The Oregon RTIi Elementary Math Project Application 2015-2016
Section I: Introduction and Guidance
I. ORTIi Participation and Application Process Summary
A. Participation in the ORTIi project is open to all districts in Oregon that:
1. Have successfully participated as a “Full Support” district or are currently participating as a “Full Support” district with OrRTI in literacy (i.e., received funding, ongoing on-site coaching support, etc.).
2. Have a researched-based elementary CCSS aligned core math program (see below, and ODE website for lists of current and previously approved programs).
3. Have a universal screening system (i.e., DIBELS, EasyCBM, AIMSweb).
4. Have commitment from the core leadership team (Superintendent, District Office Administrators, and Elementary Principals) to provide leadership, time, professional development, and other resources to support the implementation of RTI components and build infrastructure capacity to maintain effective implementation over time.
B. ORTIi provides:
·Installation, training and support in year 1 to K-2 teams. ·Installation, training, support, and maintenance in year 2 to K-5.
1. Statewide, Regional, and local conference style trainings.
2. A dedicated Coach that provides on-site and remote coaching and technical assistance.
3. Web-based resources.
4. Funding to cover professional development activities such as travel expenses, release time, etc.
5. Access to implementation, instructional, and assessment tools.
C. Districts must:
1. Maintain an RTI District Leadership Team, a District Implementation Team, and a Building Implementation Team (BIT) for each elementary school.
2. Develop Standards of Practice (district wide agreements) and implement essential RTI components.
3. Develop training and fidelity processes to build, implement and sustain RTI components.
4. Provide outcome and implementation fidelity data to assist ORTIi/ODE in addressing district needs and evaluate overall effectiveness.
D. The application process:
1. Read and understand Section I: Introduction and Guidance (this document).
2. Complete Section II: Review or Attach the Oregon RTIi District Implementation and Evaluation Tool-District Based v2 (DIET-DB2).
3. Complete Section III: Implementation Resources and Planning Questionnaire.
4. Complete Section IV: Signature Page.
5. Send completed materials electronically to: Lisa Darnold, Director, Regional Programs and Best Practices, Oregon Department of Education ().
II. What is Oregon RTIi?
Oregon’s Response to Instruction and Intervention (ORTIi) project has been sponsored by ODE since 2005. The project started with four districts in 2005, and since that time over 80 districts have formally participated in ORTIi. As of 2014-15, the project is known as Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention (ORTIi) to better reflect a balanced emphasis on instruction at all tiers.
The primary aim of ORTIi is to assist districts to develop the capacity to implement and sustain Response to Intervention (RTI) systems of service delivery that support all students and identify students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Our goals are to increase student achievement and to lower SLD identification rates. Please visit our website at www.oregonrti.org for more information.
II. What does ORTIi math support include?
The ORTIi project provides support to participating districts for up to two years. Support is focused on math at the k- 2 elementary level in year 1. In year 2 and beyond we will work with your K-5 teams to install and maintain systems development. This support is primarily provided through conference style training, on-site technical assistance, and webinars on the following topics:
· Leadership
· School Culture
· Professional Learning/Development (including math content training)
· Data-based Decision Making
· RTI Components
o Universal Screening
o Core instruction
o Interventions
o Progress Monitoring
o SLD Decision Making
The level of support that districts receive is based on their level of need as measured by outcome assessment and fidelity of implementation to RTI data.
III. Who should apply to participate in the ORTIi project?
RTI is not a Special Education initiative, and it is not just a General Education initiative. It is an ALL EDUCATION initiative that can have powerful, positive benefits for all students and all staff.
Districts who should consider applying are those that have a healthy K-5 reading system (i.e. strong core instruction with positive outcomes, intervention system, teaming structures, and policies and procedures that support all students). We will build upon these systems as we support you with RTI math components. You should be prepared to further develop the following components: strong core reading and intervention instruction, an assessment system that identifies the health of core instruction, students needing intervention support and students not making sufficient progress with interventions, and teaming processes to identify the instructional needs at the district, grade and individual student levels. The effectiveness and sustainability of these processes takes a strong understanding in systems level change and technical knowledge and skills in implementing the RTI components. ORTIi assists districts in building knowledge of systems level change and in increasing their technical knowledge and skills in RTI components to make systems more effective and sustainable.
IV. Benefits to Participating Districts
RTI, when implemented fully and with integrity has demonstrated many positive outcomes including, increasing student reading outcomes and lowering SLD identification rates. This is true both nationally and specifically with districts participating in the ORTIi project. Districts, however, face many challenges in attempting to implement RTI to this degree. ORTIi assists districts in improving their implementing efforts to enable districts to implement RTI at this high level.
The goal of ORTIi is to increase 3rd grade student achievement as measured by OAKS/Smarter Balanced Assessment by 5% over two years and reduce SLD identification rates as appropriate. Districts participating in the ORTIi project receive the following supports to achieve this goal:
A. Participation in ORTIi training opportunities. Support is focused on math at the k- 2 elementary level in year 1. In year 2 and beyond we will work with your K-5 teams to install and maintain systems development.
B. On-site technical assistance support consisting of modeling, coaching, and problem solving areas of need.
C. Access to the web based resources, including implementation tools, training materials, webinars, and videos.
D. Use of ORTIi’s data-based systems to assist with district/school RTI implementation planning and grade level team meetings.
E. Funding to cover costs associated with attending ORTIi trainings, on-site technical assistance, and professional development needs.
V. Prerequisites for Applying
A. Research based core math programs
ODE approved Math core program or adoption process during upcoming cycle with a focus on CCSS approved math curriculum:
1. Carolina Biological Supply Co., Math Out of the Box, c. 2009
2. HMH Supplemental Publishers, Inc., Saxon Math, c. 2008
3. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt School Publishers, Math Expressions, c. 2009
4. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co. Math Trailblazers, c. 2008
5. Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, Math Connects, c.2009
6. Pearson Scott Foresman, Investigations in Number, Data, and Space, c. 2008
7. Pearson Scott Foreman, enVisionMATH, c. 2009
8. SingaporeMath.com, Inc. Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics Standards Edition and Primary Mathematics Standards Edition, c. 2008
9. The Math Learning Center, Bridges in Mathematics, c. 2007, 2008 Wright Group/McGraw-Hill, Everyday Mathematics, Third Edition, c. 2007, 2008
Other core programs may be considered on a case-by-case basis. This decision may include additional analysis of the required components necessary to ensure implementation coherence at the district level.
B. Research based Universal Screener
1. Examples include: DIBELS Next, easyCBM, AIMSweb.
2. Other screeners may be considered if they possess the following attributes:
a. Are brief and easy to administer so that they can be used 3 times a year with ALL students.
b. Contain comparable, equivalent forms that can be used for repeated assessment.
c. Are sensitive to growth.
d. Are research-based, and have adequate reliability and validity for screening purposes.
C. Commitment from the core leadership team (Superintendent, District Office Administrators, and Elementary Principals) to provide leadership, time, professional development, and other resources to support the implementation of RTI components and build infrastructure capacity to maintain effective implementation over time.
VI. Requirements for participation
A. Teams
1. Maintain an RTI District Leadership Team (DLT; i.e., cabinet)
2. Maintain a District Implementation Team (selected members of the leadership team, elementary building principals, and representative teachers and specialists; DIT) that will meet frequently and work to build district capacity and consensus to support the RTI infrastructure around mathematics.
3. Maintain a Building Implementation Team (BIT) for each elementary school consisting of building principal, select teachers from primary and upper grade levels, and specialists.
B. Develop Standards of Practice (district wide agreements) and implement the following essential RTI components:
1. Core Math Program
a. Time: 60 minutes per day based on a 5 day week
b. Materials and instructional strategies to be used by staff
2. Assessment System
a. Universal Screening
b. Progress monitoring
c. Diagnostic
d. Mastery/Outcome
3. Interventions
a. Standard Math Protocol (Explicit and Systematic Interventions to be used at each Tier)
4. Teaming Structures
a. District, grade, and individual student level decision making
C. Development of training and fidelity processes to build, implement and sustain RTI components.
D. Provide outcome and implementation fidelity data to assist ORTIi/ODE in addressing district needs and evaluating overall effectiveness.
1. Provide read-only access to the district’s Universal Screener.
2. Complete ORTIi implementation fidelity measures.
3. Provide SLD referral and identification rates.
E. Participate in trainings over the course of the two years in the ORTIi project.
F. Implement RTI elements fully and develop the capacity to use an RTI system for making SPED eligibility decisions for students with Specific Learning Disabilities. Districts, however, are not required to use an RTI approach to determining SLD eligibility.
VII. APPLICATION What does a district need to know about the application process?
A. Who completes the application?
The application must be completed by a team (i.e. Superintendent, principals, district office administrators, and other relevant staff). It is critical that the application be completed with direct input from district leaders that are positioned to allocate resources and make decisions regarding district goals, procedures, and instructional practices.
B. Completing the application. The application is divided into four sections, and each is in a separate document.
1. Read and understand Section I: Introduction and Guidance (this document).
2. Complete Section II: Oregon RTIi District Implementation and Evaluation Tool-District Based v2 (DIET-DB2).
3. Complete Section III: Implementation Resources and Planning Questionnaire.
4. Complete Section IV: Signature Page. This document must be signed by the Superintendent, the Director of Curriculum (or equivalent), the Director of Special Education (or equivalent), and all elementary principals. A signature indicates that they have read the introduction and the completed application sections, and agree with the information that the district has provided.
5. Send completed materials electronically to: Lisa Darnold, Director, Regional Programs and Best Practices, Oregon Department of Education ().
C. Timeline:
Applications will be accepted until EOB, Friday, June 26th.
D. Selection:
Up to five districts that meet the requirements listed above and have full commitment from district leadership will be considered for participation. Final decisions about selection will be made collaboratively between ORTIi and ODE.
Oregon RTIi Elementary Math Project Application 2015-2016 Page 1