Good Evening from the JMS Counseling Office!
Just a note that we are communicating about RTI with our Parents this week. We are also working to assist parents with having students keeping up with work that they are communicating with their teachers if they need assistance.
RTI schedule changes will begin, Monday, August 17th. This week many students will receive schedule changes and will be taken out of one or both of their electives. There may be some students that will come out of RTI and placed in an elective class, too. This occurred due to the universal screener given this past week in the areas of Math and Reading. We told parents that if their child receives a schedule change please ask your child for the RTI letter given to them stating the reason.
What is RTI?
RTI- (Response To Intervention) is a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning needs.
Tier 1: The Whole Class (every student is served at this level)
In the general education classroom, the teacher measures everyone’s skills. This is known as a universal screening that is given 3 times a year to the whole school (Fall, Winter and Spring) to determine the students that fall at the 25th percentile or below for extra Tier 1 support. If your child falls at or below the 25th percentile your child will be placed in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 class in the areas of Math or English to provide more support because they are performing below their grade level. The screening helps the teacher work with students in small groups based on their skill levels. The school will let you know if your child is struggling and will update you on his/her RTI progress. If your child scores at the Tier 2 or Tier 3 level they will be taken out of one or both of their electives. This class is a revolving door class, which means your child can make their way of the class with showing progress and gains above the 25th percentile. A goal is made for your child in their Tier 2/3 class an academic goal is developed in the progress monitoring software. It takes on the average 6 weeks for the progress monitoring tool to show if your child is making progress on their goal.
During the intervention, the RTI team monitors students’ progress to see who might need additional support. Many students respond successfully to Tier 1 support and achieve grade-level expectations.
Tier 2: Small Group Interventions (25th percentile-11th percentile)
If your child isn’t making adequate progress in Tier 1, he/she will start to receive more targeted help. This is in addition to the regular classroom instruction (Tier 1), not a replacement for it. Tier 2 interventions take place every day during a designated period and won’t miss any core instruction in the classroom.
During these extra help sessions, he/she will be taught in small groups using a different method than in Tier 1 because the first method wasn’t successful. The teacher may also ask you to work with your child at home on certain skills. The school will monitor your child’s progress so it’s clear whether the Tier 2 intervention is helping through 4 ½ week progress reports sent by the school.
Tier 3: Intensive Interventions (at or below 10th percentile)
Typically, only a small percentage of the class will require Tier 3 support. In many schools, though, that number is much higher. If your child needs Tier 3 support, it will be tailored to his/her needs. Every day he/she will receive one-on-one instruction or work in very small groups.
Your child will continue to spend most of the day in the general education classroom. If he/she doesn’t make adequate progress in Tier 3, it’s likely that the school will recommend evaluation for special education. The school will monitor your child’s progress so it’s clear whether the Tier 2 intervention is helping through 4 ½ week progress reports sent by the school.
Core Focus-(English or Math)
This class is for those students that score close to above the 25th percentile or the teacher has identified will benefit from extra support with current core classes. Students will be able to work on homework intermittently during the week and may need re-teaching of Tier 1 instruction.
Have a wonderful evening!
JMS Counseling Office
Maria Castle - 5th & 7th Grade Counselor - mccastle@ortn.edu
Falon Sullivan - 6th & 8th Grade Counselor - fcsullivan@ortn.edu
