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February 1, 2006
Article I:
Response to Intervention – Update:
The term “response to intervention (RtI)” is turning up in many different educational contexts. Professional journals in school psychology, specific learning disabilities, speech language pathology and reading contain articles on this topic. The question is: “What does RtI mean to the classroom teacher, no matter what they are teaching?”
RtI is a process that connects and unifies ALL education options provided in a school district. RtI is the practice of providing high quality instruction/invention matched to student needs, and using learning rate of level of student performance to make ongoing education decisions about student needs. Any teacher can do it.
RtI is based on these assumptions:
· student risk factors can be identified early in a child’s schooling
· educators know how to implement effective interventions
· school models exist for building effective prevention/intervention systems
RtI is a prevention/early intervention process that views students as being “at risk” instead of “deficit”. Essential components of a RtI model include:
1) Multiple levels of service delivery
2) A problem solving method
3) An integrated data collection system
The multiple levels of service delivery include instruction in whole class, core curriculum with universal screening procedures to identify students needing additional support. Selected options are identified to intervene with this group of students, and ongoing progress monitoring is used to assess their progress. Based on the data collected through progress monitoring, an additional level of targeted options may be provided to specific students based on individualized learning needs. Interventions within this system can be delivered by a variety of general education teachers. Special education may be one of a number of targeted options at the most intense level of individual intervention.
Through a multi-year, statewide discretionary grant titled Early Ongoing Collaboration and Assistance (EOCA), a multi-level model is being developed and implemented both in schools with EOCA grants and those with Reading Excellence and Demonstration of Success (READS) grants. READS is another statewide discretionary grant project aimed at implementing best practices in reading intervention. Within the two grant projects over 250 schools in Wisconsin are implementing school based activities that are part of an RtI framework. To find our more about these projects go to:
http://www.dpi.wi.gov/reads/index.html
For additional, in-depth news about what schools in the state are doing contact John Humphries, Department of Public Instruction (DPI) school psychology consultant (john.humphries@dpi.state.wi.us), Kathy Laffin, DPI SLD consultant (kathleen.laffin@dpi.state.wi.us) or Paula Volpiansky, DPI consultant for Collaborative School Initiatives (paula.volpiansky@dpi.state.wi.us).
How does RtI fit into the discussion of changes to Wisconsin’s SLD criteria?
A statewide task force is investigating RtI, early intervening services (EIS) and SLD criteria, and will be making recommendations after their study is complete. The part that RtI could play in revised Wisconsin SLD criteria would be to provide information to the IEP team on the student’s current level of academic and/or behavioral performance in the general curriculum. This is only one element of consideration for determining eligibility as a specific learning disability. The statewide task force is looking at what other elements would continue to be part of the SLD eligibility criteria. Their recommendations will be considered when DPI proposes changes to PI 11 based on IDEA 2004.
While the task force is working, and until the federal regulations for IDEA 2004 are finalized, DPI is recommending that school districts continue to use current Wisconsin criteria for determination of an impairment and need for special education in SLD. Additional information about RtI can be found at: www.dpi.wi.gov/sped/rti
Submitted by:
Kathy Laffin
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Consultant in Specific Learning Disabilities
kathleen.laffin@dpi.state.wi.us
Phone: 608-266-2841
FAX: 608-267-3746