RTI Toolkit: A Practical Guide for Schools

Since federal law recognized Response To Intervention (RTI) as an option for identifying students with learning disabilities in the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools across the nation have endeavored to implement the RTI model. Author Jim Wright created RTI Toolkit to provide administrators, teachers, school psychologists and parents with a clear understanding of RTI and explicit guidance on how to implement the model in schools.

The tools in the RTI Toolkit will enable these and other school stakeholders to

• Identify students at risk for learning or behavioral problems
• Tailor intervention plans to meet students’ individual needs
• Monitor progress over time to ensure students are closing the gap with their peers
• Adopt decision rules to know when struggling students have not responded to intervention and should be referred to special education

RTI offers educators a way to meet the needs of diverse learners, especially those who are at-risk and struggling and might otherwise fall through the cracks. However, school-wide implementation of RTI is an ambitious undertaking that requires commitment, patience and a willingness to embrace a new culture in which teachers are both empowered and supported by multi-disciplinary intervention and problem-solving teams. It also requires considerable resources that are often in short supply. The RTI Toolkit provides practical strategies for overcoming the challenges that often arise in the process of introducing RTI and identifies a detailed, step-by-step process for effective school-wide implementation.