Overview of RTI and RTI Tiers
Response to interventions (RTI) is an approach that has been developed to help some schools to identify and support students that have learning and behavior needs. This approach serves two primary purposes –early intervening and identifying students who have learning disabilities (RTI Action Network, N.d). In this process, the school engages with students to identify ones that need additional instructional interventions. First, the students are issued with universal screening instruments. From this, the students who may be struggling are identified. Next, trained individuals monitor the struggling students identified in step 1 to determine if those students show adequate growth to high-quality instruction (Tier 1) (McIntosh & Goodman, 2016). A more intensive, validated intervention is administered to those struggling students who fail to respond well to the research-validated instruction delivered to them (Tier 2) (McIntosh & Goodman, 2016). After administering the more intensive, validated intervention, the school personnel or trained individuals monitor the progress of the students in skill areas of concern either on weekly or monthly basis. From this, the school can determine if the students are responding adequately to intervention –if the students do not respond adequately, more intensive intervention is administered (Tier 3) (McIntosh & Goodman, 2016).
Factors that determine Appropriate Student Placement within the RTI Tiers
A multitude of factors determines appropriate student placement within the RTI tiers. The size of instructional group is one of the factors considered in determining the proper student placement within the RTI tiers. Tier 1 applies to the whole class grouping, and it offers a core curriculum and instruction. Tier 2 provides supplemental instruction to small group that is struggling while in Tier 3 increased levels of supplemental instruction is administered to individuals or a small group who do not respond adequately to intervention administered.
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The mastery requirements of the content also determine appropriate student placement within the RTI tiers. The intervention administered also depends on the students level of performance as well as the continued growth as demonstrated by progress monitoring. Every RTI bases its grounds in the extensive framework of the school. The framework of the school determines how resources are effectively allocated to advance student results. Some of the diverse approaches applied in the implementation of RTI tiers include functional assessment, problem resolution, hybrid approaches, and standardized protocols.
How the RTI Model can help meet the needs of students with and without Disabilities
The RTI model helps meet the need of students with exceptionalities or without disabilities, through the provision of specialized education (RTI Action Network, N.d). By using RTI, schools can give interventions to students when the need arises. Through screening of their students, trained individual or school personnel can identify struggling students and provide differentiated intervention to them. The RTI models frequently monitor how struggling students respond to those interventions (RTI Action Network, N.d). Through this, the school personnel can identify the students in need of additional intervention. This, in turn, helps school personnel to adjust instruction accordingly. The RTI model focuses more on highlighting the student’s outcomes. Thus, the RTI model can increase accountability for all its learners.
Research-Based Intervention Strategies across Multiple RTI Levels for Students Struggling in English Language or Mathematics
There are numerous research-based intervention strategies across multiple RTI levels that can help meet the needs of students with and without disabilities. Some of these RTI strategies include progressive follow-ups, academic intervention, multi-tier systems of support (MTSS), problem resolution, and standardized protocol, and instructional adjustment. In this section, all these strategies will be discussed in detail.
Progressive Follow-Ups
This RTI strategy helps assess a student’s academic performance. The strategy also helps evaluate or examine the effectiveness of a tutor, trained individual or school personnel. This strategy is usually regarded as scientific conduct, and the strategy can be drawn to a small group of students, a class, school curriculum, or an overall grade (Johnson & Karns, 2014). Regardless of the setting, school personnel is required to be aware of the performance through evaluations. This enables instructors to illustrate what the students know or have learned.
Academic Intervention
This RTI strategy is used mostly used to teach a new skill, build fluency in skill, or encourage students to apply the learned skill in real-world situations (Johnson & Karns, 2014). An example of academic intervention is when a teacher selects question generation, a strategy which learners are taught to locate or generate main idea sentence in a given excerpt. The learners then record those ‘gist’ sentences after which they can use them for later review.
Multi-Tier System of Support (MTSS)
MTSS is a framework in which data-based problem-solving and decision making is practiced in a school setting, classroom, or educational system to help students with or without disabilities who are struggling in English language arts or mathematics. This intervention strategy utilizes quality evidence-based instruction, intervention, and assessment practices for supporting students in order to ensure that the students are successful (White, 2019). An MTSS helps schools organize resources. It achieves this through alignment of academic standards, socio-economic needs, and behavioral needs of the leaners.
Problem Resolution and Standardized Control
This is an intervention strategy which involves the application of professional’s skills from diversified disciplines, to address the difficulties or issues presented by the struggling students (Johnson & Karns, 2014). Teachers or instructional support team work together to identify learners issues and determine its cause. From this, the teachers or school personnel can develop a plan to address the issues, implement the plan and evaluate it to see if it is effective. This strategy is applicable in tiers 3 and 4 (Johnson & Karns, 2014). With a standard protocol, schools used predetermined scientific intervention.
Institutional Adjustment
The purpose of this strategy is to help students to have whole accessibility and participation in the generalized school program. In this strategy, the school personnel ensures that the instructional content and the students’ learning levels are not altered or reduced (Johnson & Karns, 2014). Institutional aims at eliminating barriers to learning, without altering instructional content. To help struggling students, instructors break larger assignments into smaller portions, for effective and timely completion.
To sum up, the RTI approach in a school set up is paramount. It helps both struggling and non-struggling students address their educational and social needs. It also helps in the advancement of diverse aspects like tiers, resource allocation, timely assignment provision, and specialists’ advancement.
References
Johnson, E., & Karns, M. (2014). RTI strategies that work in the K-2 classroom. Routledge.
McIntosh, K., & Goodman, S. (2016). Integrated multi-tiered systems of support: Blending RTI and PBIS. New York: The Guilford Press.
RTI Action Network. (N.d). What is RTI? [Online]. Accessed 25 th August 2019.
White, J. (2019). Multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). [Online]. Retrieved from: https://www.rcoe.us/educational-services/instructional-services/multi-tiered-system-support-mtss/ . Accessed 25 th August 2019.
