Running head: RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION



Running head: RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION

Response to Intervention

Kelly Chamberlain

University of New England

Response to Intervention

Response to Intervention, commonly referred to as RTI, is a method of academic intervention that provides early and effective assistance to struggling learners. RTI is a multi-tier approach. It uses a variety of services and interventions to aid the students who have difficulty learning (Cortellia, 2006).

The first step of RTI begins with all students in the general education classroom (tier 1). All students are provided with high-quality instruction by their classroom teacher and are given universal screenings. Teachers should collect data from screenings.

Students that struggle in the regular classroom would begin with the intervention process and enter tier 2. In tier 2, students would be provided with an increasing level of instruction to maximize their learning. This is often done in small groups. The students are closely monitored and remain in tier 2 for a set amount of time. All personnel working with the students must collect all necessary data to show the students’ progress and learning rate.

If a student is still struggling in tier 2, the intervention process would continue and he would enter the final tier, tier 3. In this tier, the student would receive individualized interventions that target his specific skill deficits two times a day. The student is continually monitored and data is constantly collected on the student. Students that still do not show an adequate amount of progress would then be considered for special education services.

Response to Intervention is an integrated system of both instruction and interventions. The process is determined by student data. For RTI to be successful in a school, the following elements must be present: high-quality classroom instruction, continual student assessments, on-going professional development, and parental involvement.

The Response to Intervention Model will affect my struggling readers in a positive way. RTI ensures that all students receive the services they need to be successful learners. I believe that all the data I will be collecting as the classroom teacher will make it clearer to me where my students are academically. I will be given very useful information regarding what areas my students are struggling with. Eventually, I will be able to see which programs work best with specific needs.

The Three Tiers

The three-tier model is an organized approach for providing student interventions before the students fall behind. Extra needed support is provided to struggling students throughout the educational process. Flexible grouping practices are used in the model. Groups can be regrouped according to student progress and changing needs.

Tier one takes place in the regular classroom and consists of high-quality classroom instruction. In the regular classroom, a variety of grouping formats can be used, i.e. whole group, small groups, pairs, or individual. The focus in tier one is to improve the core classroom instruction for all students. Students remain in tier one until any struggles arise.

There are three basic elements that must be incorporated in tier one: high-quality instruction determined by curriculum standards, on-going assessments of students to determine strengths and weaknesses, and continual professional development to provide all teachers with the necessary tools and knowledge to deliver students high-quality instruction. The majority of students will be in tier one--approximately eighty to ninety percent.

When students struggle in tier one they will be referred to the school’s RTI team. Although it has been said that “the data refers the child,” the RTI team will look closely at the data collected on the student to decide what additional services would be beneficial to the student. The student would then enter tier two; tier two gives students that struggle in tier one additional instruction. This tier includes programs, strategies, and procedures used to supplement and support tier one. Students in tier two receive small-group instruction in addition to the time in the regular classroom.

Students in tier two receive thirty minutes of additional instruction at a minimum of two to three times per week. It is recommended that students remain in tier two for nine to twelve weeks before considering moving them to tier three or back to tier one. Progress of students in tier two should be monitored weekly.

If the data collected on a student in tier two shows the student is still struggling, he may then enter tier three. Tier three is designed for students identified with marked difficulties and who have not responded to tier one or tier two efforts. Teachers in tier three must intensively use scientifically based interventions. Small group or one-one-one instruction must be used. In addition to the core instruction, students in tier three must also receive a minimum of three thirty-minute daily sessions of intense individual or small-group instruction.

In tier three, progress must be measure more frequently—at least once a week. It is recommended that students also remain at this tier for nine to twelve weeks. A very small percentage of students are in tier three, approximately one to five percent. If a student were still unsuccessful at tier three, he would then be considered for special education.

Conclusion

Response to Intervention will take our schools in a positive direction. RTI is logical, research based, and utilizes teachers’ daily data. RTI does not wait for students to fail; rather it catches the struggling learners earlier in their academic careers. I look forward to working with the RTI model and watching all my students experience success.

References

McCook, J. (2008). Proceedings from Implementing a Response to Interventions Model. Portland, ME.

Whitmire, K. What is RTI? Retrieved December 17, 2008, from

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download