[MOSAIC] RTI

[DeMilleReed at aol.com]

In NYS, I believe, eventual RTI (response to intervention) involvement is  
not optional.  It is part of the state push to lower special education  
classification numbers.  The idea is that we make sure we have given a  child the best 
possible intervention before we make assumptions about learning  
disabilities.  It also includes the idea that even if a child does have a  learning 
disability, we need to have a real and concrete plan for addressing the  child's 
learning needs. 
 
 In the past we worked with the discrepancy model which looked for a  certain 
gap between a child's actual achievement and their expected  potential.  That 
model assumed that the child was receiving the best  possible intervention, 
which isn't always the case.  The tiers indicate the  child's level of 
instruction, tier three being the most needy and perhaps will  end up being classified 
with a learning disability.  Tier one, grade level  and doing fine.
 
In our school, use of this model has been ok.  I have found that  special 
education teachers and reading teachers are working much more closely  together. 
This is a good thing.  It's all a continuum of learning  needs, in my opinion. 
  We have had experiences with children that we  were pretty sure would end 
up under the Committee for Special Education who did  not after the "tier 3" 
intervention we were able to provide.  This  intervention for the most needy 
learners has worked out to be that sometimes a  child will have 3 reading lessons 
a day, planned pretty congruently: one from  the Title I Reading teacher, one 
from the special education teacher and one from  their classroom teacher.  
 
I've been a teacher for a long time and I do have mixed feelings about this  
stuff.  Overall, I am ok with it and have been able to shape my piece in it  
to contain what I believe to be best for my students in Title I.  I work in  a 
small district in which we are able to contribute specifically with the  
direction our programs go.  I am curious to hear other people's  experiences. 
 
Cathy 
Title I Reading
NYS



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