The RtI Framework Deconstructed

1. The RtI Framework Deconstructed Jessica Close

2. What is RTI? • RtI stands for Response to Intervention • RtI is a Multi-Tiered (usually 3 tiers) prevention system to help determine eligibility for special education services • More importantly, RtI offers early intervention for at-risk students and gives the ability for teachers to lessen or prevent the impact of learning disabilities • Students are screened before moving to Tier 2 (hearing, vision, curriculum based materials, etc.) • Progress monitoring should take place on all tiers! • Data (usually on graphs) is used to make decisions for students to move up or down the tiers • Parents/Guardians are RtI team members too! National Center on Response to Intervention (2008)

3. What is RTI? • All students are on Tier 1 receiving the regular curriculum instruction • Tier 2 is for students who are considered at-risk and where an evidence based practice is used as a supplement above and beyond the general curriculum • Tier 3 is for those students not successful in Tier 2 needing more intensive and longer interventions Stern Center for Language and Learning (2008)

4. Why RTI? • “Finding, identifying, and placing students "in" a special education program was no longer sufficient. What needed to be addressed was the creation of a service delivery system that was more oriented around how a student responded to research-based interventions delivered with integrity.” (Prasse, David P.) • The original ability-achievement discrepancy model (15 points between an achievement area and a full IQ score) was based tests which might not be testing the curriculum students have been taught • It moves away from problem within the student thought process to making sure there is no problem within the instruction • RtI offers individualized instruction through the problem solving model where students can have a tailored curriculum in which interventions can be focused on exactly what they need • example: working on specific phonics skills to improve fluency • Students receive more one-on-one instruction • There is no you’re in or you’re out criteria, but students are determined eligible for special education on a case by case basis

5. How do we Implement RTI? • Tier 1: curriculum instruction, progress monitor using curriculum based materials (CBM) and benchmark assessments, conferences with parents • example: 90 minute reading block 5 days per week • Tier 1 – Tier 2 Consideration: observe the student, meet with parents, form a problem solving team, use data to prove the need (such as FAIR) • Tier 2: an evidence based practice, progress monitor using CBM, keep parents/team informed • example: 90 minute reading block 5 days per week + • 15 minutes 5 days per week evidence based instruction • Tier 2 – Tier 3 Consideration: Review graphs to determine a need for more intensive interventions • Tier 3: more intensive and longer interventions, progress monitor using CBM, keep parents/team informed • example: 90 minute reading block 5 days per week + • 30 minutes 5 days per week evidence based instruction • Case Review for the need to obtain special education services

6. What are RtI’s strengths and challenges? • Strengths: • Students get more one-on-one instructions • able to prevent mislabeling • able to lessen the impact of a learning disability • able to reach more at-risk students • no more you’re in or you’re out criteria • Challenges: (the biggest complaints I have) • TIME for interventions above and beyond the general curriculum!!! (I do it in the classroom by myself, no pull outs, help!) • Paper work!!! • It would help to have the ability/achievement testing in addition to RtI to help drive the interventions, finding good assessments is difficult

7. Resources • The National Center for Response to Intervention: http://www.rti4success.org/ • National Center on Student Progress Monitoring: http://www.studentprogress.org/ • Research Institute on Progress Monitoring: http://www.progressmonitoring.org/ • National Research Center on Learning Disabilities: http://www.nrcld.org/ • Center on Instruction: http://www.centeroninstruction.org/

8. references • National Center on Response to Intervention. (2008) [Graphic displaying important components of RtI]. The Essential Components of RTI. Retrieved from http://www.rti4success.org/. • Prasse, David P. (unknown date). Why adopt an RTI model? The RTI Action Network a Program of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whyrti • Stern Center for Language and Learning. (2008). [Graphic illustration of the RtI framework]. Response to Intervention/Instruction. Retrieved from http://www.sterncenter.org/resources/rti.