Response to Intervention (RtI) is an instructional early intervention program. It utilizes all resources within the school in a collaborative manner to create interventions and instruction driven by student data. RtI is a multi-step process of providing research-based instruction and interventions to help students who struggle with learning and behavior. The interventions are matched to the individual students needs and closely monitored at each level of support. The RtI process ensures that students (especially ELL or disadvantaged) are not falsely diagnosed with a learning disability when individualized instructional interventions would effectively help the child achieve grade-level progress. Students who fail to demonstrate adequate progress after receiving interventions should be tested for a learning disability.
(International Reading Association, 2010)
(International Reading Association, 2010)
Success of RtI depends on:
Carefully selected and executed informal and formal assessments
Differentiated instruction
Quality Professional Development
Collaboration with teachers, specialists, administrators and student families
Areas in Which Low Achievement May Indicate a Learning Disability
There are six language arts areas in which a deficit in performance may indicate a learning disability:
· Oral expression
· Listening comprehension
· Written expression
· Basic reading skills
· Reading fluency skills
· Reading comprehension
(International Reading Association, 2010)
RtI model
There is no specific model to RtI other than to provide low performing students with individualized interventions from a professional educator. The three-tiered model is popular, but is not a requirement from the federal government. Schools should use their own discretion in using a model that works for the students in their community. Screenings and assessments are not mandated and are left up to the discretions of the schools. The RtI approach is used to help struggling students and should not be looked at as the first step to qualifying a student with a learning disability. The majority of students who go through the RtI process are expected to make adequate progress and should be weaned off instructional interventions.
(International Reading Association, 2010)
Carefully selected and executed informal and formal assessments
Differentiated instruction
Quality Professional Development
Collaboration with teachers, specialists, administrators and student families
Areas in Which Low Achievement May Indicate a Learning Disability
There are six language arts areas in which a deficit in performance may indicate a learning disability:
· Oral expression
· Listening comprehension
· Written expression
· Basic reading skills
· Reading fluency skills
· Reading comprehension
(International Reading Association, 2010)
RtI model
There is no specific model to RtI other than to provide low performing students with individualized interventions from a professional educator. The three-tiered model is popular, but is not a requirement from the federal government. Schools should use their own discretion in using a model that works for the students in their community. Screenings and assessments are not mandated and are left up to the discretions of the schools. The RtI approach is used to help struggling students and should not be looked at as the first step to qualifying a student with a learning disability. The majority of students who go through the RtI process are expected to make adequate progress and should be weaned off instructional interventions.
(International Reading Association, 2010)
Problem Solving Process
Step 1
Define the problem or goal by determining the difference between what is expected and what is occurring. Ask, “What specifically do we want students to know and be able to do when compared to what they do know and are able to do?” When engaged in problem solving at the individual student level, the team should strive for accuracy by asking, “What exactly is the problem?”
Step 2
Analyze the problem using data to determine why the issue is occurring. Generate hypotheses (reasons why students are not meeting performance goals) founded in evidence-based content area knowledge, alterable variables, and instructionally relevant domains. Gather assessment data to determine valid/non-valid hypotheses. Link validated hypotheses to instruction/intervention so that hypotheses will lead to evidence-based instructional decisions. Ask, “Why is/are the desired goal(s) not occurring? What are the barriers to the student(s) doing and knowing what is expected?” Design or select instruction to directly address those barriers.
Step 3
Develop and implement a plan driven by the results of the team’s problem analysis by establishing a performance goal for the group of students or the individual student and developing an intervention plan to achieve the goal. Then delineate how the student’s or group of students’ progress will be monitored and implementation integrity will be supported. Ask, “What are we going to do?”
Step 4
Measure response to instruction/interventions by using data gathered from progress monitoring at agreed upon intervals to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention plan based on the student’s or group of students’ response to the intervention. Progress-monitoring data should directly reflect the targeted skill(s). Ask, “Is it working? If not, how will the instruction/intervention plan be adjusted to better support the student’s or group of students’ progress?” Team discussion centers on how to maintain or better enable learning for the student(s).
Step 1
Define the problem or goal by determining the difference between what is expected and what is occurring. Ask, “What specifically do we want students to know and be able to do when compared to what they do know and are able to do?” When engaged in problem solving at the individual student level, the team should strive for accuracy by asking, “What exactly is the problem?”
Step 2
Analyze the problem using data to determine why the issue is occurring. Generate hypotheses (reasons why students are not meeting performance goals) founded in evidence-based content area knowledge, alterable variables, and instructionally relevant domains. Gather assessment data to determine valid/non-valid hypotheses. Link validated hypotheses to instruction/intervention so that hypotheses will lead to evidence-based instructional decisions. Ask, “Why is/are the desired goal(s) not occurring? What are the barriers to the student(s) doing and knowing what is expected?” Design or select instruction to directly address those barriers.
Step 3
Develop and implement a plan driven by the results of the team’s problem analysis by establishing a performance goal for the group of students or the individual student and developing an intervention plan to achieve the goal. Then delineate how the student’s or group of students’ progress will be monitored and implementation integrity will be supported. Ask, “What are we going to do?”
Step 4
Measure response to instruction/interventions by using data gathered from progress monitoring at agreed upon intervals to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention plan based on the student’s or group of students’ response to the intervention. Progress-monitoring data should directly reflect the targeted skill(s). Ask, “Is it working? If not, how will the instruction/intervention plan be adjusted to better support the student’s or group of students’ progress?” Team discussion centers on how to maintain or better enable learning for the student(s).
Three-Tiered Approach
All students receive the core instruction. Students working below grade level in a certain area receive small group supplemental instruction. Students who are high risk receive intensive one on one instruction and are closely monitored. Students move in and out of tiers based on need (as evaluated by data).
o Tier 1: Whole class core instruction
o Tier 2: Supplemental instruction for small groups of students
o Tier 3: Intensive 1:1 individualized instruction
Guiding Principles
1. Instruction
All students receive the core instruction. Students working below grade level in a certain area receive small group supplemental instruction. Students who are high risk receive intensive one on one instruction and are closely monitored. Students move in and out of tiers based on need (as evaluated by data).
o Tier 1: Whole class core instruction
o Tier 2: Supplemental instruction for small groups of students
o Tier 3: Intensive 1:1 individualized instruction
Guiding Principles
1. Instruction
- Struggling students should be helped with the most effective research-based instructional practices using differentiated and intensified instruction and assessment tailored toward the individual student’s needs. Qualified professionals, such as the classroom teacher should perform instruction and assessments.
- When instruction and interventions are not meeting the needs of the individual student, instruction and interventions should be modified to better meet the needs of the individual student.
- According to evidence, small group and individual instruction are most effective in helping at-risk students.
- Instruction should be individualized, not uniform. Instruction should come from the teacher, not from a packaged program.
- Assessments should provide valid information about the individual student’s abilities in language and literacy and should be used to plan and evaluate instruction.
- Efficient assessments involve initial screening assessments, diagnostic assessments, and progress monitoring tools to evaluate student progress and the instructional practices used with the student. Students should be observed in the classroom setting by an educational professional other than the child’s teacher. Teachers and/or reading specialists should conduct assessments.
- Teams involved in the RtI decision making process should be experts in the language and literacy fields (reading specialists/literacy coaches) and should provide leadership in the RtI process.
- Schools should establish a shared vision on what reading instruction and interventions will look like in classrooms and should provide teachers with adequate coordinated planning time to meet with each other, reading specialists, special education teachers, guidance councilors, and school psychologists.
- Parents and the community should be involved in the educational process of students.
- All instruction should be continuously improved to minimize the need for interventions.
- Educational professionals should collaborate on deciding instructional practices for individual students
- Faculty and staff should participate in on-going professional development in language and literacy instruction as well as the RtI process.
- Teachers should be highly-qualified, prepared, experts in their field. Teachers should provide exemplary core and supplemental instruction. If professionals, other than the classroom teacher are providing supplemental instruction and/or interventions, those professionals should be experts in the areas of language and literacy instruction, including ELL instruction if necessary to the individual student.
For more information on RtI, please visit the website http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn or browse the brochure below.