Math Intervention Strategies

Like with literacy skills, many students will enter middle or high school lacking the fundamental math skills needed to be successful, and they will need to learn them before moving forward. This chapter focuses on describing proven research-based math interventions that can assist with this instruction. In addition, current research on these interventions is presented.

Individual School Case Studies

This chapter presents information on a study designed to examine how three schools—one rural middle/high school and two urban high schools—have implemented the RTI service delivery model. Although the students at each site go through tiers, each school uses the model a little differently in order to match its specific needs with its teaching personnel and pupil deficits. Despite the differences in operation, each school has used the RTI model to improve its students' academic success. The data presented in this chapter were gathered from online resources, such as state report cards and individual school demographic information, and interviews with educators at the case study schools. Links to the online school-related data are not provided herein for confidentiality purposes.

Literacy Intervention Strategies

Learning how to read can be an arduous task for some students. Some have difficulty sounding out words, while others can read well but do not understand what they have read. Students who struggle with reading need to be taught the basics (e.g., phonemic awareness) prior to moving on to reading words, reading fluently, and then comprehending what they have read. Obviously, if a middle or high school student lacks these skills, he/she needs to learn them first before moving forward. The use of research-based literacy interventions is essential for students to be successful in all tiers of the RTI model. Thus, this chapter focuses on presenting research-based interventions that may assist with this process. Current research on the success of these interventions is also presented.

Example State Programs

The IDEA law is vague concerning guidelines on the best process for establishing an RTI service delivery model in schools or school districts. Since education in the United States is a right governed under each individual state's jurisdiction, there conceivably could be 50 different ways to set up such a model. This chapter examines the RTI models developed by two states: Florida and Alaska. Both states have established specific guidelines, training materials, and other resources for implementation of RTI at the secondary level.