Response to Intervention (RTI)

Using the weekly reading as a resource (RTI Book), create a Blog entry that explains the basic process of RTI as if you were explaining it to a parent.  What happens in Tier 1, 2, and 3?  How do students move back and forth between tiers?  What is the goal of RTI?  Other things you think would be important for parents to know?

Response to Intervention, or RTI, is the process in which school make effort to aid children who are struggling in their reading or math instruction.  The process addresses the ideas that are inadequacies instruction or curriculum.   Below you will find a generalization about how it works.

Tier 1 is where the general education curriculum is given and where students are identified as struggling.  It is in this tier that the teacher will offer group strategies that will help the student with the area that they are struggling in.  If the student continues to struggle with the applied interventions, after a certain amount of time, they will be moved to Tier 2.

In Tier 2, students who were previously identified in Tier 1, will receive more specialized interventions to help them in their weak areas.  This might be small group time with the teacher in the specific subject area where learning is not progressing, such as reading.  This will occur to a specific amount of time, typically longer than Tier 1 all while being monitored by the teacher as to the student’s progress.  If, after several intervention strategies, the child is still struggling, then they will be referred to Tier 3.

In Tier 3, the student will receive more individualized, specific interventions.  Typically, it is at this Tier that the student will be referred to the school diagnostician for an evaluation, using the intervention documentation as a support.  Tier 3 could also be referred to as the Special Education tier, as special education teacher are tier 3 teachers.

RTI is important to education because it allows students to get extra help without being labeled with a disability prematurely.  Many times, through RTI, students are able to get the support the need and return to Tier 1.  If they struggle, again, in later years, they could return back to Tier 2, as the Tiers are fluid to address each students needs.  What is important to know about RTI is that it is designed to help struggling students before they fall too far behind.