Response to Intervention RTI

 

National Center on RTI, when talking about RTI says…

“With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities.” (NCRTI, 2010)

Response to intervention is an educational method of academic intervention used in the United States. The purpose of RTI is to to provide early, assistance to children who are having difficulty learning. RTI strives for early interventions to prevent academic failure. A child may be identified through other poor academic performance on tests and through teacher observation. RTI can also be instrumental in identifying students who have learning disabilities. When a child is at risk of academic failure, frequent progress measurements are taken to determine where the child should be placed on the RTI pyramid. The RTI pyramid is a three tired system that includes primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions.

 

Tier 1 is for at-risk children who have been identified through a screening process. In this tier, the intervention is normally performed in a group-oriented setting. Generally six or eight weeks is allotted to see if the child responds to the intervention. During this phase, the student’s progress is monitored closely. If the child does, indeed, respond to the research-based intervention, then this indicates that perhaps his or her difficulties have resulted from less appropriate or insufficiently targeted instruction. If tier 1 does not prove to be a success for the student, the intervention will progress to tier 2.

Tier 2 is the next step in the RTI model and provides the student with a more intense intervention. The length of time in Tier 2 is generally a bit longer than in Tier 1, and the level of intensity of the interventions is greater. About 10%-20% of the students in tier 2 receive services from a special educator. The intervention in this tier is often more closely targeted to the areas where the student is showing the most difficulty. Again, the child’s progress is closely monitored. If the child shows adequate progress, then the intervention has been successful and a successful strategy has been found that works with that child. It is quite possible in RTI that, if the problem is caught early enough and addressed with appropriate instruction, the student has learned the skills necessary to continue in general education without further intervention. However, if the child continues to struggle through the interventions in tier 2, the intervention will progress to tier 3.

                Tier 3 consists of even more intensive intervention for the struggling student. About 80%-90% of students at the tier 3 intervention level receive services from a special educator. This third level is typically more individualized as well, opposed to a group intervention.  If the child does not responded to instruction in this level, then he or she is likely to be referred for a full and individual evaluation under IDEA.

http://portlandwizkid.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/response-to-intervention-rti-an-engineering-solution-to-an-education-problem/

It is very important to gather data during the child’s response to interventions in Tiers 1, 2, and 3. This is because it can be used during the evaluation process and afterwards, when a determination must be made as to disability and the child’s possible eligibility for special education and related services. This information shows the student’s progress throughout RTI.

According to IDEA 2004, when becoming involved in RTI, the students does not have  to complete a level, or all levels, of an RTI approach before he or she may be evaluated for eligibility for special education and related services. The IDEA 2004’s regulation is very clear about this. RTI may not be used as a means of delaying or refusing to conduct such an evaluation if the school suspects that the child has a disability or if the parents request that the school system evaluate the child.

The role of a special educator in the RTI model is very important. The special educator works along with the general education teacher through tiers 1 and 2. The special education teacher can help the general education teacher develop the interventions and strategies that would work best with the struggling student. However, if that is unsuccessful, in tier 3 of the RIT model the role of the special educator is to work closely with the child struggling and help they find strategies that make them successful in academics. If the student is still failing to achieve in academics, the special educator would be present for the process of evaluating the child and developing and IEP to make him or her successful.

My idea of RTI being implemented in an inclusion classroom consists of a special educator and a general educator working together to develop strategies to help the struggling student become successful. I think for the most part, only tier 1 and 2 would be performed inside of the inclusion classroom. By the time the student got to tier 3, he would need more individualized one-one-one help, and more than likely this would take place in a resource room or a special education classroom.  In tier 1 and 2, I see the student getting different assignments that help him develop the building blocks to get him back to academic level. The special educator would pull him out of class with other students who are also struggling. The amount of one-on-one time would increase, while still working in groups, if the student progressed to tier 2.