Millions of children experience difficulty with learning; this may be due to inadequate instruction, cultural or language differences, or learning disabilities. While schools have attempted many ways to help struggling students, including those with disabilities, the current focus is on an improved research based process known as Response to Intervention (RTI).
RTI is sweeping the country as educators and administrators try to find ways to meet the increasing range and intensity of needs of our students.
RTI is a process; organizational framework; a multi-step approach for providing services and interventions to students who struggle with learning at increasing levels of intensity (PK-12).
RTI integrates assessment and intervention within this multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavior problems.
RTI is for any student who shows signs of falling significantly behind his or her peers.
RTI will help identify struggling learners who, with proper intervention, have a chance of becoming proficient in a general education curriculum.
RTI has the potential to limit the amount of academic failure that any student experiences, and to increase the accuracy of special education evaluations. Its use could also reduce the number of children who are mistakenly identified as having learning disabilities when their learning issues may be due to other factors.
RTI uses researched-based interventions; not something that a teacher designs and implements.
RTI services can be provided by a variety of personnel, including general education teachers, special education teachers, and specialists
RTI is a “wonderful opportunity to bring together the many talented resources in both general education and special education to work together on behalf of all students, particularly struggling learners and those with special needs” (RTI Action Network Director Kathleen Whitmire (www.ncld.org).
RTIis not reassigned seating; shortened assignments; classroom observation; suspension; retention; or “more of the same” classroom instruction and/or assignments.
RTI will not look the same for every school, or every student.
While there is no single researched and widely practiced model of the RTI process, it is generally described as a 4-step model of school supports that use research based academic and/or behavioral interventions. At all stages of the process, RTI should focus on how to make the student more successful rather than focusing on the student’s lack of success.
TIER ONE:
· students who are “at risk” are identified using universal screenings and/or results of state or district-wide tests
· identified students receive supplemental instruction or interventions generally delivered in small groups during the regular school day in the regular education classroom.
· length of time may vary, but is typically around 8 weeks; 4-5 times per week. This is in addition to, not instead of, the general curriculum.
· during that time, student progress is closely monitored using validated screening systems such as curriculum based measurement. (An example of this is DIBELS; Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, and MBSP; Monitoring Basic Skills Progess). Test results help teachers determine whether students are learning from their instructional program; results provide teacher with information needed to tailor instruction to the needs of a particular student. At the end of this period, students showing significant progress are generally returned to the regular classroom program
· students not showing adequate progress are moved to Tier Two.
TIER TWO:
· students not making adequate progress in the regular classroom in Tier One are provided more intensive services and interventions; likely may involve 20% of children
· these services are provided in addition to instruction in the general curriculum, and are provided in small group settings. Interventions should generally not exceed a grading period
· in early grades (K-3), interventions are usually in the areas of reading and math
students who continue to show too little progress at this level of intervention are then considered for
more intensive interventions and are moved to Tier Three
TIER THREE:
· students receive individualized intensive interventions that target their skill deficits (likely may involve about 5% of children)
· students who do not respond to these targeted interventions are then considered for eligibility as required by IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Data collected during Tiers One, Two and Three are included and used to make eligibility decisions. (Note; some systems break this into two separate tiers and call them Tier Three and Tier Four)
· those students who are unresponsive to even the most intensive interventions are referred for special education
At any point in an RTI process, IDEA allows parents to request a formal evaluation to determine eligibility for special education. An RTI process cannot be used to deny or delay a formal evaluation for special education.
Essential Components of RTI:
· Monitoring a student’s progress in the general curriculum using appropriate screenings or assessments
· Choosing and implementing scientifically proven interventions to address a student’s learning problems
· Following formal guidelines to decide which students are not making sufficient progress or responding to the intervention
· Monitoring how the student responds to the intervention by using assessments at least once a week or once every two weeks
· Making sure the interventions are provided accurately and consistently
· Determining the level of support that a student needs to be successful
· Giving parents notice of a referral and a request to conduct a formal evaluation if a disability is suspected as required by IDEA
Logistics:
· intervention must take place during a scheduled time and place (not just “hit and miss”)
· plan must make clear that intervention will take place on a regular basis until further notice
· intervention can take place during Language Arts, Math, or an additional instruction time
· elementary students should not miss recess; no student should be missing lunch
· secondary students could get instruction in place of an elective
· must be available during the school day; students are not to stay after school for intervention
· plan for 30-minute sessions 4-5 times per week
· plan for 8 weeks, but interventions for some students may go on indefinitely if the students are unable to maintain when the intervention is taken away
Parental Involvement:
Like any successful school initiative, parents play a critical role in the success of RTI.
If a child’s school is using an RTI process to address the child’s learning difficulties, a parent should expect a written intervention plan which includes:
· description of specific intervention
· length of time (i.e., # of weeks)
· that will be allowed for the intervention to have a positive effect
· number of minutes per day that the intervention will be implemented
· persons responsible for providing the intervention
· location where the intervention will be provided
· factors for determining whether the student is experiencing success
· description of progress monitoring strategy or approach that will be used
· progress monitoring schedule
· how frequently parent will receive reports about child’s response to the interventions provided
Helpful Resources:
(also used in gathering this information)
free on-line monthly newsletter called ‘The RTI Responder’, available through the National Center on Response to Intervention www.rti4success.org;
LD News Response to Intervention Archive; monthly highlights by NCLD of the latest news, research and practices in RTI;
A Parent’s Guide to RTI at www.ncld.org. This website has many links to RTI information;
www.interventioncentral.org is a wonderful website full of ideas to accommodate all children in classrooms;
www.rtinetwork.org includes resources, RTI Talks, and podcasts;
www.wrightslaw.com general explanations of several aspects of RTI