Nowhere are good intentions more prevalent than in education. Making a professional commitment to preparing the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and doers is not for the faint of heart nor the self-serving. We know students who master essential knowledge and skills are better equipped to compete in the global economy and capitalize on life’s opportunities.
That’s why improving student achievement outcomes—especially the outcomes of students who have historically been underserved—is so often top of mind for educators.
But, with increased pressure on schools to ensure all learners achieve mastery of even more rigorous standards, many educators find themselves on a constant quest to discover the intervention Holy Grail. They’re searching for the “perfect” assessment or professional development or data management tool or instructional program that will guarantee improved learning outcomes and ensure every student with academic and/or behavioral challenges is identified and provided support before the point of failure.
[Earl Warren, 14th U.S. Chief Justice]
Although research shows that educators indeed seek out new and improved ideas, tactics, methods, and programs that will help all children learn better, they often rely on small changes that are generally consistent with current practice. What we call “education reform” is frequently just an endorsement of current methods, whether we realize it or not.
To be effective, Response to Intervention (RTI) requires more than implementation of yet another program and accompanying assessment. RTI is not a program, product, or tool, but instead a commitment to a system—focusing not on individual components, like assessments or curriculum, but rather on the interrelationships between them and how those relationships must shift in order to achieve the desired outcome.
A system is defined as a set of components that interact with each other to function as a whole. Classrooms, districts, and states are all systems at different levels.
The components of a system of learning include:
1. Assessment
2. Instruction
3. Curriculum
4. Professional learning
5. The classroom ecosystem
6. Theory of learning
At each level, the components of the system interact to produce behaviors, such as teachers’ classroom practices and students’ learning. Coherent education systems in which the components work well together produce more learning than education systems in which the components are pulling in different directions. Rather than addressing each component individually, all six must interact with each other in order to function as a true system.
The Learning Diamond system model is made up of:
Assessment (A)
Instruction (I)
Curriculum (C)
Professional Learning (P)
The Classroom Ecosystem (S)
The Theory of Learning (T)
In this recorded webinar, Michael Fullan discusses the leadership qualities and competencies that enable leaders to mobilize individuals and groups to engage in productive change. He also examines leadership at the school, district, and system level and shares examples of practical actions that leaders can take to implement systemic change.
Fully implementing an RTI approach with fidelity is a high-stakes undertaking. There’s no doubt about it. Thinking about learning as a system and creating school environments that are conducive to learning for all students are challenging tasks. There are three common barriers to the successful implementation of a comprehensive RTI approach:
1. Data and Assessment Literacy
2. Educator Development and Collaboration
3. Student Learning Supports
Like the cogs in a powerful machine, these three components need to be carefully aligned and engaged in order to produce the desired student performance outcomes efficiently and effectively. But with focused attention, systems thinking, and a detailed plan for success, you can navigate these roadblocks and help ensure your good intentions become positive, measurable results.