The Response to Intervention (RTI) Approach in Early Childhood

By C. Greenwood, T. Bradfield, Ruth A. Kaminski, Maura Wechsler Linas, J. Carta, Donna Nylander. 2011

198 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Seeking to achieve greater effectiveness in educating the nation’s youth, the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach is increasingly being implemented in US schools (Berkeley, Bender, Peaster, & Saunders, 2009; Walker & Shinn, 2010). The approach is a paradigm shift in K–12 education that is affecting early education, early intervention, and early childhood special education as well. The shift moves practice away from the traditional model of waiting for students to qualify for special education before serving them to one of intervening immediately to prevent developmental delays and challenges from becoming disabilities. Supporting implementation of RTI are favorable policies in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2004) that have put the spotlight on improving students’ results through early and sustained use of evidence-based practice. While not specifically addressed in early childhood special education policy, RTI is supported by federal and state accountability policies requiring annual reporting of individual child progress and an expectation of improving results for children served (Head Start for School Readiness Act, 2007; US Department of Education [USDE], 2006). The policies and reports of professional organizations and advocacy groups like the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, National Association of School Psychologists, and the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) also support the RTI model. These organizations, among others, (e.g., National Association of State Special Education Directors, 2008; Shinn & Walker, 2010; Thomas & Grimes, 2008) embrace RTI as a science-based practice and have made RTI knowledge and practice part of their professional expectations and advocacy. The Council for Exceptional Children has a position statement on RTI (CEC, 2007), and the Division of Early Childhood (DEC), in conjunction with the National Association of the Education of Young Childhood (NAEYC) and the Head Start Association are currently working on a joint early childhood position statement on RTI. VOLUME 43

Subfields: Clinical Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Education

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/6a51925e277ee8aa49d04a9af81ffaa65071872b

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In Clinical Psychology

  1. T. Spencer
  2. Nicholas A. Bilyk
  3. Mandana Kajian
  4. Douglas B. Petersen

In Developmental and Educational Psychology

  1. T. Spencer
  2. Nicholas A. Bilyk
  3. Mandana Kajian
  4. Douglas B. Petersen

In Education

  1. T. Spencer
  2. Douglas B. Petersen

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