This document discusses Response to Intervention (RTI) and its implementation through a multi-tiered model. RTI aims to identify students who need additional academic support early through ongoing assessment and data-based decision making. It uses a 3-tiered approach where students receive increasingly intensive instruction and intervention at each tier. At Tier 1, all students receive core instruction and are assessed to identify struggling learners. Tier 2 provides targeted small group instruction. Tier 3 offers intensive individualized intervention that may indicate a need for special education services. Collaboration between general and special educators is important for successful RTI implementation.

1. 1 0 / 0 9 / 2 0 1 2
Response to Intervention (RTI),
Consultation, and Collaboration

2. A Whole Group Discussion
 Response to Intervention, Collaboration, and Co-
Teaching: A Logical Combination for Successful
Systemic Change
by Murawski & Hughes
Please have your article ready and be prepared to
discuss it.

3. Introduction to RTI
 A method through which educators can identify
students with learning disabilities while supporting
students who are struggling academically in the
general education classroom.
 Emphasis on proactive instruction, ongoing
assessment, data-based decision making, and
intensive instruction affect the general education
teacher and classroom.

4. From a discrepancy approach
to an ecological approach.
 Examines the fit between the
child and the environment.
 Assumes that something is wrong
with the instruction for that
particular child.

5. From a reactive approach to a proactive approach
 Moves away from providing
specialized instruction only after a
child has failed enough to qualify
for services.
 Helps to prevent a problem before
it happens.
 Requires teachers to instruct all
children.

6. Development of RTI
 Challenge in the time in takes for
students to exhibit a large enough
discrepancy to warrant special
education
 Lack of difference between low
achievers and students with learning
disabilities.
 Lack of stability of scores over time.
 The 3-tier model.

7. Tier I
 Students in the general
education model are assessed at
least three times per year on an
established benchmark.
 Students needing additional
support can move to Tier II at
any time.

8. Tier II
 Specific instruction is provided
beyond the general curriculum.
 Students receive concentrated
instruction that is more intensive
and individually focused.
 It is a short-term instruction of an
indefinite time period.
 Ongoing assessment and
evaluation, is conducted during
this time to determine
effectiveness.

9. Tier III
 It is this third tier that becomes
special education.
 Tier III becomes the long-term
support in a continuum of care
provided to students who need
more intensive instruction.
 Those who respond to instruction
may be moved back to Tier II and
Tier I of instruction

10. Role of Collaboration and Co-Teaching
 Collaboration is the interaction
between professionals who offer
different areas of expertise yet share
responsibilities and roles.
 Co-teaching according to Friend and
Cook (1995) is where “two or more
professionals jointly deliver
substantive instruction to a diverse or
blended group of students in the
same physical space.”

11. Conclusion
 Implementing RTI without
collaboration and co-teaching is like
moving a canoe through an eddy at
the confluence of two rivers. The
result is two systems trying to go in
the same direction, but they both
end up just going around in circles.
It is better to work together to
navigate the currents and to pilot
our children down the river of
success.

12. Response to Intervention
 Prereferral systems
 3-tiered model

13. Prereferral Systems
 Teacher assistance teams
 Instructional support team
 Student study team
 Multidisciplinary team (MDT)

14. Prereferral Systems
 “Prereferral is a preventive problem-solving process
assisting classroom teachers before referral for
special education placement is considered.” (Bahr &
Kovaleski, 2006).

15. Prereferral Systems
 Request for assistance is received from general education
teacher.
 Team gathers information.
 Goals to assist the student and teacher are generated.
 Interventions selected to teach the student in the general
education classroom are selected.
 Team works collaboratively with teachers and family to develop a
plan that includes a range of methods to address student’s
strengths and needs.
 Implementation and the effectiveness of these interventions are
assessed for a sufficient period of time.
 If interventions are successful, the are continued.
 If interventions are not successful, team considers whether the
student should b e formally evaluated for placement in special
education.

16. Group Discussion
 Please discuss in groups of three or four how
prereferral systems work.
 How would you implement them?

17. Response to Intervention (RTI)
(Fuchs & Fuchs, 2001)
 Tier 1: Screening by General
Education
 Deliver general education
curriculum to all students
 Assess all students
 Identify students not
meeting benchmarks on state
assessments/achievement
tests (e.g., below 25th
percentile) or via teacher
identification
 Tier 2: Implement Effective
General Education
Classroom Instruction
 Deliver research-based
instructional practices in
small groups within general
education setting to students
having difficulty
 Regularly assess student
progress (e.g., state tests,
CBM)
 Identify students not
progressing

18. Response to Intervention (RTI)
(Fuchs & Fuchs, 2001)
 Tier 3: Implement More
Intensive Effective
Supplementary Instruction
 Students not progressing
receive more intensive,
research-based supplementary
instruction (e.g., special
education)
 Collaboratively plan this
instruction and deliver it by
general/special educators and
ancillary support personnel
 Implement in smaller groups
 Regularly assess student
progress (e.g., state tests, CBM)
and identify students not
progressing
 Tier 4: Assessment to
Determine Eligibility for
Special Education
 Students not progressing
receive individualized
comprehensive assessment
by multidisciplinary team
 Follow legal guidelines and
due process procedures
 Continue effective Tier 3
interventions.

19. Let’s Talk
 With a partner, discuss the following:
 Who plays a role in RTI?
 What are their responsibilities?