RTI

Daryl F. Mellard is a research associate within the Center for Research on Learning and director of the Division of Adult Studies at the University of Kansas. His current projects address assessment and services to children and youth with learning disabilities, reading comprehension, and adult literacy. Mellard directed the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) in its review of Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI), was one of the principal investigators in NRCLD's examination of learning disabilities identification that included the application of RTI, and directed research on education, social, and employment issues for adults with disabilities. He has served as a cochair to the Kansas Coalition on Adult Literacy and Learning Disabilities and as a board of directors' officer for the local independent living center. Mellard received his doctorate from the University of Kansas. Evelyn S. Johnson is an associate professor of special education at Boise State University and the coauthor of RTI: A Practitioner's Guide to Implementing Response to Intervention. She began her career in Washington in 1994 as a special education teacher, and then at the University of Washington, Seattle, where her research focused on the inclusion of students with disabilities in accountability systems. Johnson's work on assessment for students with disabilities has included research on accommodations and alternate assessments, as well as research on screening for reading problems. Prior to joining the faculty at BSU, she worked as a research associate for the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD), where she developed numerous technical assistance products to assist state and local educational agencies on RTI and learning disability identification-related issues. Currently, her research focuses on RTI implementation at the secondary levels.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. Introduction: What Is RTI? RTI as a Three-Tiered Model Purposes of RTI Research Support for RTI Summary References 2. RTI in the Context of Policy Initiatives Policy Coherence, Professional Learning Communities, and the Professional Teaching and Learning Cycle Key Elements of NCLB 2001 Key Elements of Reading First Key Provisions of IDEA 2004 Summary References 3. Schoolwide Screening Definitions and Features Implementation Changing Structures and Roles Challenges to Implementation Screening in Practice Summary Resources References 4. Progress Monitoring Definitions and Features Implementation Changing Structures and Roles Challenges to Implementation Progress Monitoring in Practice Summary Resources References 5. Tier 1: General Education Definitions and Features Implementation Changing Structures and Roles Challenges to Implementation Summary Resources References 6. Tier 2: Intervention Definitions and Features Implementation Changing Structures and Roles Challenges to Implementation Summary Resources References 7. Tier 3: Special Education Definitions and Features Implementation Changing Structures and Roles Challenges to Implementation Tiered Service Delivery in Practice Summary Resources References 8. Fidelity of Implementation Definitions and Features Implementation Changing Structures and Roles Challenges to Implementation Summary Resources References 9. Conclusion Frequently Asked Questions About RTI Conclusion References Index

"This is a richly informative book on a most important and timely topic to hundreds of thousands of practitioners, parents, and policy makers." -- Doug Fuchs, Nicholas Hobbs Chair in Special Education and Human Development "Mellard and Johnson not only help us understand what RTI is and why we need it, they go the next step and tell us how to make it happen." -- Joseph Jenkins, Professor of Special Education "There is an absolute need for a practitioner-focused book on Response to Intervention. RTI is an increasingly frequent feature of major policy initiatives as well as a major aspect of the growing body of best practices in instruction, assessment, and addressing students' special needs." -- Karen L. Tichy, Associate Superintendent for Instruction "A must-have for every principal, central office administrator, and classroom instructional leader. The book will benefit both the building principal and the central office administrator by giving them a much better understanding of what RTI is, how it will operate within the building, and how the program will effect the district's overall student achievement. Classroom teachers, especially those who are involved in the operation/implementation of an RTI program in their building, will gain an in-depth understanding of the RTI process and will see firsthand how to implement the program with the awareness of potential stumbling blocks such as progress monitoring of student data." -- Principal Magazine, September/October 2008