Response to Instruction and Intervention in Scott County Schools featured in "Spotlight on the Schools" article in the September 19, 2024 E-Edition of The Independent Herald on page 34.
In the Scott County School District, all students receive high-quality instruction in their core classes. Our teachers work hard every day to ensure that their students are getting the best instruction that is possible. Despite the high-quality nature of this instruction, some students need an extra boost to help them be successful. That’s where the RTI² program comes into play.
The goal of Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI²) is to provide a multi-tiered approach focused on early intervention when students are struggling. This approach begins with analyzing student data and teacher input to determine which students need intervention, and, more specifically, what type of intervention would serve them best.
Each school within our system has a committee devoted to identifying students who need intervention and creating a plan for carrying out that intervention. Committee members for each school include school administrators, classroom teachers, interventionists, the district’s RTI² coordinator, and others as needed. The committee analyzes each student’s data (previous test scores, classroom grades, etc.) If the committee determines that a student needs intervention, a decision about the specific type of intervention is made from there.
Depending on the seriousness of need, students are then placed in either Tier 2 or Tier 3 intervention. Tier 2 intervention provides a student with targeted learning acceleration supports in a small-group environment. A research-based intervention program is used to meet the student’s need and help fill in skill gaps. All students continue to receive the same high-quality instruction in their core classes. Tier 2 intervention simply provides an additional, targeted instructional time during the school day.
If the committee determines that a student needs more intensive intervention, tier 3 is the best option. Tier 3 intervention provides intensive, skills-based intervention in a small-group environment. A research-based intervention program is once again used to help fill skill gaps and give students a chance to catch up with their peers. With either intervention tier, we do extensive research to determine the specific skills that students need help with so that we can target intervention to meet those needs.
RTI² committees at each school meet regularly to discuss each student’s progress. Progress is monitored weekly, and committees use that data, classroom teacher
input, classroom grades, and other data as needed to make decisions about each student. Parents also receive regular updates on their student’s progress. When students show significant progress, the committee might choose to discontinue intervention. When students are progressing more slowly, the committee might decide to give them extra time in intervention to continue catching up. On occasion, the committee might find that students are struggling to show progress even after intensive intervention. At that point, the committee might consider a referral for further evaluation.
RTI² makes a difference in our students’ lives every day. Students who receive either tier 2 or tier 3 intervention typically show growth more quickly than their peers, and this is incredibly important for students who are trying to play catch-up in their classes. Since their progress is monitored so closely, their intervention can easily be adjusted as needed to provide the optimal learning experience.
RTI² provides intervention for struggling students in a safe, small group setting with peers who are on their level. It’s a perfect opportunity to ask the questions they may be afraid to ask in a bigger group and get clarification on skills they feel confused about. Our interventionists get the privilege of spending their workdays building student confidence and seeing “their kids” celebrate progress and successes in their core classes. We are so proud of the job that they do!