We administer universal screeners for all of our students at the beginning of each year to establish a baseline (AIR Advancing Evidence Improving Lives, 2024). We, the teachers, then analyze the data to identify students who might need additional support. Those students, within Tier I of RTII, receive targeted interventions to support their learning. This process begins progress monitoring for all students, allowing for continual analysis of potential concerns and strengths. Progress monitoring acts like a roadmap that helps us see where your child is, where they're going, and if they need any extra support along the way.
Within Response to Intervention (RTII), progress monitoring involves regularly assessing students' progress to inform instructional decisions and ensure that interventions are effective. By regularly checking in on their progress, we can identify strengths and weaknesses, adjust our teaching strategies, and celebrate their successes. Progress monitoring is a critical component of RTII and helps us ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Progress Monitoring Strategies within RTII Tiers
Tier 1: Core Instruction
DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). These assessments happen every 6-10 weeks (How will teachers, n.d.). Please use this link to learn more about benchmark and progress monitoring use of DIBELS at our school (https://135thstreetes.lausd.org/apps/pages/index.jspuREC_ID=3767174&type=d&pREC_ID=2442586).
Curriculum-based assessments (CBAs) are assessments that link directly to our current curriculum, allowing our teachers to evaluate how well students are mastering the material being taught in the classroom (Rogers, n.d.). Plot scores on a graph to track performance.
Formative Assessments: These are ongoing assessments that teachers use to monitor student learning and adjust instruction. Examples include:
o Quizzes
o Exit tickets
o Classwork samples
List of options: https://charts.intensiveintervention.org/aprogressmonitoring#content
Tier 2: Targeted Interventions
Interventions occur for at least 10 weeks to provide sufficient data.
These assessments happen more frequently.
Curriculum-Based Measures (CBMs): these are assessments that measure students' progress on specific academic skills (Rogers, n.d.). Examples include:
o Oral reading fluency
o Spelling
o Writing
Progress Monitoring Assessments: These are standardized assessments that are administered periodically to monitor student progress. Examples include:
Aimsweb (Assessment instrument description, n.d.)
STAR Early Literacy
Tier 3: Intensive Interventions
Daily or weekly assessments are critical within Tier 3 of RTII.
Curriculum-Based Measures (CBMs): CBMs can be used to track student progress on specific skills.
Standardized Assessments: Standardized assessments can be used to compare student progress to national norms.
Key Considerations for Effective Progress Monitoring:
o Regularity: Progress monitoring should be conducted regularly to identify students who need additional support.
o Reliability and Validity: The assessments used should be reliable and valid measures of student performance.
o Actionable Data: The data collected from progress monitoring should be used to inform instructional decisions.
o Collaboration: Teachers, parents, and other professionals should collaborate to interpret progress monitoring data and develop appropriate interventions.
o Fidelity Checks: Implement fidelity checks to ensure interventions are delivered accurately and as frequently as planned (Tier
2, 2024).
References
AIR Advancing Evidence Improving Lives. (2024). Progress monitoring. MTSS4Success. https://mtss4success.org/essential-components/progress-monitoring
Assessment instrument description: Aimsweb. Colorado Department of Education. (n.d.). https://www.cde.state.co.us/accountability/aims_web_assessment_instrument_description_2018
How will teachers initially identify struggling readers?. IRIS Center. (n.d.). https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/rti02/cresource/q2/p04/
Morin, A. (n.d.). How RTI monitors progress. Understood. https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-rti-monitors-progress
Rogers, D. C. (n.d.). Assessment: Curriculum based assessment/measurement. Special Connections, The University of Kansas. https://specialconnections.ku.edu/assessment/curriculum_based_assessment_measurement#:~:text=Curriculum%2DBased%20Assessment%20(CBA),special%20education%20services%20are%20discontinued)
Tier 2. Center on PBIS. (2024). https://www.pbis.org/pbis/tier-2