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Response to Intervention Gets to the Bottom of Reading Barriers
This year, VISD is aggressively uncovering student reading delays with a new assessment program called Response to Intervention (RTI). But the name doesn’t really do justice to the program’s purpose. According to Superintendent Michael Soltman, “RTI should be renamed ‘Every Student Reads’ since the whole point is to identify and address reading problems across grade levels and then hone in on the needs of individual students.”
RTI is widely used nationwide to intensify, focus and individualize reading instruction so that students don’t fall through the cracks. The process begins with a two-minute assessment that measures the five areas of reading proficiency: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension .
In September, every student from grades K through 5 was tested and categorized on a four-level color scale (blue =at the high end of grade level; green =at grade level; yellow=some risk; red=at risk).Students who scored in the lower quarter (some yellow and all red) took a more in-depth assessment to determine exactly where they need help.
From there teachers will determine how go to about addressing individual skills. For instance, while some students may work on breaking down sounds, others may focus on comprehension. They will be reassessed every six weeks—with a two-minute test—until they meet the benchmark. Once they reach grade level, they will go back into the mainstream reading program, but they will still be identified as “at-risk” throughout their time in elementary school so that, if their skills wane, they can receive immediate help.
“Research shows that when children get help exactly when and with the specific skill they need, the problem doesn’t become a gap,” says Roxanne Lyons, director of instructional services. “But if they aren’t reading at grade level by the time they reach middle school, it’s harder for them to catch up.”
“Already, we’re finding the assessments open dialog about how to help individual students,” notes Roxanne. “By using the same metrics on every student K-5, we’re able to compare our performance to national benchmarks. This data will expose where we need to improve, especially in the primary grades where the reading begins. Teachers and administators alike are eager to create appropriate strategies that support struggling readers. Later this year, the Instructional Services Council will work with teachers to choose targeted materials that will expand reading aptitude for all students.”