Response to Intervention
Millions of school age children experience difficulties with learning. Their struggles in school may be due to factors such as inadequate instruction, cultural or language differences or, in some cases, a disability such as a learning disability. For years schools have attempted to provide help to these students using a variety of approaches — including programs such as teacher assistance teams, special education and Title I (early reading and math assistance). In recent years, Congress has added new provisions to our nation's federal education laws — the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) — that are designed to encourage school districts to provide additional support for struggling students within general education. This support should be provided as early as possible — when students show the earliest signs of difficulty. While schools have attempted many ways to help struggling students, including those with disabilities, the current focus is on an improved, research-based process known as Response to Intervention.
The RtI process is a multi-step approach to providing services and interventions to students who struggle with learning at increasing levels of intensity. The progress students make at each stage of intervention is closely monitored. Results of this monitoring are used to make decisions about the need for further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in special education or both. The RtI process has the potential to limit the amount of academic failure that any student experiences and to increase the accuracy of special education evaluations. Its use could also reduce the number of children who are mistakenly identified as having learning disabilities when their learning problems are actually due to cultural differences or lack of adequate instruction. Information and data gathered by an RtI Meeting process can lead to earlier identification of children who have true disabilities and are in need of special education services.
Intermediate Unit 1 provided training in Response to Intervention through Cohort I, which took place throughout the 2007–2008 school year.
A second cohort training will begin in January 8, 2009.
The cohort is made up 10 essential components of the RtI model. It is recommended that each district involved bring a team; however, individual participants are welcome.
Recommended Team Members: Principal(s), School Psychologist, LEA, Data Person, Special Education Teacher(s), Regular Education Teacher(s), Guidance Counselor and anyone else who may be a part of your RtI Team.
Parent Resources
- Glossary for Parents
- Instructional Framework: A Parent's Quick Reference Guide
- A Fact Sheet for Parents
- A Parent's Guide to Response to Intervention in Pennsylvania
- Parent Advocacy Brief: A Parent's Guide to Response-to-Intervention
February 6, 2009 RtI Meeting
- Agenda
- Pretest/Posttest
- Readiness Self-Assessment Tool
- Principal's Module and Technical Adequacy
- Universal Screening
- Level of Implementation Scale
- Screening Selection Worksheet
- Screening Planning Worksheet
- CASEL: Social and Emotional Learning
- Review of Progress Monitoring Tools
- High Quality Standards-aligned Curriculum and Research-based Instruction
- Core Program Review
- Reading Core Programs
- Math Core Programs
- Comparison of Core Reading Programs
- The Five Key Elements of Reading
- Screening Instrument Options
January 8, 2009 RtI Meeting
- Agenda
- IDEA 2004: Definition of Scientifically Based Research
- Level of Implementation Scale
- Pause and Reflect…
- Pause and Reflect: K-W-L Activity
- Response to Intervention: A Standards-Aligned Approach to Student Success!
- RtI: Principals' Module
- RtI Glossary
- RtI Quiz
December 4, 2008 RtI Meeting
- Agenda
- Response To Intervention (RtI) Follow-up Session Cohort I Overview
- Level of Implementation Scale
- Pennsylvania Department of Education Eligible Content (2008–2009) Math — Grade 3
- Pennsylvania Department of Education Eligible Content (2008–2009) Reading — Grade 3
- RtI Critical Information Survey
Our Staff
Toni Lozar
Assistant Director of Special Education
724-938-3241 ext. 261
Noreen Fleming
TaC Consultant
724-938-3241 ext. 128
Wendy Tiano
TaC Consultant
724-938-3241 ext. 148
