Response to Intervention
New Century Delivers the Components for All Tiers of Your District's RtI Model
Universal Screening Tools
The New Century Learning System provides both stages of Universal Screening Tools, as recommended by the National Center on Response to Intervention. Stage 1 - Using the Summative Assessments, a student's proficiency relative to state tested standards is immediately scored electronically and reported, including recommended assigning of students to tiers, based on cut points. These assessments also can be re-administered as benchmarking tools three times per year to monitor student gains toward preparedness for the state test. Stage 2 - The New Century Diagnostic Test confirms at-risk students and details their educational needs by strand of learning, consistent with the National Reading Panel and National Math Advisory Panel. Using dynamic item response theory, the test items adapt to the student, and in one sitting, the grade level equivalent of the student's performance can be determined, even for students who are deeply out of grade level.
Instruction Closely Matched to Student Needs
Whether Tier 2 or Tier 3, the New Century management system uses the Diagnostic Test results to electronically create an individualized lesson path. Instead of assigning students a grade level or module, New Century assigns lessons by discrete learning objectives that the student needs to master. Instruction is both tightly matched to student needs and efficient. Measurable gains are rapid. The New Century curriculum is both research based, and the subject of randomized controlled studies by independent investigators. Teachers and their students who use New Century as part of the instructional regimen outperform those who do not, and those who utilize it more outperform those who use it less. (See Scientifically Based, and Research Proven).
Tier 1: Universal Intervention
New Century's Summative Assessments provide a Universal Screening Tool to identify candidates for Tier 2 or Tier 3 instruction. These assessments also provide a benchmarking tool to periodically monitor progress toward proficiency in the tested standards. Students with identified skill needs are linked to individualized, prescriptive instruction to introduce and teach these missing skills that will appear on the test.
Tier 2: Targeted Group Interventions
Used 90 minutes per week (typically two class periods per curriculum), New Century's Diagnostic/Prescriptive Instruction Model helps teachers to provide level appropriate instruction to each student and to regularly evaluate his progress towards grade level standards. New Century's embedded Interim Assessments automatically provide the progress monitoring data to help teachers determine when students should move up or down the RtI pyramid or how they might be grouped by needs for teacher led, small group instruction.
Tier 3: Intensive, Individualized Intervention
Used 180 minutes per week or more per curriculum, New Century's Diagnostic/Prescriptive Model begins at each student's lowest level of proficiency, advancing objective by objective at the student's pace. Increased instructional time on task and support from educational specialists is recommended in Tier 3. The software even Alerts teachers about those skills with which the student struggles most, so that the teacher can focus his/her one-on-one instruction time where it will be most effective. Progress monitoring reports gains by grade level equivalent, so out of grade level students can be tracked through successive grades until they return to their enrollment level.
Progress Monitoring
Interim Assessments are embedded in the individualized lesson path for each student and continuously assess students across different strands of learning in each curriculum. Separate assessments need not be administered for comprehension and vocabulary, or for early algebra and long division. Reports are designed to use weekly and monthly to quickly identify group needs and outliers. Individual reports provide the data for in-depth consideration of a student's needs. Most importantly, New Century's reports guide teachers in setting goals and monitoring progress toward goal to determine if a student needs to be moved to another Tier. Regular reporting of results to parents is automatically generated in letter format in English and in Spanish. The teacher is alerted to print the letter and send it home.