Isnt RtI primarily a special education initiative?
No. Special education eligibility may be an outcome of the process for a few children, but implementation of the three-tier model is almost completely a regular education responsibility. Regular education must insure that ALL students receive quality, differentiated instruction in a scientifically research-based core curriculum. All students must be screened in reading, math, and behavior, minimally three times per year. Regular education provides a series of increasingly intense interventions as soon as a student is identified as at risk’. It is only after it is demonstrated that a student’s progress (response) to these interventions is not sufficient to close the gap in his performance that special education is considered.
