction to provide for those who learn in the following ways:
- Bodily-Kinesthetic - providing movement within lessons and activities.
- Interpersonal - allowing students to communicate ideas with other students.
- Verbal-Linguistic - not only using speech and written word during instruction, but allowing students to do the same.
- Logical-Mathematical - including symbols, numbers and mathematical concepts with content areas.
- Naturalistic - relating lessons to the world and the things found within nature.
- Intrapersonal - providing opportunities for students to self-reflect and/or work on their own.
- Visual-Spatial - including many pictures, graphic organizers, and other visuals to enhance the lesson.
- Musical - using music as a tool for learning content.
To view my considerations on proficiency and mastery, and systems that I would have in place for students that do not meet these levels of achievement, please view the following pages: