A_FAMILY_GUIDE

A FAMILY GUIDE
                                          Connecticut’s Framework for RTI

                            Using Scientific Research-Based Interventions:
                                         Improving Education for All Students

Teachers, administrators, and families want all children to succeed. There are many ways to get children who are struggling
to learn, the additional help they need to be successful. One way is with the use of “scientific research-based interventions”
(SRBI).

This information sheet reviews what SRBI are and includes questions you might want to ask your child’s school or program
to learn more about how they are using SRBI as a framework to improve teaching and learning. Also included here are ways
families can be part of the decision making process and what to do when you have concerns about your child’s progress.

For more information about RTI, visit: The National Center for Response to Intervention at www.rti4success.org or the RTI
Action Network at www.rtinetwork.org.

    What questions can families ask to learn more about how SRBI works in their
                            child’s school or program?

                 What is my child being taught in his/her classroom?
                 How are lessons designed to meet my child’s varying needs?
                 What are the teaching strategies that my child’s school is using if he/she is struggling in the classroom?
                 How can I help my child with learning at home?
                 How will I be told about my child’s progress that tells me more than what grades he/she is receiving?
                 What happens if my child continues to struggle and the teaching strategy is not working?

Families play a critical role in supporting what their children are learning in school. Research shows that the more parents
are actively involved in student learning, the greater the student achievement. There are many ways families can support
their child’s learning at home. Here are a few:

                 Make reading an everyday habit;
                 Talk with your child’s teachers regularly;
                 Check homework assignments and assist when necessary;
                 Ask for regular progress reports;
                 Celebrate your child’s strengths, talents, interests, and successes;
                 Learn more about what is being taught and how it is being taught at your child’s school; and
                 Participate in parent-teacher student conferences and other school functions for your child.

                                 What if I think my child needs special education?
SRBI do not replace the special education process. If at any time parents believe their child has a disability that is affecting
his or her learning, they have a right to request an evaluation for special education. SRBI cannot be used to delay or deny
this evaluation if the child is not making progress in learning and the lack of progress is not due to the lack of instruction. In
addition to the information gathered through SRBI, other forms of evaluation must occur to determine if a child is eligible for
special education and parent’s written consent is required for the evaluation.

For more information about special education, your rights in this process, and how SRBI may be used to inform eligibility,
please contact:

                 Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC): 1-800-445-2722
                 Connecticut Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC): 1-800-842-8678
                 Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education (CSDE): 1-860-713-6910
                                                    What are SRBI?
SRBI are a way to provide support and instruction to children who are struggling to learn. A child’s progress is studied and
findings are used to make decisions about teaching and other learning supports.

SRBI are most commonly used in addressing needs in the areas of reading, math, and behavior. A “continuum of support” is
developed by school districts and programs to meet the needs of the children they service.


                       What does the SRBI continuum of support look like?
The SRBI framework has three “tiers.” Each tier provides differing kinds and degrees of support.

                                          1-5%         TIER III
                                                       The school or program provides more individualized instruction for
                                                       children who need the most support.

                                           5-10%       TIER II
                                                       The school or program provides help for children who need more
                                                       support than they are receiving from the general curriculum.

                                           80-90%      TIER I
                                                       All children receive high quality curriculum and instruction in the
                                                       general education classroom or program.




                      What are the key components of an SRBI framework?
The key components to SRBI is that all children receive high quality curriculum and instruction in the general
education classroom or program (TIER I).

Another component of SRBI is that the school or program conducts “universal common assessments.” Universal common
assessments review the progress of all children through the use of grade/age level assessments. These assessments help
schools identify children who may need more support or other types of instruction.

As a result, students may be identified as needing help in addition to the high quality instruction they are receiving in TIER I.
Additional teaching strategies or methods that have been proven to be effective in helping children learn are used
(TIER II). These teaching methods can happen in large or small groups, in or outside the classroom.

Another key component to SRBI is “progress monitoring.” Progress monitoring is a way for teachers to better
understand a child’s needs and demonstrate the growth children are making in a specific area. It shows how well the
teaching strategy is working. It includes observations and other types of assessment. Progress monitoring helps determine
whether a strategy is successful or needs to be changed.

When progress monitoring shows that a child is not responding to the additional help, another approach or strategy may be
tried. However, when a higher level of support is needed, children are given the individualized instruction they need
to be successful learners (TIER III).


10/16/09

Adapted from The CT PIRC, a non-profit organization partially funded by a grant through the U.S. Department of Education. The CT
PIRC and its primary partners, the CSDE and SERC, support school-family-community alliances by building on the strengths of each.