Response to Intervention
The Boston Globe had an interesting article about Response to Intervention (RTI) an early intervention program designed to provide supports to struggling students before referral to special education. Schools in Maine are required to have an RTI system in place by next year and some are struggling to make that happen. Given this, Maine ASCD is planning a professional development event in fall 2008 bringing together resources and protocols to help districts meet the new requirements.
RTI is not without critics and the Globe article cites the controversy with some real examples. One of the big issues is that advocates for the disabled tend to see RTI as a way for states to reduce the number of students receiving special education and thus as a way of reducing school costs. Others argue that RTI simply works.
Stay tuned to Maine ASCD for more information about this topic and this event.
Resources
RTI_Wire: Your Guide to Free Resources for Response To Intervention
~John Brandt
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