PA Response to Intervention (RtI) Pilot Schools:

The Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Bureau of Special Education developed and implemented a pilot project to increase knowledge of the requirements, processes, and outcomes for implementing an effective RtI system within a school.  Answers to targeted research questions and ongoing monitoring of RtI implementation will provide information and data to inform the development of Pennsylvania's statewide RtI framework, including guidance to schools across the Commonwealth anticipating RtI implementation.  Seven schools were selected as pilot sites.  

• Abington School District-Overlook Elementary School-Carla Greene, Principal-IU 23  carlagreene@abington.k12.pa.us    215-657-0857
• Middletown Area School District-Robert G. Reid Elementary School-Earl Bright, Principal-IU 15  ebright@raiderweb.org   717-948-3360
• Montoursville Area School District-Loyalsock Valley Elementary School-Anne Brovey, Principal-IU 17 abrovey@montoursville.k12.pa.us 570-435-0446
• Northgate School District-Bellevue Elementary School-Al Geyer, Principal-IU 3 ageyer@northgate.k12.pa.us  412-734-8004
• Oswayo Valley School District-Oswayo Valley Elementary School-Carolyn Fugate, Principal-IU 9 carolyn@oswayo.org  814-697-7161
• Upper Darby School District-Highland Park Elementary School-Patrice Scanlon, Principal-IU 25 pscanlon@udsd.org  610-853-4530
• Washington School District-Washington Park Elementary School-Margaret Sollon, Principal-IU 1 sollon@waskington.k12.pa.us   724-223-5056

• PA Department of Education
• PA Bureau of Special Education
• PA Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)
• PA intermediate unit curriculum and special education departments
• Lehigh University, Center for Promoting Research to Practice, Edward Shapiro, Ph. D, Director
• Indiana University of PA, Program in School Psychology, Joseph Kovaleski, D. Ed., Director

Pilot schools received funding to support implementation of the concepts of RtI in the areas of reading, math, and behavior including:

• Professional development activities.
• Enhanced planning and data team development.
• Support to secure core reading/math programs.
• Support to secure supplemental programs needed to support targeted and intensive interventions.
• Assistance in implementing School-wide Effective Behavior Support Programs.
• Assistance in research and data collection through our university partners.
• Assistance in the development and piloting of training modules.

• Identify barriers /solutions/tools for implementation of a three-tiered model of intervention.
• Create a research base for technical questions re: the three-tiered model.
• Analyze student movement through the tiers and student time in tiers.
• Analyze the use of slope of progress in the instructional decision making process.
• Assess the impact of three-tier model on student achievement and special education eligibility.
• Investigate the predictive relationship between ORF and other benchmark/progress monitoring measures used for decisions (4Sight Benchmarks).
• Investigate the relationship between specific intervention programs and student movement between the tiers.