The St. Croix River Education District Model: Incorporating Systems-Level Organization and a Multi-Tiered Problem-Solving Process for Intervention Delivery

Abstract

(from the chapter) The provision of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) that allows school districts to identify learning disabilities (LDs) by measuring student response to scientifically based instruction/intervention (RTI) will undoubtedly make the LD classification process more instructionally relevant. Another goal of RTI in the larger context is to prevent large numbers of students from ever becoming labeled LD in the first place (Fletcher, Coulter, Reschly and Vaughn, 2004). With new legislation mandating scientifically based reading instruction and an accountability scheme for ensuring that all children learn to read effectively (No Child Left Behind Act; No Child Left Behind, 2001), it seems that the pendulum is swinging towards requiring effective reading instruction as a way to prevent LD identification (President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education, 2002). The St. Croix River Education District (SCRED) has been involved in promoting these RTI "preventative" practices for the past two decades. SCRED serves five school districts in east central Minnesota with a total population of approximately 9000 students. SCRED manages special education services for all of its member districts and provides leadership and guidance to regular education in a variety of areas, including basic academic skills instruction. There is a long history of data-based decision making through problem-solving processes within the district. In fact, SCRED was one of the initial pilot sites for examining the efficacy of curriculum-based measurement (CBM) in the early 1980s (Tindal et al., 1984). For the past 10 years, SCRED has worked with its member districts to implement a model that coordinates three critical elements: (a) frequent and continuous measurement using general outcome measures (CBM), (b) evidence-based instruction, and (c) schoolwide organization to ensure the most effective instruction possible for each student. Recent research has identified the three basic elements of the SCRED model as important for improving reading achievement in particular (Kameenui and Simmons, 1998). Each of these elements are critical to student success, but none affects student achievement adequately on its own. Within the Saint Croix River Education District model, measurement, instruction, and problem-solving organization are visualized as three sides of a triangle. Additional information regarding each component is provided in the following sections. The purpose of this chapter is to describe a multi-tiered problem-solving process for intervention delivery. First, we discuss the necessary conditions in which the problem-solving process can thrive. Second, we describe a specific approach to the problem-solving process. Third, we provide data demonstrating the effectiveness of the SCRED model. Fourth, we discuss elements that must be in place prior to using RTI in a special education decision-making framework. Finally, we provide directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).