Anybody Here Ever Hear Of "RTI" (Response To Intervention") Psssst, Gather 'Round

[Dinger]

It's nothing but a way to cut the number of special education students, and has a real anti-union slant to it. School districts have cut special education staff as a result of this. Nothing but a way to save on $ IMO.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Response_to_intervention

[Blue Meany]

1. It's not that simple.

As the parent of a gifted child whose school is trying to stream her into special education because there is no gifted program, I am employing RTI to prevent them from attaching a damaging label to her. I think you should try to avoid massive interventions, when relatively small one's can achieve the goal. One way to avoid the "pull-out" programs for both gifted and special needs is to offer differentiated instruction within the classroom so that the vast majority of students can learn at their own speed and in accordance with their own learning style. This is not necessariy cheaper, when it is done right, because it requires a low student/teacher ratio, specialized training for teachers, and school specialized staff who can help to develop and maintain the programs. For me, the ideal would be to avoid labels altogether and just create a personal learning plan for each child.

[mzteris]

2. amen for that! IEP's for EVERY CHILD!

The "differentiated" program outlined for my son in his early grades was pitiful at best - but it didn't really matter because it wasn't really implemented. When I confronted the teachers I was told they had 25 other kids in the class and my son was only ONE kid. Since he was "so smart" they just told him to "go read" and gave him *some* advanced assignments - without instruction. He was frequently "shushed" whenever he tried to ask questions (You're not supposed to know that yet!), or tried to add to the conversation (YOu're just confusing the other kids, so let's not talk about that.)

Of course the lying principal who knew nothing about teaching coerced his teachers and lied to the schoolboard about what was going on in the classroom. I had one of the teachers on tape - they knew they were being recorded - she had spoken out while the principal was out of the room at one of our "meetings" - about what was "really going on". However, she BEGGED me not to use her name because she was afraid of being fired. So I didn't pass it on. We wound up pulling him out of school to homeschool. It was only supposed to be until we could find another school, but it worked so well we continued until highschool. He's at an "alternative learning" high school (a lot of self-directed learning, supersmall classes, and a high ratio of "gifted" quirky kids) or he'd still be at home.

[Catshrink]

3. I agree but this isn't the trend

given the way education funding is being slashed, my class sizes are growing like crazy -- as are the number of sped kids in them. With 5 classes of 30-35 kids there is no way to provide individualized instruction for each student. Maybe this is possible in the elementary grades where one teacher has the same kids all day long, but not in secondary school.

Of course, if our funding wasn't being siphoned off to charters in the current privatization scheme, we could have more teachers and smaller class sizes. But this is the reality we live in and we do the best we can.

But I don't get how a gifted child could be placed in sped unless she has a disability. Am I missing something here?

[Dinger]

4. Schools Are Also Cutting GT Programs,

but athletic programs, weeelllllllll, that's another story!:eyes:

[cjbgreen]

5. One size does not fit all!

We need different and a variety of public school options, adequate resources in regular class rooms and time for teachers to prepare and set up their classrooms to differentiate instruction. <:think > Labels shouldn't determine placement. And there are students who you believe can learn if you find the right hook and can unravel how they access information. Unfortunately the focus only on standardized testing (which has a place) does not allow for attention or resources to be directed toward assuring that all students achieve.

[tonysam]

8. It'll never happen. You would need to employ far more teachers.

It's not gonna happen--ever. Deskilling the teaching profession is now the tend.

[tonysam]

7. RTI is a big fraud.

Gifted has nothing to do with it. This is about special education students or kids possibly being in special education (Tier III, I believe it was called for those needing special education services, and I believe Tier II were those students who were needed for the intervention so they wouldn't slip into Tier III--but at my school, at least in the first year RTI was put in, it was ONLY special education students who were tested) and eventually getting rid of sped altogether except for programs in life skills and behavior interventions.

Besides, PARENTS don't implement RTI. It's done at SCHOOLS, and it utilizes a specific program which monitors weekly progress for students in reading and math.

Intervention strategies are employed using specific programs, which in WCSD's case was Houghton-Mifflin's Soar to Success and supplemental materials. The specific computer program/website that had the specific assessments to test the kids and allowed teachers/aides to input the scores I do not remember the name, but it is a leading one in this area.

As I remember, and I could be wrong here, RTI is mandated by law. I believe it was put in to eventually replace testing by school psychologists who have used the discrepancy model for determining who gets sped services.

Yeah, districts can get rid of sped teachers eventually and school psychologists, who are VERY expensive.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. You would need to assume something is wrong with pullout programs

As a pullout teacher I would disagree. As another poster already pointed out, with class sizes increasing, pullout programs provide the only one on one instruction many children get.

I'm also curious as to how you are using RTI as a parent. I thought it was strictly school based:shrug:

[tonysam]

12. Personally, I prefer pullout

because the kids aren't distracted by what's going on in the classroom. I don't think the kids really care if they are being pulled out or their classmates will make fun of them for getting extra help. However, the trend has been towards inclusion for all classes or most.

[tnlefty]

19. I didn't have problems with pull out programs for my boys

and when the exceptional ed teacher went into their classrooms there were benefits to the class and the regular ed teacher.

[tonysam]

6. It isn't just students; it's a way to get around hiring special education teachers

eventually.

RTI is a big joke. It's MORE stinking paperwork for (usually) special education teachers to run weekly tests on students to see how much incremental progress they make. Then they have to put the stats for each student tested (in my old school, it was ONLY special education students who were done the year I was canned) for reading and math into a computerized system (an online website), which in turn generates a cute little line graph so the teacher can show it during the IEP meetings showing how much "progress" a student has made.

In some school districts, and I am thinking of at least one school district in southern Oregon, RTI isn't done by licensed teachers at all but by aides/parapros.

[Dinger]

13. Which District Was That?

PM me if you don't want to say. I just attended an RTI workshop led by someone from Oregon.

[tonysam]

14. It was Medford School District

They hire aides specifically to do RTI.

I was looking to apply for those jobs (there aren't any of these type currently on the openings list), but as you know, the "disclosure" questions are on the application, the same as for licensed teachers.

I can't even work as a parapro thanks to that asshole principal at WCSD.

[tonysam]

15. So instead of having a school psychologist paid at

$70,000 or so a year to test kids using I.Q. tests and special education teachers paid at $40,000-plus use the WIAT or KTEA or other formal test to assess grade level, districts can merely hire aides/parapros at $10 or $12 an hour to do the same thing in RTI but without the education needed to implement the old tests. Of course under supervision, but look at the cost savings.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. RTI is a general ed function in many districts

They are turning more and more sped functions over to general ed.

[tonysam]

17. Not out here. It was sped, period.

The resource teachers' work was closely tied into RTI. Classroom teachers didn't have the time to do the weekly assessments and then input them into the computer--very time-consuming.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. It's the new buzz word

We started it this year. So far it's only a bunch of extra paperwork and some glitzy manuals.

So I figure someone came up with this cute little name and is making money hand over fist.

[tonysam]

11. Houghton-Mifflin out west is making a killing out of intervention materials

It is nothing but even MORE paperwork instead of doing the job teachers are supposed to do, and that's help kids.

[tonysam]

18. Medford School District has an opening

Here is the job description:

Posting Number:
Job Title: Early Reading Interventionist
Closing date: 02/25/2010
Closing time: 04:00 PM
Job Class: Classified
Job Hours: 2.75 hrs per day
Salary: $10.07 per hour
2009/10 Classified Schedule
Description:
The major focus of the assignment currently is as follows: Assist teachers in the identification of children needing reading interventions. Delivers designated curriculum in a small group setting.

Knowledge of DIBELS and/or ERI preferred.

Employee must meet federal regulations that require a passing score on a competency exam or otherwise be able to demonstrate required levels of competency. It is the responsibility of the employee to demonstrate this competency and he/she will be terminated if unable to do so.

THE ABOVE POSITION IS SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS OUTLINED BETWEEN MEDFORD SCHOOL DISTRICT 549C AND THE OREGON SCHOOL EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, CHAPTER #15. IT IS FURTHER UNDERSTOOD THAT IT IS THE DISTRICT’S PREROGATIVE TO REVISE WORK HOURS OR CHANGE LOCATIONS WITHIN THE SAME JOB TITLE.

THE DISTRICT SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF BILINGUAL, BICULTURAL CANDIDATES WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AND SPANISH IN BOTH CERTIFIED AND CLASSIFIED POSITIONS, ALL OTHER QUALIFICATIONS BEING EQUAL.

The Medford School District complies with provisions of the Fair Employment Practices Act and Title IX Regulations in employment, educational programs and activities; and in support of employment practices free of barriers to disabled persons and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, provides reasonable accommodations necessary upon request and appropriate notice. For further information or assistance contact the Director of Personnel, at [phone]. Speech/hearing impaired person may reach the district via TDD at [phone] or through the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service by dialing 1-800-735-2900.

In most areas of the country, this job is done by professional teachers.

I can't apply for this because of the disclosure questions on the application:

A. Have you ever been placed on a plan of improvement or formally disciplined for work performance?
Yes __________ No __________
B. Have you even been released or discharged from employment because of unsatisfactory service or misconduct?
Yes __________ No __________
C. Have you ever resigned upon threat of discharge from employment because of unsatisfactory work performance?
Yes __________ No __________
D. Have you ever resigned upon threat of discharge from employment because of discharge?
Yes __________ No __________
E. Have you ever resigned from a position while under investigation for misconduct?
Yes __________ No __________

And then they want the name and phone number of the last supervisor. I would NEVER, ever give them the name of that liar, that perjurer, who ruined my career.

[Dinger]

20. Medford, Wi.?

Just curious. That fucking application sucks.

[tonysam]

21. Oregon

Just about all of the applications are that way there.

[Dinger]

22. Shit, That's Awful

Sickening.