What is RTI?

Definition
Essentially, Response to Intervention (RTI) is a means of identifying students with a learning disability. Before RTI was in place, a student was referred for evaluation if his teacher noticed that the student was struggling.  The student's IQ was then tested, in addition to another skills test.  If there was a 15 point difference between the two scores, then it was determined that the student had a learning disability.  After years of using this model to identify students as having a learning disability, educators realized that it was not an accurate way of doing so; perhaps the student was not receiving instruction that met his learning needs.  As a result, RTI was put in place.  The purpose of RTI is to ensure that all students receive proper instruction in a general education classroom before referring them for special education.

What does IDEA 2004 say about RTI?
As stated in the article entitled Response to Intervention: Investigating the New Role of Special Educators, "The Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA, 2004) intersects with The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), and these two pieces of legislation set the stage for an approach to special education eligibility and school improvement called RTI.  Both IDEA 2004 and NCLB call for improving the outcomes for all students by using scientifically based instructional practices.  RTI specifically requires documentation of appropriate use of scientifically based interventions before a student is referred for a traditional special education evaluation.  Documentation of appropriate instructional interventions is not a new feature of eligibility determination.  IDEA 1997 states that: 'In making a determination of eligibility under paragraph (4) (A), a child shall not be determined to be a child with a disability if the determinant factor for such determination is -- (A) lack of appropriate instruction in reading, including the essential components of reading instruction (as is defined in section 1208(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965).  (20 U.S.C. 1414(b)(5)(A)).  IDEA builds on the requirements of its predecessor by including specific language on the use of RTI procedures such as 'a process that determines if the child responds to scientific research-based intervention as a part of the evaluation procedures' (Public Law (P.L.) 108-446 & 614 [b][6][A]; & 614 [b][2 & 3]).  Clearly both NCLB and IDEA give school districts the legal authority to put an RTI system in place.  Implementing such a system simultaneously addresses the needs of individual students who are struggling as well as assists schools in meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP).  Special education teachers, with their knowledge of assessment, instruction, and individualized interventions, are uniquely positioned to impact and assist schools as they begin to fully implement RTI procedures" (Allison, Atkins, Cole, Cummings).

What happens in Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III?
The information below was retrieved from RTI Action Network.

Tier 1: High-Quality Classroom Instruction, Screening, and Group Interventions
All general education students begin their education in Tier 1.  Tier 1 involves educating students using high-quality, scientifically based instruction.  Additionally, all students have their academic knowledge and behavior screened when they start Kindergarten in order to establish a baseline.  Once a baseline has been established, students who are struggling can be compared to students at the baseline.  Student progress should be closely monitored during Tier 1.  After about 8 weeks, Tier 1 is over.  At this point, students who have made significant progress are returned to the general education classroom while students who continue to struggle move to Tier 2.

Tier 2: Targeted Interventions
Students in Tier 2 work closely with a teacher or other professional in the hopes that the student will begin to show improvements.  The teacher must use effective strategies that work in accordance with the students learning style.  The teacher must make every effort to help the student succeed.  A student's time spent in Tier 2 should not exceed a grading period.  If a student does not show improvements while in Tier 2, then he moves to Tier 3.

Tier 3: Intensive Interventions and Comprehensive Evaluation
At Tier 3, students are referred for special education.

What is the role of the special education teacher in the process of RTI?
As explained in the article entitled Response to Intervention: Investigating the New Role of Special Educators, the role of special educators is to provide assistance to the general education teacher.  The special educator should work with the general education teacher to help her understand why a student may be struggling in a specific area.  Additionally, the special educator should provide suggestions as to interventions as well as scientifically based and researched instructional strategies that can be used with the student.  The special educator can work with the general education teacher and with the student in order to establish attainable goals for the student.  The special educator should continue to work closely both with the general eduction teacher and with the student in order to model strategies as well as provide support and feedback. Additionally, the special educator to support in RTI efforts.  It is also the special educator's job to explain RTI to her colleagues.  Often times, a special educator is more knowledgable with regard to formative assessments and summative evaluations.  Thus, it is often the responsibility of the special educator to perform data collections and data analyses in order to make decisions about interventions to use with students.  (Allison, Atkins, Cole, Cummings, 2008).

What does RTI look like in an inclusion classroom?
As explained in the article entitled Response to Intervention: Investigating the New Role of Special Educators, the most effective way to implement an RTI model in an inclusion classroom is through an Outcomes-Driven Model.  There are four steps to this model.  The first step is identifying the need for support.  This step involves performing a brief assessment, administered to all student in order to identify, early on, students who may require additional instruction.  If a student performs lowly on this assessment, then that student is often referred for further evaluation in order to determine the level of support that he requires.  This step helps educators determine the cause of a student's low performance. After this phase, the student is monitored as he works to achieve a predetermined goal.  Ultimately, however, RTI looks different in every classroom across the U.S., and this fact is the biggest problem with RTI.  There is no standard for implementing RTI in the classroom, and each school has a slightly different procedure.  This leads to inconsistent results, proving that, although the reasons for implementing RTI make sense, there are still issues with it in practice.