RTI Artifact
Craig A. Bryant
EDUC 5382 – Administration of Special Programs
Professor – Dr. Kristy Duckworth
East Texas Baptist University
July 13, 2015
TEA
RtI may be described as a model addressing the needs of all students through a continuum of services which
provide: (1) high-quality instruction and scientific, researched-based, tiered intervention strategies aligned with
individual student need; (2) frequent monitoring of student progress to make results-based academic or behavioral
decisions; (3) data-based school improvement; and (4) the application of student response data to important
educational decisions (such as those regarding placement, intervention, curriculum, and instructional goals and
methodologies).
The activities described above typically occur in the general education setting as schools assist struggling students.
Local education agency (LEA) staff coordinate and collaborate in developing a process implementing this framework.
More information concerning RtI activities can be accessed through the TEA Division of Curriculum.
Students who are suspected of having a disability should be referred for a full and individual evaluation. States and
LEAs have an obligation and requirement under federal law (34 CFR § 300.111 Child Find) to ensure that evaluations
of children suspected of having a disability are not delayed or denied because of implementation of an RtI strategy.
Clarification of this issue has been provided from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Frequently Asked Questions

Is my campus required to implement response to intervention (RTI)? Is it the law?

For how long can a student receive intervention before being referred for a special
education evaluation?

What is the difference between Tier II and Tier III? Do students participate in all three
tiers at the same time? In how many tiers can a student participate?

Is differentiated instruction the same as intervention?

When a student in foster care withdraws from school, am I required to provide
information about the intervention s/he received for the Texas Department of Family
and Protective Services education folder or for the receiving school?
Is my campus required to implement response to intervention (RTI)? Is it the law?
Texas school districts and charter schools are not required to implement RTI—rather, they
have the option of doing so. This question presents an opportunity to clarify sources of
requirements related to RTI.
In general education, RTI is implemented as an instructional approach designed to prevent
learning and behavior difficulties. Schools that implement RTI screen all students to
identify those who are at risk and not meeting grade-level expectations. These at-risk
students are immediately assigned to a level, or tier, of additional intervention instruction
to close their gaps in learning, and their progress is monitored to make sure the
intervention is working. Interventionists document the students’ response to the
intervention over time. Increasingly intense levels of intervention are provided when
needed.
In Texas, school districts and charter schools determine their instructional approaches
through policies and procedures. Thus, RTI is not a state-mandated instructional approach,
although it may be required through school district or charter school policies and
procedures.
RTI appears in federal special education law related to the identification of students with
specific learning disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act
of 2004 (IDEA 2004) identifies RTI as an optional component of a comprehensive evaluation
and requires that states “(2) must permit the use of a process based on the child’s response
to scientific, research- based intervention; and (3) may permit the use of other alternative
research-based procedures for determining whether a child has a specific learning
disability” [34 CFR §300.307 (2-3)]. The Texas Education Code mirrors the language of
IDEA and leaves it to school districts and charter schools to determine policies and
procedures related to individual comprehensive evaluation, including the use of
information related to a student’s response to intervention. Texas school districts and
charter schools may opt to include documentation of a student’s response to intervention as
a component of a comprehensive evaluation. back to top
For how long can a student receive intervention before being referred for a special
education evaluation?
A student should be referred as soon as a disability is suspected, including when progressmonitoring data indicate that the student is not responding adequately to intervention.
Some educators mistakenly believe that in schools where RTI is being implemented,
students must be provided with interventions prior to referral for a full and individual
initial evaluation and that participation in RTI is a prerequisite for conducting an initial
evaluation. A student may participate in interventions while undergoing the initial
evaluation process. Although data from the student’s response to the intervention provide
the committee valuable information to determine the presence of a specific learning
disability, the comprehensive initial evaluation process cannot be delayed until the student
has been provided with intervention for a specified period.
The US Department of Education addresses this topic in Memorandum 11-07 and explicitly
refers to Texas in its February 29, 2012, letter to Philip Ferrara, writing that “…the
implementation of an RTI process cannot be used to delay or deny the full and individual
evaluation of a child suspected of having a disability…whether the disability is suspected
by school personnel or the child’s parent.” Note: Memorandum 11-07 and the letter are
included in A Resource for Student Evaluation Personnel Working in Schools
Implementing Response to Intervention (RtI). back to top
What is the difference between Tier II and Tier III? Do students participate in all three
tiers at the same time? In how many tiers can a student participate?
RTI is a multitiered system of support that provides high-quality research-based instruction
to all students in the general education setting (Tier I) and additional intervention
instruction for at-risk students. Many schools implement a three-tiered RTI framework,
which provides at-risk students with increasingly intense interventions (Tier II or Tier III) to
close their gaps in learning. Teachers in each grade level use student assessment data to
determine criteria for each tier of intervention and then match each at-risk student to the
tier designed to meet his or her needs. The size of a student’s learning gap determines the
tier of intervention received: The larger the learning gap, the more intense the intervention.
Intervention is designed to systematically address gaps in a student’s fundamental
knowledge and skills; intervention is not reteaching. Ideally, Tier II intervention is provided
in groups of three to five students with similar needs for an additional 30 minutes daily.
Depending on a school’s RTI framework, a teacher or a specialist may provide Tier II
intervention. Tier III is more intense and is provided in smaller groups of one to three
students for at least an additional 30 minutes a day. A specialist provides Tier III
intervention. An at-risk student receives Tier I instruction, plus either Tier II or Tier III
intervention. back to top
Is differentiated instruction the same as intervention?
Differentiated instruction is not the same as intervention instruction—rather, it is a critical
component of both content area instruction and intervention. Effective teachers use their
knowledge of students’ skills to differentiate instruction. In the video “Understanding
Differentiated Instruction“, Dr. Sharon Vaughn states ”…one example at the whole class
level is that teachers actually know to differentiate the expected response for students based
on the range of knowledge and expertise of the class.” Teachers consider students’ needs
and adjust instructional materials, grouping, required responses, scaffolding, and practice
time in their lessons. Teachers who differentiate instruction have high levels of student
attention and engagement and adjust their expectations to yield the greatest performance
outcomes from their students. Differentiated instruction should be provided across all tiers,
as it benefits all students. back to top
When a student in foster care withdraws from school, am I required to provide
information about the intervention s/he received for the Texas Department of Family
and Protective Services education folder or for the receiving school?
Students in the foster care system often experience delays in making educational progress
due to frequent changes in placement and schools. In the spirit of facilitating this transition,
provide documentation of intervention strategies tried, the student’s response to
intervention instruction, and progress-monitoring data, so the next school has information
to make instructional decisions. Providing this information helps to minimize the amount
of instructional time lost while trying to match intervention programs to the student’s
instructional needs. Providing this information to the student’s caregiver or caseworker
goes beyond minimal requirements and helps other educators meet the student’s needs.
Funding Sources for Response to Intervention
Programs
Federal Guidance | Required Use of CEIS (Significant Disproportionality) | RTI/CEIS PowerPoint
Presentation | Questions & Answers
For a general education student who has not been found eligible under special education, a local education agency
(LEA) may use a variety of funding sources to provide supplemental services or instruction based on the student's
response to scientific, research-based intervention. Potential funding sources include Title I, Part A funds and
coordinated early intervening services funds.
IDEA-B Coordinated Early Intervening Services Funds

Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Guidance
Use of Coordinated Early Intervening Services Funds for Supplemental
Services or Instruction based on Response to Intervention (RtI):
RtI may be described as a model addressing the needs of all students through a continuum of services which
provide:
1.
high-quality instruction and scientific, researched-based, tiered intervention strategies aligned with
individual student need;
2.
frequent monitoring of student progress to make results-based academic or behavioral decisions;
3.
data-based school improvement; and
4.
the application of student response data to important educational decisions (such as those regarding
placement, intervention, curriculum, and instructional goals and methodologies).
These activities typically occur in the general education setting as schools assist struggling students prior to and in
lieu of a referral to special education. LEA general and special education staff will need to coordinate and collaborate
in developing a process implementing this framework.
CEIS funds may be used to carry out RtI activities that are coordinated with and aligned to activities funded by the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), including scientifically based literacy instruction such as
“Reading First”, if those funds are used to supplement, and not supplant, these activities [see 34 CFR §300.226(e)].
Use of CEIS funds may include the incorporation of interagency financing structures in carrying out RtI-related
activities. CEIS-funded activities involving RtI may include, but are not limited to, the following:
Professional Development:

Training of district personnel on the use of RtI in evaluation and eligibility determination of specific learning
disabilities

Training on the establishment and implementation of local education programs using the RtI model

Training on research-based, academic and behavior supports for struggling students
Evaluation:

Implementation of RtI student progress monitoring

RtI student progress monitoring tracking systems

Implementation of school-wide RtI-related behavior intervention monitoring systems
Services and Supports:

Tiered instructional systems based on student progress monitoring

Tiered behavioral supports based on student progress monitoring

School-wide student assistance systems
The U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) provides resources, including a topic
brief, a video clip, training materials, a dialogue guide, presentations and a Q&A document regarding both EIS and
RtI.
Title I, Part A Funds:
Title I, Part A funds must be expended for programs/activities/strategies that are scientifically-based on research and
meet needs (identified in the campus’ comprehensive needs assessment process) which are listed in the campus’
improvement plan.
School-wide Programs—On school-wide program campuses, the LEA may use Title I, Part A funds for activities that
are part of the Campus Improvement Plan to improve student performance and upgrade the entire educational
program. In a school-wide program, the amount of Title I, Part A funding on the campus must be supplemental.
Targeted Assistance Programs—In targeted assistance schools, the LEA may only use Title I, Part A funds to meet
the needs of children identified as being in the greatest need of services. Students must be selected using multiple,
educationally-related, objective criteria established by the LEA. In a targeted assistance program, the
program/activity/strategy must be supplemental.
Regardless of which type(s) of Title I, Part A program the LEA operates, it is possible that preventive speech services
may be allowable if the LEA is able to respond appropriately to, and maintain documentation for, each of the
following questions to determine whether an expenditure would be allowable:
1.
Is the expenditure reasonable and necessary to carry out the intent and purpose of the program?
2.
Does the expenditure address a need previously identified in the campus comprehensive needs assessment?
3.
Is the program/activity/strategy to be funded described in the campus/district improvement plan prior to the
question to pay the expenditure from Title I, Part A funds?
4.
How will the expenditure be evaluated to measure a positive impact on student achievement?
5.
If a school-wide campus, will the expenditure upgrade the entire educational program on the campus?
6.
Is the expenditure supplemental to other non-federal programs? On a schoolwide program, the amount of
Title I, Part A funding on the campus must be supplemental. On a targeted assistance program, the
program/activity/strategy must be supplemental.