National Center on Response to Intervention (RTI)

This collection of tools and information helps educators navigate changes related to SLD determination and RTI.  It consists of multiple parts, including: General Information; Tools for Change; Getting Started Manual; Powerpoint Presentations; and Parent Pages.  Each part can be viewed individually or as part of a whole set of information.  This toolkit was originally produced by the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities.   

This 2006 presentation provides information on why the IQ discrepancy model of identifying learning disabilities is insufficient and supplies data supporting early intervening services (EIS) and the RTI model. It also describes how RTI fits into the requirements set forth by the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Jack M. Fletcher from University of Houston made this presentation at the Response to Intervention Symposium.

This media (video clip) provides an overview of the IDEA provisions related to EIS and research-based interventions. It discusses how the goal of EIS is to improve the instruction of students at risk of failing by implementing scientifically-based, peer-reviewed research methods. Under EIS, states may not require the IQ discrepancy model to identify children as LD, however, they may implement other research-based methods, such as RTI. The moderator interviews Lou Danielson and Larry Wexler of the Office of Special Education and the video is closed-captioned and produced by the Department of Education.

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This 2006 brief describes the 2004 amendments to the IDEA, that provide significant changes in the determination of Specific Learning Disability eligibility.  It was written by Perry A. Zirkel and released by the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities.

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This brief addresses significant changes from previous regulations to current regulatory requirements regarding the identification of specific learning disabilities. It was produced by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) in the U.S. Department of Education. The resource is part of a a broader collection of resources on EIS and RTI which can be found at http://idea.ed.gov/explore/view/p/%2Croot%2Cdynamic%2CTopicalArea%2C8%2C .

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April 19-21, 2006 • Westin-Crown Center, Kansas City, MO

This conference brought together top researchers and educational practitioners to explore implications of changes in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004). The conference consisted of two parts: information sessions and workshop.

Information sessions. This part of the conference presented current research and thinking about topics related to responsiveness to intervention (RTI) and specific learning disability (SLD) determination procedures. For each of the informational sessions, you may download handouts (in pdf format) and view brief biographies of each speaker. Links to these materials are provided in the list below. In coming weeks, we will add video of each presentation.

Workshop. In this part of the conference, participants applied what they learned in the informational sessions. Teams of two to five individuals worked together to examine implications of IDEA 2004 provisions on their own state's SLD determination practices. Below, you will find links to the handouts (pdf) and tools and activities (Microsoft Word) used in the workshop. These are offered as a resource as your state or local education agency continues to revise its SLD determination procedures in light of new requirements.

Click here to access additional information about the sessions and workshop.

The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) held a symposium in 2003 on the topic of assessing and identifying students who have learning disabilities. Leading researchers have proposed and supported responsiveness to intervention (RTI) models as possible alternative assessment methods for identifying students with LD. Click here for links to both the symposium’s Executive Summary and the six sessions.

This 2006 presentation defines RTI and describes effective measures of identifying children with learning disabilities.  It also explains implementation issues, including the interpretation of data and intervention fidelity. The PowerPoint was presented by Joe Witt of iSTEEP Learning at the 2006 Response to Intervention Symposium.

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This article, released by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), discusses strategies to help English-language learners (ELLs) and culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students succeed in school. It focuses on ways to properly assess ELLs and CLD students for learning disabilities and limit inappropriate referrals for special education, with an emphasis on how RTI can play a role.

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This 2006 presentation explains the advantages of RTI and how to utilize Curriculum Based Measurements. It was presented by Douglas Fuchs and Lynn S. Fuchs and released by National Research Center on Learning Disabilities.

 PDF Version