Policy and Process
in Practice
For your final assessment, create a PowerPoint. To begin this assignment, do the following:
- Identify an educational issue within your school
- Identify a decision that has been made that is associated with that issue.
- Identify the stakeholders involved and define/explain the roles of each.
- Describe the process used, evidence gathered, and analysis used to make the decision.
- Provide recommendations that could improve any of the following: the process, data collection, or
data interpretation.
Introduction
Known by its full name as the Response To Intervention process, RTI is a multilayered
approach to identifying and supporting students who have behavior and learning needs. The
exaction of the RTI process begins with universally screening and giving high-quality
instruction to children who are in a general education class. Struggling students are singled
out and given interventions that would accentuate the learner’s level of intensity in
accelerating his rate of learning. A variety of personnel may provide these services.
The issue that necessitated the use of RTI is the fact of some learners being slower than
their counterparts in the classroom. Because of this, RTI was identified as the way to
strengthen and speed up the performance of these slower learners.
The progress of the learner is also closed followed up to help assess the level of
performance and the learning rate of the same. It is from the results of the assessment on
the duration and intensity of the student that education decisions are made, with reference
to the response of the student to instruction. In this regard, it is clear that RTI is used to
generate both general and specific decisions, so as to help a comprehensive and well-
integrated instructional and intervention system which is led by the child outcome data
(VanDerHeyden, et al., 2010).
There are certain processes or features that must be regarded to help RTI be effective.
Some of these features include: tiered instruction, an ongoing student assessment program,
parental involvement and high quality and scientifically backed classroom instruction. It is
worth noting that each of these components are fundamentally essential and can therefore
not be substituted for the other. It is for this reason that there is no known single and
thoroughly researched model that has dwelt only on one component. The model is
nevertheless always referred to as a three-step or three-tier model of school support. This
three-tier support system nevertheless uses the multilayered framework to understand and
improve on behavioral interventions.
RTI and Decision-
making
RTI as a multilayered approach
RTI and legal and policy framework
Known by its full name as the Response To Intervention process, RTI is a multilayered
approach to identifying and supporting students who have behavior and learning needs. The
exaction of the RTI process begins with universally screening and giving high-quality
instruction to children who are in a general education class. Struggling students are singled
out and given interventions that would accentuate the learner’s level of intensity in
accelerating his rate of learning. A variety of personnel may provide these services.
The issue that necessitated the use of RTI is the fact of some learners being slower than
their counterparts in the classroom. Because of this, RTI was identified as the way to
strengthen and speed up the performance of these slower learners.
The progress of the learner is also closed followed up to help assess the level of
performance and the learning rate of the same. It is from the results of the assessment on
the duration and intensity of the student that education decisions are made, with reference
to the response of the student to instruction. In this regard, it is clear that RTI is used to
generate both general and specific decisions, so as to help a comprehensive and well-
integrated instructional and intervention system which is led by the child outcome data
(VanDerHeyden, et al., 2010).
There are certain processes or features that must be regarded to help RTI be effective.
Some of these features include: tiered instruction, an ongoing student assessment program,
parental involvement and high quality and scientifically backed classroom instruction. It is
worth noting that each of these components are fundamentally essential and can therefore
not be substituted for the other. It is for this reason that there is no known single and
thoroughly researched model that has dwelt only on one component. The model is
nevertheless always referred to as a three-step or three-tier model of school support. This
three-tier support system nevertheless uses the multilayered framework to understand and
improve on behavioral interventions.
Underlying issues of
RTI
RTI and Learning Disability
Issues that acted as the herald of the RTI
are learning disabilities (LD) which are
self-effacing. The fact of the LD being
self-effacing was attributed to the
disability being present in some learners
but manifesting itself in diversionary
ways such as slowness in learning,
disinterest in learning or lack of positive
attitude towards learning. As such,
children learners who are exposed to the
risks of the LD are amenable to
underperforming and a significant gap
between the affected learner’s academic
achievements and ability.
In light of the foregoing, RTI was brought
about as a way of systematically
providing an intense, early and
appropriate assistance to learners who
are underperforming or are at the risk of
underperforming, as compared to an
appropriate age-to-grade level standards.
RTI Stakeholders
Learning children
Parents
Teachers
Educationalists
Government
Of course, there are many players who
make up the stakeholders of the multi-
tiered program that is RTI. One of the
principal stakeholders in RTI is the
children also doubling up as students or
learners. Learners are the object of RTI as
the entire program seeks to help disabled
learners to overcome the impediments
to learning. Learners are observed and
evaluated for disability before being
helped with outreach efforts and referral
processes that are designed for
evaluating sharpening his learning skills
(VanDerHeyden, et al., 2010).
Parents are also major stakeholders in
RTI. It is parents who sire and raise the
child- of which educating is part of. It
therefore also follows that the child is
usually the first person to notice a
disability on the part of the child. As a
matter of fact, one of the purposes of the
Child-Find Under IDEA 2004 was to help
teachers be more proactive in noting or
detecting disability on the learner, in lieu
of waiting for the parent to notice the
disability by himself.
Teachers, educationalists and the
government through the department of
education, are also important
stakeholders. While teachers must
contend with learning disability in the
course of imparting knowledge and skills,
educationalists and the government craft
and ratify policies which will uphold and
promote effectiveness and efficiency in
education. The government oversees the
funding and the legal framework that
guide and facilitate learning efficiency.
RTI Evidence-gathering
& Decision-making
RTI and legal framework
RTI and the IQ Achievement
Discrepancy Model
Based on earlier research studies and
findings, the reality of child disability in
learning was confirmed. It is against this
backdrop that the Child-Find Under IDEA
2004 was passed and made legally
binding. The framework upon which RTI
is built acknowledges the purposes for
evaluating rules for data decisions which
are to guide Positive Behavioral Support
at the individual level. The framework for
instance categorizes behavior as intense
and chronic, with each category having
its own degree and nature of
intervention. CFR § 300.111 and the
Child-Find Under IDEA 2004 safeguard
the same frameworks, the Positive
Behavior Support included.
Determining LD borrows from the IQ
Achievement (Score) Discrepancy Model.
The model covers an array of tests
including the norm-referenced and
standardized tests which measure
underlying processes of cognition (such
as short-term and working memory and
processing speed) and intelligence.
CFR § 300.111 and the Child-Find Under
IDEA 2004 also cover legal issues which
surround the execution of RTI such as
parental consent
Evidence gathered and
used to drive the
decision
Curriculum-based measurement
ITR and Progress monitoring
The evidence gathered to arrive at a position is normally a reflection of the congregating
research. This means that there are well specified fundamentals which are spelt out
beforehand are recognized as a general set record of achievement. This general record of
achievement is a culmination of research by educationalists and input of highly qualified
teachers who highly regard fidelity to design.
To specifically evaluate a learner’s performance against his age, curriculum-based
measurement (CBM) is normally used to help collect data on student performance,
intervention method being used and the determination of the most appropriate form of
intervention that can best help the student cognitively and academically (William & Shores,
2007).
Progress monitoring can also be used to
help a learner’s academic performance,
with respect to his age. As a scientifically
based practice, progress monitoring has
been known to significantly help:
evaluate whether or not, learners are
benefiting from instructional programs
and the curriculum, appropriately; build
more suitable programs for learners who
have proven not to benefit from already
executed programs; and estimate the
rate of student development or
improvement.
The benefits and
limitations of the data
Benefits of CBM
Demerits of CBM
The benefit of the data obtained from
CBM is that it can help gather accurate
data on student performance, intervention
method being used and the determination
of the most appropriate form of
intervention that can best help the student
cognitively and academically. This means
that the measure being applied in
response to data obtained from CBM is
accurate and evidence-based.
The downside of the data obtained from
CBM is its exposure to the danger of
faulty generalization. CBM emanate from
behavioral psychology yet the problem of
many behaviorists being disenchanted
with an absence of the dynamics of the
CBM information gathering process is
real.
RecommendationsThe
Case of RTI as a Process
The fact of RTI not being a perfect
process makes it in need of
recommendations that can help
ameliorate its intervention on
learners with LD.
The integration of functional or
diagnostic assessment needs to the
clarification of screening test results
It is important that applicants of RTI
ratify the program as a continuum of
instruction, instead of a once-and-for-all
application. In most cases, in RTI
programs, the teacher provides
differentiated instruction, classroom
management, behavioral mastery and
learning and data-based monitoring of
the learners’ academic performance. To
ensure this, components that may be
added to RTI may include: transference
of training strategies, special situation
strategies, motivational strategies,
mastery acquisition strategies and speed
learning, among others.
Secondly, RTI should be cognizant of the
fact of academics being interdependent
of behavior. RTI should recognize that
some behavioral skills are
interdependent with behavior
management, classroom management
and the student’s self-management
ability. This reality must therefore also be
incorporated into RTI.
References
William, N. B. & Shores, C. (2007).
Response to Intervention: A
Practical Guide for Every Teacher.
NY: SAGE Publications.
VanDerHeyden, A. et al. (2010).
Essentials of Response to
Intervention. NY: A. Kaufman &
Kaufman Series Editors.
