The Purpose of RtI

The purpose of a Response to Intervention (RtI) program is to provide a systematic and proactive approach to supporting all students. RtI focuses on early intervention to prevent academic and behavioral difficulties. Some districts or school programs may suggest that one difference between RtI and MTSS is that RtI does not focus on behavioral issues in students. Within this text, we will include behavioral issues in discussions of both RtI and MTSS.

RtI focuses first on early intervention. An effective RtI program identifies students who are struggling academically or behaviorally early on, before they fall significantly behind. This allows for early intervention and support with a data-driven approach. RtI then focuses on prevention of student academic and behavioral failure by providing target interventions in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 programming. This helps prevent the gap from widening at a pace that is untenable. RtI also places emphasis on effective teaching with high-quality, research-based instruction for all students in Tier 1 instruction. When all students receive high-quality Tier 1 instruction, the need for Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions may decrease. RtI requires data-driven decision making to monitor student progress at all tiers, beginning with universal screening, in order to inform instructional decisions. This allows educators to make appropriate interventional decisions. As a result of data-driven decision making, RtI systems can help identify students with learning disabilities earlier. Using RtI programming can help ensure that inadequate instruction is a reason for a student’s underachievement in reading as compared to their same-aged peers. RtI ensures that data is based on actual classroom performance, because RtI requires the use of research-based curriculums and evidence-based interventions and practices.  RtI is a multi-tiered system of support that promotes a proactive and data-driven approach to education, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to reach their full potential through the use of data-driven interventions.

Watch this video:

YouTube Video: “Supporting Students Through Response to Intervention” by American Institutes for Research

Tier 1

Tier 1 is the primary tier in RtI and it is for all students. Every student is entitled to high-quality, Tier 1 instruction in the general education classroom with a research-based curriculum. This should occur regardless of need and ability. It also provides a baseline for data to understand how the student is responding to grade-level curriculum in each subject area. Approximately 80% of all students should make progress on grade-level curriculum with good, high-quality instruction in the general education classroom.

Tier 2

Tier 2 is the next tier in the tiered system of RtI. If a student is not making adequate, expected grade-level progress in Tier 1, they should move to Tier 2 intervention. It provides more intensive support than Tier 1 instruction in the general education classroom. It is important to remember that Tier 2 targeted instruction is NOT special education. It is still general education but offers more intensive support in a small group setting. Students who are receiving Tier 2 support are identified through universal screeners, curriculum-based assessments, or other data collection that shows there is a need to monitor their progress on grade-level curriculum. Most often, the general classroom teacher will provide the Tier 2 targeted intervention with a research-based support curriculum and collect data that shows whether or not the student is making progress with the intervention. Approximately 15% of students would need Tier 2 targeted intervention. It is important to note that students can and should move between tiers when successes are made and are supported by data.

Tier 3

Tier 3 is the tier and has the most intensive interventions for students who are not responding to Tier 2 intervention. “RTI models depend on the implementation of evidence-based interventions designed to prevent or remediate academic difficulties” (Fletcher & Vaughan, 2009, p. 33). Tier 3 intensive intervention should happen in even smaller groups, potentially from 1-3 students, on a systematic basis with an evidence-based intervention that supports the skills and standards being taught in the general education classroom. Students in Tier 3 intervention should be closely monitored for success in the intervention and if data from progress monitoring shows that there is not adequate progress being made on grade-level standards, then it may be appropriate to consider a referral for special education.

Research-Based Curriculum

It is also important to use a research-based curriculum, which is a type of curriculum that is firmly grounded in sound empirical research and evidence-based interventions. The curricular content, assessments, and suggested teaching methods are created based on what research in a content area has shown to be effective in promoting student learning and development. Research-based curriculums often have a few of the following important characteristics: evidence-based interventions, are developmentally appropriate, are content-specific (reading, writing, math, etc.), provide scaffolded and sequential learning, and provide teachers opportunities for data-driven measurements. Evidence-based interventions are found when the research-based curriculum incorporates effective teaching strategies and activities that are based on sound pedagogical design and research that draws upon educational psychology, child development, and cognitive science. Research-based curriculums are also developmentally appropriate. This means that the content and activities are tailored to the student’s specific age and grade level, and it considers the developmental stage and content learning required by state standards. It is important to understand how Piaget’s theory of cognitive development (Huitt & Hummel, 2003) can apply to student cognitive development when choosing a research-based curriculum.

Research-based curriculums must be content-specific. The content curriculum should address the specific content: reading, writing, mathematics, science, or social-emotional learning (SEL). These curriculums should focus on building or scaffolding skills and knowledge within the content itself, based on appropriate learning standards and within a sequential manner. The curriculum should provide students with a broadly enriching and deep understanding of each content area standards concept. It should allow for exploration of ideas that support a variety of learning styles and give opportunities for differentiation. Research-based curriculums should promote and encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and real-life application of knowledge. The curriculum should present the learning concepts in a sequential and progressive way that builds student prior knowledge and skills. This helps students develop a strong foundational understanding of the skills needed to build on complex academic concepts. Research-based curriculum must have components that allow for data-driven assessment opportunities. The curriculum should include ongoing curriculum-based assessments that help teachers monitor student progress that will eventually inform instructional decisions. This effectively allows teachers to identify areas where students are struggling and provide targeted support within the RtI and MTSS frameworks.

Additional Information

Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development is an important seminal work of developmental psychology that can be applied to educational theory. It describes how children’s intellectual abilities develop through four distinct stages of cognitive development. Piaget’s theory discusses that children are indeed active learners who construct their own understanding of the world. His theory of cognitive development has had a profound impact on education and is often studied in pre-service teacher education programs. It is not met without critique, however, but it is important to understand the various stages of cognitive development when discussing how children move through learning and development.

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years)

Infants and babies learn about the world through sensory experiences, gross and fine motor actions.

Important consideration during this stage: Object permanence (understanding that objects will continue to exist even when they are out of sight).

Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years)

Children will begin to use symbols and oral language to express themselves

They may be characterized by egocentrism where they have difficulty seeing things from others’ perspectives.

They may have a lack of logical reasoning.

Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 years)

Children have the ability to think logically about concrete objects and events in their world.

They can grasp abstract concepts like conservation (understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance).

Formal Operational Stage (11 years and up)

Adolescents and adults develop abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning.

Youth in this stage can think about possibilities and engage in deductive reasoning.

Watch this video to learn more about Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development:

YouTube Video: “Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development” by Sprouts

Additional resources

RTI vs MTSS

The Construction of the Reality of the Child by Jean Piaget