Online Discussion Summary
On March 3, the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality hosted its second online discussion featuring the TQ Source Tips and Tools document,
Teacher Quality for Multitiered Interventions (
http://www.tqsource.org/strategies/multitieredSystems/TQMultitiered.pdf). Dr. Daniel J. Reschly of Vanderbilt University was available throughout the week to answer questions, provide insights, and offer suggestions to improve the capacity of education professionals in implementing multitiered interventions within the response to intervention (RTI) framework.
The discussion threads followed three main topic areas:
RTI as an effective practice and not an add-on to current educational practice
The primary RTI components/skills that teacher preparation and professional development need to address
The changing roles for general and special education teachers and related services personnel within RTI
RTI as an Effective PracticeDr. Reschly responded to an inquiry as to whether educators have a misconception that RTI is just another add on to school programs by indicating that the concepts associated with RTI are not new. The RTI language in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 promotes a framework for universal screening, evidenced-based interventions, and progress monitoring and establishes these as integral components of educational practice.
As indicated in
Teacher Quality for Multitiered Interventions, a wide range of evidenced-based instruction and interventions is available, but some of these resources are not used as intended or as frequently as they could be. The use of evidenced-based instructional strategies and interventions is critical to the success of RTI efforts and has forced the field to identify practices that meet the definition of evidenced-based. The Office of Special Education (OSEP) has established several centers to help identify evidenced-based instructional strategies and interventions:
The Office of Special Education Programs: Ideas That Work (
http://www.osepideasthatwork.org/toolkit/index.asp)
What Works Clearinghouse (
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/)
National Center for Accessing the General Curriculum (
http://www.cast.org/policy/ncac/index.html)
The United States Department of Education: Doing What Works (
http://dww.ed.gov)
RTI Critical Components and Teacher PreparationDr. Reschly indicated that he and his colleagues have found that educators and related services personnel are not being prepared well in the critical components of RTI. Highly skilled general and special education teachers and related services personnel are integral to successful implementation of RTI principles.
To establish and implement RTI, education professionals require a range of skills and competencies, which may include the following:
Expertise in implementation of evidenced-based instructional strategies and interventions
Competence in universal screening techniques
Capacity to assess and monitor student progress
Problem-solving skills for data-based analysis and decision making
Collaborative delivery of instruction and interventions
Knowledge in the differences between accommodations and interventions
Family involvement strategies
Online RTI resources and training modules include the following:
The Iris Center on Response to Intervention (
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/rti01_overview/chalcycle.htm)
National Center on Response to Intervention (
http://www.rti4success.org/)
National Center for Learning Disabilities: A Parents Guide to Response to Intervention (Parent Advocacy Brief) (
http://www.ncld.org/images/stories/downloads/parent_center/rti_final.pdf)
Several participants sought specific information on progress monitoring tools. Online resources specific to progress monitoring include the following:
National Center on Progress Monitoring (
http://www.studentprogress.org/)
Intervention Central (
http://www.jimwrightonline.com/php/rti/rti_wire.php)
Research Institute on Progress Monitoring (
http://progressmonitoring.net/)
Roles and ResponsibilitiesOnline participants shared dialogue concerning the changing roles for educators and related services personnel when implementing RTI. Expertise in evidenced-based instructional strategies and behavioral interventions is essential, along with the capacity of educators and related services personnel to monitor student progress. The capacity of education professionals to implement an RTI framework is critical within all tiers. As the intensity of intervention increases, so does the need to involve expertise from multiple disciplines and to alter the various roles of educators. The Center on Instruction offers a new resource,
New Roles in Response to Intervention: Creating Success for Schools and Children (
http://www.centeroninstruction.org/files/rti_role_definitions.pdf), which is a compilation of professional organization position papers regarding various RTI roles.
Thank you for taking the time to visit the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Qualitys online discussion board. Your participation is greatly appreciated. We welcome dialogue regarding your experiences and suggestions to improve the connection between general and special education teacher preparation within this topic area and others that promote access to students with disabilities and progress in the general education curriculum.
Join us next month to continue the RTI dialogue scheduled to begin
April 7 with discussion and information surrounding the critical RTI assessment strategies. Kim Gibbons, Ph.D., executive director of the St. Croix River Education District (SCRED) in Rush City, Minnesota, will provide insights on local professional development strategies in implementing RTI within elementary and secondary schools. Dr. Gibbons will be available online to exchange dialogue and answer questions during the following times:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday
1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time
Friday
11:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m., Eastern Time
