Response to Instruction and Intervention – Part IV
Published November 14. 2014
RTI2 and Special Education
The 2004 re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) allowed districts and schools to readdress the ways they meet students’ needs. The RTI2 framework became the means by which students would become eligible for an Individualized Education Program (IEP) by showing evidence of a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). As of July 1, 2014, RTI2 is the sole criterion by which a student may be identified as having a Specific Learning Disability in the state of Tennessee.
From RTI2 to Special Education Referral
Sometimes struggling students are not making appropriate progress after receiving tiers of intervention. If the student is not meeting the criteria for growth after interventions have increased in intensity and been proved for the appropriate amount of time, the school’s RTI2 team may decide to refer the student for a special education evaluation.
Parents will formally be asked to sign for permission before any evaluations are completed. The evaluation findings, coupled with formal observations and data collected during the RTI2 process, will help RTI2 teams determine if students are showing evidence of having a Specific Learning Disability. If the Tennessee criteria is met, the student will be made eligible for special education services. Together, with the school team, parents will decide if their child needs special education. If so, this decision will result in the student receiving an IEP. RTI2 information will help the IEP team plan your child’s instruction.