Response to Intervention
IPS Mamzar is a fully inclusive school and its policies and processes are designed to support the needs of all learners. The school use the Response to intervention (RTI) process, which is a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), used by educators to help students who are struggling with a skill or lesson; Upon identification of a learners’ need of additional support, he or she is placed in specific academic programs that target their individual needs. The school has a variety of academic programs that support learners in language development, literacy, numeracy, and also Special Educational needs. Professional learning teams develop individualized learning programs for students following a tiered system of support. Every teacher will use interventions (a set of teaching procedures) with any (RTI) student to help them succeed in the classroom—it’s not just for children with special needs or a learning disability. If a student is struggling, his or her teacher will use test scores and other measures of progress to choose a researched and proven intervention suited to help the child learn. If a child does not respond to the initial interventions, more focused interventions are used to help the child master the skill. RTI strategies address both learning and behavior.
To help you picture RTI, think of the RTI framework as a pyramid. Our RTI program is divided into three sections: Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 at the top. Movement between sections is determined by a student’s response to certain interventions. Supports within the RTI tiers are cumulative, which means learners will continue to receive grade level lessons, with additional time, or remedial support. About 80 percent of students and the most commonly used teaching strategies and interventions are found in the base section of the pyramid. This section is called Tier 1 or the primary level of prevention (of failure).
Tier 2 or the secondary level of prevention is in the middle section of the pyramid. Here, the students receive additional time and more intensive interventions because the students are considered to be at a greater risk. About 15 percent of students will be in this section at any given time. Only about 5 percent of students are in Tier 3, or the tertiary level of prevention, at the top of the pyramid. Here, students receive the most intense and consistent interventions. Students in this tier, who do not respond to intervention at Tier 2, may be referred for more evaluative assessmetns. Although Special education is associated with this tier, not all children in this tier are in a special education program.
*Please feel free to visit IPS Mamzar to ask more questions about the RTI program
