RTI and Reading:
I chose to read What is RTI? (Read Naturally, 2018). Although our district doesn’t have a
Response to Intervention (RTI) image on its learning services website, or use the term “RTI”,
I believe that our district does follow its own version of a RTI framework.
We have four learning support teachers at my school, and we follow a “tier 1, tier 2, tier 3”
system in determining reading support for all learners. Like RTI, we use fall reading assessments
to aid in pin-pointing struggling readers while teachers use differentiated instruction in the
classroom and support interventions at increasing levels of intensity, with the assistance of
learning support teachers (Read Naturally, 2018).
Tier 1:
With regards to reading, my school district administers reading assessments in both the fall, and
in the spring, that are completed by all students in grades 2-7. The EPRA (Early Primary
Reading Assessment) and IRA (Intermediate Reading Assessment) are conducted in similar
ways where students are given a short, non-fiction booklet to read and then asked to complete a
response page that asks about connecting, visualizing and summarizing. While students are
reading independently and answering the response questions, the classroom (CT) and support
teacher (ST) read with each student to get a sense of his/her reading fluency and strategies. This
information is then used to inform the classroom teacher of areas of strength and weakness, as
well as students who may require targeted group intervention and reading support. The
assessments can also be used to help guide other “tier 1” supports.
These supports are the best practices, or high-quality instruction, provided to all
students. Examples include differentiated instruction and Universal Designs for
Learning (UDL).
Ongoing assessments are conducted as needed.
The teacher may approach learning support staff for help or recommendations for
additional in-class supports.
Tier 2:
If the fall reading assessment brings light to students who need extra support to meet learning
outcomes, then more targeted in-class strategies and/or small-group instruction will need to be
put into place to bring the students to grade level.
This is in addition to the strategies within the general class setting, as outlined above,
and often involves targeted group intervention by the CT or ST.
Ongoing assessments and diagnostic assessments are conducted as needed.
If a student's learning is still a concern, the CT or ST will then bring the student to
School-Based Team (SBT). SBT is a group problem solving approach – typically
SBT includes learning support staff, school/district psychologist, administrators,
counselor, youth or childcare worker, and the classroom teacher.
Tier 3:
In some cases, “tier 2” supports aren’t enough and a student needs more intensive, individual
support to meet learning outcomes or close the gap between current independent level and actual
grade level.
Sometimes SBT may request additional information in the way of different screening
tools or assessments. Results that come out of these types of assessments may indicate
the need for assessment and/or diagnosis by outside agencies such as Sunny Hill
Health Centre. Results may or may not lead to ministry identification for special
education services (coding and IEP).
“Tier 3” supports, at this point, are typically individualized and intensive (1:1 or
small group and targeted) and depend entirely on the student and the type of needs.
Ongoing assessments and diagnostic assessments are conducted as needed.
RTI Model:
I was unable to find a district RTI image on our learning services website. When I asked my
support teacher, she said that she had asked a few learning support colleagues and that none
of them could find a district RTI image or remembered our district even having one. In
asking a colleague that used to work at a different school, she said that she was given the
model below, a RTI model from UBC, and was told that that’s what our district follows.
References:
Batsche, et al. (2005). Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and Implementation.
Read Naturally. (2018). What is RTI? https://www.readnaturally.com/rti
