What Is RTI???

Response to Intervention (RTI):

As a result of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and increased referrals to special education, schools receiving federal funds are required to have a comprehensive RTI plan in place by July, 2012.  RTI is a tiered model under which a school will monitor progress and provide early intervention services at increasing levels, in addition to core instruction for all students found to be at risk of failure due to academic and/or behavioral deficiencies. One of the most important goals of RTI is to ensure every student receives quality core instruction and research based interventions before he/she is referred for special education services or diagnosed with a learning disability. 

Intervention: this refers to a targeted change in delivery or degree of instruction for students who are not showing expected progress in a specific area. It is intended to give a student a differentiated level of support in order to assist them in being successful in a particular skill or set of skills. Interventions are designed using research-based practices and strategies and should address student’s targeted needs and learning strengths. Interventions can be provided at any tier and are systematically applied at increasing levels depending on student needs as determined by frequent progress monitoring. 

Progress Monitoring: monitoring all students’ progress is a key feature in RTI that’s purpose is intended to drive instruction in all tiers. Progress is monitored more frequently as a student progresses through the tiers.

If my child is referred for RTI should I be concerned?  The good news is your child will receive additional support in the area(s) in which they need it most.  Our RTI program uses assessment data to help us predict students who are at risk of future difficulties so that we can intervene early in specific areas to hinder future problems.  Our highly qualified teachers and staff are here to work with your child on their individual needs to help ensure their success.  RTI is a model that represents a proactive learning approach designed to monitor and provide interventions for all students. A referral to RTI is not an indicator that a child won’t be successful overall; rather it is a measure to help students to overcome challenges at the first sign of difficulty.  RIT can be considered a “fail to wait” process as opposed to a “wait to fail” model of the past, where students sometimes did not receive help until they were already well behind their peers.  The length and intensity of support will vary based on student progress and need. 

What can I do to help?  Home support is a huge indicator of student success.  Ask your child’s teacher or our RTI staff what you can do at home to help advance your child’s educational success.  There are many simple ways in which you can be supportive of your child’s education at home.  Stay in contact with teachers and don’t be afraid to ask questions as you are the best advocate for your child. 

This page is intended to give you basic information about Response to Intervention (RTI) and its implementation at VEW Primary School.  If you have additional questions please contact the reading department or building principal.