AParentGuidetoResponsetoIntervention(RtI)and

MultiTieredSystemofSupports(MTSS)

ResponsetoIntervention(RtI)isaprocesswithintheframeworkcalledMultiTieredSystemof
Supports(MTSS).Bothembraceanapproachtoeducationthatfocusesonhighquality
instructionforallstudentsthatincludesamultitieredorlayeredsystemofdifferentiated
interventionsupportsinacademicandbehavioralareas.Studentachievementisregularly
assessedandprogressiscloselymonitoredsothatinstructioncanbeadjustedtoassuresuccess.
Theassumptionisthatallstudentscanlearnifprovidedwithinstructionthatistargetedtotheir
needs.MTSSandRtIfocusonsystemlevelchangeacrosstheclassroom,school,anddistrictto
meettheacademicandnonacademicneedsofallstudents.

ATHREETIEREDSYSTEMOFSUPPORTSTHATBUILDSUPONONEANOTHER

Tier1
isthecorecurriculumwithdifferentiation.

Allstudentshaveaccesstohighquality
curriculum,instruction,andbehaviorsupportsintheclassroom.Allstudentsarescreenedona
periodicbasistomonitorprogressandidentifystrugglinglearnerswhoneedadditionalsupports.
Thosestudentswhoneedtheseextrasupportswillgetdifferentiatedinstructionduringcore
instructionintheirregularclassroom.

Tier2
iscorecurriculumplusTier2intervention.IfastudentdoesnotshowprogressinTier1,
thenTier2supportsareimplemented.Studentsareprovidedwithincreasinglyintensive
instructionthatistargetedtotheirspecificneeds.Additionalassessmentsmaybeadministeredto
determineexactlywherethestudenthaschallenges.Aplanisdevelopedthattargetsthespecific
skillareathatneedsimprovementinordertotomeetthegradelevelgoal.Thisinstructionmay
needtobeperiodicallymodifiedtoassureprogress.Interventionsarediscontinuedoncethegoal
hasbeenmet.Ifastudentsprogressmonitoringinformationindicatesthatheorsheisnot
makingprogressdespitemodificationstotheTier2interventions,thenTier3interventionsare
considered.

Tier3
iscorecurriculumplusTier2interventionsaswellasadditionalTier3interventions.
Typicallyabout5%ofstudentswillneedthismostintensivelevelofinstructioninordertobe
successful.Morespecializedassessmentsandinputfromtheparentandschoolteamoccurs
throughtheproblemsolvingprocess.Otherschoolmemberssuchasaschoolpsychologist,
specialeducationteacher,literacycoach,mathcoachetc.maybecomemoreinvolvedwiththe
student.Tier3interventionsoccurinadditiontoTier2interventionssoschedulingoptionsneed
tobediscussed.Allteammembers,includingtheparent,closelymonitorthechildsprogressand
determinewhichstepsneedtooccur.Shouldastudentcontinuetodemonstratelackofprogress
despiteTier3interventions,thenthestudentmayneedtobereferredforspecialeducation
consideration.

ComponentsofResponsetoIntervention

evidencebasedinstruction
universalscreening
progressmonitoring
researchbasedinterventionsmatchedtostudentneeds
educationaldecisionmakingusingstudentoutcomedata

EvidenceBasedInstruction
Simplystated,evidencebasedinstructionmeansthattheprogram,methodology,and/orpractice
hasarecordofsuccess.Ourcurriculumandinstructionisselectedonlyifthereisaproven
recordofsuccesswithevidenceofhighqualitylearningoutcomes.

AllBurlingtonElementarySchoolshavededicatedblocksofuninterruptedinstructionaltime:

90minuteELAblock

75minuteMathblock

30minuteIntervention/Extensionblock

45minuteScience/SocialStudiesblock

45minutecommonplanningtimeforgradelevelcollaboration

UniversalScreening
AllstudentsingradesK5arescreenedinfall,winterandspringtoidentifyareasof
strengthsandneeds.Thisinformationfacilitatesateachersabilitytoplaninstructionand
2

documentgrowth.Theelementaryscreeningtoolsforgrades15forreadingareiReady
ReadingandtheDynamicIndicatorsofEarlyLiteracySkills(DIBELS)andformathare
SymphonyMathandMonitoringBasicSkillsProgress(MBSP).Kindergartenuniversal
screeningtoolsarethephonologicalscreenerandDIBELSforreadingSymphonyMathfor
math.Reportsaresenthometoparentsthreetimesayearoncetheassessmentsarecomplete.

ProgressMonitoring
Progressmonitoringistheprocessofregularlyassessingstudentperformanceinareasof
identifiedneed(e.g.reading,mathematics,socialbehavior)toassurethattheyaremaking
appropriateprogresstowardgoals.Briefassessmentsaregivenfrequently(every12weeks)to
determinethestudentsresponsetotheinstructionalinterventions.Interventionsareadjusted
basedonthestudentsprogresstoassurethattheinterventioniseffective.Progressmonitoring
informationisakeyelementindeterminingthebestinstructionalinterventionsforeachstudent
aswellaswhenaninterventioncanbediscontinued.

ResearchedBasedInterventionsMatchedtoStudentNeeds
Researchbasedinterventionsarethoseprogramsandpracticesthathavebeendeemed
effectivebasedonscientificallyrigorousresearchstudies.Studentswhorequiremoreinstruction
topromotegrowthinreading,math,andbehavior,receivesmallgroupinterventiontoworkon
specificskills.Interventionoccursduringtheintervention/extensionblocksothatstudentsdonot
missanycoreinstruction.Interventiongroupsmeetupto5timesaweekfor2030minuteswith
andareinstructedbyaqualifiedstaffmember.Interventiongroups,frequency,andintervention
typemaychangebasedonprogressmonitoringinformation.

EducationalDecisionMakingUsingStudentOutcomeData
UsingtheRtImodel,eachstudentisassessedtodeterminegrowthandprogress.Regular
meetingsareheldinwhicheducationalteamsanalyzestudentdataanddesigninstructional
interventionstomeettheirneeds.Whenstudentshavedifficultyaccessingthecorecurriculum,
appropriateinterventionsareimplementedandprogressiscloselymonitored.Parentsarekept
informedsothattheymaysupporttheirchildathomeandparticipateineducationaldecisions.

Howcanparentshelp?
Parentsareimportant.Weknowfromexperienceandresearchthatyouplayakeyrolein
yourchildssuccessinschool.Celebrateyourchildssuccesses.Learnmoreaboutthemethods
andmaterialsusedtoteachyourchildandhowyourchildisbeinghelpedtoimprove.Talkto
yourchildsteacheraboutyourconcerns.Ifyourchilddoesnotrespondtointervention,thena
ProblemSolvingTeamMeetingmaybescheduled.ParentsareinvitedtoparticipateinProblem
SolvingTeammeetingssothatparentsandeducatorscancollaboratetodeterminenextsteps.

ParentsMostFrequentlyAskedQuestions

Howwasmychildidentifiedforneedinginterventions?
Allstudentsarescreenedinbothreadingandmathatthebeginning,middleandendofeachschoolyear.
TheseassessmentsarecalledUniversalScreeners.UniversalScreenersassessstudentsknowledgeof
thecontentandstandardsfortheirgradelevel.Ifastudentsscoreindicatesthatheorsheisatriskfornot
attaininggradelevelmastery,thenthestudentisidentifiedtoreceivetargetedinterventions.Secondary
screenersareadministeredtoidentifythespecificfoundationalreadingandmathskillsthatstudentsmay
havenotyetmastered.Thescreenershelpteachersandinterventionistsselectthespecificareainwhichto
intervene.Inadditiontoreviewingscreeningdata,teacherscloselymonitorstudentprogressbasedon
dailyclassroomperformance.Itmaybecomeevidentthatastudentwouldbenefitfromadditionalsupport
basedondatacollectedfromdailyclassroomperformance.

Whenwillmychildparticipateintheinterventionsandforhowlong?
InterventionsoccurduringtheIntervention/Extensionblockwhichis30minutesdaily.Studentprogress
ismonitoredatregularintervalsandparticipationisbasedonthestudentsindividualprogresstowardthe
gradelevelgoal.Thelengthofparticipationvariesfromstudenttostudentasitisbasedonthestudents
growthtowardsthegoal.

Willmychildmissinstruction?
Intervention/Extensionblockisadedicatedperiodof30minutesthatisbuiltintothescheduletoprovide
instructionthatisinadditiontocoreinstructionbeitinterventioninstructiononskillsthatneed
strengtheningorinstructionthatextendslearning.ByhavingadedicatedIntervention/Extensionblock,
weassurethatstudentsdonotmissanycoreinstruction.

Whowillbedoingtheinstruction?
Allinterventionsaretaughtbylicensedteachers.StudentsmayworkwithRtItutors,readingspecialists,
mathteachers,specialeducationteachers,orclassroomteachers.OurRtItutorsarealllicensedteachers
whoarehighlytrained.

Whataretheinterventions?
Alltheinterventionsarehighquality,researchedbasedinterventions.Studentsmeetinsmallgroups.
Someinterventionshaveacomputercomponenttotheinstruction,butalsoincludeteacherinvolvement.
Forspecificinformationregardingyourchildsintervention,pleasecontactyourschoolsprincipalfor
assistance.

Whatifmychildneedsinterventioninbothreadingandmathematics?
Studentswhoneedbothreadingandmathinterventionsarefirstassignedtointerventionsintheareaof
greatestneed.Forsomestudentsthepriorityareaisreadingandforothersthepriorityareais
mathematics.Theothersubjectareawillbesupportedthroughdifferentiatedcoreinstructioninthe
classroombytheclassroomteacher.Oncethestudentreacheshisorhergoalinthefirstareaofneed,then
anewinterventionwillbeginintheothersubjectarea.