RTI Response to Intervention A general education initiative to provide early intervention and identification of educational needs of all students. The key elements are: (1) Universal screening (2) Research-based interventions (3) Continuous progress monitoring (4) Data-based decisions
Early Intervention Program (EIP): provides additional instructional resources to help students who are below grade level to obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade level performance in the shortest possible time
RTI - a new approach to determine if students who are in early intervening services primarily for academic skill improvement should be placed in special education.
IDEA means the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. It governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. http://idea.ed.gov/
RTI was part of the reauthorization of IDEA. Since LD was first included as a disability area in 1969, there has been conflict over how to identify learning disabilities. The initial criteria focused on the discrepancy between potential and performance. IDEA now specifies the schools will “not be required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability ..." (Section 1414(b)). Response to Intervention is one way to distinguish between students that just need good research-based instruction, and those that need more intensive intervention. It can provide better instruction for ALL students, but it also has the same impact on identifying LD students that had been a problem in the past - the student experiences a lot of failure before appropriate accommodations are implemented.
According to the Power Point, "LD is NOT caused by intellectual disabilities, emotional/behavior disorders, vision or hearing deficits, physical disabilities, economic disadvantage or cultural differences". What conditions fall under the umbrella of "intellectual disability"? Also, I see what LD is not caused by- so what IS it caused by?
Professional development to prepare teachers for their role in Response to Intervention is still evolving and varies from district to district. At KSU, INED 3304 provides some information on RTI, but since procedures vary from district to district, and school to school, it is only a first step.
To prepare for effective participation in RTI, teachers must understand assessment (formative, summative and diagnostic) and research-based best practice. The key to successful implementation of RTI is the collaboration with other teachers.
The cause of LD, like the cause of many disabilities, is unkown. All of us have some areas of strengths and weaknesses. We learn to use our strengths to compensate for our weaknesses (remember the eagle in Animal School). That is the basis of providing accommodations - helping students use their strengths. Often, teachers get in the way. For example - if a student has problems with rote memory and you stay at that level until they memorize basic facts - they will get progressively farther behind and not learn higher order math skills. If, however, you let them use a calculator or other accommodation, they can master higher order thinking - and repeated exposure on the calculator often help them memorize more basic facts because they are provided in context. Students that use their fingers to count will eventually stop when they don't need it any more.
On a personal note - I cannot carry a tune - but since music was never a required course - it did not slow me down. But, if my problem had been in hearing sounds - it would have affected learning to read and spell and would thus, have a negative impact on learning.
There is a rapidly expanding area of research on brain functions using new technology (PET, MRI) showing differences in functioning - but still not conclusion on cause.
Intellectual disability is based on IQ scores and adaptive behavior scores. These indicate a rate of development. When the rate is significantly slower than average - it is labeled as a disability. The next unit will cover this in more depth.
The most frustrating component of facilitating an RTI meeting is the general lack of knowledge of what comprises a Tier 2 or a Tier 3 data driven intervention. It can also be very aggravating at how long the process can take to determine Special Ed. eligibility when you are watching a student clearly struggling in a classroom while the data collection process and movement through the lower tiers is going on.
It says that parent permission is required in determining if the student was eligible for LD... but what if the parents don't agree? Does the school have to just sit back and watch the student struggle, or can they do something even if the parents don't agree? I know that some parents wouldn't agree because they are in denial, or don't want to believe their child has a learning disability.
I actually got to sit in on a presentation for RTI about a year ago while I was on a field experience at a high school. The whole process was being presented as if it was new.. I mean, they did say that the teachers had basically been doing this the whole time-now it was just an actual process with a name.
Parents do have the right to deny permission. The school district has the right to contest this and request mediation if the district believes it would be in the best interest of the student. The focus, however, should be on the student needs (not the label or the placement) and accommodations can be implemented in the general education classroom at any time. If a student is in an inclusive classroom, the special education teacher may provide support (just as s/he would for any student in that classroom) but s/he cannot remove the child for assistance.
RTI is relatively new - but in Georgia - there has been a court mandate (see Georgia SST ppt) for a similar process for years. Many other states have had similar pre-referral team or child study team processes in place as well. They are general education initiatives - the focus should be on identifying and meeting student needs as early as possible - NOT on eligibility for special education. The one big problem I've heard from schools is the problem skipping steps when it is obvious the student is eligible for special education.
RTI Response to Intervention A general education initiative to provide early intervention and identification of educational needs of all students. The key elements are:
ReplyDelete(1) Universal screening
(2) Research-based interventions
(3) Continuous progress monitoring
(4) Data-based decisions
Dr. Brown,
ReplyDeleteWhy does this method seem to have become so popular within the last 5 years?
Early Intervention Program (EIP): provides additional instructional resources to help students who are below grade level to obtain the necessary academic skills to reach grade level performance in the shortest possible time
ReplyDeleteHow do the teachers working in schools now become educated on the key elements. Does their required classes offer enough information to be effective?
ReplyDeleteRTI - a new approach to determine if students who are in early intervening services primarily for academic skill improvement should be placed in special education.
ReplyDeleteIDEA means the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. It is a law ensuring services to children with disabilities throughout the nation. It governs how states and public agencies provide early intervention, special education and related services to more than 6.5 million eligible infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. http://idea.ed.gov/
ReplyDeleteRTI was part of the reauthorization of IDEA. Since LD was first included as a disability area in 1969, there has been conflict over how to identify learning disabilities. The initial criteria focused on the discrepancy between potential and performance. IDEA now specifies the schools will “not be required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability ..." (Section 1414(b)). Response to Intervention is one way to distinguish between students that just need good research-based instruction, and those that need more intensive intervention. It can provide better instruction for ALL students, but it also has the same impact on identifying LD students that had been a problem in the past - the student experiences a lot of failure before appropriate accommodations are implemented.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Power Point, "LD is NOT caused by intellectual disabilities, emotional/behavior disorders, vision or hearing deficits, physical disabilities, economic disadvantage or cultural differences". What conditions fall under the umbrella of "intellectual disability"? Also, I see what LD is not caused by- so what IS it caused by?
ReplyDeleteProfessional development to prepare teachers for their role in Response to Intervention is still evolving and varies from district to district. At KSU, INED 3304 provides some information on RTI, but since procedures vary from district to district, and school to school, it is only a first step.
ReplyDeleteTo prepare for effective participation in RTI, teachers must understand assessment (formative, summative and diagnostic) and research-based best practice. The key to successful implementation of RTI is the collaboration with other teachers.
The cause of LD, like the cause of many disabilities, is unkown. All of us have some areas of strengths and weaknesses. We learn to use our strengths to compensate for our weaknesses (remember the eagle in Animal School). That is the basis of providing accommodations - helping students use their strengths. Often, teachers get in the way. For example - if a student has problems with rote memory and you stay at that level until they memorize basic facts - they will get progressively farther behind and not learn higher order math skills. If, however, you let them use a calculator or other accommodation, they can master higher order thinking - and repeated exposure on the calculator often help them memorize more basic facts because they are provided in context. Students that use their fingers to count will eventually stop when they don't need it any more.
ReplyDeleteOn a personal note - I cannot carry a tune - but since music was never a required course - it did not slow me down. But, if my problem had been in hearing sounds - it would have affected learning to read and spell and would thus, have a negative impact on learning.
There is a rapidly expanding area of research on brain functions using new technology (PET, MRI) showing differences in functioning - but still not conclusion on cause.
Intellectual disability is based on IQ scores and adaptive behavior scores. These indicate a rate of development. When the rate is significantly slower than average - it is labeled as a disability. The next unit will cover this in more depth.
ReplyDeleteThe most frustrating component of facilitating an RTI meeting is the general lack of knowledge of what comprises a Tier 2 or a Tier 3 data driven intervention. It can also be very aggravating at how long the process can take to determine Special Ed. eligibility when you are watching a student clearly struggling in a classroom while the data collection process and movement through the lower tiers is going on.
ReplyDeleteIt says that parent permission is required in determining if the student was eligible for LD... but what if the parents don't agree? Does the school have to just sit back and watch the student struggle, or can they do something even if the parents don't agree? I know that some parents wouldn't agree because they are in denial, or don't want to believe their child has a learning disability.
ReplyDeleteI actually got to sit in on a presentation for RTI about a year ago while I was on a field experience at a high school. The whole process was being presented as if it was new.. I mean, they did say that the teachers had basically been doing this the whole time-now it was just an actual process with a name.
ReplyDeleteParents do have the right to deny permission. The school district has the right to contest this and request mediation if the district believes it would be in the best interest of the student.
ReplyDeleteThe focus, however, should be on the student needs (not the label or the placement) and accommodations can be implemented in the general education classroom at any time. If a student is in an inclusive classroom, the special education teacher may provide support (just as s/he would for any student in that classroom) but s/he cannot remove the child for assistance.
RTI is relatively new - but in Georgia - there has been a court mandate (see Georgia SST ppt) for a similar process for years. Many other states have had similar pre-referral team or child study team processes in place as well. They are general education initiatives - the focus should be on identifying and meeting student needs as early as possible - NOT on eligibility for special education. The one big problem I've heard from schools is the problem skipping steps when it is obvious the student is eligible for special education.
ReplyDelete