Early Intervention, Reading, and RTI: Great article from Education Week

Responding to RTI
"Early-reading expert Richard Allington believes response to intervention is possibly "our last, best hope" for achieving full literacy in the United States. So why does he sound so unhopeful?"

By Anthony Rebora


I'd like to see an RTI approach to supporting students with disabilities at the high school level. Too many are dropping out of school.

Somewhat Related:

KIDS COUNT Indicator Brief: Reducing the High School Dropout Rate (pdf)

"Since 2004, 28 states increased their requirements for graduating from high school with a standard diploma for students both with and without disabilities, and some states report that one result was a rise in dropout rates (National Center on Educational Outcomes, 2007)."
Anna E. Casey Foundation

Thoughts while updating my "Mega-List of Resources and References: Technology, Psychology, Intervention & Prevention"

On August 1st, 2006, I posted my "Mega-List of Resources and References: Technology, Psychology, Intervention & Prevention".   At that time, I had taken only a few computer courses, such as game design/development, beginning programming, internet/computer multimedia, etc.  Since then, I've been collecting more resources- some scholarly, some not.


If you are new to this blog, here is a little history:

Not long after I posted my 2006 "Mega List", I watched Jeff Han's TED Talk video of his multi-touch table, and I was bitten by the bug.  I knew immediately that I had to have something just like it, and I knew that it would be great for use at work.  As a school psychologist, I have provided group activities for "at-risk" students and students with special needs, and most often, around a table.  That led me to focus my projects on large display/surface interaction in some of my subsequent computer courses.  I joined the NUI-Group in 2007 because I wanted to build my own table. Unfortunately, there was little time left at the end of the semester to do so- my team mates were also pretty busy.

Three years later:
I can't believe that I have a multi-touch table, a SMARTTable, at one of my schools, just three years after wanting to build my own. I have all sorts of design ideas for tabletop applications, but little time to implement them, as I still work full time as a school psychologist.  (Some of my references and resources will focus on this aspect of my tech journey.)

SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT 21st CENTURY TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION
I'm hoping that the next wave of educational technology will have more of an impact than the last wave.  In my opinion, much of what I've seen has been more of the same stuff that was around in the 1980's and 1990's - electronic worksheets dressed up with electronic bells and whistles.  

With the ever-spreading 1:1 laptop initiatives, I predict that the dressed-up "skill and drill" applications will morph just a bit and pretend that they are perfect for meeting the needs of 21st Century Learners, even though 21st Century Learners should be learning how to work cooperatively and collaboratively in groups, and focus on learning activities that stimulate deep understanding of concepts.... As some of my colleagues say, "worksheets don't grow dendrites",  1:1 skill-and drill applications, masquerading as 21st Century learning tools, probably won't grow many dendrites, either!  
Most of the young people I've known over the years were strong visual thinkers. They love movies and video games.  They often are artistic or musical.  They don't like to sit still and listen for long when teachers present information through lectures and discussions. 

If you are a school psychologist, you know this type of student.  They do really well on spatial reasoning and non-verbal reasoning subtests.   They don't do so well on measures of short term auditory memory or short-term auditory working memory.    What this means is that in a nice, quiet testing environment, without distractions, they can barely remember number sequences, and stumble when asked to repeat short sentences and passages.  If you happen to administer a cognitive test, like the WISC-IV, during some of the verbal sub-tests,  they will forget what you just asked them, or even forget what they were going to say.   Sometimes you know they know it, but they just can retrieve the information from long-term verbal memory.  If you administer the WJ-III cognitive assessment, they often will perform poorly on the Cognitive Efficiency cluster,  and as a result, will receive an overall cognitive score that is more of a reflection of their short-term memory and attention difficulties than their ability to reason and think at a higher, more abstract level.

Some of these students have difficulty with taking notes, especially from the board.  They often can't locate important information from their textbooks.  You can spot this type of student right away.  They are still flipping through textbook pages as the teacher moves forward with the lesson or directions.   Sometimes they don't even realize what they are supposed to be doing, so they just sit there. The teachers and parents of these students will tell you that anything they say "goes in one ear and out the other".  

My fear is that electronic work-book applicatons(dressed up with 21st century bells and whistles) bundled with 1:1 laptops will be welcomed by many teachers.  This approach will fit right in with teachers who have a fondness for worksheets, but don't like having to check so many papers.   The laptop/electronic workbook will fit right in to this sort of pedagogy. (I am not against a little bit of skill and drill supported by a worksheet or two, electronic or otherwise, by the way.)
Here is a blurb for a 2001 product from School Zone that is an example of my point:

• "School Zone Interactive’s award-winning Electronic Workbook CD-ROM series is being heralded by teachers nationwide for its refreshing back-to-basics approach to educational software for children. Based on School Zone Publishing’s top-selling workbook content, which has been trusted by teachers for over twenty years, Electronic Workbooks provide a prodigious amount of educational content adorned with entertaining games and delightful animations for children ages 2-12."  Current examples:  School Zone Third Grade Software List

In a way, the electronic workbook-on-a-laptop method of instruction doesn't have to be just skill-and-drill.  There are some advantages to this approach, especially if you consider applications that incorporate an adaptive feature.  One good example of this the Wayang Outpost, an application that does go beyond skill-and-drill. This application is accessed via the internet:

"Funded by several research programs at the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education, Wayang Outpost is state-of-the-art technology designed to increase standardized test scores and help teachers in their assessment of students' strengths. Wayang Outpost is designed to learn along with the student. As the student progresses though the math problem presented, Wayang Outpost adjusts instruction, using individualized strategies that are effective for each student. It is available free to teachers, schools, after-school programs, and for use from home."

Wayang Outpost Publication List    

FYI:  Here is an example of one of the publications:

Arroyo, I., Ferguson, K., Johns, J., Dragon, T., Meheranian, H., Fisher, D., Barto, A., Mahadevan, S., Woolf, B.P. (2007) Repairing Disengagement with Non-Invasive Interventions. To appear in Proceedings of the 13th International Conference of Artificial Intelligence in Education. IOS Press

Other applications that go beyond skill-and-drill that can be accessed via a laptop with an internet connection include the DimensionU series, which includes a multi-player algebra game, as well as games for different core subjects.

"Welcome to DimensionU, a prestigious game-based training facility for K-12 students. In DimensionU, you can access multiplayer educational video games that help you hone your skills, connect with friends, climb the ranks and have a blast.  Click on the orbiting green M above to transport yourself to DimensionM, where multiplayer educational games for Math can be found, or click on the blue S to transport yourself to DimensionS where you can work on your Science skills.  Challenge other students around the corner or around the world. No matter whether you’re a beginner or an expert, there’s always more to learn and do in DimensionU. Where do you want to play today?"   


DimensionU product efficacy studies


The best part of these applications is that they track progress with reliable data, which is integral to regular education RTI (Response to Intervention) efforts. Additional, this form of data tracking is useful to special educators who need to track their students' progress towards IEP (Individual Education Plan) goals. 
At any rate, I have lots of references and resources that I'd like to share in the near future. They cover topics such as interactive whiteboard and 1:1 laptop research,  emerging technologies in education,  the use of video games for learning and therapeutic purposes, issues of technology integration,  and topics such as "RTI and Assistive Technology",  RTI and UDL",  cloud computing and educational technology,  new forms of data/progress monitoring software, and so forth.  Of course, there will be more about interactive mult-touch displays and tables for learning!


Other Thoughts
I'm also interested in looking at how technology can move school psychologists into the 21st century.  Take the subject of cognitive assessment for a start.   Here is an example to illustrate my point:


A couple of years ago, I was administering a WISC-IV to a high school student that I also saw for counseling.  My hand started to cramp as I was recording his responses to some of the Verbal subtest items.  He said something like, "Mrs. Marentette, you always use your laptop to take notes during our sessions.  Why do you have to use a pen and paper to write down everything I'm saying now?"   Until that moment, I hadn't given it much thought.   
An additional topic I'll discuss in the future: "Seamless/Ubiquitious Learning" - and how it can support learners, teachers, parents, and related service providers, including school psychologists.
RELATED:
2006: Mega List of Resources and References:  Technology, Psychology, Intervention & Prevention
Technology and the 21st Century School Psychologist, Speech and Language Pathologist, Special Educator, Etc.
TPACK Framework:  Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Assistive Technology, and Universal Design for Learning
UPDATE:  Cognitive "bursts", technology-supported interventions, interactive whiteboards, digital storytelling, and reflections about a new SMARTTable.

SMARTtables in North Carolina:

Kicking SMART up a notch (Morgan Wall, The Mount Airy News 9/2/09)

"The table is hands-on and interactive, allowing students to use a number of their senses to learn. It can be beneficial to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners."

"Shoals Elementary has two SMART Tables which can be checked out through the main office. Riggs sees them mostly as being for K-2 students but said 3-5 students can use them as well."

I wonder if any teachers at schools who have adopted Universal Design for Learning strategies have SMARTtables in their classrooms. If so, please leave a comment!

School Psychologist "On the Job" reflections...

This is a copy of my post to the NASP School Psychologist "On the Job" blog:

I'm at home today due to a ill-timed stomach bug. I plan to spend some of my time resting as I work on reports and review some student data.

As the school year comes to an end, I often have mixed feelings. On one hand, like the students, I can't wait until the first day of my summer break (all 5 weeks of it!) and jump into the pool... On the other hand, it is a time of reflection about the school year and what I've done in my little corner of the school psychology world to make things better, and also reflect on the direction I need to take for the upcoming year, giving some thought to current research.

I'd like to devote this post to one of my interests, improving outcomes for youth with disabilities.

In my opinion, the best measurement of intervention outcomes is what happens to the lives of the children and teens as they transition to adulthood. Despite our well-intentioned efforts, often focused at the elementary level, high school students with disabilities continue to drop out of school at an unacceptable rate, especially in urban school districts.

If you skim through recent journal articles in the field of school psychology, it is obvious that most university-sponsored research targets the lower grades. This research is important, but it is not enough, given the data that we have regarding outcomes for youth with disabilities. My hunch is that many university school psychology educators have minimal experience working at the high school level, otherwise we'd have many more journal articles devoted to secondary-level research and best practices!

As a profession, are we losing sight of the bigger picture? How much do we understand what is going on at the high school level regarding third-tier interventions for students who receive special education services? At this level, what are the roles and responsibilities of the school psychologist regarding progress monitoring and assessing treatment integrity? How does this fit in the IEP and transition planning process? Who is responsible for putting together the secondary school psychology road-map?


When I returned to work this school year full time, I hadn't worked in a regular high school setting for about three years. One of my goals was to re-acquaint myself with research related adolescent literacy, drop-out prevention for students with disabilities, and transition planning. Below are some of the resources and links I found along my way:

NASP: School Psychology Forum: Research into Practice

Adolescent Literacy
IES Practice Guide: Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices

The Content Literacy Continuum

ARCC- Appalachia Regional Comprehensive CenterAdolescent Literacy Resources & Toolkit

National Institute for Literacy: What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy pdf (2007)

Note: The above publication has specific strategies for instruction included in the appendix, with some useful graphic organizers.

Learning Disabilities Online: Adolescent Literacy and Older Students with Learning Disabilities (pdf)

National Center for Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET) Adolescent Literacy Resources

Edutopia: How To Use Digital Storytelling in Your Classroom

Meeting the Needs of Significantly Struggling Learners in High School: A Look at Approaches to Tiered Intervention

This publication explains the need for and challenges of implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) at the high school level. This brief introduces the RTI model, illustrates two RTI approaches, discusses implementation issues, and provides a list of resources for more information.


Transition, Dropout-Prevention for Students with Disabilities

Effective Interventions in Dropout Prevention: A Research Synthesis
The Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Intervention on Dropout for Youth with Disabilities pdf
Brian Cobb, Pat Sample, Morgen Alwell and Nikole Johns, Colorado State University

What Works Transition Research Synthesis

Making Connections Across Indicators to Improve Post-School Outcomes
Cathy Hammond, Ph.D., Loujeania Williams Bost, Ph.D.

Evidence-Based Dropout-Prevention Programs

Collecting Post-School Outcome Data: Strategies for Increasing Response Rates pdf

What Works Clearinghouse: Dropout Prevention

National Post-School Outcomes Center

National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities

The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was established in January 2004 to support states in assisting local education agencies to increase school completion rates and decrease dropout rates among students with disabilities. NDPC-SD is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is part of OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network designed to support the national implementation of provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Our Focus
The mission of the NDPC-SD is to build the capacity of states to provide local education agencies with enhanced services related to dropout prevention and re-entry programs to increase school completion rates for students with disabilities. In keeping with our mission, the primary focus of our Center is threefold:

1.to synthesize research and practice into actionable information that can be readily used by states to develop and/or enhance dropout prevention programs for students with disabilities. This actionable information includes, but is not limited to, producing research-based manuscripts, information monographs, and a toolkit of evidenced-based strategies to serve as technical assistance documents for administrators, educators, policymakers, and other service providers in designing dropout prevention programs.
2.to provide effective technical assistance and dissemination activities to "scale up" the use of research-validated programs and interventions in dropout prevention. We believe effective technical assistance to be a systematic process for transferring knowledge about dropout prevention research, practices that work, and policies to assist states and their stakeholders to accomplish goals and plans for systems change in reducing dropout rates and improving school completion rates for students with disabilities. Part of our agenda will consist of translating work being done in other venues into actionable information that states can readily use.
3.to expand state and local practices through intense technical assistance and coaching, which will lead to the development of model sites—exemplars that others can replicate.

Books
McEWan, Elain K. 40 Ways to Support Struggling Readers in Content Classrooms, Grades 6-12 (2007) National Association of Secondary School Principals & Corwin Press

Beers, Kylene, Probst, Robert.E., & Rief, Linda (Eds.) Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice (2007) Heinemann

Ohler, Jason Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity. (2007) Corwin Press

End Mindless Notetaking! Engage Students! DyKnow Software - a tool for high school RTI?!

Take a look at this videoclip about DyKnow, an application developed to combat mindless note-taking and enhance classroom learning. Although the video demonstrates the benefits of this technology in a university classroom, it is clear to see that this would be a great asset in high school classes conducted in computer labs or have access to classroom sets of laptops.

The "retro" effect of this black-and white clip is entertaining.



DyKnow provides a means for teachers to control the way the laptop is used during class, which in a high school environment is important. Watch the DyKnow Monitor video to learn more about the features of this application, which includes a means of instant progress monitoring. The software provides for collaborative interaction between students and between the students and the teacher's work space.

In my opinion, this looks like it would be an effective resource in high schools that are adopting data-driven decision-making and Response to Intervention (RTI) models. It provides students - and teachers- with immediate feedback, and monitors progress electronically.

We know that most students do not learn best auditorily at the high school level, yet much of the high school curriculum is delivered through traditional means that involve lectures, note-taking, and some discussions. In this set up, it can be easy for some of the students to become disctracted in class, with lower grades and test scores as a consequence.

For many struggling students, traditional means of instruction opens the door for task avoidant behaviors and an increase in discipline events. They simply are not often fully engaged in the learning process.

Video: DyKnow in a high school setting: DyKnow in Action: Auburn City Schools

The DyKnow video highlights some of the ways that the curriculum be delivered in a more on-task, visual, and 'hands on" way that engages a higher percentage of students.

Article: High School Students, Teachers Learn Long-Term Benefits of Tablet PC's in the Classroom

If your school is using DyKnow, feel free to leave a comment about your thoughts!

DimensionM', a 3D Interactive Multi-Player Algebra Game is Spreading in 21st Century Schools

Tabula Digita's 3D multi-player algebra game, DimensionM, is spreading to more middle and high schools around the country. Steven Hoy, of Tabula Digita, is working with UNC-Wilmington and educators in Pender and New Hanover counties.

"There is no problem with catching on. There is no problem with student usage. It is just a matter of fitting it into the curriculum"

"When was the last time you saw groups of students excited about math?" I would make the recommendation if there are other large school districts who are interesting in coming on board and providing a 21st century environment for 21st century students, they should do this..."

DimensionM Multi-player Algebra GameTournament in NYC

I first set my eyes on Tabula Digita's previous math game, Dimenxian, at the 2005 Serious Games Summit. It is exciting to see how the game has evolved, and how research shows that it is an effective teaching and learning tool.

DimensionM Website

Information about DimensionM and math curriculum standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics:
http://www.dimensionm.com/alignments/Mission%20Standards%20Alignments_NCTM_V3.0.pdf

Related Research
The Effects of Modern Math Computer Games on Learner's Math Achievement and Math Course Motivation in a Public High School Setting:
http://www.dimensionm.com/docs/UCFResearch_Brief_June_202008.pdf

"The results also support findings from two meta-analysis, including: (a) Vogel et al. (2006) who concluded that interactive simulations and games were more effective than traditional classroom instruction on learners' cognitive gains based on a review of 32 empirical studies, and (b) Dempsey et al. (1994) who concluded that students who played math video games and attended the traditional classroom instruction achieved higher mathematics score than students who only attended traditional classrooms based on 94 empirical studies."

The use of computer and videogames for learning: A review of the literature
http://www.dimensionm.com/docs/VideoGamesforLearning.pdf

Link from link a NC State wiki with inforation about DimensionM:

http://wikis.lib.ncsu.edu/index.php/Dimenxian

"DimensionM is a video game that immerses students into a virtual world with the intention of teaching them mathematics concepts using familiar game constructs. This video game targets middle and high school students and covers pre-Algebra and Algebra objectives through a series of missions. In each mission the students enter a reality-based environment where they are introduced to new math concepts. Throughout the missions students challenge themselves to understand and master the math concepts to improve their performance in the game. Students cannot move from one phase to another until they have completed the math problems or tasks with 100% accuracy."

RELATED

Drexel's Math Forum/Basic Algebra

http://mathforum.org/library/topics/basic_algebra/

Albert Ritzhaupt, Ph.D. UNC-Wilmington Class:

MIT 595: Games, Simulations, and Virtual Worlds (pdf flyer of Spring 2009 course)

Watson School of Education

International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations

Resource Update: Adolescent Literacy, Digital Storytelling, RTI & Data-based Decision Making

Although January is the first month of the new year, it also marks the mid-point of the school year, a good time for those of us who work in schools and related academic settings to reflect a bit about what really matters.

I thought I'd dedicate this post to a review resources that might be useful when planning for the second semester.

Books
On the last day before break, I noticed that my school district's professional development library had expanded well beyond my expectations. I had to restrain myself from checking out too many books!

Here is my short list, which reflects my interests in adolescent literacy, drop-out prevention, and technology integration:

McEWan, Elain K. 40 Ways to Support Struggling Readers in Content Classrooms, Grades 6-12 (2007) National Association of Secondary School Principals & Corwin Press

Beers, Kylene, Probst, Robert.E., & Rief, Linda (Eds.) Adolescent Literacy: Turning Promise into Practice (2007) Heinemann

Ohler, Jason Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity. (2007) Corwin Press


Online Resources:
Jason Ohler's Website


Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center

"The Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center (ARCC) at Edvantia is one of 16 regional comprehensive and 5 content centers that make up the Comprehensive Center Network funded by the U.S. Department of Education.

The purpose of the comprehensive centers is to provide state education agencies with intensive technical assistance to address the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements and meet student achievement goals."

The ARCC website contains a database of evidence-based resources, rated on the level of evidence provided that supports effectiveness.
Here's a list of resource toolkits found on the ARCC site. (Be prepared to spend more than a few minutes browsing through the info!)

• Adolescent Literacy
• English Language Learners
• Formative Assessment
• High School
• ICT Assessment
• Leadership
• Migrant Education
• Parent Involvement
• School Improvement
• Special Education
• State Systems of Support
• Teacher Quality

National Center on Student Progress Monitoring

Note: This site focuses mostly on K-5 topics, but does have some resources appropriate for the secondary level.)
"The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring (NCSPM) has exciting downloadable articles, PowerPoint presentations, FAQs, and additional resources about student progress monitoring, Curriculum-Based Measurement, applying decision making to IEPs and other researched based topics. All of our publications are designed to inform and assist audiences in implementing student progress monitoring at the classroom, building, local or state level."
NCSPM's Web Resources:

• Accountability and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
• Administrative Support
• Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM): An Introduction
• Curriculum-Based Measurement in the Classroom
• Data-Based Decision Making
• Family Resources

• Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
• Math
• Progress Monitoring Tools
• Reading
• Research
• Response to Intervention (RTI)
• Written Expression
• Other

Links to "other resources" from the NCSPM website look interesting!

Rapid Assessment Found to Improve Student Achievement Comparisons of student achievement effect sizes suggest that systems in which student performance in math and reading is rapidly assessed between 2 and 5 times per week are 4 times as effective as a 10% increase in per pupil expenditure, 6 times as effective as voucher programs, 64 times as effective as charter schools, and 6 times as effective as increased accountability, according to an article published in the most recent issue of the American Journal of Evaluation. Rapid assessment, which is a form of student progress monitoring, is defined by the article's author as "systems that provide nonjudgmental testing feedback [to teachers] immediately after each test." To read the entire article, The Cost-Effectiveness of Five Policies for Improving Student Achievement, Stuart Yeh, American Journal of Evaluation, 2007; 28: 416-436 (a small fee is charged), go to http://aje.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/28/4/416 High School Center Releases Document on RTI The National High School Center has recently released a new document, entitled "Meeting the Needs of Significantly Struggling Learners in High School: A Look at Approaches to Tiered Intervention," that explains the need for and challenges of implementing Response to Intervention (RTI) at the high school level. This brief introduces the RTI model, illustrates two RTI approaches, discusses implementation issues, and provides a list of resources for more information. http://www.betterhighschools.org/docs/NHSC_RTIBrief_08-02-07.pdf

National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities
"The National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) was established in 2004 by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) as part of OSEP’s Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network, which supports the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). NDPC-SD was specifically established to assist in building states’ capacity to increase school completion rates for students with disabilities through knowledge synthesis, technical assistance, and dissemination of interventions and practices that work. NDPC-SD is located at the National Dropout Prevention Center/Network (NDPC/N) at Clemson University."

• Dropout Prevention (pdf) (2008) (IES Practice Guide, National Center for Educational Evaluation and Regional Assistance)

• Cobb, B., Sample, P., Alwell, M., & Johns, N. (2005). The effects of cognitive-behavioral interventions on dropout prevention for youth with disabilities. Clemson, SC: National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (pdf)

• PowerPoint: Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative Fall Meeting, National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities, Clemson University (2007) Dropout Prevention for Students with Disabilities: What the Research Tells Us
  

AdLit.Org "All About Adolescent Literacy: Resources for Parents and Educators of Kids in Grades 4-12"

• Classroom Strategies

National Institute for Literacy

• What Content-Area Teachers Should Know About Adolescent Literacy (pdf)(2007)

Note: The above publication has specific strategies for instruction included in the appendix, with some useful graphic organizers.

Learning Disabilities Online

• Adolescent Literacy and Older Students with Learning Disabilities (pdf)

National Center for Secondary Education and Transition (NCSET)

• NCSET Adolescent Literacy Resources
  
  

Edutopia: How To Use Digital Storytelling in Your Classroom


Related Resources:
Youthhood.org, a website for teens: "Childhood Meets Adulthood"

• Teacher Dave McDivitt & Making History at Oak Hill School: Video Games that Teach
  

Youth.org link: Digigirlz High Technology Camps (Microsoft)

I hope these updated resources are helpful!

High School Response to Intervention (RTI) Resources

Most of the workshops I've attended about RTI have focused on resources and strategies designed for the elementary school level. More resources are now available that are appropriate for the high school level than before, and I thought I'd devote a few posts on this topic.

This is especially important when we consider that high school students who receive special education services, the most intensive level of support and intervention offered in our public schools, continue to have a much higher drop-out rate than their peers.

In today's economy, we know that these students aren't dropping out of school to work at steady, well-paying job!

Here are a few links to articles related to this topic, along with references:

RTI Gets Promoted to Secondary Schools (National Center for Learning Disabilities; Barbara J.Ehren, Ed.D. & Kathleen Whitmire, Ph.D.)

"While it is urgent to intervene as early as possible in the early grades to prevent the cycle of failure, it is equally important to remember that struggling learners in middle school and high school are also in need of instructional and behavioral supports to be successful. In fact, the stakes are higher for secondary students who lack the foundational skills and strategies needed to engage in school and who end up at risk for failing or dropping out."

RTI in Secondary School Setting: Riverbank High School Story - Implementing the Content Literacy Continuum(pdf)
Ken GEisick, Ed.D.; Peggy Graving-Reyes, & Silvia DeRuvo

What is the Content Learning Continuum?
(Strategic Learning Center)

Dropout Fact Sheet (National High School Center)

RTI Action Network High School Resources

References from the RTI Action Network:

Ehren, B. J., Lenz, B. K., & Deshler, D. D. (2004). Enhancing literacy proficiency in adolescents and young adults. In A. Stone, E. Silliman, B. Ehren, & K. Apel (Eds.), Handbook of language and literacy (pp. 600–625). New York: Guilford Press.

Guthrie, J. T., & Wigfield, A. (2000). Engagement and motivation in reading. In M. Kamil, R. Barr, P. Mosenthal, & D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research: Volume III (pp. 403–424). New York: Longman.

Hock, M. F., Deshler, D. D., & Schumaker, J. B. (2005). Enhancing student motivation through the pursuit of possible selves. In C. Dunkel & J. Kerpelman (Eds.), Possible selves: Theory, research and applications (pp. 205–221). Hauppauge, NY: Nova.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Pub. L. No. 108-446, § 1400 et seq.
Moje, E. B. (2006). Motivating texts, motivating contexts, motivating adolescents: An examination of the role of motivation in adolescent literacy practices and development. Perspectives, 32(3), 10–14.

National Center for Learning Disabilities. (2006). A parent's guide to response to intervention. Retrieved July 7, 2007, from www.ncld.org/images/stories/downloads/parent_center/rti_final.pdf.

O'Connor, R., & Bell, K. (2004). Teaching students with reading disability to read words. In A. Stone, E. Silliman, B. Ehren, & K. Apel (Eds.), Handbook of language and literacy (pp. 481–498). New York: Guilford Press.

Pajares, F., & Urdan, T. (2005). Academic motivation of adolescents. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Scammacca, N., Roberts, G., Vaughn, S., Edmonds, M., Wexler, J., Reutebuch, C. K., & Torgesen, J. K. (2007). Interventions for adolescent struggling readers: A meta-analysis with implications for practice. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction.

Schumaker, J. B., & Deshler, D. D. (1992). Validation of learning strategy interventions for students with LD: Results of a programmatic research effort. In B. Y. L. Wong (Ed.), Contemporary research with students with learning disabilities: An international perspective (pp. 22–46). New York: Springer-Verlag.

Vaughn, S., Klingner, J. K., & Bryant, D. P. (2001). Collaborative strategic reading as a means to enhance peer-mediated instruction for reading comprehension and content area learning. Remedial and Special Education, 22(2), 66–74.

Here are additional resources about RTI and special needs students. from a post on the CEC RTI blog, written by Douch Cheney, of the University of Washington:

References

Crone, D.A., Horner, R.H., & Hawken, L.S. (2004). Responding to problem behavior in the schools: The behavior education program. NY: Guilford.

Hawken, L.S. (2006). School psychologists as leaders in the implementation of a targeted intervention: The behavior education program. School Psychology Quarterly, 21, 91-111.

Ryan, J., Pierce, C. & Mooney, P. (2008). Evidence-based teaching strategies for students with EBD. Beyond Behavior, 17(3), 22-29.

Sinclair, M. F., Christenson, S. L., Evelo, D. L., & Hurley, C. M. (1998). Dropout prevention for high-risk youth with disabilities: Efficacy of a sustained school engagement procedure. Exceptional Children, 65 (1), 7-21.

Sinclair, M. F., Christenson, S. L., & Thurlow, M. (2005). Promoting school completion of urban secondary youth with emotional or behavioral disabilities. Exceptional Children, 71, 465-482.

RELATED

From the Strategic Learning Center: The Content Literacy Continuum

Children with Down Syndrome: Research about early literacy intervention approaches from the University of Denver

Via Science Daily Science News:

"Researchers at the University of Denver (DU) Morgridge College of Education are conducting a new study that will compare two early literacy intervention approaches to educating young children with Down syndrome."


"There has been little to no research on how our children with Down syndrome learn, especially regarding reading and language," says Michelle Sie Whitten, executive director of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation and Advisory Committee Chair of The Rocky Mountain Down Syndrome Educational Fund. "There have been significant breakthroughs in terms of how children with other developmental disabilities learn, and I strongly believe that our kids deserve the same attention."

Evolver, DimensionM, 3-D algebra games used in Broward County, Florida. RTI ready with built-in data-tracking of progress!

When Dimenxian, the first version of a 3-D algebra game, developed by Tabula Digita came out, I had the chance to try it out with a few students who were struggling in math, and found it to be effective. Since then, Tabula Digita has come out with more options, and the games have been adopted by many school districts.

Broward County, in Florida, is using Tabula Digita's DimensionM games as supplemental resources to teach pre-algebra and algebra skills to students in 24 middle schools.

Resource: Video Games for Learning:
http://www.dimensionm.com/docs/VideoGamesforLearning.pdf



Information from a recent Serious Games Source article:

"The DimensionM product series offers several titles incorporating key algebraic concepts in both single and multiplayer formats. The games are aligned to meet the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics's standards, as well as several state standards, for grades 6-9."

"The supplemental curriculum offers lessons that cover topics such as proportions, number lines, and adding and subtracting integers to linear equations. The software also provides automatic progress tracking for each student, enabling teachers to analyze results and provide additional instructions based on those results."

Here are the curriculum alignments, from the Tabula Digita Website:

"All of the game content of Tabula Digita's DimensionM products is aligned to National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards, as well as the standards of selected states. Currently we have alignments for grades 6-8."

"Click on one of the links below to download the state and national standards alignments for your school district:'

Evolver Pre-Algebra Alignments
NCTM
California
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Texas

Dimenxian Algebra Alignments
NCTM
California
Florida
Georgia
Florida & OCPS
Illinois
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Texas

Dimenxian Algebra High School Alignments
NCTM
California
Florida
Georgia
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Texas

Evolver Multiplayer Alignments
NCTM
California
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Texas

Evolver Multiplayer High School Alignments
NCTM
California
Florida
Georgia
New Jersey
New York
Ohio
Texas

NextGen Teachers - NextGen School Psychologists?

I came across the NextGen Teachers blog, "Educators connecting to explore the next generation of teaching and learning", and noticed that the members of this blog post specific "how-to" information about what works in their classrooms.

If you are a teacher, school psychologist, related services provider, special educator, or anyone interested in the use of technology to support efforts such as Response to Intervention (RTI) and 21st Century Schools, take a look at what NextGen Teachers are writing about. It is small group, created by Doug Belshaw, a high school history and ICT teacher in England.

I wonder if there any NextGen Psychologists out there, involved with innovative technologies. I know of a few, but I'm sure there must be more....

eSchool News: Response to Intervention (RTI) and related resources and links

If you haven't heard of eSchool News, take a look!

I subscribe to eSchool news and have found it very useful. The resource section includes information about topics such as Response to Intervention for reading and math, student data and information systems, and more.

SymTrend: Use of a PDA for tracking progress for children and adults with Asperger Syndrome and other disorders

I'm always on the lookout for applications that can support intervention and progress monitoring. SymTrend is a company that provides coaching and monitoring software for a variety of social and emotional difficulties and disorders. SymTrend looks like it has potential for intervention and progress monitoring in schools for RTI (Response to Intervention), Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports, and IEP's.

The beauty of SymTrend, in my opinion, is that it helps people develop self-monitoring skills through providing a means of analyzing data that is gathered frequently. From what I understand, through interaction with the software, the student/client establishes a better understanding of themselves, and also and understanding of feelings, triggers, reactions, and coping strategies. A rich amount of data is collected that can be helpful to treatment providers, or special educators.

The following video from Minna Levine, Ph.D., president of SymTrend, explains how it can be used for young people who have Asperger syndrome:



Information I "reblogged" Dan Brickland, a SymTrend Advocate:

"SymTrend is an electronic diary system that is designed to optimize symptom and behavior reporting, progress tracking, and session to session progress. It combines tracking tools to see how things are going, with analytic tools for seeing what might subvert or retard treatment efficacy. It also contains guidance tools that can help make things go better. SymTrend is most useful when one or more of the following occur in a health or educational challenge:

• The course of change is slow and the indices of progress may be mixed or ambiguous.
• There is no single magic bullet solution or cure.
• There are, instead, multiple solution strategies that can be tried.
• The best combination of solution strategies depends on individual circumstances.
• The delivery of multiple services occurs at different sites and requires some coordination in time or over developmental stages.
• The road to success has hidden mine fields that impede progress, must be located, and that must be circumvented.
• The indices of progress - symptom reduction and skill building - are best measured at home or in the community not in an office.
• Progress indices change through out the day or from day to day in response to events.
• Verbal report is compromised by observational and memory failure.
• The verbal report takes longer than the service provider can give to listen.
• The person with the problem would benefit from on the spot "when to" reminders to improve progress.
• The person with the problem would benefit from how to reminders which enhance presence of mind and executive functioning reminders to improve progress."

-From "My Take on SymTrend"

If you are using SymTrend in the schools, clinical practice, or for research, please leave a comment!

E-learning and 2.0 tools for K-12 staff development, students, and parents

I'm a member of Classroom 2.0, "the social network for educators using collaborative technologies", and over the past few months, I've sensed an increase in the number of people working in K-12 school districts who are faced with moving much of their staff development content to the web. Others are in the process of providing more on-line learning and communication opportunities for students - and parents.

Folks used to delivering workshops in front of tired teachers at a staff meeting at the end of a long day know that moving to on-line delivery methods will be a challenge, but if done right, most likely will provide our colleagues with a much richer and meaningful experience.

I my case, I can't wait to get going with Moodle, the open-source learning management and collaboration system my school district has adopted.

If you are new to all of this, keep in mind that the time-line for acceptance and adoption of Web 2.0 tools in K-12 settings varies between schools, school districts and regions. In some schools, students and teachers use blogs, wikis, on-line journals, interactive multimedia portfolios, and other 2.0 related sites to share content, upload presentations, and communicate with other classes within their school, and around the world.

If this isn't happening in your school, it is likely that you'll experience changes within the next two years or so. If you are new to "Web 2.0" concepts and scratching your head, know that there is a lot of support out there! Many members of Classroom 2.0 share resources and "how-to" information via the Classroom 2.0 forum and the resources wiki.

From now on, I'd like to devote an occasional post focused on the topic of using 2.0 tools for staff development, and also touch on the use of 2.0 tools for e-learning for students and parent education and support.

In the future, I'd also like to share information about how on-line tools are currently being used to support counseling and social skills activities for students.

Related Resources:

Learn N.C. offers distance education for teachers and students, including interactive video conferencing, NC Virtual Public Schools, and classroom resources.
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/distancelearning/

Learn N.C. also offers educators the opportunity to obtain a certificate in on-line instruction, through the COLT program.

If you don't have time to take things slowly, you can get a few quick tips from Tom Kuhlman's recent post on his Rapid E-Learning blog. Although Tom's focus in staff development for people in the corporate world, the principles are the same:

How to Create E-learning Courses That Don't Waste Your Learner's Time

For school psychologists and related professionals:

School psychologists might be faced with preparing workshops for staff related to RTI (Response to Intervention) and school-wide positive behavior support implementation. Using web 2.0 tools to get the job done is something worth considering.

The first step is to take a giant step back and look at the big picture. Look at your school district's long-range technology plan, and revisit the technology plan that is in place for your school. You might also want to look at your state's technology plan and get a list of the contacts assigned to your region.

Find out who is the "2.0" go-to person or group where you work. Keep in mind that some school districts roll out 2.0 tools in phases. Even if your school's technology is "2002-ish", take a look around at what other schools in your district, region, and state are doing, and ask questions so you can be prepared.

Feel free to leave a comment and share what your school district is doing!