Response to Intervention
Response To Intervention (RTI) has developed into an intervention-based approach that provides school districts and child study teams with a formalized, structured mechanism to systematically intervene when early warning signs show that students are not reaching Annual Yearly Progress (AYP). RTI is usually described in terms of a Tier methodology, in which increasing levels of intensity in programming are provided before students are recommended for services outside the general education classroom. One way to look at RTI is that it attempts to ensure that a student who is placed in special education has a disability rather than a “curriculum, cultural or environmental problem” related to poor instruction, the need for additional time, specialized instruction or more intensive interventions (Moore-Brown, Montgomery, Bielinski and Shubin, 2005). In efforts to identify at-risk students as early as possible, IDEIA includes language as one of the components of RTI use. RTI incorporates the practice of providing high quality instruction, and interventions that are specifically matched to student needs within the general education classroom. RTI is a data-driven approach, which is consistent with the No Child Left Behind Act. Schools are required to monitor progress and make decisions about changes in instruction based on performance data.
Multi-tiered Model:
RTI is a multi-tiered intervention model which becomes more intense and individualized as students move from tier to tier. The assumption is that the majority of students who have been identified as at-risk learners will have their needs met as programming becomes more specialized.
Tier 1 Intervention – Tier 1 Intervention involves enhanced classroom instruction in which the general education teacher provides specialized instruction and activities to students identified as at-risk learners. The general education teacher collaborates with a range of interventionists including the reading specialist, special education teacher, occupational therapist, math specialist, behavior specialist, the speech language pathologist, social worker, guidance counselor, and the school psychologist to develop differentiated instruction within the classroom. This specialized instruction should be tailored to meet the individual needs of students.
Tier 2 Intervention – Tier 2 Intervention involves more specialized instruction, and includes one of the interventionists and a small group of students within the classroom. Tier 2 activities are provided as a supplemental intervention, as the general education teacher continues with the differentiated Tier 1 instruction. Tier 2 may require flexible groups and evidence-based programmatic interventions, such as computer-assisted technologies. Tier 2 programming should also be provided for an additional 30 minutes 2 to 3 times a week within the general education classroom. The RTI team should be prepared to assess student progress by means of progress monitoring evaluations.
Tier 3 Intervention – Tier 3 Intervention should be provided to the fewest number of students that require intensive intervention with extended instructional time, more individualized learning, and instructional content which has been modified. Tier 3 may be most conducive to computer-based instruction which is highly specialized to meet the student’s individual needs. Tier 3 interventions should be provided by interventionists who are monitoring specific learning variables and benchmarks. RTI Teams should ensure that Tier 3 interventions are provided on a daily basis, outside of the classroom where distractions can be minimized, and direct instruction can be provided by the interventionist. Again, the child study team should be prepared to substantiate specific changes in student behavior by means of district progress monitoring assessments.