Response to Intervention (RTI) Book Chapter
Throughout the years there have been many innovations in education; however, I believe none can compare to Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI has the potential to totally transform the face of education. When I do seminars all over the country, I hear over and over again statements like, “Students can’t sit still anymore,” “I have to play the part of policeman,” “I have more students than ever before who are defiant and disinterested,” and “Students today just don’t learn like they used to.” Educators are complaining. They tell me they want to be able to reach students so they can learn. RTI is the process that will help this happen. RTI started with the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004 (Bradley, Danielson, & Doolittle, 2007). Up until this law was passed, students with learning disabilities were generally first identified using the “discrepancy model.” If there was a discrepancy between a student’s IQ and the student’s achievement, this was cause for alarm. Often this discrepancy was not found until the student had been in school for several grades.
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