Assignment: Problem Solving and Collaboration
Effective problem solving within an MTSS requires more than just the collection of data. Most educators experienced with MTSS admit that it is a complex, systemic process that requires much thought, training, and planning by a team of professionals. Problem solving and collaboration are a part of continuous improvement of school initiatives. For this Assignment, you will compare the RtI processes used in the elementary school and high school shared in the media examples.
To prepare
·Review module Learning Resources. Consider the use of assessment in problem solving.
·Evaluate research-based problem-solving processes for school-wide MTSS.
·Review the media RtI: Elementary School and RtI Meeting: High School. Reflect on the differences in the problem-solving processes in both scenarios.
For this Assignment, you will compare the RtI processes used in the elementary school and high school shared in the media examples.
Compose a 6-page paper that includes the following two sections:
Section I: Problem-Solving Processes (3 pages)
·Compare the problem-solving processes you observed in each example, explaining both the similarities and differences. Then, explain two evidence-based practices both schools could use to support their problem-solving processes. Be sure to include specific reference to the Learning Resources and/or the literature to support your suggested practice.
·Develop a problem-solving protocol for an MTSS. This could be for your school or for one of the schools discussed in the media. Include the following in your protocol:
oSteps in the process or processes
oRecommendations for evaluation of problem-solving processes
o
Section II: Role of Collaboration (3 pages)
·Explain the role of collaboration in the problem-solving process. Use examples to highlight the best practices. Include in your analysis the relationship between conflict, collaboration, and consensus.
Required Readings
Brown-Chidsey, R. & Bickford, R. (2016). Practical handbook of multi-tiered systems of support: Building academic and behavioral success in schools. New York, NY: Guildford Press.
Chapter 8, Effective Team Processing: Using Data and a Problem-Solving Approach (pp. 7184)
Chapter 20, Problem Solving (212229)
RTI Meeting: Elementary School
RTI Meeting: Elementary School
Program Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MALE SPEAKER: Shared leadership is an effective model for problem-solving
and monitoring progress of individual students. In this meeting of an elementary
school problem solving team, you will see a wide range of educational roles-each participating, contributing, and at times, leading the discussion. Think about
the individual contributions of each participant.
DEBORAH CUSTER: So our next student that we’re going to talk about today is
a follow-up from actually several problem-solving meetings since second grade-a current third grader– who has had reading concerns. And so what we’re going
to do is talk about the fact that in second grade, she was referred for reading on
benchmarking assessments. She was below the first percentile at the beginning
of second grade. In the winter of that year, she was at the 14th percentile. This is
using district norms.
And then in the spring, she was actually above the 25th. So she was went kind of
tier 3, tier 2, tier 1 in terms of her scores. Now, this year, being a third grader, she
started at a tier 3 again– less than the 10th percentile. And she’s had a number
of interventions. She’s had a goal which was to increase her reading fluency and
reading comprehension.
So that’s just a quick overview. So we’ll have the classroom teacher start-discuss how she’s doing so far. And then we’ll talk about the interventions and
the reading specialist.
AMANDA PEARSON: As Debbie said, we’re concerned about Mali’s reading
progress– specifically her fluency. In the classroom, she receives guided reading
instruction in addition to reading support five times a week for a half hour each
time.
KATHY MILLER: ICM is a tier 2 intervention five times a week for 30 minutes.
And we do work on fluency and comprehension. For fluency, we’ve been doing
the Horizons program.
And comprehension– we’re doing the Harcourt leveled readers. So when we do
our Harcourt leveled readers, we’re using the same strategies that they’re using
in the classroom and just reteaching and extending the lesson a bit to try and
help her with those things. So, mainly with M, we’ve been working on vocabulary
to increase her comprehension and just various reading strategies and skills. And
then in fluency, we’ll do repeated readings and some specific fluency strategies.
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RTI Meeting: Elementary School
So in the small group, she’s shown some nice progress. For her fluency, we’ve
been assessing her using the CBMs. And with her CBMs, you can see that her
scores at the start of the year were significantly below. She was below the 10th
percentile in the fall. And then with support, she does improve. And she’s made
progress.
Then you can see this big dip just recently because we had a week and a half off
between her reading support. So whenever she loses that structure, she tends to
decline. But she’s made progress, which is good. But she’s still below the 10th
percentile for third grade. And for the winter norms– all of her CBMs– all of the
data as we’re approaching the end of November– it’s still below the 10th
percentile for third grade at this point.
DEBORAH CUSTER: Would you say it’s typical for a student that’s in your group
similar to other members of the group that she is in to drop like that when you
have a week off of school?
KATHY MILLER: It’s not uncommon. I’d say maybe half of the kids in our group
that happen to because they typically don’t read at home. So if they’re not
reading at home, then they’re missing that practice, too.
STACY PLUCINSKI: If you send specific things to practice home with her will she
work with mom and dad? Or does it not come back?
KATHY MILLER: Yeah. We just started doing that with the new homework. So
she does have a homework assignment each week for fluency practice to do
repeated readings at home.
SUSAN BARKHAUSEN: And when did that intervention start?
KATHY MILLER: That started on Friday just a week ago. So it’s due this Friday.
So we will see about that. Let’s hope.
And then for her guided reading benchmarks, she is at an M. And an average
peer right now should be a P. So she’s still– and she was at an M at the
beginning of the year.
But she’s improved in that area both with her accuracy and in the words per
minute. So she’s making improvements. It’s just, she’s not quite there yet. Her
comprehension, as well, showed improvement on the benchmarks. But we’re still
working on getting her up to speed.
I think with M, she really takes a lot longer to think things through and process
things. But if she’s given adequate time, she does really well with the skills and
the strategies that we’re learning. It just takes her a bit longer than others.
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RTI Meeting: Elementary School
AMANDA PEARSON: And I’ve noticed that in the classroom, too. It normally
takes her about double the time it takes an average peer to finish a task, whether
it’s reading or writing.
DEBORAH CUSTER: So what do you do about that in the classroom?
AMANDA PEARSON: I usually just provide her with extra time. Because if she
does receive the extra time, she can complete the task and can complete it pretty
well.
DEBORAH CUSTER: So you don’t vary the task? You don’t modify anything?
AMANDA PEARSON: Sometimes I modify the length of an assignment– trim
down some questions or some responses. But I don’t usually abbreviate any of
the reading assignments. I just provide her with extra time and support if she
needs it.
DEBORAH CUSTER: And you think she’s motivated. It sounds like she’s
motivated.
AMANDA PEARSON: Yeah, she works really hard. She’s very diligent. She’s
really motivated by positive praise and likes school. I mean, she works really
hard. She just needs extra time to process and to complete tasks.
VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: So just thinking about the time thing– using a test
that had not a time factor in it, how is she comparing on that? We could use the
map– the NWEA.
DEBORAH CUSTER: But all those percentiles I gave at the beginning were the
map testing. So I don’t know.
VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: We don’t have any new information on that.
FEMALE SPEAKER: There won’t be until-DEBORAH CUSTER: Not till February.
SUSAN BARKHAUSEN: That is an untimed test.
VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: Right. That’s what I’m saying. Yes.
DEBORAH CUSTER: She’s going at her own rate.
KATHY MILLER: And the reading benchmarks aren’t timed either. I mean, we
time them for words per minute. But they have as much as they need.
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RTI Meeting: Elementary School
SARA KUHN: But they won’t pass the next level unless they– exactly. So really it
is, kind of.
VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: So I wonder about the time as an issue is too.
KATHY MILLER: But comprehension-wise, she still is-VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: –not there right now.
KATHY MILLER: –instructional.
VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: OK.
DEBORAH CUSTER: So the next question is what are we concerned about? It
doesn’t sound like she’s met a goal of being at the level her peers are with her
reading. And I think it sounds to me like the issues are still the same– the
fluency, some comprehension, and the time factor.
So what would people want to change the goal or modify the goal and how we’re
going to write it. What we hope to accomplish and how much time. And I don’t,
you know– both anybody-VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: These are [INAUDIBLE]. She’s getting, what– 150
minutes a week?
STACY PLUCINSKI: And I think it will be interesting to see how the weekly
fluency homework– only because she’s getting it during the school day and again
at home with mom or dad– to see how that benefits her.
SARA KUHN: And I think it would be important to have her held accountable in
some way over winter break with the two weeks– with that coming up– vacation
off school.
FEMALE SPEAKER: Especially after we saw that dip on AIMS web data.
SARA KUHN: Right.
SUSAN BARKHAUSEN: And I’m wondering if we sent the AIMS web data home
every week after you’ve loaded it on so-AMANDA PEARSON: Parents can see the progress and the ebbs and flows with
that, too.
SUSAN BARKHAUSEN: Yeah.
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RTI Meeting: Elementary School
KATHY MILLER: I think she definitely needs the support. But she’s making
progress. So I feel like with support in place, she makes the progress.
DEBORAH CUSTER: So she’s moving in the right direction.
FEMALE SPEAKER: Yes.
SARA KUHN: So maybe just some tweaks to the current intervention plan.
KATHY MILLER: See how fluency works out– Christmas break.
FEMALE SPEAKER: So you would encourage more homework?
DEBORAH CUSTER: You wouldn’t increase the amount of time you see her.
And you wouldn’t change the materials. I mean, she’s seen quite a bit. So I’m
thinking about tier 2 versus tier 3. We need to really push more. Or should we
just-SARA KUHN: What about something in the classroom, like Lexia or some type of
computer software that she could do?
KATHY MILLER: Compass Learning.
SARA KUHN: I know it’s hard because she’s taking longer so she probably
doesn’t have a lot of extra time.
KATHY MILLER: Well, since the fluency practice is at home, it’s only three days
a week. The other days, she could do Lexia.
AMANDA PEARSON: That’s what I was thinking, too– make it a home
intervention. Because it’s full, I just don’t think it’s realistic for her to get it done in
the classroom when there’s other things that she could be tending to.
VANESSA SARAN NOWLIN: Well, as long as she does it 20 minutes a session-that would give you a report that you could use. So if they put in 40 minutes a
week, they claim that would be a sensible use of it to at least expect some
progress out of it, I think.
SARA KUHN: So maybe if you tell them 30 minutes a session. Because by the
time they walk on. And then they’re on task– off task.
FEMALE SPEAKER: OK.
FEMALE SPEAKER: Sounds great.
FEMALE SPEAKER: Yeah– wonderful.
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