RTI SLD

Practicum IIIAllison Gonzales

Tier 3 of the RTI Model: Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Using the Case Study to Determine SPecial Education Eligibility

Two ideas of this chapter

1. There is a distinction between what disabilities are and how the law requires practioners to identify them for funding entitlement.2. Special Education eligibility determination is secondary to the goal of identifying effective interventions.

• Assessment pinpoints actual skill levels by determining discrepancy.
• RTI delivers interventions in increasing intenisty until improvement is observed.
• This increasing or decreasing intensity helps to determine the "least intrusive" environment.

• Once determined that the student needs tier 3 interventions, after intervention modifications, the student is referred for a comprehensive evaluation.
• Goals are lowered and interventions in place.

Case Study to Determine SPED Eligibility

There is no epirical definition of learning disability, so it is premature to name a "best practice" for evaluation and diagnosis.

RTI and SLD

RTI Model is stated as an alternative method for determining SLD (IDEA, 2004)

Some argue about assessing "basic psychological processes" given that it is stated in the definition SLD.

RTI based definition of SLD (nonresponse to interventions) might compromise the integrity of the construct of SLD (inferred not affirmed).

Others argue that tests of cognitive abilities have evolved beyond the measures of (g), and processing tests can help in determining existence of a disability.

• Appropriate, high intensity intervention
• Intervention integrety

DECISION MAKING IN ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION

• Data from the case study must be valid to ensure the need for SPED services.
• When the case study has high fidelity, we can assume that response to the interventions in place are accurate (Ex: not responding or improvement)
• If interventions are not implemented accurately we can not infer the data is valid.

• Case study fidelity increases likelihood of accuracy in identifying the cause of the problem and linking it to effective interventions.
• SPED services - for students who are sucessful in academic settings only with support of high intensity
• Data from Tier 3 case study are used to verify need for high intensity services, which are those that are demanding on time, effort, or resources.

Appropriate, high intensity intervention

INTERVENTION INTEGREITY

• Growth Models
• Catch-up Model- Used for students who are expected to catch up with same-age peers with appropriate intervention.
• Nonresponder models- Used for those who are predicted to make little to no progress of goals. Based on low growth with high intensity interventions.

• Performance of students receiving interventions is monitored.

Technical Adequecy of Decision-Making Practices

Establish SPED eligibility with a high-intenisty, effective intervention or high intense int. with modified goal.

Exit student from SPED if and when student is preforming at a level with peers w/ out high intense interventions.

Step 7

Step 5

Evaluate the intervention for integrity and appropriateness.

Step 3

Continue progress monitoring.

Step 6

Eligibility Decisions

Conduct a Tier 3 case study.

Step 1

Confirm the fidelity of the case study process.

Step 4

Use data from case study to determine that high-intenisty intervention is needed.

Step 2