Response-to-Intervention (RTI)

Monroe-Woodbury provides a comprehensive program of Academic Support Services (AIS) using a Response-to-Intervention (RTI) multi-step approach for students who are experiencing difficulties. The goal of the program is to provide a support system for students in order for them succeed in their regular academic program and on New York State assessment and Regents exams.
The program is designed to diagnose and correct academic deficiencies in students who are struggling to achieve grade level expectations in:

English Language Arts and Mathematics in grades K-8
English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science in grades 9-12

AIS specialists coordinate instruction with their students’ classroom and content area teachers.

What does Response-to-Intervention (RTI) mean?

The RTI process is a multi-step approach to providing services and interventions at increasing levels of intensity. The progress students make at each stage of intervention is closely monitored and results are used to make decisions about the need for further research-based instruction/intervention in general education.

What are the steps in RTI?

STEP 1: A Universal Screening is provided for all students.

Screening is an assessment that measures a student’s skills, in relation to his/her grade level. Screenings are to be conducted three times per year. This helps schools identify students who are considered at-risk of not meeting NYS standards.

STEP 2: All students receive appropriate instruction.

Tier 1

The RTI process begins with the classroom teacher providing appropriate instruction to all students in the general education classroom. Appropriate instruction means that the methods and materials a teacher uses are based on research showing that most students will be successful if taught in this manner.

STEP 3: Additional instructional support is provided for students, based upon screening and ongoing measurement of progress.

Students identified through screening as needing additional instructional support, receive assistance through an AIS targeted intervention designed to meet their needs. Targeted intervention is provided with increasingly intense tiers (levels) of support. Increased intensity can mean more time, smaller groups and/or more instruction focused on the specific areas.

Tier 2

Intervention is in addition to regular class-room instruction and may be provided within the classroom or in a separate room. Tier 2 intervention usually means that a student is:

taught in a small group;
receiving additional instruction time and/or taught using various instructional methods such as more opportunities for practice and more intensive instruction on concepts.

During this time, a student’s progress will be monitored regularly to see if the intervention is meeting the targeted needs.

Tier 3

For students who are still not progressing with Tier 2 intervention, a Tier 3 intervention may be provided. Instruction at this level may be more frequent, smaller group and/or for a longer period of time than that provided in Tiers 1 or 2. Tier 3 may utilize materials or Small Group Interventions, Scientific Research Based Core Instruction programs, which focus specifically on skills with which the student may be having difficulty.

STEP 4: Progress Monitoring

Progress monitoring involves a frequent assessment of a student’s performance in specific skill areas. It is used to determine whether the specific instructional support is working and to provide information to the student’s teacher on how to adjust instruction to meet the student’s needs.

STEP 5: Parent Notification

Parents of students requiring Tier 2 or 3 support must be notified in writing by the principal of the student’s school notifying parents the student is receiving AIS. Parents must also be notified in writing by the principal of the school that AIS for his or her child will be discontinued. Such notice must include the reason for ending the service.

What if a student is not making progress even when provided with the most intense interventions at Tier 3?

There is a small percentage of students who do not make the expected progress and who may require further evaluation to determine other reasons for the lack of progress. Whenever there is concern that the student might have a disability affecting his/her ability to progress, the school will seek the parent’s consent to conduct an individual evaluation to determine if the student needs special education services. The information gathered through the RTI process will be considered as part of this evaluation.