We have finally made it! Our second cycle of RtI is complete! It seemed like it took forever this year. Snow days put us significantly behind. Add in missed days for state testing and any days missed due to student absences and no wonder Tier II and Tier III seemed to go on so long!
Tier II at our school runs for about 10 weeks. During those ten weeks, we progress monitor the students to check their progress on the interventions. Tier II meets outside the classroom setting in small groups of usually 4-6 students. But due to staffing issues, we have had slightly larger groups of 8 at times in the past. I do not like to have that many in a group. You really need smaller groups to give enough individual attention to each child in their areas of need.
Tier III is more intensive, both in interventions and for the length of time. It lasts for 12 weeks. Tier III is usually one student per teacher, but again staffing can be an issue and I have had 2 in this intensive tier. Optimally, of course, one student is best.
Tier I students stay in the classrooms and are to work on areas of need or enrichment.
Now that the tiers are completed and paperwork is turned in, I will go over the graphs and collect data for our staff RtI meeting.
Types of data that I collect are universal screening scores before Tier II and III began and again after the tiers ended. We use the DRA and IRI for our universal screening.
I also collect data on what other supports the student is receiving: Title 1, Reading Recovery, tutoring, etc... Is the student now on grade level? If not, how far below grade level.
All those questions, plus the data from the graphs help my RtI team make decisions on each individual student. Whether they should stay in that tier, move up or down a tier or be dismissed out of Tier II or III completely. It is a long day full of important decisions that we don't take lightly. I think most of us are mentally exhausted by the end of the day.
My question for you is how does your school decide how students move in and out of the RtI tiers?
Is the title teacher in your school doing a separate intervention from your RTI interventions? Or is your title teacher one of the RTI interventionists?
ReplyDeleteBy the way I love your blogs and posts. Thank you for the wonderful ideas and information.
Thank you so much, Teach4U! I am happy to hear that you enjoy my blog! I am the Title 1 reading teacher and I am the RtI coordinator. So I teach the reading classes and I am one of the teachers that does the interventions. At my school, Title 1 classes are separate from RtI classes and are held at separate times. Hope that helps!
DeleteWe don't have any Tier 3 interventions for grade 1. We have small group, & paraprofessionals to help. No intervention teachers. EVERYTHING done by classroom teacher ( 26 kids this year). No small feat! Wendy 1stgradefireworks@gmail.com 1stgradefireworks
ReplyDeleteWow, Wendy, that is a lot on the classroom teacher's shoulders to have to do all that. We have tier 3 available in first, but if I remember correctly, we haven't had to place anyone in tier 3 yet while they were in first grade.
DeleteObviously a lot of work goes into this day you're talking about. It sounds exhausting but time well spent.
ReplyDelete❀ Tammy
Forever in First
You are right, Tammy. A lot of prep goes into our RtI meeting day. We are all mentally tired at the end of the day from making so many important decisions. But we believe it is worth it, like you said.
DeleteThis is an awesome and informative post! I'm an interventionist at my school and I work with Tier II Reading and Tier III Math students. It's interesting learning about different ways schools set up their RTI programs (called SRBI in CT).
ReplyDeleteKatie
Teaching Voracious Learners
Thank you so much, Katie! I agree that RtI is set up so many different ways and works so differently in different schools. I find it interesting too how the different schools approach it. I am always on the look out for new ideas to implement.
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ReplyDeleteWhat 3 baseline assessments are you using to determine their needs? I'm a 2nd grade teacher working with a reading group that is on a first grade level. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHey Heather! I use the student's DRA and a quick phonics screening or phonemic awareness screening to determine what interventions the student would need. These may show a need in reading multisyllabic syllables and fluency. If that is what was needed, then these would become the first 2 interventions. We do two interventions at a time at our school. I hope that helps!
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