RTI Process Checklist

Posted by Beth DuBose on Aug 25, 2008

Questions to consider when developing your Response to Intervention process

As your district looks at developing a Response to Intervention process, there are many items to consider. Over the next few days we will look at key decisions that need to be made when implementing RTI.

First and foremost, your district will need to decide what process works best for YOUR school district. There are many examples out there of what other districts are doing, but they might not be the best fit for your district. Below are some key questions that a district must consider when developing their RTI process:

When will your Universal Screenings take place?

This can vary depending on the district or schools need. Some schools decide to screen once at the beginning of the school year. Others screen in the fall, winter and spring.

How/when will students be referred to the Interventions team? 

Some districts have created forms to refer students. Others have software programs, like EXCEED/RTI, which allows a teacher to indicate a meeting is needed and appropriate parties are automatically notified. Also, when the Intervention team becomes involved can vary depending on district/school. Some schools have decided to include the team on all intervention decisions, while others only bring them in on Tier 3.

Who will make up the Intervention team? 

I have seen many different titles across states and districts make up the intervention teams. Everything from guidance counselor to psychologist, general ed to special ed teachers. You will need to decide for your district or school who will bring the best skills to make these important educational decisions for the students.

When will Intervention team meetings be held?

This will more than likely vary by school and when teachers are able to easily meet together. When I was in the school districts, we decided that our intervention meetings would be only on Tuesday’s during the child’s teacher’s planning period. This way, all the individuals that made up the intervention team knew not to schedule any other meetings on Tuesdays. I have seen some districts only meet before or after school. Scheduling is always a difficult task, but it is important to set some ground rules about when to hold meetings so everyone’s schedules are not so scattered.

How long will the interventions run? 

Of course this will vary depending on the student and intervention, but putting some boundaries on timelines will help guide your intervention team.

When will the team decide to change or intensify the intervention?

Again, some boundaries on how long to wait before deciding if an intervention is working will help in guiding your teams.

How will the Interventions team refer students to other programs is needed?

Your district might already have a process to refer students to other programs such as 504 or Special Education. But some of the members of your intervention team may have never had to refer a student. Making sure everyone knows this process will ensure a smooth referral transition.

How will your RtI program roll out? What is the timeline?

Depending on the size of your district, it might be easier to roll out your intervention program to a few schools at a time. This way you can test your process and make adjustments as needed. If you are a smaller school district, it might make sense to roll it out to everyone at the same time. Response to Intervention implementations do not happen overnight, so make sure to give your district enough time to have a successful implementation.