Washoe Country School District
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Response to Intervention (RTI)
What is RTI?
'Response to Intervention' (RTI) is a system that focuses on providing high quality and appropriate instruction to all, as well as the early identification of at-risk students grades K-12. This system uses a three-tiered, problem solving model to provide specifically designed interventions to meet students' needs. Critical to the RTI system is the use of universal screening and progress monitoring data to inform instruction, intervention, and all decisions.
The above excerpt is from RTI Wire, http://www.jimwrightonline.com/php/rti/rti_wire.phpWhat are the RTI Tiers?
Tier 1
At Tier 1, all students receive scientific, research-based instruction emphasizing standards and school-wide expectations implemented with fidelity. Universal screenings occur in the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Classroom/unit assessments occur on an ongoing basis to inform instruction for all students at Tier 1. Tier 1 supports should result in favorable responses from 80 to 85 percent of the school population. If Tier 1 instruction results in favorable responses for less than 80 percent of the school's population, the IAT should consider possible solutions to improve student outcomes (e.g., professional development, improving differentiation strategies, and supplemental instructional materials). The goal at Tier 1 should be to achieve favorable response to instruction for 80 percent of the school's population.
Tier 2
At Tier 2, students identified as being at-risk for failure through universal screenings are provided scientific, research-based interventions. Interventions are implemented with groups of students demonstrating common skill deficits or risk characteristics. A series of intervention changes may be deemed necessary at Tier 2. The intensity of interventions should inform frequency of progress monitoring using Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and should occur at least monthly.
Tier 3
At Tier 3, students who have not responded satisfactorily to Tier 2 interventions require more time in more intensive interventions based on individualized assessment. The frequency of progress monitoring using CBM should match the intensity of the intervention and should occur at least weekly. The primary factors distinguishing Tier 3 from Tier 2 are the intensity of services and the individualized assessment (i.e., targeted assessments to pinpoint specific skill deficits) that drives the intervention plan.
Within an RTI system, special education eligibility decisions are made only after there is documented resistance to Tier 3 interventions implemented with fidelity. WCSD educators maintain Child Find obligations (i.e., the responsibility to identify children with disabilities).
- If reason exists to suspect a disability (e.g., autism, mental retardation, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, hearing impairment, etc.), teams have a legal obligation to gain consent to proceed with a comprehensive evaluation.
How do I know which interventions to use?
LIST OF INTERVENTION RESOURCES
The following list is useful for identifying potential programs for tiered interventions, as well as, reviewing their effectiveness:
- The Florida Center for Reading Research: www.fcrr.org
- What Works Clearinghouse: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
- National Reading Panel: www.nationalreadingpanel.org
- National Technical Assistance Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports: www.pbis.org
- Center on Instruction: www.centeroninstruction.org
- Intervention Central: www.interventioncentral.org
- Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts: http://www.meadowscenter.org/vgc/
For questions regarding content on this page, please email the Mentor and Induction Program at afannin@washoeschools.net.
