RtI Parent Explanation

A problem-solving process has been developed for use in North Carolina schools in order to meet the needs of students. This process assists parents and teachers who need help with developing educational solutions for problems that arise in schools and is referred to as the RtI Problem Solving Model.

Four questions will be answered through this process:

• What is the problem and why is it happening?
• What are we going to do about the problem?
• Are we implementing our plan as intended?
• Did our plan work as we had expected?

The RtI model is represented by a triangle that contains four tiers:

   Tier 4

    Tier 3

  Tier 2

 Tier 1

TIERS OF PROBLEM-SOLVING

The severity of the problem will determine which school support staff will work with parents and teachers to try to solve the problem. The consideration of the level of difficulty a student is experiencing, along with a specific match between area of difficulty and he necessary resources, will often be referred to as “tiers” within the problem-solving approach.

Tier One:  Students are meeting all grade level expectations in reading.  Additional services are currently not needed.

Tier Two:  Students are not fully meeting grade level expectations in reading and require additional services. Concerns are addressed through talks with Title 1 Specialists to get their services and recommendations for an instructional plan.

Tier Three:  Students are not meeting any grade level expectations in reading.  Concerns are addressed through pull-out services by a Title 1 Specialist and the schools Problem-Solving Team will be primarily responsible for directing activities at this tier.

Tier Four: Through the process of problem-solving, it may become clear that additional resources and services are needed to address the student concerns. In this case, special education services may be considered at this level. Parents will be asked to sign for permission to evaluate their child to determine the eligibility and need for special education services.