Response to Intervention

Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a general education multi-tier approach for addressing the needs of struggling learners in the classroom. These students are provided with interventions at increasing levels of intensity to accelerate their rate of learning. Educational decisions about the intensity and duration of intervention are based upon individual student response to instruction. The following are essential components of RTI and must be systemically implemented with fidelity and rigor:

high quality scientifically based classroom instruction,
ongoing student assessment and data collection/ progress monitoring,
tiered instruction, and
parent/ team involvement.

Generally RTI is implemented as a three tier model of school supports, where

Tier 1 is high-quality classroom instruction, screening, and group interventions delivered to students,
Tier 2 generally involves targeting interventions for those students not making adequate progress in the general education classroom, and
Tier 3 involves providing intensive, individualized interventions that target students’ specific skill deficits.

Although there are variations in the formatting and implementation of RTI between schools and districts, in every case RTI should be a school-wide framework for efficiently allocating resources to improve student outcomes.

Below are links to information and resources regarding Response to Intervention:

National Center on Learning Disabilities – Parent’s Guide to Response to Intervention
National Center on Response to Intervention
ODE/Office of Exceptional Children – Response to Intervention