Lisa Patterson                                    Candidate for Educational Leadership

Summer ’07 Cohort                            EOCS 7450: Practicum in Leadership

Case Study 6

ISLLC Standard 6:  A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.

Name of Case Study: Implementing the Response to Intervention

Essential Questions of Case Study:

1.     Does the administrator demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Response to Intervention law as related to education and schooling?

2.     Does the administrator believe in, value, and commit to using legal systems to protect student rights and improve student opportunities?

3.     Does the administrator facilitate processes and engage in activities ensuring that the school community works within the framework of policies, laws, and regulations enacted by local, state, and federal authorities?

Description of the Situation

Formulated after a national model, the state of Georgia passed a law requiring local school systems to create and implement a “Response to Intervention (RTI)” for academically at-risk students through a Pyramid of Intervention. Under state regulations, administrators were required to establish county wide guidelines during the 2007-08 school year and begin implementing the guidelines as soon as possible. Many steps were necessary in order for our county to be in compliance with state regulations.

Knowledge

Our school superintendent gave an administrator at the county office the duty of bringing the RTI to fruition in our school system. This administrator had to become knowledgeable of state laws regarding RTI as related to education and schooling. This administrator also needed to develop an understanding of global issues and forces affecting teaching and learning such as effective teaching strategies throughout the world and cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors.

Dispositions

Our lead administrator chosen to develop the RTI in our school system has a special education background and is our system psychologist. She believes in, values, and is committed to education as a key to opportunity and social mobility. She believes all students can learn and should be provided a differentiated education which meets their needs. She firmly believes in the concept of RTI and promotes it throughout our school system. While facilitating RTI team meetings, our lead administrator openly recognizes and respects a variety of ideas, values, and cultures. She has sought knowledge and expertise from state educators and has continued dialogue with other RTI decision makers affecting education.

Performances

Our lead administrator facilitates processes and engages in the following activities ensuring that the school system community works within the framework of policies, laws, and regulations enacted by local, state, and federal authorities:

1.     Receiving professional training on RTI

2.     Sending RTI team members to RTI training

3.     Facilitating professional conversations with RTI team members on establishing guidelines and implementing RTI within each school

4.     Training faculty members at each school on RTI

5.     Providing system wide forms for teachers to use as documentation of RTI interventions, progress monitoring, and communication with students and families

6.     Guiding and monitoring implementation of RTI at each school

7.     Revising and strengthening the RTI plan as needed

Answers to the Questions

1.      The administrative style demonstrates proficient knowledge and understanding of the Response to Intervention law as related to education and schooling. Because this is a new law, everyone in our school system is still in a RTI learning curve.

2.      The administrative style demonstrates an accomplished belief in, value of, and commitment to using legal systems to protect student rights and improve student opportunities.

3.     The administrative style is accomplished in facilitating processes and engaging in activities ensuring that the school community works within the framework of policies, laws, and regulations enacted by local, state, and federal authorities.