Response To Intervention (RTI) Tier Process
North Duplin Elementary School
NDE is transitioning from SAT referrals to RTI
referrals. Each year we have added a
grade level to the RTI process, and this year K-4 is RTI.
RTI stands for Response to Instruction. It is a method that focuses on interventions in the regular ed classroom, and universal screenings, progress monitoring, and research based instruction are the core components of this process. There are two schools in Duplin County that use the RTI approach: North Duplin Elementary and Kenansville Elementary. Next year, 2011/12, Duplin County plans to add Rose Hill Magnolia Elementary as an RTI school.
RTI is currently used for reading referrals, but soon math referrals will be added as well. RTI is based on a tier approach. All Kindergarten students and new students are given a universal screening called DIBELS. This is a quick assessment that predicts whether a child is at-risk for reading problems. If a child shows up at-risk, the tier process is begun and teachers try a variety of interventions to try and assist the child so he/she has the chance to grow and catch up to his/her other peers. The tier process is explained in further detail below:
Tier I: A child is identified at-risk and the teacher
tries research based interventions in order to help the child improve. Progress is monitored by the teacher and data
is collected. The teacher meets w/ the
RTI team bi-monthly to assess data and determine whether the child needs to
progress to the next tier. If the
intervention is working, the teacher along with the team, may choose to
continue interventions at Tier I. If the
child is no longer at-risk, the team may decide to discontinue the plan.
Tier II: If a child is continuing to show up at-risk and Tier I interventions are not working, the RTI team may decide to move a student to Tier II. At this tier, the teacher uses Open Court to track student progress. The teacher collects data weekly and continues to progress monitor the student. The teacher comes before the RTI team on a bi-monthly basis and together reviews the data collected from Open Court. If little to no progress has been made, the team may decide to move the student to Tier III.
Tier III: At Tier III, a child is pulled out of the classroom for additional interventions. A team of teachers have been trained to use the SRA Reading Program, and students go to these teachers for a forty-five minute block to receive additional reading instruction. Progress is monitored several times weekly, and classroom teachers are given reports showing progress the students have made. The classroom teacher continues to meet with the RTI team to monitor progress and review data, and the RTI Coordinator becomes actively involved with the student. If a student is still not making growth through the SRA program, he/she is then referred to Tier IV.
Tier IV: This is the referral process in which RE paperwork is gathered for further evaluation. A social history is done by the social worker, and the school nurse gives the student a health evaluation. Once the RE information has been gathered, the student begins the testing process for further evaluation.
At each tier, parents are involved and encouraged to be a part of the problem solving process. Conferences are documented at each tier, and parents are regularly informed of their child’s progress.
In summary, each tier focuses on intervening at the child’s individual level through differentiation and research based instruction:
Tier I: Informal research based teacher interventions
Tier II: Open Court instruction
Tier III: SRA Reading Groups (pull-out)
Tier IV: Referral to Special Education
Through usage of RTI and differentiation during Power Up and
Power Down, NDE has moved out of School
of Choice and has made
AYP for two consecutive years. RTI has
been a plus for our school, and we look forward to implementing it school-wide
through reading and math instruction.
Submitted by: Lynne Smith
North Duplin Elementary