Core Findings About Response to Intervention

As part of its work as a federally funded research center, the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) identified 19 elementary schools that are engaged in one or more of the following commendable practices as part of a response to intervention (RTI) model.

Six Components of Response to Intervention

1. School-wide Screening
2. Research-based Progress Monitoring
3. Fidelity of Implementation
4. Data-based Decision Making
5. Staff Development and Collaboration
6. Parent Involvement

These practices have been proven critical to the building of a strong system for improved instruction and prevention of inappropriate identification of students with learning disabilities (LD).

School-wide Screening

School-wide Screening is a type of assessment characterized by quick, low-cost, repeatable testing of critical skills or behaviors (e.g., identifying letters of the alphabet or reading a list of high-frequency words) or behaviors (e.g., tardiness or discipline reports). Screening assessments can be administered with minimal amounts of training. The basic question in a screening measure is whether or not the student should be judged as "at risk." The classroom teacher uses a screening measure to identify students who meet the criteria for possible at-risk status. These students are then considered for a more in-depth assessment, such as monitoring their progress over the next six weeks with specific assessments.

• Students are screened a minimum of three times per year and as often as one a month using multiple assessments to acquire and use multiple sources of data to help validate students' skill deficits;
• Screenings are conducted using curriculum-based measurements such as Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) and Iowa Test of Basic Skills;
• Schools train volunteers and college students to help administer screenings to reduce the time teachers spend screening.

Research-based Progress Monitoring

Research-based Progress Monitoring is a set of assessment procedures for determining the extent to which students are benefiting from classroom instruction and for monitoring effectiveness of curriculum. Progress monitoring is a valid and efficient tool for gauging the effectiveness of instruction, determining whether instructional modifications are necessary, and providing important information for eventual classification, such as special education, and other placement decisions.

• Students considered "at risk" are assessed using curriculum-based measures twice a week;
• School staff chart results and analyze student progress regularly;
• School staff use preset rules to determine when a student is not adequately responding to an intervention.

Fidelity of Implementation

Fidelity of Implementation is the delivery of content and instructional strategies in the way in which they were designed and intended to be delivered: accurately and consistently. Although interventions are aimed at learners, fidelity measures focus on the individuals who provide the instruction. Specific proactive practices that help to ensure fidelity of implementation include:

• Link interventions to improved outcomes (credibility);
• Definitively describe operations, techniques, and components;
• Clearly define responsibilities of specific persons;
• Create a data system for measuring operations, techniques, and components;
• Create a system for feedback and decision making (formative);
• Create accountability measures for non-compliance.

Data-based Decision Making
Data-based Decision Making is a data-based management system that allows progress monitoring data and students' tier participation across time to be recorded and analyzed. If this system allows for easy, accurate data entry and querying, the instructional settings can benefit.

• Schools must develop a system to collect and record data and determine how to analyze and evaluate the data to make decisions;
• Schools' curricular, departmental, and administrative committees are taught how to use the database and prompted to demonstrate school effectiveness with the data captured;

Accurate implementation requires a shared understanding of options (such as choices of interventions) and the basis on which those intervention decisions are made.

"As we have implemented the RTI process it has continued to be an ongoing challenge at times with staff to have them understand their role and responsibility in the process. And so we continue to go back to data--having data drive our discussion"so that we get the feeling side out and get the data side in to help them see that this is about helping the child-- it's not evaluating whether they're a good or bad instructor or that it’s being perceived that way. But it's about finding the right match, for the right child to get the right intervention started. So, is it easy? No. Is it a long-term process? Yes."

Staff Development and Collaboration

Staff Development and Collaboration is critical to successful implementation of any school wide systems change and movement toward improvement. Accountability for positive outcomes for all students is a shared responsibility of all personnel.

• Offer three or more opportunities for professional development throughout the year;
• Provide continuing, job-embedded professional development that addresses relevant areas essential to effective implementation;
• Offer continuing training opportunities to parents, as well as educators, to help maximize the achievement of all students.

"In our school I've noticed the value of RTI for our regular ed., or general ed., staff. They don't feel like they're in this alone. The special ed. staff is giving them ideas and collaborating, and it has a sense that these kids are all ours and so they're working together. It's really been a value to the classroom teacher because they’re not isolated any longer."

Parent Involvement

Parent Involvement enables parents to play an important role in their child's education by assisting in the learning and by being involved in decision making as it affects tier-level instruction to increase their child's achievement.

• Should be characterized by consistent, organized, and meaningful two-way communication between school staff and parents with regard to student progress and related school activities;
• Schools provide information to parents about their children's needs, the interventions that are being used, who is delivering the instruction, and the academic progress expected for their child;
• School staff members strive to help parents feel welcome, important, and comfortable in the school setting.

  Source: The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities www.nrcld.org.