General RtI (Response to Intervention) Process
Traditional RtI Tiers
Using RtI for Gifted Students
The characteristics and process although developed for students who struggle with core instruction, can be applied in a different way to challenge gifted students.
Universal Screening
A distinguishing feature of the RtI model is the emphasis on early intervention. From the beginning, all students participate in a universal screening that is used in conjunction with other observations and assessments for tier placement. To maximize effectiveness of the RtI model in gifted education, it would be important that the universal screening include some portion of above grade level testing. Because universal screening results are used for tier placement, including above level testing would help to more accurately identify the additional supports that a gifted student could benefit from.
Flexibility
With a focus on identifying additional supports for students (as opposed to identifying student who need additional supports), the RtI model allows students more flexibility. The flexibility that RtI offers ensures that students are placed in the right tier at the right time. Additionally, students can move between tiers based on progress monitoring data, curriculum based assessments, benchmark testing, common formative assessments, and other valid data. With the RtI model a student would not need to be labeled as gifted in order to receive tier 2 or tier 3 supports for advanced learners. The RtI model for gifted students is less interested in the formally labeling students and more interested in supporting and nurturing strengths in advanced learners--a best practice for young gifted learners.
Data
The RtI model offers a data-based, systematic way of providing support for gifted students. Data from universal screenings, core instruction, and progress monitoring in tiers 2 and 3 help teams make data-based decisions for student instruction. Core instruction data should come from both pre and post assessments to provide a place for student growth in individual topics for team conversations. Collecting multiple pieces of data and matching data with interventions and supports for gifted learners can be successful for challenging learners as it is successful for helping struggling learners acquire core content in the traditional RtI model.
Universal Screening
A distinguishing feature of the RtI model is the emphasis on early intervention. From the beginning, all students participate in a universal screening that is used in conjunction with other observations and assessments for tier placement. To maximize effectiveness of the RtI model in gifted education, it would be important that the universal screening include some portion of above grade level testing. Because universal screening results are used for tier placement, including above level testing would help to more accurately identify the additional supports that a gifted student could benefit from.
Flexibility
With a focus on identifying additional supports for students (as opposed to identifying student who need additional supports), the RtI model allows students more flexibility. The flexibility that RtI offers ensures that students are placed in the right tier at the right time. Additionally, students can move between tiers based on progress monitoring data, curriculum based assessments, benchmark testing, common formative assessments, and other valid data. With the RtI model a student would not need to be labeled as gifted in order to receive tier 2 or tier 3 supports for advanced learners. The RtI model for gifted students is less interested in the formally labeling students and more interested in supporting and nurturing strengths in advanced learners--a best practice for young gifted learners.
Data
The RtI model offers a data-based, systematic way of providing support for gifted students. Data from universal screenings, core instruction, and progress monitoring in tiers 2 and 3 help teams make data-based decisions for student instruction. Core instruction data should come from both pre and post assessments to provide a place for student growth in individual topics for team conversations. Collecting multiple pieces of data and matching data with interventions and supports for gifted learners can be successful for challenging learners as it is successful for helping struggling learners acquire core content in the traditional RtI model.
Tiers for Gifted Learners
TIPS (Team Initiated Problem Solving)
As teams of educators work together to determine tier placement and specific interventions for gifted students the the TIPS model is used throughout the process. In this model, teams do not disappear after tier placement. Teams continue to work to check the fidelity of implemented interventions and use continuous feedback to determine future instruction. While the TIPS model below provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is designed for the traditional RtI model, it could be used for gifted students as well by replacing "Identify Problems" with "Identify Exceptional Strengths."
As teams of educators work together to determine tier placement and specific interventions for gifted students the the TIPS model is used throughout the process. In this model, teams do not disappear after tier placement. Teams continue to work to check the fidelity of implemented interventions and use continuous feedback to determine future instruction. While the TIPS model below provided by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction is designed for the traditional RtI model, it could be used for gifted students as well by replacing "Identify Problems" with "Identify Exceptional Strengths."
Additional considerations that need to be made before implementing the RtI model for gifted students:
1) How do twice-exceptional students fit into the RtI model?
2) If the goal of RtI is for tier 2 and tier 3 students to be successful in tier 1, how does that translate for gifted students?
3) Is core instruction effectively designed and differentiated for a grade level range of struggling to above average learners?
1) How do twice-exceptional students fit into the RtI model?
2) If the goal of RtI is for tier 2 and tier 3 students to be successful in tier 1, how does that translate for gifted students?
3) Is core instruction effectively designed and differentiated for a grade level range of struggling to above average learners?