Response to Intervention (RTI): A Primer for Parents

This useful parent-friendly primer includes essential concepts and key terms related to Response to Intervention.

  • Summary: A major concern for parents as well as teachers is how to help children who experience difficulty in school. All parents want to see their child excel, and it can be very frustrating when a child falls behind in either learning to read, achieving as expected in math and other subjects, or in getting along socially with peers and teachers. Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-step approach to providing services and interventions to struggling learners at increasing levels of intensity. RTI allows for early intervention by providing academic and behavioral supports rather than waiting for a child to fail before offering help.

    Some new federal laws have directed schools to focus more on helping all children learn by addressing problems earlier, before the child is so far behind that a referral to special education services is warranted. These laws include the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. Both laws underscore the importance of providing high quality, scientifically-based instruction and interventions, and hold schools accountable for the progress of all students in terms of meeting state grade level standards. RTI is a process designed to help schools focus on these high quality interventions while carefully monitoring student progress. The information gained from an RTI process is used by school personnel and parents to inform instruction and to determine the educational needs of the child.

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  • Publication Date: 2007
  • Content Type: Parent Involvement, RTI
  • Grade Level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Additional Info

  • Resource Topic: SRBI
  • Source: LDOnline.org
  • Year of Publication: 2007
  • Resource Type: Article (web page)