Response to Intervention Key Components
- High quality, Scientifically Research Based Core Instruction: Core instruction should be researched based and meet the needs of a majority of students (approximately 80%) determined by using school wide screenings. Information and resources on research based instruction can be found on the Resources for Evidence Based Practices Page.
- School Wide Screening and Progress Monitoring: School wide screenings should be implemented to ensure the core instruction is meeting the needs of the majority of students. This is typically done three times a year. Progress monitoring is used for students in tier II and tier III and should be done on a weekly to bi-weekly basis to determine the effectiveness of the interventions. Best practice is to use a technically adequate instrument such as Curriculum Based Measurements (CBM). CBMs provide an easy and quick method for gathering student progress that is reliable and valid and allows for comparison to district and national data.
- Data-Based Decision Making: Data-based decision making involves examining all data available when making decisions. It should involve defining the problem, developing an assessment plan, analyzing the assessment results and developing an intervention plan based on the results.
- Well-functioning Problem Solving Teams: A problem solving team should consist of both general and special education teacher, school psychologists, parents, administrators and any other specialist such as social workers or speech and language pathologists. The function of the team is to analyze data from the universal screening as well as the progress monitoring data using a systematic set of activities to guide each meeting.
- Tiered Model of Interventions: Intensity of interventions and frequency of progress monitoring increases as students move up in tiers. Movement across tiers should be fluid and change based on results of progress monitoring and decisions made by problem solving teams.
- Evidence Based Interventions: A program that is evidence based has gone through rigorous research and has demonstrated a record of success; there is reliable, trustworthy and valid evidence to suggest the program is effective; evidence supporting the practice should be scientifically based. More information can be found on the Resources for Evidence Based Practices page.
- Fidelity of Implementation: All interventions and core instruction should be implemented with integrity. To ensure fidelity of implementation checks should be in place such as observations or checklists.