ABSTRACT
In order for a response-to-intervention (RTI) process to work effectively, schools must be organized such that problem solving does not exist in a vacuum, but is instead integrated into the overall system of communication and decision making in the school (Kameenui & Simmons, 1998). As shown in Table 4.1, schools that have successfully implemented RTI systems typically engage in three broad practices. First, they collect data regularly on all students to screen for difficulty. Data are collected more regularly for students who are at risk to determine if they are responding to well-designed instructional programs. Second, schools use empirically validated interventions and instructional practices within a multitiered service delivery model. Finally, schools are organized to ensure the most effective instruction possible for each student. Without a school-level system of implementation, it is nearly impossible for assessment-and-instruction best practices to be put into place effectively. The school as the “host environment” must be organized to ensure that research-based practices can thrive and be sustained (Coyne, Kameenui, & Simmons, 2001).
