Factors Related to Successful RTI Implementation

A recent movement in schools is the implementation of multitiered models of service delivery. Known as response to intervention (RTI), multitiered systems of support (MTSS), or instructional decision making (IDM), these models refer to a tiered framework of services in which research-based instruction is matched to the "data-based needs of students." This approach to education has a philosophical background of prevention, early identification, collaboration, and use of research-based, effective practices. With that philosophy in mind, it easy to understand how RTI is a paradigm shift for many schools. Because implementation is a multiyear process, the question of what factors enable a smooth and successful transition is posed. It is not difficult to find within the literature what RTI is and how it may look within schools, but there is relatively less research on how to implement RTI successfully. To provide practitioners with more direction for implementation, this article examines factors related to the successful implementation of RTI. (Contains 2 tables.)