Welcome:

Welcome to the November issue of Intervention News. The newsletter will now be published on a quarterly basis, every three months on the final Monday of the month. Issues will be published in November, February, May, and August. In this issue you will find: information on a synthesis of the research on K-3 interventions, a profile of a school using the ECI and EI data effectively to make decisions, and tips on ‘making sense’ of your school’s ECI and EI tables.

Research Corner: A Summary of Effective Intervention Research by Dr. Jeanne Wanzek, Assistant Professor, College of Education, FSU

Perhaps the most challenging aspects of implementing effective reading instruction models are the decisions about what interventions should be provided to students who struggle with reading. Interventions differ from typical reading instruction in that they are designed to address the instructional needs of students who are experiencing difficulties in learning to read or who have reading disabilities. A recent synthesis of the research on K-3 interventions that are implemented over extended periods of time provides evidence-based information addressing some of the fundamental issues related to intervention decisions in the area of reading. A forthcoming article (Wanzek & Vaughn, in press) as well as a report published by the Center on Instruction Special Education Strand (Scammacca, Vaughn, Roberts, Wanzek, & Torgesen, 2007) present the findings from the synthesis. The full report published by the Center on Instruction is available for download from http://www.fcrr.org/science/pdf/torgesen/extensive_reading_interventions_K-3.pdf

In this research corner, we summarize some of the key findings identified in the synthesis of available research.

The purpose of the forthcoming article and the related report is to provide information on research findings related to K-3 interventions provided for extended periods of time (100 sessions or more). Research studies published from 1995-2005 were examined if they provided reading intervention to students identified as at-risk for reading difficulties or with learning disabilities for 100 sessions or more. The characteristics of the interventions implemented along with the resulting student reading outcomes after receiving the intervention were explored. The report provides detailed information on each study, synthesizes findings from the studies, and details implications of these findings. The following implications are reported:

• Extensive interventions (100 sessions or more) can be effective when provided by relatively low-cost implementers (paraprofessionals) in small groups or one-on-one with appropriate training.
• While only a few studies measured long-term outcomes for students, the findings suggested that gains from early extensive interventions may be maintained over time at least into second grade.
• No single intervention program was identified as significantly more effective, but all of the effective interventions included training in phonological awareness, decoding, and word study; guided and independent reading of progressively more difficult texts; writing exercises; and engaging students in practicing comprehension strategies while reading text.
• The large majority of the research studies provided daily intervention in grades K-1 in either small-groups or one-on-one. However, these elements of frequency, group size, and grade level and their relative effectiveness have not been directly examined in the research. Less information is available on extensive interventions provided in 2nd-3rd grade.
• More research is needed on students whose response to intervention is low. Only one of the research studies examined extensive intervention specifically for students with insufficient response to previous intervention.

Discussion Questions

1. Based on the finding of the report regarding implementation of interventions by paraprofessionals, examine who is providing the interventions at your school. What training are intervention personnel already receiving? Are there areas where additional training is needed? Are there additional personnel available for implementing interventions and what training would be needed?
2. Of the reading skills mentioned in the research, what intervention programs that you have are addressing those areas and what areas are not being addressed? How can you provide teachers with materials to address the skills that are not currently being addressed?
3. Based on the evidence that extensive interventions are effective in K-1 and demonstrate long-term outcomes, examine the interventions that are provided in K-1 at your school. What are the strengths and weaknesses of these interventions as they are currently being implemented? How can these early interventions be improved to get students on track with reading early?

Scammaca, N., Vaughn, S., Roberts, G., Wanzek, J., & Torgesen, J. K. (2007). Extensive reading interventions in grades K-3: From research to practice. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction.

Wanzek, J., & Vaughn, S. (in press). Research-based implications from extensive early reading interventions. School Psychology Review.

School Profile: The Use of ECI and EI data at Pinellas Central Elementary School

Pinellas Central Elementary School is located in Pinellas Park, FL. Mrs. Randi Latzke has been the principal at the school since July 2005. Mrs. Cindi Marshall, the Reading First Coach, has been the reading coach for almost five years. Last year, the school had approximately 429 students in K-3rd grades, with 60% qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 47% minority students, and 18% of students with limited English proficiency. Mrs. Latzke and Mrs. Marshall have formed a solid working relationship over the past two years and have created a school culture that values data and makes decisions based on analysis of that data. One type of data that they use throughout the year is the ECI and EI indices calculated based on their DIBELS data.

First, when Mrs. Latzke receives the data from the state telling of the school level and grade level indices, she compares the indices with last year’s indices to determine if the changes or decisions that were made were effective. For example, if new intervention strategies were added to the first grade curriculum and the first grade EI index decreased, then some follow up questions are asked as to whether the strategies were implemented with fidelity or whether there was enough time devoted to the extra intervention strategies. Once these and other questions have been answered, a decision about what the next steps would be can be made. Mrs. Marshall shares the grade level and school level indices with the staff at faculty meetings. As soon as the second assessment window closes, Mrs. Marshall begins gathering the information needed to meet with teachers individually to calculate their classroom level indices.

The individual teacher meetings take place three times a year and the principal, assistant principal, Title I facilitator, the reading coach, and the teacher meet for approximately forty minutes during a special area class period. Mrs. Latzke and Mrs. Marshall both highlighted the benefits to an individual data meeting as opposed to having a grade level meeting. They talked about how they are able to differentiate the meetings and the support they provide in those meetings when it is a one on one situation. Mrs. Latzke discussed how often the comfort level of teachers is higher meeting individually rather than in large groups and again this allows the leadership team to adjust the support to match the level of understanding to the specific teacher. She also stressed that by meeting individually it highlights the importance of the data and emphasizes accountability and high expectations. As the coach, Mrs. Marshall talked about the ability to assess the teacher’s needs, schedule model lessons, and help the teacher make a plan for addressing specific groups of children or individual children. The leadership team asked the teachers for their feedback about this format for the data meetings and they said they were appreciative for the one on one time and they felt like the channels of communication were opened as a result of the meeting.

At these meetings, the focus is on the student’s raw scores, not on the colors. Both women discussed how they have worked very hard to have their teachers not focus solely on the colors, but rather see a student’s growth even within an instructional level color and as compared to the target for the next assessment window. They also use the ECI and EI indices as guides against high mobility concerns because only the children that have been in a teacher’s class for each measure will be counted in the calculation. The teachers feel that this is an accurate representation of the children they have been instructing in their classroom. The teachers and the leadership team realize these indices are calculated using only one measure (DIBELS) so they need to also analyze other student data when making instructional decisions.

At each meeting, the leadership team utilizes a slightly modified worksheet that was originally created by Amy Hunt, a reading coach from Hillsborough County, and Katy Cortelyou, a RFPD coordinator serving Hillsborough County. This worksheet can be downloaded at: http://www.fcrr.org/science/pdf/crawford/Data_Analysis_Conference_Worksheet.pdf. The modification that Pinellas Central Elementary made was to add a third box to the bottom stating, ‘administrator will…’ to join the box that asks for ‘teacher will’ and ‘coach will.’ These boxes provide a checks and balance system for any items discussed at the meeting that requires follow up. The reading coach takes notes on the worksheet and then makes a copy and gives the original to the teacher. Mrs. Marshall then makes a list, by teacher, of any follow up items generated from these meetings. Mrs. Latzke refers to her notes, but also receives a teacher by teacher list from Mrs. Marshall.

Mrs. Latzke reports that she could not analyze the data in such great detail without the hard work of Mrs. Marshall and the teachers at Pinellas Central. Mrs. Marshall works hard to differentiate the professional development for the teachers and keep in constant communication with Mrs. Latzke. The administrators and staff at Pinellas Central should be congratulated on the high importance they place on the analysis and use of data for making instructional decisions.

Tips on Reading Your ECI and EI tables

What's New?

Curriculum and Instruction Team at FCRR

• A special note for reading coaches and principals: the Student Center Activities for grades 4 and 5 are here! The DVD, Teacher Resource Guide, and activity binders have been shipped to your district and are also available for downloading from our website http://www.fcrr.org/curriculum/studentCenterActivities45.htm. In addition to these materials you will find a section dedicated to “Frequently Asked Questions” at this website to assist you in the implementation of effective centers. The DVD and Teacher Resource Guide are critical tools for implementation of the Student Center Activities. Using the DVD and Teacher Resource Guide in conjunction with a “make and take” workshop is an effective way to impart information to your faculty and have fun!

Assessment Team at FCRR

• FCRR has launched a new website called Empowering Teachers that provides grade specific guidance to kindergarten and first grade teachers on how to implement differentiated instruction based on student data. You can explore the Empowering Teachers website at http://www.fcrr.org/assessment/ET/index.html.

PMRN Update

• The FTE Survey data will be imported into the PMRN before Winter Break. In order to make sure their school is listed correctly, Principals and Reading Coaches should view the list of currently registered PMRN schools at http://www.fcrr.org/pmrn/sy0708_registeredschools.pdf and ensure their school is marked correctly.

  If your school is marked as updated (U) for a grade, all students marked as being enrolled in your school in that grade on the FTE Survey will be imported into your school and student demographic information will be updated on the PMRN. If your school is marked as not updated (N) for a grade, only demographic information for currently enrolled students on the PMRN will be updated.

  Please E-mail the Help Desk at helpdesk@fcrr.org to make any changes.

Links

Center on Instruction http://www.centeroninstruction.org