There is no single, absolute definition of RTI. A quick and descriptive summary, though, comes from the National Center on RTI and reads:
With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities. (NCRTI, 2010)
These elements of RTI can be observed readily in almost any RTI implementation. Struggling children are identified through a poor performance on a classwide, schoolwide, or districtwide screening intended to indicate which children may be at risk of academic or behavioral problems. A child may also be identified through other means, such as teacher observation. The school provides the child with research-based interventions while the child is still in the general education environment and closely monitors the student’s progress (or response to the interventions), and adjusts their intensity or nature, given the student’s progress. RTI can also be instrumental in identifying students who have learning disabilities.
Although there is no specific definition of RTI, essential elements can be found when we take a look at how states, schools, and districts fit RTI into their work. In general, RTI includes:
screening children within the general curriculum,
- tiered instruction of increasing intensity,
evidence-based instruction,
close monitoring of student progress, and
informed decision making regarding next steps for individual students.
Universal screening means all students are involved in an initial assessment of knowledge and skills. From this universal screening, it’s possible to identify which students appear to be struggling or lacking specific knowledge or skills in a given area. Assessment of early reading skills has received particular attention as screening tools have been developed.
evidence-based instruction,
close monitoring of student progress, and
informed decision making regarding next steps for individual students.
Tiered instruction is a central concept of RTI. Students identified through the universal screening as “at risk” or “struggling” then move through the general education curriculum with adapted and individualized interventions that increase in intensity (the tiers) for specific students who do not show sufficient learning or skill development. RTI models vary with respect to the number of tiers involved in the process. There is no “official” recommendation as to the most effective number of tiers.
During the 2013-2014 school year Kreeger implemented a 30 minute math intervention time (MIT) in order to target specific math skills with students. Data from this approach led to a schedule change in order to make time in our building schedule for reading interventions (RIT). Testing data and teacher's observations of students are used to find out which skills need attention. Groups are fluid and formal testing is done three times per year at roughly 12 week intervals. Kreeger staff will continue to monitor student data and performance throughout the year so that instruction is as timely and appropriate as possible.
During the 2013-2014 school year Kreeger implemented a 30 minute math intervention time (MIT) in order to target specific math skills with students. Data from this approach led to a schedule change in order to make time in our building schedule for reading interventions (RIT). Testing data and teacher's observations of students are used to find out which skills need attention. Groups are fluid and formal testing is done three times per year at roughly 12 week intervals. Kreeger staff will continue to monitor student data and performance throughout the year so that instruction is as timely and appropriate as possible.