by Alan E. Farstrup
It is important for IRA members to be fully aware of the implications of Response to Intervention (RTI) provisions set forth in the U.S. federal Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. RTI has rapidly emerged as an important policy and programmatic approach to effective instruction. Its purpose is to reduce the number of learners referred to learning disabilities or special education programs by providing intensive and effective instruction before children begin to fail.
It has been estimated, for example, that as many as 40% of students in special education programs are there because they struggle with reading. IRA believes this alone makes a very strong case for the direct and active involvement of expert reading professionals.
A better term for RTI might be “Response to Instruction” because it appropriately places emphasis on the importance of early and effective teaching and learning. IRA believes that RTI should not be viewed solely as an extension of learning disabilities or special education programs but, rather, as an aspect of all instruction.
IRA strongly supports the direct and active engagement of reading teachers and specialists in providing RTI services at all levels. This is consistent with the view that excellent teachers using a proven and rich array of instructional approaches and quality reading materials can help all students to become good readers.
RTI is achievement and success oriented. It relies on the expertise of good teachers who know how to select and use instructional materials appropriate to the needs and interests of students. A team approach to supporting students is employed where general and specialist teachers work together to provide instructional support.
There is increasing evidence that an early, intensive instructional approach has the effect of dramatically reducing the numbers of children, especially minority children, being inappropriately referred to learning disabilities or special education services. Not only are financial costs to districts and communities reduced, but more resource also can be freed up to provide stronger programs for students in regular classrooms and programs as well as for students really needing special education and learning disabilities services.
Why is RTI important for the reading profession? If we don’t pay close attention to the potential of RTI and insist on the meaningful engagement of reading professionals, there is a real possibility that RTI will tend to become yet another aspect of special education programming without the benefits of student access to the essential expertise of reading teachers and specialists.
RTI done well can result in much earlier identification of students with significant reading difficulties and, importantly, in the provision of good instruction that will foster their long-term success. In addition, up to 15% of a school and district’s special education funds can be used to implement RTI.
RTI has the very real potential of promoting cooperation and comprehensive approaches to solving students’ reading problems before the corrosive and nearly insurmountable effects of repeated failure set in. IRA believes that reading teachers and specialists must be involved with providing and guiding RTI services because they are the best prepared to help make a real difference for the children who are struggling with reading.
What steps are being taken by IRA in concert with other key professional groups to make a difference with RTI? IRA is entering into an important partnership with the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) to be a founding partner of a newly formed RTI Action Network (the Network).
IRA President Linda Gambrell and President-elect Barbara Walker met with leaders of NCLD in September to discuss the desirability of entering into the Network partnership. The need for and value of such a partnership was central to these discussions and resulted in a decision to move forward. NCLD has taken the lead in forming the Network and has gained significant support and generous funding from the Cisco Systems Foundation to make this collaborative effort a reality.
IRA is working closely with our partners at NCLD and the RTI Action Network to ensure that all children have access to excellent instruction and that struggling readers are appropriately identified as soon as their difficulties become evident so they will be provided with expert, early instruction that will improve their chances for long-term success. The Network will involve teachers, administrators, specialists, and parents in its work. It will focus on four important elements: research, extensive information resources, effective professional development, and mentoring of those responsible for implementing RTI.
Watch for the unveiling of the RTI Action Network website. The IRA website (www.reading.org) will provide links to the Network and to many important resources about RTI.
You can find other RTI-related resources at the IRA website by going to IRA’s homepage and clicking on “Implications for reading teachers in RTI.” This link will take you to a page with an extensive array of information about RTI as well as links to a rich variety of resources on this important topic. Of particular interest and relevance is a newly issued IRA report titled Implications for Reading Teachers in Response to Intervention (RTI), which provides a detailed account of RTI, its purposes, and how RTI will affect reading professionals and learners.
Working together, the RTI Action Network and IRA are making a positive difference on behalf of our profession and of kids! As a member of IRA you are a vital part of these important efforts that move our profession and the learners we all serve forward.
Alan E. Farstrup is executive director of the International Reading Association.
RTI: A vital concern for reading professionals. (December 2007). Reading Today, 25(3), 17.
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