by Debbie Alberico
The Middletown City School District is in the process of phasing in a Response to Intervention (RTI) model for all of their schools. The first phase will start in all of the elementary schools in the 2008-09 year.
RTI is the practice of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to students needs, monitoring progress frequently to make decisions about changes in instruction or goals, and applying child response data to important educational decisions.
According to Middletown Schools Superintendent Steve Price, RTI provides a continuum of instructional supports that prevents student failure and focuses on outcomes for all students. "We simply must improve student achievement," Price said. "This model is an excellent opportunity to more effectively align with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and No Child Left Behind," he added.