Screening process reduces number of students with documented learning disabilities

Screening process reduces number of students with documented learning disabilities

Districtwide the number of students identified with specific learning disabilities are down 20 to 30 percent this year due to strategic interventions as part of the district's Response to Intervention (RTI) instructional model which organizes instruction and assessment.

The RTI model allows the district to identify children needing additional support in reading, and math. This helps prevent the development of serious learning problems.

Response to Intervention also identifies children who, even when given extra help, make very limited progress. Research has shown that these children sometimes have a learning disability.

"The RTI model allows the district to fill in the academic gaps these students have prior to a special education referral," said Special Education Director Marcia Walters. "What the district has found is we can remediate many of the deficiencies that students have without placing them in a Special Education program."

Services and strategies Walla Walla Public Schools provides to ensure all children are learning:

Tier I: The student receives core instruction from their general education teacher at a particular age or grade level.

Tier IIa: The student shows some risk and receives appropriate interventions in a small group.

Tier IIb: The student is at significant risk and receives intensive research based interventions.

Progress monitoring will be conducted on all students receiving interventions to identify the effectiveness of the interventions and make adjustments accordingly.

RTI Screening Process:

1. Students in every school and at every grade level (K-10) are screened determine their skill level

2. If students meet all benchmarks the RTI Support Team will continue to monitor their progress and they will be placed in all general education classrooms.

3. If they showed areas of concern, the RTI Support Team will recommend an intervention and monitor their progress. Intervention examples include: small group math or reading instruction, adult mentors and assistance with organizational skills.

4. Monitoring continues to check skill development. This can continue throughout the school year.

5. If students fall further behind, a more strategic intervention focusing on their specific needs is put in place. Progress monitoring continues.

6. If the student continues to struggle, despite intensive interventions, a referral for further evaluation may be made.

The district has been using elements of the RTI model since 2003, and is in year 2 of a 3 year grant to fully implement the system. Maria Garcia is serving as the RTI Coordinator. Walters says Garcia's leadership has helped the district improve in student screenings and proper program placement.

"Maria has been instrumental in working with all district buildings to create teams that understand the RTI process," Walters said. "Her leadership has created a climate of looking at what students need rather than putting a label on them without trying some other remediation."