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In more districts than ever, Response-to-Intervention programs are gaining ground, nipping learning problems in the bud and keeping more students out of special education classes when they truly need intervention, which, of course, is the goal.
A typical classroom taking CTB/McGraw-Hill’s Acuity
assessment, a program some schools use for RTI.
According to the Response to Intervention Adoption Survey 2009, which was conducted by Spectrum K12 School Solutions with the American Association of School Administrators, the Council of Administrators of Special Education, and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, 71 percent of respondents indicated their districts are piloting RTI , or are using RTI , or are in the process of districtwide implementation, compared to 60 percent in 2008 and 44 percent in 2007. RTI , a multi-tier intervention used to diagnose and address potential learning or behavioral problems early, is also increasing in popularity across all grade levels.
There has been a significant increase in high school implementation, for example, with 51 percent of schools having some level of implementation in 2009, compared to 16 percent in 2008, the survey states. It’s unclear how many states mandate RTI programs in their districts, but Spectrum K12 spokesman Scott Cary says there are several.
Generally, the mandate means RTI is being used as the mechanism for identifying, qualifying and referring students to special education. Each state varies on whether it uses it for just one level of students, such as elementary, but most states apply it to all students, Cary says.
Popularity Factors
The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 2004 (IDEA) and the overall push and acceptance among educators for school reform are among the main reasons that RTI has become so popular. “RTI became so mainstream because it came about when people were truly interested in comprehensive school reform and interested in tracking and improving school progress,” says Nancy Safer, director of the National Center on Response to Intervention, which is federally funded and integrates assessment and intervention within a multilevel prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavior problems. “It more precisely identifies kids who need special ed” and also addresses students who are underperforming, she says.
Steps in Creating RTI Programs
Experts agree that key steps in creating a successful RTI program include having buy-in from teachers and specialists; starting small, such as with one school or grade in a district; and demonstrating commitment to training and professional development.
The federal No Child Left Behind law also requires highly qualified teachers to work with children of all abilities, requires districts to reach adequate yearly progress, and requires that students successfully master the curriculum. “That started the framework for districts to truly analyze” data, according to Andrea B. Ogonosky, a licensed psychologist and an independent consultant in RTI. “RTI is about changing the way we instruct children,” Ogonosky says. “We have children who are struggling learners, but they are not learning disabled.”
Another reason for the increase in RTI usage is that there are more resources, such as how-to guides, informational Web sites, and more software programs [including Discovery Education Assessment] that make collecting and analyzing the data more efficient, says Kathleen A. Whitmire, director of the RTI Action Network at the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), which is privately funded. The NCLD offers mentoring programs and experienced, effective leaders in RTI to help districts train and learn the steps of RTI.
But perhaps the greatest surge in RTI usage is due to increased federal funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which indirectly fuels RTI programs. “It’s making sure everyone is measuring what matters,” says Cary. ARRA of 2009 provides over $98 billion for education programs, including $10 billion in Title I grants to local education agencies, $3 billion in school improvement grants and $11 billion in IDEA Part B grants to states to help children with disabilities have access to a free appropriate education to meet every child’s individual needs and prepare him or her for the future.
The ARRA funding strengthens elementary and secondary education, including making progress toward assessments designed to improve teaching and learning. ARRA has made “a huge difference and given districts financial wherewithal” to implement RTI, Cary adds. Some funds could help pay for reading or math specialists, which help students stay on track.
Other RTI-related funding can come from the $4.35 billion in the Race to the Top program, which will go toward reforming schools, increasing teacher accountability, and improving data management systems to better measure student achievement. Those funds should have been or will be awarded this month.
Screening and Monitoring
The RTI process begins with universal screening of all general education students. Struggling students receive interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their learning, according to the RTI Action Network site. This is done through a team of general education teachers, special education teachers and specialists, depending on the district.
An elementary student progress report, showing real data in a district using the Lexia Reading software for RTI.
Research has shown that if school leaders use RTI programs—which requires monitoring students every few weeks or even every week—and look at the data, they can determine if certain interventions are working. If they are not, then schools will need to intensify the interventions, says Becky Darling, a school psychologist at the Manteno Community Unit School District #5 in Illinois. Illinois mandates that its districts implement RTI programs by the 2010-2011 school year.
