Response to Intervention

Abstract

There is a discrepancy currently in public schools when comparing the identification and instruction of underachieving students with gifted and talented (GT) students. A three-tiered identification and instructional model was developed out of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) with emphasis coming from the No Child Left Behind Act (2001). The Response to Intervention (RtI) model has proven to be a successful tool for identifying student need, implementing interventions, and monitoring the effectiveness of the interventions. This model has been explored for use with GT students but the implementation in most schools has been lacking fidelity due to small amounts of resources, training, and support. This study uses qualitative research methodology to investigate necessary components when implementing RtI with GT students. A review of the current literature, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions revealed five common themes teachers and administrators need to consider for successful implementation of the RtI model on a schoolwide basis. The identified themes are as follows: awareness, support, professional development, time, and high-quality Tier 1 differentiation. These five themes are cyclical in nature and should be used as a group in a systematic approach to implementing RtI in GT programs.