1. RTI Programs and
Student Data:
Creating Literacy Based Professional
Development
Sarah Frederick
EDRG 697
Regis University

2. Objective
 Teacher will conduct research to
determine how data collected in an
effective RT I program can be used to
implement Literacy Based Professional
Development for staff to best support all
students in their literacy development.

3. Summary
In my experience at the secondary level, I have not been a
part of effective RTI programs because there have not been
clear systems and supports for teachers. It is important for
teachers to know how to identify the level of support their
students need and what the varying level of support looks
like, but it is also important for them to know where their
instruction can improve, so that all students can be more
successful. I believe that it is important to look at student
data to see where instruction needs to be improved so that
the Tier-1 literacy instruction all students is the best. It is
important for schools to have the most effective teachers of
reading in their building, and in order to do so, it is important
for schools to step back and reflect on what is happening in
their classrooms. I believe through the analysis of student
data, classroom observations, analysis of intervention plans,
and looking at the effectiveness of RTI, schools can
implement Professional Development based on the literacy
needs of their students, no matter the level of support they
need.

4. Justification:
“The second factor (in highly effective RTI programs,) is the
avaliablity of high-quality professional development in reading
instruction for teachers. Unfortunately, most school districts have
no such thing avaliable.” (Allington, 2009.)
As schools are developing and implementing RTI, it is important for
the student data that is collected to be analyzed to identify
trends of areas where the majority of students are struggling and
need support. In order for true intervention to be implemented,
teacher and administration must be certin to identify areas of
improvement of literacy instruction for all students. Once these
areas are identified, all teachers and/or administration would
receive Professional Development to improve on the identified
area of literacy instruction. This Professonal Development would
allow for teachers to feel like they are more of an expert when it
comes to their literacy instruction, and allow for all students to
receive the best supports in their litearcy development.

5. Relevancy to Literacy
Instruction:
“When the adult providing the intervention lessons is more expert
about teachini struggling readers, there is less reason to use highly
scripted commercial instructional programs because the expert
can create an effetive intervnetion largely on their own.”
(Allington, 2009.)
With the demands that are being placed on teachers, schools,
and districts to have all students be at proficient readers and
writers, it is often seen as a quick solution to buy a program “for
all,” to be implemented across the district. However, if schools are
providing teachers the Professional Development that is needed
for their building and their students, teachers can feel confident
that they have the tools to provide the best intervention for all of
their students. When schools can look at what is happening in
their own buildings and classrooms, and have the best literacy
teachers, students can become strong readers and writers
because they are getting the, “in the moment,” supports they
need because their teachers have the skills to support them at all
times.

6. Capstone Project:
 Throughout this project, it would be important for me to
reasearch the following to have a better understanding of
how you can use the RTI program and student data to
create the Professional Development needed within a school
building:
 An effective RTI model that works for a middle school building
 Data collection for RTI based at Tier 1-3/Intervention Plans
 Protocol for Data analysis of student literacy data and
Intervention Plans to identify trends
 Targeted Literacy tools that can be taught through
effective/relevent Professional Development

7. Works Cited:
 Allington, R. (2009). Delivering Intervention
by Expert Teacher. In What Really Matters in
Response to Intervention: Research-based
designs. Boston: Pearson