What Is the Purpose of RTI, Exactly?

  

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Most teachers have an understanding of the term Response to Intervention (RTI) when it comes to Language Arts. Over the past several years, however, there has been an increased emphasis on RTI in the mathematics classroom. In upcoming blog entries, I'll be offering tips on how to successfully implement RTI in your classroom, so I thought I'd start first by refreshing everyone's memory about the purpose of RTI.

The goal of RTI is to promote continuous monitoring and intervention to prevent students from falling behind. Implementing RTI effectively can help differentiate between students who have specific learning disabilities and those who are struggling in a particular area but can be brought up to level with some intervention. The three tiers of the RTI model are meant to be flexible so that students can receive the appropriate level of support based on their needs at a particular time. Students who do not respond after moving through the RTI framework may receive additional services for a specific learning disability.

TIER 1 is the most comprehensive tier that covers standard classroom instruction and review for all students. In Tier 1, students are screened, monitored and should receive research-based instruction. This instruction may include some remediation, but students receiving only Tier 1 instruction are considered to be working on grade level.

TIER 2 interventions are designed for students who have been identified as struggling with a particular content area.

TIER 3 interventions include specific, intensive support for students who may be working several years below grade level. Tier 3 students often receive one-on-one help and are closely monitored to determine if improvements are being made. If interventions offered in Tier 3 are unsuccessful, students should be afforded the opportunity to receive additional services through the school's special education department.

Now that we've reviewed the Response to Intervention framework, look for future posts about how to deliver math instruction at each level. In the meantime, share your school's sucess stories with implementing the RTI framework for math instruction.