RTI

Question 1

Purposes of RTI

Answer 1

RTI is intended to reduce the incidence of “instructional casualties” by ensuring that students are provided high-quality instruction with fidelity, by using RTI districts can provide interventions to students as soon as the need arises

Question 2

Core principles of RTI

Answer 2

• The use of all available resources to teach all students
• Using scientific, research-based interventions/instruction
• Monitor classroom performance
• Conduct universal screening/benchmarking
• Use a multitier model of service delivery
• Make data-based decisions
• Monitor progress frequently

Question 3

4 major issues of the ability-achievement discrepancy model

Answer 3

• Discrepancy models fail to differentiate between children who have LD and those who have academic achievement problems related to poor instruction, lack of experience, or other problems
• Discrepancy models discriminate against students outside of “mainstream” culture and students who are in the upper and lower ranges of IQ
• Discrepancy models do not effectively predict which students will benefit from or respond differentially to instruction
• The use of discrepancy models requires children to fail for a substantial period of time, usually years, before they are far enough behind to exhibit a discrepancy

Question 4

The Role RTI should play in the diagnosis of learning disabilities

Answer 4

Identifying SLD through RTI shifts the emphasis of the evaluation process from documenting the student’s disability to the student’s instructional needs, RTI emphasizes this shift of focus through documentation of a student’s persistent failure to progress even after receiving intense and sound scientifically research-based interventions in the general education curriculum

Question 5

The 3 tiers and what happens at each (for assessment and intervention)

Answer 5

Tier 1: Designed to meet the needs of a majority of the school population and has 3 critical elements: Research-based core curriculum, short-cycle assessments for all students at least 3 times a year, sustained professional development to equip teachers with tools
The goal is to prevent failure and optimize learning
Tier 2: For students who are falling behind same-age peers and need additional targeted interventions to meet grade-level expectations, the goal is to accelerate learning for students who need more intensive support, may include small group instruction, targeted interventions, and frequent progress monitoring
Tier 3: For students who still have considerable difficulty in mastering necessary academic and/or behavioral skills, addresses students needs through intensive individualized services, these students undergo a more formal diagnostic evaluation