Response to Intervention (RtI) is used to promote the use of evidence-based instruction in classrooms.  It is a diagnostic tool for assessing student needs and a system for providing early interventions to struggling students.  RtI provides a means of identifying students at risk for academic difficulties and appropriate interventions to address individual student needs.  The essential elements of an RtI approach are:

1. Universal (school-wide or district-wide) screening of academics and behavior in order to determine which students need closer monitoring or additional interventions
2. High quality, research-based instruction and behavioral support in general education
3. Multiple tiers of increasingly intense research-based interventions that are matched to student need
4. Use of a collaborative approach by school staff for development, implementation, and monitoring of the intervention process
5. Continuous monitoring and measurement of student progress in response to the instruction and interventions
6. The use of this data to shape instruction and make educational decisions
7. Follow-up measures providing information that the intervention was implemented as intended and with appropriate consistency

The New York State Response to Intervention Technical Assistance Center has been developed to support capacity-building efforts for New York State schools to implement proven and promising practices within a Response to Intervention model.  This website is designed to provide resources and tools to educators and families regarding effective RtI practices.