Frequently Asked Questions
Scenario: A student served under Special Education for Speech Impairment begins to struggle in math. The teacher should begin documenting Tier 1 strategies being used for that student and also contact the student’s Special Education case manager (in this scenario the Speech Language Pathologist) to discuss the concerns and next steps. After Tier 1 strategies have been documented for at least 4 weeks, if the student continues to not make appropriate progress, the SIT committee (to include the Special Education case manager) should meet to determine next steps utilizing the RtI procedures. If after interventions are implemented and the student does not make adequate progress, the SIT committee recommends additional evaluation, the student’s ARD committee should convene to consider additional evaluation.
1. Who is responsible for RtI?
Since the focus of RtI is strengthening the effectiveness of core curriculum and instruction for all students, ALL teachers are responsible for Response to Intervention. It involves good instructional practice that is expected in all classrooms for all students. Teachers at all levels will be using progress monitoring data to inform their instruction for all students. Monitoring of the RtI process is the responsibility of the Student Intervention Team working in conjunction with teachers and administrators at each school.
2. Is there a list of strategies?
There is no such thing as a comprehensive list of strategies. There are strategies listed in the Mentoring Minds Master Instructional Strategies Flipchart which is available to all campuses. The PreReferral Manual (PRIM) should be available at every SIT meeting to assist with this as well. It is important to note that specific programs/instructional tools are aligned with the tiers of RtI. These programs are reserved for use with students needing intervention at the intensity of the noted tier. The teacher is responsible for assuring that the program is delivered as indicated in the research base of the program. This includes the instructional methodology, time on task, appropriate group size, etc.
3. How will the Student Intervention Team be set up?
Please see pages 17-19 of the district RtI handbook.
4. What is a reasonable time to implement an intervention before determining if it is effective or not?
Interventions differ in intensity and kind, so there is no specific length of time for an intervention to be implemented. The length of time will be determined by the Student Intervention Team and will be dependent on progress monitoring results. A minimum length of time has been noted on the various documents and checklists in this plan. The SIT may alter that requirement based on the severity of the problem.
5. Is a retained student automatically Tier II or Tier III?
No. However, retained students should be monitored carefully to assure that they make the necessary progress to be successful in later years and to score at the proficient level on mandated tests. Retention is one indicator on the “Support List”. Just repeating the same program with the same type of instruction is often not enough to positively impact a student’s long term achievement. Therefore, care must be taken to assure appropriate diagnosis and intensity of intervention for these students. At the first sign that a retained student is not making adequate progress the student’s data should be reviewed by the data team for possible referral to the SIT.
6. What if a parent requests that a student be tested for Special Education?
If a parent requests testing, they should be referred to a campus administrator as soon as possible. State law requires written response to parents within 15 school days of the written request for a Special Education evaluation. Ideally, district staff and parent(s) work collaboratively to determine if a referral to special education will be made immediately or if a referral to the SIT will be made to consider student needs and develop an intervention plan. Should the district determine that an evaluation will not be conducted at this time, the campus Diagnostician, LSSP, or Speech Language Pathologist will assist in drafting the Notice of Decision detailing the decision that was made and rationale. Parents will be provided the Notice of Procedural Safeguards with written receipt, as well as the Notice of Decision.
If the parent request is honored by the district at that time, information required for referral (i.e., hearing/vision, teacher information, parent information, educational records, etc.) are gathered and then informed written consent for evaluation is gained from the parent.
7. What happens when a new student is enrolled who was Tier II or Tier III in another district?
The Campus SIT Coordinator will review the student records and determine the next steps needed. If necessary, the SIT Coordinator will bring the student’s data to the Student Intervention Team for review and/or revisions needed due to the changes in programming and/or resources between districts. Be aware that data from another district may not be usable in its entirety.
8. If I complete a Tier I Initial Student Support Plan, utilize the strategies, and the student shows enough improvement to be back on track, do I still sign up for SIT?
No. This is good news! The student is ready to progress with the rest of the class. There is no need for SIT involvement. , however, note that continued use of strategies may be needed. That is a part of the MTSS process. Each child receives the support that he or she needs to maintain progress towards grade level expectations.
9. What happens if a child struggles, we begin intervention with a Tier I Initial Student Support Plan, they improve, we discontinue, and the student falters again?
A student may struggle in the fall, improve, and then begin to have difficulty again due to the rigor of the content. If this happens, you simply begin another Tier I Initial Student Support Plan to address the problem. Discontinuing a Tier I Plan due to success does not guarantee that the student will never struggle again.
10. What do I do with my Tier I Initial Student Support Plan forms?
As the child’s teacher, you will keep these forms until:
1) the child is referred to SIT, at which time you will give that child’s forms to the RtI Coordinator for your campus.
OR
2) the end of the school year arrives—at which time you will give all of your forms (whether you are continuing the strategies/interventions or not) to the RtI Coordinator. 4thGrade, 6th Grade, and 8th Grade Forms should be filed into GREEN folders by Last Name, First Name to be passed on to the next year’s campus. The responsibility for delivering these files to the next campus is that of the RtI Coordinator.
11. Who determines when to consider a referral to Special Education?
The Student Intervention Team makes this decision collaboratively, based upon data indicating the student’s response to intervention and the level of support the student is receiving. The campus LSSP, Diagnostician and/or Speech Language Pathologist should participate in the team meeting when this determination is made. At any point in the process, if a significant disability (e.g. Intellectual Disability, Autism, Visual/Auditory Impairment) is suspected, the team should convene to consider a referral to Special Education.
12. What does an evaluation consist of when the determination is made that the student is not responsive to intervention?
A Full and Individual Evaluation is conducted by a multidisciplinary team to evaluate all areas of suspected disability and need in accordance with state and federal law. This assessment includes gathering information from a variety of sources, including both formal and informal assessment. The evaluation consists of a review of all of the intervention and progress monitoring data that has been collected on the student, as well as observation(s) and teacher/parent input. Depending on the referral question, the evaluation may include formal assessment of social/emotional/behavioral status, cognitive abilities, adaptive behavior, and academic achievement.
13. If a student is already covered under Special Education or 504, do we still need to use RtI for that student?
It depends on if the student has already been identified as having a disability in the area of concern. Teachers with students in this situation should consider: Is the area of struggle (ie: math computation or reading comprehension) the disability already identified for that student?
If Yes: If the teacher is seeing the student struggle in those areas addressed in the IEP or 504 plan, he/she should contact the student’s contact teacher or 504 coordinator about the concerns. The contact teacher or 504 coordinator then should then help the teacher determine if an ARD or 504 meeting needs to be called or if Tier 1 strategy documentation should begin.
If No: The teacher should begin documenting Tier 1 strategies being used for that student and also contact the student’s contact teacher or 504 coordinator to let them know that the student is struggling.
Scenario: A student served under Special Education for Speech Impairment begins to struggle in math. The teacher should begin documenting Tier 1 strategies being used for that student and also contact the student’s Special Education case manager (in this scenario the Speech Language Pathologist) to discuss the concerns and next steps. After Tier 1 strategies have been documented for at least 4 weeks, if the student continues to not make appropriate progress, the SIT committee (to include the Special Education case manager) should meet to determine next steps utilizing the RtI procedures. If after interventions are implemented and the student does not make adequate progress, the SIT committee recommends additional evaluation, the student’s ARD committee should convene to consider additional evaluation.
1. Who is responsible for RtI?
Since the focus of RtI is strengthening the effectiveness of core curriculum and instruction for all students, ALL teachers are responsible for Response to Intervention. It involves good instructional practice that is expected in all classrooms for all students. Teachers at all levels will be using progress monitoring data to inform their instruction for all students. Monitoring of the RtI process is the responsibility of the Student Intervention Team working in conjunction with teachers and administrators at each school.
2. Is there a list of strategies?
There is no such thing as a comprehensive list of strategies. There are strategies listed in the Mentoring Minds Master Instructional Strategies Flipchart which is available to all campuses. The PreReferral Manual (PRIM) should be available at every SIT meeting to assist with this as well. It is important to note that specific programs/instructional tools are aligned with the tiers of RtI. These programs are reserved for use with students needing intervention at the intensity of the noted tier. The teacher is responsible for assuring that the program is delivered as indicated in the research base of the program. This includes the instructional methodology, time on task, appropriate group size, etc.
3. How will the Student Intervention Team be set up?
Please see pages 17-19 of the district RtI handbook.
4. What is a reasonable time to implement an intervention before determining if it is effective or not?
Interventions differ in intensity and kind, so there is no specific length of time for an intervention to be implemented. The length of time will be determined by the Student Intervention Team and will be dependent on progress monitoring results. A minimum length of time has been noted on the various documents and checklists in this plan. The SIT may alter that requirement based on the severity of the problem.
5. Is a retained student automatically Tier II or Tier III?
No. However, retained students should be monitored carefully to assure that they make the necessary progress to be successful in later years and to score at the proficient level on mandated tests. Retention is one indicator on the “Support List”. Just repeating the same program with the same type of instruction is often not enough to positively impact a student’s long term achievement. Therefore, care must be taken to assure appropriate diagnosis and intensity of intervention for these students. At the first sign that a retained student is not making adequate progress the student’s data should be reviewed by the data team for possible referral to the SIT.
6. What if a parent requests that a student be tested for Special Education?
If a parent requests testing, they should be referred to a campus administrator as soon as possible. State law requires written response to parents within 15 school days of the written request for a Special Education evaluation. Ideally, district staff and parent(s) work collaboratively to determine if a referral to special education will be made immediately or if a referral to the SIT will be made to consider student needs and develop an intervention plan. Should the district determine that an evaluation will not be conducted at this time, the campus Diagnostician, LSSP, or Speech Language Pathologist will assist in drafting the Notice of Decision detailing the decision that was made and rationale. Parents will be provided the Notice of Procedural Safeguards with written receipt, as well as the Notice of Decision.
If the parent request is honored by the district at that time, information required for referral (i.e., hearing/vision, teacher information, parent information, educational records, etc.) are gathered and then informed written consent for evaluation is gained from the parent.
7. What happens when a new student is enrolled who was Tier II or Tier III in another district?
The Campus SIT Coordinator will review the student records and determine the next steps needed. If necessary, the SIT Coordinator will bring the student’s data to the Student Intervention Team for review and/or revisions needed due to the changes in programming and/or resources between districts. Be aware that data from another district may not be usable in its entirety.
8. If I complete a Tier I Initial Student Support Plan, utilize the strategies, and the student shows enough improvement to be back on track, do I still sign up for SIT?
No. This is good news! The student is ready to progress with the rest of the class. There is no need for SIT involvement. , however, note that continued use of strategies may be needed. That is a part of the MTSS process. Each child receives the support that he or she needs to maintain progress towards grade level expectations.
9. What happens if a child struggles, we begin intervention with a Tier I Initial Student Support Plan, they improve, we discontinue, and the student falters again?
A student may struggle in the fall, improve, and then begin to have difficulty again due to the rigor of the content. If this happens, you simply begin another Tier I Initial Student Support Plan to address the problem. Discontinuing a Tier I Plan due to success does not guarantee that the student will never struggle again.
10. What do I do with my Tier I Initial Student Support Plan forms?
As the child’s teacher, you will keep these forms until:
1) the child is referred to SIT, at which time you will give that child’s forms to the RtI Coordinator for your campus.
OR
2) the end of the school year arrives—at which time you will give all of your forms (whether you are continuing the strategies/interventions or not) to the RtI Coordinator. 4thGrade, 6th Grade, and 8th Grade Forms should be filed into GREEN folders by Last Name, First Name to be passed on to the next year’s campus. The responsibility for delivering these files to the next campus is that of the RtI Coordinator.
11. Who determines when to consider a referral to Special Education?
The Student Intervention Team makes this decision collaboratively, based upon data indicating the student’s response to intervention and the level of support the student is receiving. The campus LSSP, Diagnostician and/or Speech Language Pathologist should participate in the team meeting when this determination is made. At any point in the process, if a significant disability (e.g. Intellectual Disability, Autism, Visual/Auditory Impairment) is suspected, the team should convene to consider a referral to Special Education.
12. What does an evaluation consist of when the determination is made that the student is not responsive to intervention?
A Full and Individual Evaluation is conducted by a multidisciplinary team to evaluate all areas of suspected disability and need in accordance with state and federal law. This assessment includes gathering information from a variety of sources, including both formal and informal assessment. The evaluation consists of a review of all of the intervention and progress monitoring data that has been collected on the student, as well as observation(s) and teacher/parent input. Depending on the referral question, the evaluation may include formal assessment of social/emotional/behavioral status, cognitive abilities, adaptive behavior, and academic achievement.
13. If a student is already covered under Special Education or 504, do we still need to use RtI for that student?
It depends on if the student has already been identified as having a disability in the area of concern. Teachers with students in this situation should consider: Is the area of struggle (ie: math computation or reading comprehension) the disability already identified for that student?
If Yes: If the teacher is seeing the student struggle in those areas addressed in the IEP or 504 plan, he/she should contact the student’s contact teacher or 504 coordinator about the concerns. The contact teacher or 504 coordinator then should then help the teacher determine if an ARD or 504 meeting needs to be called or if Tier 1 strategy documentation should begin.
If No: The teacher should begin documenting Tier 1 strategies being used for that student and also contact the student’s contact teacher or 504 coordinator to let them know that the student is struggling.
