Response to Intervention (RTI), Essay Example

What is RTI

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs. The RTI process begins with high-quality instruction and universal screening of all children in the general education classroom. Struggling learners are provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning. These services may be provided by a variety of personnel, including general education teachers, special educators, and specialists. Progress is closely monitored to assess both the learning rate and level of performance of individual students. Educational decisions about the intensity and duration of interventions are based on individual student response to instruction. RTI is designed for use when making decisions in both general education and special education, creating a well-integrated system of instruction and intervention guided by child outcome data.

Advantages of RTI

One advantage of RTI is that students are identified as LD only if they fail to respond to instruction deemed effective for the vast majority of students. In effect, RTI eliminates poor instructional quality as an explanation for a student’s poor academic performance.

Another advantage of RTI is that students are provided with early intervention. Unlike the more traditional IQ/achievement discrepancy model, an RTI model does not wait years for students to fail before identification and intervention.  RTI provides struggling students with prompt opportunities, early in their academic career, to receive quality educational interventions. This timely intervening may help to close the achievement gap between them and their more competent peers at an expedited rate.

Finally, RTI is advantageous because assessment data linked to classroom and curricular objectives are collected frequently and consistently. These data serve to inform the teacher of students’ performance and to decide which level of instruction is appropriate for each student. Further, frequent data collection helps the teacher improve instruction, as it provides feedback with which the teacher may self-evaluate the success of his or her lessons and instructional components.

Lesson Reflection

1. What went well in this lesson? Why?
2. What problems did I experience? Why?
3. Was it “student centered”? Should it have been?
4. What could I have done differently?
5. What did I learn from this experience that will help me in the future?
6. Preparation and research – Was I well prepared? – What could I have done differently?
7. Written plan – Was I organized? Did the written format work? Is there a better form?
8. Presentation – Were the students involved? Was I clear in my presentation? How was the pacing?
9. Assessment – Does my method of assessment measure what I want? How did the class do? What should I change for next time?