***** Respond in a paragraph following the established guidelines. The answer must be of a substantial nature and with quotes present in the textbook. Agree or disagree is not appropriate. 

***** Only use this book and specific pages.   Represent the quotes (author, year, and page) when reflecting the content in your paragraph.

Source of reference: textbook Chapter 3

Peer 1 :

Response to Intervention

What are the Components and Implementation Practices in an RTI Model?

Response to intervention (RTI) is an instructional model that educators use to prevent learning and behavioral challenges, as well as provide data-based evidence about students performance in research-based interventions. It is a school-wide intervention framework which begins with students in Kindergarten and may progress through to middle school. The design of this strategy is focused on improving the learning outcomes of students. Often, RTI is used to ascertain eligibility for special education, although experts say it is not specific to the field. Cleverly, educators use data-based evidence together with assessment and classroom-based observations to enable referral and replacement in special education (Vaughn & Bos, 2015). Fundamentally, RTI can be implemented through various frameworks or critical components to ensure its fidelity to each students specific needs.

The first component of RTI comprises screening and progress monitoring. According to Vaughn and Bos (2015), universal screening enables an educator to identify learners at risk, monitor their learning progress over time, and determine students levels of performance. It is critical for instructors to assess whether their learners make enough progress to attain the set standards at a rate which is on par with that of colleagues. Students who show low progress require extra help which targets their needs. Essentially, the screening process means that an educator must create expectations and goals, as well as an assessment plan, to establish whether learners retain what they have been taught during the week, and use the information to reteach or provide additional intervention.

RTIs second component is the implementation of effective classroom instructional practices, which provides students with the opportunity to learn. At this level, it is recommended that educators provide a high-quality, research-based approach aligned with students needs. Simply, instructions with high learning rates should be used. Vaughn and Bos (2015) suggest that the purpose of a high-quality intervention is to increase the chances of positive student response. Ideally, and irrespective of the level at which RTI is implemented, the instructional approach should be selected based on the best research available.

Finally, the provision of intensive individualized intervention constitutes RTIs third component. This framework should target students who find a less intensive approach inadequate. In this case, an instructor can reduce group size, increase contact time, and tailor an intervention to the educational needs of students (Vaughn & Bos, 2015), having determined the available options. Similarly, it is important for educators to consider restructuring and regrouping learners to enable the provision of additional instructions for those students who exhibit slow progress. There may also be opportunities to refine such interventions using feedback from the students. Notably, the effort to intensify RTI is intended to provide more personalized and systematic support based on the needs of individual students.

Overall, RTI relies on feedback and data to make decisions or conduct data-based interventions. Educators create procedures to help with design of instructions, identification of students at risk, and how to move between components to customize the learning process according to students needs. The intensity of these intervention methods is increased based on the amount of learning progress. Ultimately, the objective of RTI is to choose an instructional strategy that aligns with the specific requirements of students, to facilitate an optimal learning environment.

References

Vaughn, S., & Bos, C. S. (2015). Strategies for teaching students with learning and behavior

problems (9th edition). Boston: Pearson.