Unraveling Response to Intervention
I set out to unravel and get to the heart of Response to Intervention (RTI) like I’ve done before with close reading. I was surprised to read on the RTI Network’s website that, “there is no single, thoroughly researched and widely practiced ‘model’ of the RTI process.” Of course, that would be too easy, ha!
I started looking at the triangle tier diagram wondering if I could improve on it only to discover that if you’ve seen one triangle diagram, you’ve seen one triangle diagram. There are a lot of differences from one to the other. Some show that tier 3 is special education services, some show that special ed is the next step after the triangle. Some indicate that tier 1 includes all students. The RTI Network says that tier 1 is low-level interventions in the classroom that not all students would need. They state that when these tier 1 interventions are successful, students are “returned to the regular classroom program.” So that would mean that students who never need interventions are actually not a part of tier 1.
Here’s what I concluded: each school/district is going to choose what RTI means to them and how it is implemented in their jurisdiction. One thing stays the same: teachers need a way to document interventions regardless of how their schools define tiers.
Free Response to Intervention Forms
Here’s a solution and it’s FREE! Check with your special ed or RTI team to make sure this satisfies their requirements.
Start by filling out the student profile page. This is a good place to record baseline data and concerns before any interventions have occurred. I like having this page available when I meet with a student study or RTI team. It’s helpful for staff members who are not familiar with the student being presented.
There are response to intervention forms for reading, writing, math, and behavior intervention documentation. Choose the one that applies to your situation. The top box helps you define the intervention. The Data Collection box gives you a place to graph the results as you administer your chosen assessment. I have found that special education teams LOVE graphs because it helps them make their case to state auditors if need be.
Finally, you’ll need a place to record your intervention sessions.
I hope these are helpful for you!
