RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION

  • Arlington Heights School District 25 believes that student learning requires the consistent practice of providing high quality instruction matched to student needs. Response to Intervention (RtI) is a general education/educational for all initiative which requires collaborative efforts between all district staff-- general educators, special educators, related service providers and English Language staff. RtI is a multi-tiered framework used within the general education system to promote student achievement, identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes and provide intervention supports to students using evidence-based programs and teaching strategies. RtI is a proactive, preventative framework, designed to increase overall achievement by identifying struggling learners as early as possible and providing supports to minimize long-term learning issues.

  • Tier 1 is designed to serve all students with core instructional curriculum and school-wide programs. General education teachers implement core instruction that is intended to be proactive and preventative in nature. Instruction is differentiated to meet the needs of all students, from those who are at-risk to those who are exceeding grade-level expectations. All student participate in District-determined universal screening/benchmark assessments, per the District’s assessment calendar.

    Tier 2 interventions are provided to students who demonstrate the need for supports in addition to the core curriculum provided in Tier 1. Tier 3 interventions are provided to students who demonstrate a level of need beyond Tier 2. Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions are typically provided in small group settings during the instructional day. Students receive interventions in 6-12 week blocks, referred to as “intervention cycles.” Student progress is routinely monitored and assessed to allow adjustments to interventions as needed throughout the school year.

  • RtI is an essential component of the special education entitlement process. In accordance with 23 Illinois Administrative Code 226.130, districts must use a process that determines how a child responds to scientific, research-based interventions as part of the evaluation procedures to determine special education eligibility under the category of Specific Learning Disability (SLD). Students will be identified as having a Specific Learning Disability if they do not demonstrate appropriate growth over time in response to increased Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention support, or if they require a high level of Tier 3 support in order to continue to make appropriate educational growth. The District is no longer able to use standardized testing (discrepancy-based model) alone as a determination of Specific Learning Disability. While this requirement is specific to SLD, districts also have the option of using such a process as part of the evaluation procedures for other disability categories. District 25 teams use RtI as a component of evaluations under Developmental Delay and Other Health Impairment, as well as for determination of related services such as occupational therapy, social work, and speech-language. More information on the Illinois State Board of Education's requirements for the use of RtI in determining a Specific Learning Disability can be found in the link section on the right side of this page.