°ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳

Special Report

Response to Intervention 2.0

Next Generation
December 14, 2016
In 2004, "response to intervention" was introduced into federal special education law as a method of identifying children with learning disabilities. But RTI was quickly adopted as a model for overall school improvement because of its focus on providing assistance quickly to struggling students, before any academic deficits have a chance to become entrenched. Now, 12 years later, RTI continues to expand its reach and evolve. The same basic framework is used by many schools and districts to support children's behavioral and social-emotional needs, to find and remediate struggling readers, and to identify students in need of special education. And, when it’s used to do all those things together, it’s often called "multitiered systems of supports," or MTSS. And along with that evolution have come some growing pains and some successes. This special report on RTI—°ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳’s second such report—explores the challenges facing educators as they adopt RTI for new uses, scale it up to more schools and districts, and use it to improve learning for all students.
  • Every Student Succeeds Act What Are Multitiered Systems of Supports?
    Here's a glossary for help in understanding multitiered systems of support, response to intervention, and their related uses.
    Christina A. Samuels, December 13, 2016
    3 min read
    Curriculum Practical Lessons on Multitiered Systems of Supports
    In Michigan, the Ingham Intermediate school district’s experiences offer a road map to the costs and challenges of its multitiered system of supports model for academic and behavioral improvement.
    Sarah D. Sparks, December 13, 2016
    4 min read
    Academic interventionist Pamela Westfall helps a group of 1st graders improve their reading skills at Elliott Elementary School in Holt, Mich.
    Academic interventionist Pamela Westfall helps a group of 1st graders improve their reading skills at Elliott Elementary School in Holt, Mich.
    Brian Widdis for Edcuation Week
    School & District Management Can Michigan Sustain Its Multitiered Supports?
    An initiative to embed a new instructional model in more than half the state's elementary and secondary schools has met with some successes—and some "false starts."
    Sarah D. Sparks, December 13, 2016
    8 min read
    Special Education Editor's Note: Response to Intervention 2.0
    °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳'s second special report on RTI explores how the instructional framework has expanded into new forms and uses in schools across the country.
    The Editors, December 13, 2016
    1 min read
    Wesley Young, a 7th grader at Martin County Middle School in Kentucky, waits to be called on during a social-skills class at the school.
    Wesley Young, a 7th grader at Martin County Middle School in Kentucky, waits to be called on during a social-skills class at the school.
    Brian Widdis for °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳
    Special Education RTI Expands, Encounters Growing Pains
    Response to intervention has come a long way from its origins in special education law—but not without some bumps along the way.
    Christina A. Samuels, December 13, 2016
    8 min read
    John O’Connor Director of interventions and assessments, Henry County, Ga., public schools
    John O’Connor<br> Director of interventions and assessments, Henry County, Ga., public schools
    Special Education Q&A Ask an Expert: Creating Multitiered Supports in Schools
    Georgia school administrator John O'Connor answers readers' questions about implementing an RTI-like system of supports in their own school districts.
    Christina A. Samuels, December 13, 2016
    3 min read
    Brian McGinnis, a teacher’s assistant, works with student Jacob Carter during a science class at Martin County Middle School in eastern Kentucky.
    Brian McGinnis, a teacher’s assistant, works with student Jacob Carter during a science class at Martin County Middle School in eastern Kentucky.
    Pat McDonogh for °ÄÃÅÅܹ·ÂÛ̳
    Special Education Ky. District Uses RTI-Like Approach on Social Skills
    Martin County, Ky., is using a $1.5 million federal grant to unite its secondary schools in a push to create a better school climate.
    Christina A. Samuels, December 13, 2016
    7 min read