Response to Intervention (RtI) Facts
One of the recent catch phrases in education is RtI, or Response to Intervention. What is RtI, and how does it affect educators and students? There are some basic facts and essential elements of RtI that all teachers should be familiar with in order to understand how it affects students in the classroom and teaching.
Legal Definition
“In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as part of the evaluation procedures…”RtI means Response to Intervention and has come about from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004. The new language in IDEA 2004 states, “In determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local educational agency may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as part of the evaluation procedures…” (IDEA 2004, Sec. 614(b)6B). Although IDEA 2004 does not specifically name this process RtI, Response to Intervention has stemmed from this part of the revised legislation. RtI is not mandated by this federal law, but local education agencies may use this process, as many have chosen to do. Individual states and local school districts may develop their own procedures for implementing RtI in the schools.
RtI in the School
Response to Intervention (RtI) is an initiative that begins in the general education setting. Although no specific model for RtI is laid out in the law, there are essential elements present in effective RtI structures. (Witzel, 2009, p. 4)
Under RtI, universal screenings should be administered to all students in the school two or three times each year. Results from these screenings are used to identify students who are struggling and also are used to guide instructional decisions. Examples of such comprehensive screenings include DIBELS, AIMSWEB, 4Sight and STAR. (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p. 4) More information is available on tools for universal screening.
“If instruction is not research-based, one cannot be confident that students’ limited gains are independent of the classroom experiences.”IDEA 2004 states that students must receive high-quality, research-based instruction in the general education setting, especially before being identified as a student with a learning disability. (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p. 3) This is often referred to as Tier 1 instruction. “If instruction is not research-based, one cannot be confident that students’ limited gains are independent of the classroom experiences.” (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p. 4)
Often referred to as Tier 2 instruction, research-based interventions should occur when universal screening results indicate that students are struggling in a particular area. These interventions typically are 10-12 weeks in length and are implemented by school staff with small groups of students, all working on the same skills. (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p. 4)
Research-based Interventions.During interventions, participating students should be given progress monitoring assessments every week or every two weeks. Results from progress monitoring are then used to indicate the effectiveness of the intervention and determine whether any other changes need to be made. If little or no progress is noted continually during different interventions, a student may be referred for special education services, often referred to as Tier 3 instruction. (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p. 4) Get more information on tools available for progress monitoring.
A final essential element of RtI focuses on the individuals in the school providing the instruction and interventions. Fidelity measures could be an observational checklist, completed by another staff member observing the individual providing the intervention, to indicate “whether or not the intervention was implemented as intended and with consistency.” (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p. 4)
Identifying Students with Specific Learning Disabilities
“The identification of a student with a learning disability is “considered only for those students who fail to respond to multiple levels of intervention efforts and who meet the criteria of the other SLD determination components.”“RtI is strongly considered as part of the specific learning disability (SLD) identification process because it has the potential to address areas of the SLD definition and construct that are not adequately assessed with current approaches.” (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p.11) RtI may be a more accurate way of identifying students with learning disabilities because of RtI’s requirement that all students have already been exposed to high quality instruction and have already had some interventions. The identification of a student with a learning disability is “considered only for those students who fail to respond to multiple levels of intervention efforts and who meet the criteria of the other SLD determination components.” (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p.11) Identification through RtI looks at multiple measures of a student’s performance, such as results from universal screenings and progress monitoring, rather than performance at one single point in time, as is often the case with the discrepancy model of identification.
IDEA 2004 supports this by stating, “…a local educational agency shall not be required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability…” (IDEA 2004, Sec. 614(b) 6A) Previously, this discrepancy model has been used to identify students with specific learning disabilities, but IDEA 2004 encourages local agencies to consider RtI in the identification process, even though it does not forbid the discrepancy model from being used.
Also relevant to identifying students with specific learning disabilities, IDEA 2004 requires that “A state must adopt…criteria for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability.
In addition, the criteria adopted by the State:
- Must not require the use of a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability;
- Must permit the use of a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention.” (IDEA 2004, 300.307.a(1))
IDEA 2004 goes on to say that in making a determination of eligibility, a student can not be identified as a student with a learning disability if a determining factor involves “lack of appropriate instruction in reading, including the essential components of reading instruction, lack of instruction in math, or limited English proficiency.” (IDEA 2004, B.614.b(5)) How RtI is implemented in each state and school district may be different since IDEA 2004 only provides these guidelines for what a state may or may not choose to do.
“Implementing RtI allows schools to have more confidence that they are providing appropriate learning experiences to all students while identifying and targeting early those students who may be at risk for reading or math problems but who do not necessarily have a learning disability.” RtI does help address some of the shortcomings present in identifying students with learning disabilities based on the discrepancy model, but the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities points out that RtI should only be one important component of the SLD determination process, not the only component. (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p.11) “Implementing RtI allows schools to have more confidence that they are providing appropriate learning experiences to all students while identifying and targeting early those students who may be at risk for reading or math problems but who do not necessarily have a learning disability.” (National Research Center on Learning Disabilities, 2007, p.11)
At Lutheran Special Education Ministries (LSEM), teachers are noticing that each state and school district has different interpretations and policies regarding RtI. RtI is affecting how many students are being tested for learning disabilities, but it is also helping many students receive appropriate interventions before testing takes place. If appropriate interventions take place prior to a referral for testing, many school districts are more willing to test students and take the interventions into account when deciding if a student qualifies for special education services. It is best to contact the state’s department of education or the local school district for specific guidelines they may have on RtI. For more information on how RtI may impact students with special learning needs, please contact Lutheran Special Education Ministries (LSEM) at 1-888-488-LSEM (5736) or lsem@luthsped.org or visit our website.
References
Witzel, B.S. (2009). Response to Intervention (RtI) in mathematics: Strategies for success. Rock Hill, S.C.
National Research Center on Learning Disabilities. (2007). Responsiveness to Intervention in the SLD determination process.Retrieved from http://www.nrcld.org.
Kara Frincke is Coordinator and Resource Specialist, Lutheran Special Education Ministries.
