Preparing for RTI

What information do educators need in order to feel prepared to implement Response to Intervention (RTI)? Professional development and teacher preparation are important issues at the center of a successful RTI framework, however, what information is needed and how to provide it are still up for debate. To begin to address this issue, the National Education Association (NEA) and the RTI Action Network co-hosted a symposium entitled, "Creating Capacity: Preparing Educators for Response to Intervention." The conversation about these important questions continues on a section of our discussion boards entitled "Teacher Preparation and Professional Development." Please visit to join the debate on these critical issues.

Positive Behavior Support and RTI

Dr. George Sugai describes RTI as an approach for establishing and redesigning teaching and learning environments so that they are effective, relevant, and durable for all students, families, and educators. In this article, Dr. Sugai details how applications of the RTI framework are also represented in the implementation of Positive Behavior Support practices. Learn how RTI — through its emphasis on prevention and continuous monitoring — can enhance student learning by effectively addressing behavioral problems.

Voices from the Field

As the RTI coordinator and speech-language pathologist for Central Elementary School in Yukon, Ohio, Kim Kysar develops interventions for students who struggle with language and literacy. When her school first began implementing RTI in 2007, various RTI team members had questions about job boundaries. Discover how within a year her colleagues were collaborating together for the greater good of their students in the latest Voices from the Field story.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

What if a child makes acceptable progress in data collection through intervention but is still not transferring these skills to the classroom?

Both Dr. Patti Ralabate, Senior Policy Analyst at the National Education Association, and Dr. Karen Wixson, Professor of Education at the University of Michigan, address the relationship between progress toward grade level standards and students’ learning rates in their respective answers to this question. They also provide guidance in determining when referral for special education may be appropriate or premature.