Comments on: LD regs and RtI http://LDBlog.com/2006/08/05/ld-regs-and-rti/ News, commentary, and resources about Learning Disabilities Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:56:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: JohnL http://LDBlog.com/2006/08/05/ld-regs-and-rti/comment-page-1/#comment-45945 JohnL Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:20:05 +0000 http://johnl.edschool.virginia.edu/blogs/LDBlog/2006/08/05/ld-regs-and-rti/#comment-45945 K. T., your comment includes several excellent points, including institutionalizing effective interventions, over-looking students with serious problems, over-emphasizing inclusion, and ensuring appropriate services for older students (non-exhaustive list!). I am very glad you stopped at <em>LD Blog</em> and dropped the comment. Folks who are interested in this topic might want to a look at <a href="http://TeachEffectively.com/?s=rti+" rel="nofollow">some of the notes</a> on <em>Teach Effectively</em> about RtI. Thanks! K. T., your comment includes several excellent points, including institutionalizing effective interventions, over-looking students with serious problems, over-emphasizing inclusion, and ensuring appropriate services for older students (non-exhaustive list!). I am very glad you stopped at LD Blog and dropped the comment. Folks who are interested in this topic might want to a look at some of the notes on Teach Effectively about RtI.

Thanks!

]]> By: K. T. Hinkle http://LDBlog.com/2006/08/05/ld-regs-and-rti/comment-page-1/#comment-45943 K. T. Hinkle Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:36:23 +0000 http://johnl.edschool.virginia.edu/blogs/LDBlog/2006/08/05/ld-regs-and-rti/#comment-45943 I too believe RTI has value, but only as a step toward improved "regular classroom instruction." That is, if empirically based interventions are shown to improve learning, then they should become institutionalized. As someone who has worked with severely disabled youth, I am concerned that while special education funding is being diverted toward prevention and early intervention, youth with severe disorders are not being afforded the services they need. In response to political correctness we have move toward the "inclusion model" which has merit, but forget that "least restrictive environment" doesn't exclude the need for services outside the school. One final note is that I see too many children being retained due to their failure to learn and/or pass state high stakes tests. Then when RTI is implemented, they are measured (charted) according to "grade" rather than "age" and do not qualify for LD services. Finally, if RTI is shown to be helpful in improving learning among K-3 youth-great, but I have serious questions about its impact starting in 4th grade. In k-3 children learn to learn, in 4 and above, children learn from what they have learned. Many by late elementary school have already learned they cannot learn like others. The true test for RTI will not be on reading assessments, but rather drop-out rates. I too believe RTI has value, but only as a step toward improved “regular classroom instruction.” That is, if empirically based interventions are shown to improve learning, then they should become institutionalized. As someone who has worked with severely disabled youth, I am concerned that while special education funding is being diverted toward prevention and early intervention, youth with severe disorders are not being afforded the services they need. In response to political correctness we have move toward the “inclusion model” which has merit, but forget that “least restrictive environment” doesn’t exclude the need for services outside the school.

One final note is that I see too many children being retained due to their failure to learn and/or pass state high stakes tests. Then when RTI is implemented, they are measured (charted) according to “grade” rather than “age” and do not qualify for LD services.

Finally, if RTI is shown to be helpful in improving learning among K-3 youth-great, but I have serious questions about its impact starting in 4th grade. In k-3 children learn to learn, in 4 and above, children learn from what they have learned. Many by late elementary school have already learned they cannot learn like others. The true test for RTI will not be on reading assessments, but rather drop-out rates.

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