Implementing Alabama's RtI Framework:
Problem Solving Teams Overview
RtI
STUDENT
SUCCESS
PST
Christine R. Spear, Education Administrator
Alabama Department of Education
Dr. Denise P. Gibbs, Director
Alabama Scottish Rite Foundation Learning Centers
The portion of this presentation provided
by Dr. Gibbs is being provided today at no
cost by the Alabama Scottish Rite
Foundation. The philanthropy of the
Alabama Scottish Rite Foundation began
in the 1950’s in Alabama and continues
today. The mission of the Alabama
Scottish Rite Foundation is to provide help
to Alabama Schools as they work with
students who struggle in reading particularly those students with dyslexia.
Everybody works
together! Problem
solving process
Problem Solving Process

To bring the problem solving process
“to life”, schools may need to:
 Replace
their current BBSST process with
a Problem Solving Team (PST) process
 There will be marked differences in the
“new” PST process and the “old” BBSST
process
 These differences are necessary to
meet current, Federal and State
requirements.
Two important distinctions
between BBSST and PST
processes
1.Interventions NOT Accommodations
2.Do NOT start the process over each
year – continuous assistance
Interventions NOT Accommodations
The accommodations which have been
recommended by the BBSST in the past
will NOT meet the scientific, researchbased intervention requirements
included in current Federal and State
laws and regulations.
 The PST must recommend interventions
and must not recommend

accommodations!
Continuous Intervention Services
When students begin the intervention
process (Tier II or Tier III), they will
continue in that process until they have
attained grade-level standards and
skills or until they are referred to the
next tier or level.
 The work of the Problem Solving Team
with a student may continue from one
grade to the next based upon data
analysis and intervention outcomes.

Problem Solving Team
Details
Problem Solving Team Purpose
The PST will ensure that:
 (1) students receive interventions
matched to their identified needs
 (2) appropriate progress monitoring
tools are utilized to provide evidence
of students’ response to intervention
 (3) progress monitoring data are used
to make timely instructional decisions
which maximize student outcomes.
Number of Problem Solving
Teams needed per school?

To be locally determined

Important considerations
 The
number of PSTs needed per school
will be determined by the number of
students receiving interventions.
 No PST should be expected to manage
more students than can be responsibly
and effectively reviewed and monitored.
Problem Solving Team Structure?

To be locally determined

Some suggestions
 Grade-level
PSTs
 Across grade level PSTs (K-2, 3-5, etc)
 Teacher team PSTs
 Departmental PSTs
 Other

Good to involve as many school
personnel as possible on teams.
Frequency and duration of Problem
Solving Team meetings?

To be locally determined

Important considerations
 Each
student’s data should be reviewed at
least monthly
 Progress reports to parents should be sent
regularly
 Generally, duration should not exceed one
hour.

It may work well to meet weekly and to
review ¼ of the students each week.
Possible Problem Solving Team
Members?
Classroom teachers.
 Intervention teachers (Title teachers,
SPED, Paraprofessionals, etc).
 Instructional Coaches (Reading,
Literacy, Math, Graduation, etc).
 Special Education teachers.
 School Counselor
 Administrator (principal or assistant
principal).

Problem Solving Team Member Roles?

Chairperson
 Which
students will be discussed and in
what order
 Notify members

Secretary
 Note
decisions made and generate parent
letters

Timekeeper
 Keep

discussions on track and timely
Data person
 Present
and explain graphs
Problem Solving
Team’s Work and
Responsibilities
Ten important things PSTs need to ensure
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Utilization of
6.
screening data
Provision of
7.
research-based tiers
of instruction and
8.
intervention
Consistent decision
making
9.
Specific intervention
selection
10.
Intervention plan and
goal setting
Progress monitoring
tool selection
Progress monitoring
schedule
Progress monitoring
data review
Progress reports to
parents
Transitions out of
interventions
Screening Data
1.
The PST ensures that academic and
behavior screening data are gathered
and utilized, as well as other important
information to determine student
needs for interventions and to verify
the effectiveness of the school's Tier I
instruction.
Screening to determine IF
intervention is needed
For elementary students, ALL students
should be screened at the beginning of
school (also referred to as benchmark
testing).
 For secondary students, schools could:
Screen all students (as in elementary
schools)
screen all entering students
complete a records review and then
“screen” students below a designated
level

Screening Tools

A few of the peer-reviewed screening
tools
 AIMSWEB
(reading, math, spelling, written
expression – behavior coming soon! pre K12 * )
DIBELS
(reading K-6)
 STEEP
(reading and math K-12 *)
 STAR (early literacy, math, reading)

Independent, peer-review of screening
and progress monitoring tools
 www.rti4success.org
Instruction and Intervention Consistency
2.
The PST ensures that tiers of scientific,
research-based instruction and
intervention are provided with fidelity.

Outcomes - 80%, 15%, 5%
 Principal’s walkthroughs grades K-3
 Principal’s walkthrough grades 4-12
Decision Rules
The PST ensures that decisions to
move students through the tiers are
made with consistency based on the
school system's established criteria.
Examples – Intervention will be
considered if students achieve
screening scores:
3.


Below “arbitrary” percentile scores (25th,
10th, etc)
Which do not predict success on “high
stakes tests”
Selecting appropriate
interventions
4.
The PST ensures that screening data
and additional assessment data as
needed are used in selecting specific
interventions to meet individual
student intervention needs.

One size does NOT fit all!
 Intervention Plan for each student needing
intervention
Appropriate progress monitoring
tools
6.
The PST will ensure that
appropriate progress monitoring
tools are selected to measure the
student's response to the
intervention.
Progress monitoring schedule
7.
The PST ensures that student
progress monitoring is conducted
on a schedule specified by the
school or school system
(generally, progress should be
monitored weekly).
Review of data
8.
The PST reviews each student's
accumulated progress monitoring
data on a specified schedule
(generally, each student should be
reviewed monthly).


Sample progress graphs
Student Intervention Documentation
Progress reports to parents
9.
The PST ensures that parents of
students receiving intervention are
provided with regular data-based
intervention progress reports.

Sample parent report
Success!
10.
The PST ensures that, as students
transition out of interventions as a
result of academic or behavior
gains, their progress continues to
be monitored for a reasonable
period (generally 12 weeks) to
ensure a smooth transition into
tiers of reduced instructional or
behavioral support.
Administration
and Supervision
PROBLEM SOLVING TEAM'S
ADMINISTRATION AND SUPERVISION


The principal has the responsibility to
ensure and document that all PST
procedures are implemented with fidelity.
The principal has the responsibility to
ensure that all tiers of instruction and
intervention are provided with fidelity.
 Maintaining all records of walkthroughs
and observations is one of the methods
which should be utilized by the principal in
documenting the fidelity of instruction and
intervention implementation.
SYSTEM-LEVEL COORDINATION

LEA Problem Solving Team
Facilitator
Ensure the fidelity of the PST process.
 Ensure consistent documentation of the
work of all PSTs across the LEA.

THANK YOU!
[email protected]
[email protected]