Response to Intervention (RTI) strategies that work for educators at all levels

I looked at my supervisor with genuine curiosity. "And what, pray tell, is that pyramid?"

I was a first-year teacher, both genuinely excited and genuinely terrified to be standing in front of 160 high schoolers every week. I looked at my supervisor with genuine curiosity. "And what, pray tell, is that pyramid?"

"It's not a pyramid," he explained patiently. "It's called RTI, and it's going to fix your back row problem."

What is RTI and How Does It Work?

RTI, or Response to Intervention, did indeed fix my back row problem. As patiently explained by the Teacher of the Year winner to my impatient, brand-new educator self, effective RTI means your teaching should be so good that 80% of students pass the summative assessment without additional help. About 15% of students need some additional support but will pass once they receive those interventions. The remaining 5% require intensive, targeted support.

My instruction would no longer be "one size fits all," and I'd be collecting far more data on student performance and needs.

It was a labor of love to collect student data daily and review it regularly. But my "green, purple, red" groups all enjoyed their individualized time with me, and most importantly, the back row was much too busy learning to cause disruptions anymore. Score one for the "pyramid"!

Modern RTI: Same Core, New Tools

RTI has evolved significantly since I started in the classroom, but the essentials remain the same:

1. See the student

2. Understand their unique needs

3. Meet those needs with appropriate interventions

4. Reassess to ensure you're getting the full picture of the student's progress

The biggest change? The multiplication of technology and digital tools available to support this process in today's classroom. Here are essential strategies that make your RTI journey more effective and manageable. Don’t forget to check out additional articles on this topic from Reading Rockets.

Focus on Educator Effectiveness

Remember, the single most important factor for student success is an effective educator. Your baseline instruction should be so engaging and impactful that the majority of students reach mastery without additional intervention. For teachers to truly internalize best practices, they need to see a skill demonstrated and practice it two dozen times or more.

Be Transparent with Students and Families

Set high expectations that all children can achieve mastery. Communicate frequently with parents about where their child stands in the RTI framework:

• Tier 1 (80%): Core instruction that works for most students

• Tier 2 (15%): Targeted support for specific skill gaps

• Tier 3 (5%): Intensive, individualized intervention

Don't talk down to your Tier 3 students or hide a student's Tier 1 status. Be completely transparent with families about how their children are doing. And don't be afraid to celebrate progress! Do you have students within 10% of the next achievement level? When they score above 80% on their latest interim exam, it's time to recognize that growth!

Connect Your Data Sources

Students are multi-faceted, so your RTI approach needs to integrate multiple data sources to identify students for celebration or intervention based on comprehensive criteria. Get specific about your data analysis. Identify which students are within 10 points of the next achievement level on the state test AND who also scored below 60% on their latest interim exam—these students need immediate, targeted remediation!

Simplifying RTI with Technology

The Cohort Achievement Tracker can significantly streamline your RTI implementation. This powerful tool uses your existing student data to create intervention groups based on your selected criteria. Both the criteria and student data points are fully customizable to match your school or district specifications. Check out a video of the Cohort Achievement Tracker here or view a sample copy of it online here.

For example, if you wish to focus on DIBELS data for 2nd graders, you can customize your RTI dashboard to highlight specific DIBELS benchmarks and progress monitoring data. By leveraging the Cohort Achievement Tracker, you can simplify the process of creating and managing your RTI tiers, using the time you save to focus on what matters most—effective instruction.

Final Thoughts and How to Take Action

Have you used RTI? What worked well (or not?) for you? Tell us more on social media and click here to request a demo or learn more.

About Instructional Data Solutions: Our mission is to remove barriers to enable education organizations to focus on what matters most. We assist school systems and education organizations of all sizes by collecting, analyzing, and clearly communicating data. We are committed to empowering educators through comprehensive data analytics and tailored support. Additionally, we provide dedicated support for operational needs, process improvement, and special projects, offering customized solutions to enhance effectiveness and success. Our solutions bridge the gap between data collection and instructional improvement in PK-12 settings.