Receiving Support Under Response to Intervention
Recent federal and state legislation known as Response to Intervention (RtI) has influenced current trends in education policies across state school districts. The RtI movement identifies procedures and methods for identifying and intervening with children who have potential learning disabilities. As of the 2010–2011 school year, the legislation mandates that schools serving grades K through 12 use RtI as an identification and service delivery model for students struggling in the classroom. “The goal of RtI is to prevent academic failure through early identification and data collection,” explains Barbara Resnick, Educational Specialist at RNBC. “All students are routinely screened in the fall, winter and spring in reading, math and writing. The screening tools measure individual achievement and the scores are compared to same-grade students in a child’s school and district.” Through RtI screening, if a child is not meeting the instructional goals, his case is referred to a school-based problem-solving team whose goal is to identify and analyze the areas of deficit. Each school should have an RtI Coordinator who oversees the problem-solving team. This person usually identifies types of interventions suitable to the child’s learning needs. Subsequently, the team recommends which systematic interventions to put in place. RtI ensures that all students are receiving research-based interventions (and curricula) proven to help children perform at their expected levels.
Interventions developed through RtI are generally delivered in a hierarchy of intensity, referred to as Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III. Although this may vary, typically each level of intervention lasts from six to eight weeks with data collection completed weekly using progress monitoring tools. Tier I intervention is provided by the classroom teacher, who is asked to modify instruction by implementing the suggested strategies, and then carefully monitor progress. If the child’s skills improve, the intervention is considered successful. If the intervention is not yielding the desired results, the team would recommend the child receive the next level of support: Tier II.
Tier II support can be provided through an inclusive model within the classroom or in a small group. This level of support is often facilitated by the reading specialist or someone trained in delivering a specific type of scientific, research-based intervention. If this level of intervention is not yielding the desired results for the students, then the team moves to the highest level: Tier III.
Tier III intervention is often delivered outside the classroom, individually or in a small group. A special education teacher provides support through Tier III. It is often within this level of intervention that any concerns about specific learning disabilities are addressed. When this is the case, students are eligible for an Individual Education Plan (IEP), for which the child’s school is responsible.
As RNBC’s Educational Specialist, Ms. Resnick’s primary role is to assist families as they work with their school systems to secure these (and other) services for their children. “To better assist families, I have familiarized myself with RtI models that are used in various school districts,” explains Ms. Resnick. “When I attend school meetings, I ask about the type of scientific, research-based intervention being used, the amount of time devoted to the intervention and who is providing the service. This enables me to better understand if the intervention is appropriate to meet the child’s needs.”
In addition to helping families better understand their child’s school’s RtI policies and process, Ms. Resnick supports parents by reviewing their children’s evaluations, generating ideas for 504 Plans, reviewing Response to Intervention data, and assessing Individual Education Plans. She also observes children at school, meets with teachers, special service providers, principals, and special education administrators. She is a strong student advocate as she is knowledgeable of special education rights and law. Parents have indicated that Ms. Resnick has been very helpful, not only with current school planning and decision making, but in deciding whether their child’s school is the best fit for him or her. “I am familiar with many of the programs, materials, and interventions used by schools to support children with deficits in reading, math, and written expression. I also visit many of the therapeutic, special education, gifted and private schools in the Chicago area, to assist parents in making an informed choice when considering an alternative placement for their child. I find it very satisfying when I can see positive changes in children. Each child has his or her individual strengths and needs, so once an appropriate intervention is in place, the child begins to thrive.”
To schedule a consultation appointment with Ms. Resnick, call 847–933-9339. You may also email Ms. Resnick directly at Barbara_Resnick@rush.edu.