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Response to Intervention

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Overview

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a systems-wide process to improve educational outcomes for ALL students, including students with unique educational needs such as Gifted and Talented, English Language Learners, 504 and Special Education. RtI assures that the instruction/interventions are matched to individual student needs and that the monitoring of progress is continuous. The RtI Model utilizes data analysis and progress monitoring to inform a collaborative problem-solving atmosphere among staff and parents in order to improve student performance through research based, best practice strategies and interventions. RtI is a continually evolving and flexible process. It is not just a list of actions to be implemented or paperwork to be completed. Increasing student achievement on state assessments and ensuring compliance with RtI legal guidelines are not primary reasons for designing effective RtI processes. These are side-effects of the main goal, which is to ensure the ongoing success of every student. RtI processes seek to address the following guiding questions: What do we expect ALL students to learn? How will we identify skills that are not mastered? What will we do differently to educate struggling students? How will we know if our actions were effective?

Key Features

  • RtI is a general education initiative designed to address the needs of struggling learners.
  • RtI is based on a problem-solving model that uses data to inform decision making.
  • RtI interventions are systematically applied and derived from research-based practices.
  • RtI is highly dependent on frequent progress monitoring and data collection.
  • RtI intervention plans are designed, implemented with fidelity, and monitored consistently.
  • RtI includes a 3-TIERED Model of support for both academics and behavior.
  • RtI tiers/plans/processes are individualized and flexible.
  • RtI begins with a culture shift towards a shared/collective responsibility for all students.

Tier I – Academic and Social/Behavioral
Universal level – ALL students are provided with “Core and More”: researched based, rigorous, differentiated, highly effective, general education that utilizes on-going universal screening, progress monitoring and assessments to drive instructional goals and strategies.

Tier 2 – Academic and Social/Behavioral
Targeted Level – Interventions are provided to students who are identified at-risk or who fail to make adequate progress in general education alone. Tier 2 instruction is timely, explicit, systematic/structured, aligned with, and in addition to, Tier 1 curriculum & instruction. Instructional interventions are differentiated, scaffolded and targeted based on the needs of individual students as determined by data.

Tier 3 – Academic and Social/Behavioral
Intensive/Individualized Level – Students who exhibit intensive needs are provided with interventions.

District Absolutes

  • Universal screeners will be administered three times a year (BOY, MOY, EOY) to all students according to the district schedule.
  • Interventions will be implemented with fidelity.
  • Documentation (including topic/method/resources of intervention, student attendance, and progress monitoring) will be collected by teachers and interventionists and will be reviewed at regularly scheduled meetings focused on assessment, interventions, and fidelity.
  • Progress monitoring will occur at least monthly for tier 1; bi-weekly for tier 2; and weekly for tier 3 students.
  • Student interventions plans will be reviewed at regular intervals.
  • Data will be used to make any necessary additions or other changes to student intervention plans.