Response to Intervention: A Beginning

In a recent doctoral discussion I engaged in a conversation regarding Response to Intervention (RTI).  A colleague and administrator of an elementary school was attempting to respond to an assignment in which we were to engage in an evaluation of an educational program.  My colleague chose to evaluate RTI as a program, challenging that the RTI program:

• Had not been evaluated and was being considered for elimination
• Had not produced an indication of an increase in student achievement

• Was a financial burden to implement at the school level

An indication of the continued confusion as to what RTI is and the reason why I have added it as a topic for discussion.  My response:

"Part of the issue in attempting to evaluate RTI as a program may be the fact that RTI is not a program – it’s a framework.  From what you described in its current state, the RTI framework is providing your school with valuable information – primarily, if the school is overspending to compensate for students falling into Tier II or Tier III within the framework, then there may be a major problem with your Tier I Core Program.  RTI: Response to Intervention is an Organizational Framework from which to make Instructional and Curricular Decisions based on Student’s Academic Performance (Ronnis Systems Inc. 2010).  Hence, if your RTI Problem Solving Team – is over worked, as of the result of too many students failing in the Core Program, this may be an indication that what you are using as a core program is failing.  In this case, RTI isn’t costing this school money – a failing core program may be.  Address the problems identified through the use of the RTI framework by strengthening the core program and less students may fall into Tier II and Tier III thereby reducing the additional cost of the provision of multiple interventions."

Reference

Ronnis Systems Inc. (2010).  Implementation planning: Defining what you are already doing - preparing for what needs to be done.  Retrieved from www.RonnisSystems.com