Creating a Multidisciplinary RTI Team, Research Paper Example

Section I: The RTI Team Model

RTI team models are critical tools in developing and improving the learning process by tailoring it especially for each student. In the formation of an RTI team, there are a number of elements that have to be taken into considerations. Members of the RTI team have to create a diverse and multifaceted team that is capable of effectively preforming its intended functions. The RTI tam model depicted in Wailor’s book “RTI Toolkit: A Practical Guide for Schools” is the ideal model for the most diverse and balanced RTI team. This model is quite similar to the intervention team in this academic institution.

The composition of the team draws from all the stated critical areas, i.e. administration, classroom teachers representing the different major fields, reading interventionist, bilingual specialist, special education personnel, a social worker and a parent representative.

The RTI team has o remain objective to effectively realize its goals and duties. The team employs an effective and open communication model that ensures all its team members are involved in the progressive undertakings of the team. This keeps individual members accountable to the whole team, enhancing dedication and objectivity.

The school creates leadership team based on three pillars that characterize effective shared leadership teams; (1) experience, (2) performance and (3) industriousness. The school identifies that experience is key to developing long lasting and prudent policies and procedures. As such, long-serving staff with good records are considered for shared leadership positions. The ability of staff to ensure consistent performance indicates strong leadership values that are supplemented by those with the ability to develop creative strategies using minimal resources, ensuring sustainability. As such, the team ensures that it develops creative, long-lasting, inexpensive and working policies and procedures.

Part II: Response

The team teacher-referral form can only be effectively completed only if the teacher or instructor has an effective relationship with the student. Completing the form requires extensive observation of the student in question, while taking into consideration all aspects of the student’s growth and development, i.e. academic and psychosocial.

There is considerable need for information pertaining to the condition of the child’s environment at home. This is crucial to indicate all the factors influencing the child’s development. Screening sources will originate from assessment results, observational notes by the instructor (s) and reports from peers.

Section II: Communication and the Learning Environment

Open communication is critical to the free flow of information from one party to another. Taking this fact into consideration, the teacher’s effort has considerable impact on the learning environment. Communication by the instructor (teacher) has to take into consideration the aspect of culture that is present within the class. Most classrooms contain a diverse mixture of students that represent different cultures. The teacher has the responsibility to foster open communication channels between all students, while respect to culture.

The kind and form of communication that the instructor employs affects the general kind of communication that will be adopted by students. As such, instructors have an important role in developing a learning environment that reinforces good performance and encourages and uplifts poor performance. Failure to get question right is not reprimanded, instead encouragement is applied. Such an environment would cause the student’s to adopt language and vocabulary associated with encouragement and reinforcement.

Response and feedback from students is a critical factor of the learning process and the learning environment. Feedback generally stems from the kind of communication that exists within a classroom. When communication is two-way, where an instructor engages the student in the learning process, students depict much higher levels of feedback. Instructors build on an open and diverse communication model that allows information to flow seamlessly between members of the classroom, including the instructor.

In conclusion, communication is the most pivotal tool in an effective learning process. Communication that is open and seamless allows for the free flow of information. Furthermore, it fosters an environment of efficient feedback and response between the students as well as between the students and the instructor.

References

Dickman, E. G. (2010, Mrach 10). RTI and Reading: Response to Intervention in a Nutshell. Retrieved June 17, 2015, from Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/rti-and-reading-response-intervention-nutshell

Renaissance Learning. (2009). Making RTI Work: A Practical Guide to Using Data for a Successful Response to Intervention Program. Wisconsin Rapids: Renaissance Learning, Inc. Retrieved June 17, 2015, from http://doc.renlearn.com/KMNet/R004336320GJBD8A.pdf

Shapiro, E. S. (2015, January 20). Tiered Instruction and Intervention in a Response-to-Intervention Model. Retrieved June 17, 2015, from RTI Action Network: http://www.rtinetwork.org/essential/tieredinstruction/tiered-instruction-and-intervention-rti-model

The Iris Center. (2015, January 16). RTI (Part 1): AN Overview. Retrieved June 17, 2015, from The Iris Center: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/rti01-overview/

Wailor, W. (2009). Making RTI Work: how smart schools are reforming education through schoolwide response-to-intervention. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.