This Message Center is organized and operated by David Vitale IDEA 2004 states, “when determining whether a child has a specific learning disability ... a local educational agency shall not be required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability" ... a school "may use a process that determines if the child responds to scientific, research-based intervention as part of the evaluation procedures ..." (Section 1414(b)(6)).

Response to Intervention (RtI) is a method of academic intervention designed to provide early, effective assistance to children who are having difficulty learning. Response to intervention is also designed to function as a data-based process of diagnosing learning disabilities. The RTI method has been developed as an alternative to identifying learning disabilities with the ability-achievement discrepancy model, which requires that children exhibit a severe discrepancy between their IQ and academic achievement as measured by standardized tests (commonly known as a "wait to fail" model).

RTI follows the following core assumptions:

that the educational system can effectively teach all children

that early intervention is critical to preventing problems from getting out of control

that the implementation of a multi-tiered service delivery model is necessary

that a problem solving model should be used to make decisions between tiers

that research based interventions should be implemented to the extent possible

that progress monitoring must be implemented to inform instruction

that data should drive decision making.

For the past two years, an ad-hoc team of WUSD educators collected information about RtI in an effort identify priorities for how it will look in the district.  It is an effort that merges special and regular education realms. 

In 2008-09, we'll outline specific scientific, research-based interventions as well as methods for monitoring student progress that best serve our students and satisfy requirements set forth by the Department of Public Instruction.  

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posted September 8, 2008 « back to Message Center home

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