Response to Intervention and Precision Teaching: Creating Synergy in the Classroom

Successful implementation of response to intervention (RTI) for academic skills problems requires rigorous progress monitoring. This book shows how the proven instructional technology known as precision teaching (PT) can facilitate progress monitoring while building K-12 students' fluency in reading, writing, math, and the content areas. Detailed instructions help general and special education teachers use PT to target specific skills at all three tiers of RTI, and incorporate it into project-based learning. Of crucial importance for RTI implementers, the book provides explicit procedures for measuring and charting learning outcomes during each PT session, and using the data to fine-tune instruction. Reproducible charts and other useful tools can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

Table of Contents:
1. The Response-to-Intervention Framework 2. Concepts and Principles of Precision Teaching 3. Instructional Design for Precision Teaching 4. Blending Precision Teaching Technology with the Response-to-Intervention Framework 5. Precision Teaching Technology in Practice 6. Precision Teaching in Reading 7. Precision Teaching in Writing 8. Precision Teaching in Mathematics 9. Precision Teaching in the Content Areas 10. Project-Based Inquiry, Building Complex Repertoires, and Ensuring Real-World Competence Appendix 1. Precision Decisions for the Timings Chart: Data-Driven Decisions for Performance-Based Measures within Sessions Appendix 2. Using the Timings Chart to Make Within-Session Decisions Appendix 3. A Timings Standard Celeration Chart Appendix 4. A Daily per Minute Standard Celeration Chart Appendix 5. Exercise for Tiemann and Markle's Kinds of Learning

About the Author :
Kent Johnson, PhD, is the founder and Executive Director of Morningside Academy, in Seattle, Washington. He is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Edward L. Anderson Award in Recognition of Exemplary Contributions to Behavioral Education from the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies; the Ernie Wing Award for Excellence in Evidence-Based Education from the Wing Institute; and the Allyn and Bacon Exemplary Program Award from the Council for Exceptional Children, Division for Learning Disabilities. Dr. Johnson's work focuses on the development of research-based curriculum and teaching methods. Elizabeth M. Street, EdD, is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Central Washington University, where she served as a faculty member and administrator for 33 years. A board-certified behavior analyst, Dr. Street has consulted to numerous programs that serve children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, in addition to her more than 30 years of service as a consultant, trainer, and coach for Morningside Academy.

Review :
"Johnson and Street amply demonstrate that RTI and PT are a match made in heaven. Merging the tier classification system of RTI with the sensitive measurement and coaching procedures of PT is bound to have a major impact on K-12 education. This book is a remarkable mixture of scholarly analysis and detailed practical application. Drawing on 30 years of highly successful experience with PT, the authors smoothly show how PT procedures work in the context of an RTI classroom. The book could usefully serve as a college text or inservice training manual. The vignettes make it especially enjoyable to read."--Henry S. Pennypacker, PhD, Department of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Florida "RTI magic happens when instructional interactions between students and teachers are opened up, examined, and adjusted until learning improves. This clearly and masterfully written book shows how PT can facilitate that process. The authors explain how RTI draws on some of the same conceptual foundations as PT. They provide detailed skill sequences, teaching strategies, and decision rules for determining when instruction is not working and what adjustments should be made. This book will have immediate value for RTI implementers--I know I will read it many times."--Amanda M. VanDerHeyden, PhD, Education Research and Consulting, Fairhope, Alabama "RTI is now at the forefront of every educator’s agenda. This book provides an in-depth description of how and why PT is ideally suited to be a partner in the RTI movement. The authors present a detailed system--including curriculum for specific academic areas and data collection methodologies--that allows the reader to easily execute the major components of RTI. This book is an absolute 'must' for school psychologists and educators who are eager to take their RTI knowledge to the next level."--Lawrence Tatekawa, EdS, BCBA, school psychologist/behavior analyst, Honolulu, Hawaii "This book shows how blending RTI and PT can maximize student achievement by addressing learners' specific intervention needs. It explains the 'whats,' 'whys,' and 'how-tos' of PT, along with the history and research behind it. Included are a wealth of ideas, examples, and resources. This is a valuable resource for administrators and teachers seeking to develop a systematic process for implementing RTI in all content areas within the school day."--Kerry Lynn Mance, EdD, Principal, A. G. West Black Hills High School, Olympia, Washington "The book provides a pragmatic approach to ensuring that all students have access to high-quality, research-based instruction. Johnson and Street thoroughly explain the framework for a successful RTI model and provide educators with specific tools, practices, and decision-making mechanisms. Notably, the volume will serve the needs of both general and special educators, as well as administrators seeking to provide teachers with adequate instructional support and feedback. The authors make it clear that PT can become the foundation from which learners successfully engage in more complex activities."--Veronica Connolly Pietz, EdD, Principal, Pierre (South Dakota) Indian Learning Center -