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Features of Successful RTI Approaches
At each of the tiers in an RTI model, educators and school leaders must make some important decisions about how to ensure that students will benefit and achieve success. Parents should work in close partnership with school personnel to help define the specific types of instruction and related services and supports that will help their child. And, parents should be familiar with this list of important questions:
- Has the school adopted a school-wide (or district-wide) curriculum and is the chosen program consistent with current research-based practices?
- How much time is devoted to individual, small group or whole class instruction?
- How will teachers learn about and gain proficiency in the use of research-based instructional teaching tools and methodologies?
- What kinds of ongoing professional development and teacher support is provided to ensure that students make (and sustain) progress?
- What professional resources (i.e., psychologist, special educator, speech-language pathologist, reading specialist) are needed (and available) to contribute to student progress?
- How will student progress be assessed (i.e., mastery of skills, rate of learning) and monitored over time? And how will these data be shared among faculty and with parents and students themselves?
Answering these questions is essential to creating an effective RTI model of instruction and support for all students, including those with learning disabilities.
For more information
The heart of any RTI model lies in the use of tiered instruction and in the specific types of instruction delivered to students that address the nature and severity of their specific difficulties. Visit NCLD's RTI Action Network for a detailed explanation of the multi-tiered instructional component of RTI.
The IRIS Center is an excellent resource for learning more about RTI and the types of research-based instructional practices that have been proven effective for all students.
