PSM/RtI

Getting in the Boat

PROBLEM SOLVING
MODEL
AND
RESPONSIVENESS
TO INSTRUCTION
2009 into the Future

ParticipationNational, State,
and Local
First sites in Iowa two
decades ago
National conferences
abound with RtI
themes & workshops
NASP lists 17 websites
for DPIs nationally;
many more have sites
through contracts with
state universities
At least 2/3 of the
school systems in NC
have been through
training.

All elementary schools

have been trained and
are implementing
PSM/RtI as of 2008-09.
Middle school model
developed.
Implementation starts
this school year.
Renorming at
elementary school this
school year.

OVERVIEW
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM

SOLVING MODEL?
Uses the problem solving process to define
the problem and develop, implement, and
evaluate interventions.
Uses authentic assessment measures that
closely align with skills required to be
successful in school; e.g., curriculum
based measurement( CBM)
Uses Response to Intervention as the basis
for decision making.
Uses local and state norms to set goals
and make decisions about entitlement.

Instructional Decision Making

for Student Success

Academic Systems

Behavioral Systems

Intensive, Individual Interventions

Individual Students
Assessment-based
High Intensity
Of longer duration

1-5%

5-10%

Targeted Group Interventions

Some students (at-risk)
High efficiency
Rapid response

Universal Interventions
All students
Preventive, proactive

80-90%

1-5%

Intensive, Individual Interventions

Individual Students
Assessment-based
Intense, durable procedures

5-10%

Targeted Group Interventions

Some students (at-risk)
High efficiency
Rapid response

80-90%

Universal Interventions
All settings, all students
Preventive, proactive

PROBLEM-SOLVING MODEL
ACTION TEAM
Tier IV

Amount of Resources Needed to Solve

Concerns

Tier III
Consultation with
extended problemsolving team

Consultation with
parents, team
members, and
teachers for IEP
consideration.

Tier II

Tier I

Consultation with
Other resources

Consultation
between teacher
and parent
The focus is on changing the environment
to meet the students needs. The
intervention plan is data based, relies on
direct instruction, and has a progressmonitoring component.

Intensity of Problem

AMOUNT OF RESOURCES
REQUIRED TO MEET THE
STUDENTS NEEDS

Tier IV
IEP
Consideration
Tier III
Student
Study
Team
Tier II
Consultation
With Other
Resources
Tier I
Consultation
Between
Teachers Parents

Intensive Interventions
1-7%

Strategic Interventions
5-15%

Core Curriculum 8090%

INTENSITY OF NEEDS
Needs -circles -pub

1) Define the Problem

Develop the Assessment Plan
Identify Concern
Define behavior or concern
Problem validation
Problem analysis
Functional assessment
Write problem statement

2) Analysis of Assessment Plan

Develop an Intervention Plan

4) Analysis of Intervention Plan

Generate Problem Solutions

Evaluate Solutions
Select a Solution
Collect Baseline Data
Set a Goal
Write Action Plan
Select Measurement Strategy
Develop plan to Evaluate Effectiveness

Data analyzed to determine effectiveness

Success determined by rate of progress
and size of discrepancy

3) Implement the Plan

Implement according to written plan
Ongoing systematic data collection
Follow-up as needed

What Do We Assess in
PSM/RtI
ICE then L
Instruction, Curriculum,
Environment (School and Home)
THEN
Learner

Areas of Assessment--ICEL
INSTRUCTION is defined as delivery of the
curriculum whether academic of affective
including, but not limited to:

Describe the extent to which instruction is

differentiated for all students
Level of Instruction (grade level skills? higher?
lower?)
Rate of Instruction (pacing)
Presentation (auditory, visual, tactile, and/or
kinesthetic or types of tools used such as
blackboard, whiteboard, overhead, PowerPoint,
Centers, collaborative, etc.)
Teacher/Student Ratio (may include Teacher
Assistant. Use of small group, or one-to-one for
specific issues)
Instructional Transitions (class schedule, methods
teachers use for transitions, etc.)

Areas of Assessment--ICEL
CURRICULUM is defined by what is

taught including, but not limited to:

Content (skills and behaviors being taught)
Instructional Materials Used (adopted texts,
supplementary texts, types of assignments
such as worksheets, hands on projects,
Progress/Monitoring/Assessment (K-2
assessments, running records, portfolios,
probes, benchmarking such as ClassScapes,
etc

Areas of Assessment--ICEL
Environmental Factors may involve school,
home, and community including, but not
limited to:
Instructional style
Class size
Physical arrangement of classroom
Medical Factors
Counseling of other community services
Transience
Attendance/Tardiness
ELL Issues
Cultural Issues
Socioeconomic issues

Consider ICE, Then L

Focusing only on the child, as in the traditional
methods, leads to missing extremely important
factors so we look at learner issues last.
LEARNER

Hearing and Vision

Social/Behavioral Skills
Understanding of Instruction
Internally/Externally Motivated
Ability to engage in and remain on task
Organizational Skills

TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS
RIOT
REVIEW available data including academic,
behavioral, and discipline records; work samples;
curriculum materials; and information from
community resources
INTERVIEW teachers, parents, student, and others
OBSERVE classroom instruction, classroom behavior
systems and discipline, students academics and
behavior in the context of the school environment
TEST normed probes by grade level, back sampling
and survey level in areas of weakness, behavioral
counts and time sampling

Problem
Solving Model
The Process

Tiers for Providing Support to

the Student
All of the previously described steps are used
at each Tier:
Tier I
Teacher and Parent
Tier II
Consultation with Other Resources
such as Additional Personnel and
Community Resources, if applicable
Tier III Student Support Team
Tier IV Entitlement for Special Education
Services

TIER I

Tier I
Teachers schedule meeting with the parents or
guardians and complete a summary of the
cumulative record
A PEP/Request for Intervention Assistance using
the Problem Solving Process is completed in the
meeting. Data is used that is readily available.
Teacher and parent design an intervention plan.
A meeting is set to review and analyze the results
of the interventions.
If needed determinations are made regarding the
next steps.
NOTE: Case Colleagues/Managers are available to
meet with teacher and parent if needed

Tier I Forms
PSM Tier Ia: Request for
Intervention Assistance/PEP and
Data from Teacher and Records
PSM Tier Ib Review of
Intervention Effectiveness
including data collected on the
targeted skills

CASE STUDY

Grade 2
Male
Age 7
Creative ideas in writing and answering
comprehension questions
Strong verbal skills
Completes Math Homework
Good recall of facts

CASE STUDY TIER I:

TEACHER(S) INVITE PARENT/GUARDIAN TO
MEET WITH THEM
DEFINE THE PROBLEM:
Consider observations, work products,
classroom assessments
Review Information from Parent
DEVELOP AN ASSESSMENT PLAN:
Typically current available data (Dibels,
ClassScapes, etc.)

CASE STUDY TIER I:

DEVELOP AN INTERVENTION PLAN:
What is the plan to work with the problem in the
classroom?
COLLECT DATA DURING THE COURSE OF
INTERVENTION:
Continue collecting Dibels data
Use formative assessment
ANALYZE THE RESULTS OF THE ASSESSMENT:
Look again at the most current data such as
Dibels and ClassScapes. Has there been
sufficient improvement?

TIER II

Tier II
The Tier One paperwork is given to the case
colleague and a meeting is scheduled with the
grade level team, teacher, parent, and case
colleague using the Invitation to Conference.
Depending on the issues involved other staff such
as the counselor, social worker, reading specialist,
etc. may be involved.
The Problem Solving process is followed to further
define the problem and develop interventions.
At the second meeting, results of the intervention
are reviewed and a determination is made on next
steps, if needed.

TIER II FORMS
Intervention Plan Problem
Solving Model Tier IIa and IIb

CASE STUDY TIER II:

DEFINE THE PROBLEM:
Redefine the problem.
Look for root causes
DEVELOP AN ASSESSMENT PLAN
Use Dibels and/or ClassScapes
Administer running record pre- and postintervention
May consider use of normed probes

CASE STUDY TIER II:

ANALYZE THE RESULTS OF THE
ASSESSMENT
What do the results tell you about the
students skills?

CASE STUDY TIER II:

DEVELOP AN INTERVENTION PLAN
WhoSpecify interventionist by position
WhatSpecify the research based
strategies to be used in working with the
student
How oftenSpecify number of minutes per
session and number of sessions per week
for each interventionist if there are more
than one.

CASE STUDY TIER II:

ANALYZE RESULTS OF INTERVENTION
PLAN
Review pre- and post-testing or progress
monitoring data.
Is the student progressing toward the
goal?
If not, do the interventions need to
change.
If they need to change:
Can the change be made at Tier II or
Does the case need to proceed to Tier III

Review of Big Concepts

What does ICEL stand for? Why ICE then
L?
RIOT? How does this change our focus from
the traditional model?
Identify the components of the PSM Cycle.
What are the Baseline, Goal, and Aimline?
Why do we build skills from the lowest level
skill to the highest level skill, especially in
reading?

RESOURCES
www.interventioncentral.org (Academic and
Behavioral)
www.fcrr.org
https://dibels.uoregon.edu/measures/index.php
(Benchmarking and Progress Monitoring
Assessments K 6; Resources for Reading
Interventions)
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/ (What Works Clearing
House)
www.pbis.org (Behavior)
www.disciplinehelp.com (Behavior)
www.smbsd.org/page.cfm?p=1445 (Santa Maria
Bonita School District (Academics)
http://www.cajon.k12.ca.us/educational_services/
resources/teacher_resources.shtml
(Academics)