Spectrum K12 (now part of the GlobalScholar brand) and education organizations including AASA, CASE, NASDSE and the RTI Action Network/ NCLD have released the results of their 2011 web-based survey of K-12 district administrators to gauge the extent to which Response to Intervention (RTI) has been adopted. Here are highlights from the survey:
• Of those schools planning or implementing RTI, elementary schools lead the way, with 80% of respondents reporting they have fully implemented RTI with fidelity in one or more domain areas.
• In general, implementation of RTI for academics is ahead of implementation for behavior, particularly in the areas of screening assessments, research-based interventions, and data-driven decision-making.
• Across all grade levels, Reading remains the predominant domain area for which RTI has been implemented, followed by Math and then Behavior.
• In most districts using or planning for RTI, not all buildings have fully implemented with fidelity. Only 7% of these districts have 100% of buildings fully implemented.
• 56% of districts have a formal RTI implementation plan. This compares to 48% of districts in 2010.
• Most districts have school-based leadership teams in place to implement RTI at the school—rather than the district—level. Nearly three in ten have school-based teams in place at all buildings in their district.
• Seven in ten districts report that they have insufficient data to judge the impact of RTI on Annual Yearly Progress. Of those with data, a higher percentage report improvement in AYP compared to those who report no improvement.
• Schools are increasingly using RTI to create personalized instruction for all students with an increase from 49% in 2010 to 62% in 2011.
• About five in ten districts have data on referrals to special education. Of these, eight in ten report reductions in referrals to special education compared to those who report no change. This is about the same as the previous two years.
• While still a small percentage of districts indicate RTI has been the focus of legal proceedings or official complaints (14% in 2011), the number has steadily grown.
