Response+to+Intervention

=Response to Intervention=

One positive outcome of the NCLB legislation is that districts are now very aware if any of their student subgroups are not meeting standards. Because of the penalties enacted if adequate yearly progress is not reached districts have put serious effort into supporting students who are falling behind. Response to Intervention (RtI) is a system that districts can use to assess children to see if they are meeting standards and if not to provide support. In 2008 Illinois passed a law requiring schools to use the Response to Intervention (RtI) method.

//RtI is used as a universal screening method primarily to identify children with learning disabilities and to refer those who do not respond to intensive intervention in the regular education setting to special education. It can be used instead of, or in conjunction with, “discrepancy model” methods that use severe discrepancies between a child's IQ and his educational achievement to identify learning disabilities. (Lohman)//

In the past many schools used the discrepancy model to determine eligibility for special services. A benefit of incorporating the RtI model is that students no longer need to "wait to fail" before receiving support.

In the not so distant past students were placed in remedial classes based on classroom grades and the recommendation of their teachers. Teachers usually know best when it comes to determining mathematically appropriate leveling. The difficulty, though, is that classroom grading and teacher opinion can be very subjective. It wasn’t unusual for a student to be placed in a remedial environment based solely on poor grades. The poor grades, however, did not necessarily mean low ability. Bad math grades could be due to inconsistent work habits, negative attitude toward math or school in general, weak reading skills, or limited English proficiency.

In recent years students with learning disabilities have been identified earlier and with greater precision. They get individual education plans (IEPs) and the support of special education professionals.

Unlike most academic subjects math classes are often tracked. At the elementary level there are several ways that students are grouped by ability. Schools often resist providing separate instruction for students that seem to fall at either end of the bell curve until about third grade. At third grade talented students and those with difficulties are often “pulled out” of class in a small group and provided targeted instruction. In later elementary years there may be separate classes for students at the upper and lower levels of ability.

Response to Intervention is a process designed to identify students that need targeted support but do not necessarily have a disability. RtI is comprised of three tiers of intervention.


 * **Tier One**--regular classroom instruction, this should be effective for about 85% of a district’s students.
 * **Tier Two**--small group instruction in addition to the regular class, this group may comprise about 10% of the student population.
 * **Tier Three**--very small group or individual instruction, this should be no more than about 5% of a district’s students.

RtI techniques provide a very structured method for screening. This is a far cry from, “This kid doesn’t do homework, pay attention in class, or pass my tests. He needs to be in the low class next year.” Since the RtI method is in place throughout Illinois there should be some consistency for identifying kids who need help and getting them the support they need.

As of January, 2009 all Illinois districts must have an RtI plan in place. Some districts have been using this program for years, others are just beginning to implement the process. Over the next five years program implementation will reach 100%. Some schools will have had the process in place for 8-10 years. The goal, of course, is to identify kids will difficulties early, before they start failing, and get them the support or remediation that they need in order to achieve at level.

Districts have the freedom to decide how to structure their different tiers of support. One possible way at the middle school level is to provide an additional period of math. Qualifying students usually will have to give up an elective such as a world language or an arts/tech class. In general this type of class is not graded. It is a challenge for the teacher of such a class to provide support to a potentially disinterested or even actively resistant clientele. There are entire text series devoted to providing remedial support.

In the next five years districts will have to adjust to RtI requirements. The number and types of classes offered to support struggling students will probably increase. Because these class sizes will be small additional personnel and financial resources will be redirected to support this initiative.

Resources
//Illinois State Response to Intervention (RtI) Plan//. January 1, 2008 www.isbe.net/pdf/**rti**_state_plan.pdf

Hanselman, Beth and Cullen Marica. //Illinois State Response to Intervention (RtI) Triple I Conference//. November 22, 2008. www.isbe.net/RtI_plan/RtI_TripleIConference.ppt

Lohman, Judith. //Response to Intervention Plans//. OLR Research Report. January 17, 2007. @http://www.cga.ct.gov/2007/rpt/2007-R-0067.htm

//RtI in Middle School: Frequently Asked Questions.// National Center on Response to Intervention. August, 2011. http://www.rti4success.org/pdf/0572%20MS%20RTI%20FAQs%20d5[1].pdf