Response to Intervention KnowledgeBase

This KnowledgeBase archive includes content and external links that were accurate and relevant as of September 30, 2019.

The Response to Intervention KnowledgeBase is an online resource supporting educators in understanding and implementing the response to intervention (RTI) model. The National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) has identified four stages in the implementation of evidence-based strategies such as RTI. The first stage is Exploration, and it involves consideration of the essential components of RTI models and the district or school's readiness to implement an RTI model with fidelity. During the second stage, Installation, a district or school selects an RTI model and works actively to put in place all of the supports necessary for implementing the essential components. These supports can include staff member training, policies, implementation guides, forms, assessments, instructional programs, and software. The third stage is Initial Implementation, and it involves implementing the essential components. Initial Implementation can involve just a few components or teachers, and then implementation expands over time. When the majority of teachers are implementing all components of RTI with fidelity, the district or school is in the fourth stage, called Full Implementation. This KnowledgeBase is geared primarily toward those in the Exploration and Installation stages, with some resources for those in the Initial Implementation stage.

Task 1: Resources for Parents and Families

Guideline: Parent and family involvement has been demonstrated to be an essential element of a child’s academic success. This is especially true with struggling learners. This task provides resources to help parents and families learn about response to intervention (RTI).

resources

References

A Parent Guide to Response-to-Intervention

This link is to the National Center for Learning Disabilities parent guide to RTI. It explains how the RTI process works and offers questions parents can ask teachers and schools.

RTI Action Network: Resources for Parents and Families

This link to the RTI Action Network website provides resources for parents and families.

Response to Intervention (RTI): A Primer for Parents

This link is to the National Association of School Psychologists' primer for parents on RTI.

The ABCs of Elementary School Reading: A Guide for Parents

This 2007 National Research Center on Learning Disabilities brief provides information for parents on what children may experience in schools using RTI to identify and instruct children with specific learning disabilities. Authored by Daryl Mellard, Melinda McKnight, and Donald Deshler, it presents a three-tier model and includes a question section parents could use to gain information about screening, progress monitoring, tiered instruction, staff collaboration, and fidelity of implementation.

What is Responsiveness to Intervention?

This National Research Center on Learning Disabilities brief explains RTI as an education model promoting early identification of students who may be at risk for learning difficulties. This brief may be useful when explaining RTI to parents.

Presentations

RTI & Family Engagement: A Construct for Intentionality

In this webinar, Dr. Darren Woodruff, former co-director for the National Center on Response to Intervention, and Debra Jennings, co-director of the Region 1 Parent Technical Assistance Center in New Jersey, discuss research related to parent involvement in the RTI process. They provide a general overview of research related to family engagement, a construct for developing strategies for intentional family engagement when implementing RTI, and discuss the importance of collaborating with OSEP-funded Parent Centers in addressing family engagement.

What Role Do Parents Play in RTI Process?

This link to the Center on Response to Intervention website provides a video discussing the role parents play in the RTI process. The video runs 6.5 minutes, and a transcript is provided.