Skip to main content
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Contact

Search form

American Institutes for Research

  • Our Work
    • AIR Assessment
    • Education
    • Health
    • International
    • Workforce
    • ALL TOPICS >
  • Our Services
    • Student Assessment
    • Research and Evaluation
    • Policy, Practice, and Systems Change
  • Our Experts
  • News & Events

You are here

  • Home
1 Aug 2007
Report

Meeting the Needs of Significantly Struggling Learners in High School: A Look at Approaches to Tiered Intervention

Helen Duffy, National High School Center at the American Institutes for Research

RTI cover image This report outlines the opportunities and challenges presented by Response to Intervention (RTI) at the high school level. To date, the focus on RTI, a diagnostic tool and tiered approach consisting of customized student instruction, has been primarily on the elementary school level. Interest in the approach has increased as a result of the regulations outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA 2004), but much is still unknown about this work at the high school level.

The report provides an in-depth look at the implementation and structural issues, as well as the needed support required to successfully institute RTI on the secondary school level. Effective tiered intervention strategies depend on accurate diagnostic information and data about what is working or what is not working for students and what new adjustments need to be made in the learning environment. RTI involves close monitoring of students and therefore can serve as an effective tool in identifying learning disabilities.

The report defines two RTI models (standard treatment protocol and problem-solving approach), explores benefits and challenges faced at the high school level, shares a snapshot of implementation at the high school level, and outlines
the necessary resources needed to support this work. In addition, the report outlines considerations unique to high school in regard to RTI including:
 

  • Identifying screening and progress monitoring tools for high school level students across subject areas;
  • Utilizing high school appropriate intervention models that work across subjects;
  • Designing a program structure that pays careful attention to the urgency for identifying learning
  • disabilities and other learning issues so late in the educational pipeline;
  • Developing an approach for high school students that addresses the problem of inappropriate
  • identification, particularly of English learners;
  • Examining the changing roles for general and special education teachers;
  • Determining universal instruction across content areas;
  • Ensuring new structural supports for professional collaboration, as high schools often present a
  • unique challenge due to traditional departmental structures;
  • Offering ongoing professional development; and
  • Expanding parent communication to build a common understanding of the approach.
     
PDF icon Meeting the Needs of Significantly Struggling Learners in High School: A Look at Approaches to Tiered Intervention

Related Projects

NHSC_white_web.jpg

Project

The National High School Center

Millions of high school students—particularly those with disabilities, with limited proficiency in English, or from low-income backgrounds—need additional support in order to succeed. To address this challenge, the National High School Center promotes the use of research-supported approaches that help all students learn and become adequately prepared for college, work, and life.

Further Reading

  • New AIR Study Finds that the Role of States Varies in Response to Intervention Implementation
  • ESSA │Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)/Response to Intervention (RTI)
  • The Status of State-level Response to Intervention Policies and Procedures in the West Region States and Five Other States
  • Wisconsin Response to Intervention Center
  • Special Education Experts from the American Institutes for Research to Present at the Annual Council for Exceptional Children Conference
Share

Topic

Education
High School Improvement
Response to Intervention (RTI)
Special Education

RESEARCH. EVALUATION. APPLICATION. IMPACT.

About Us

About AIR
Board of Directors
Leadership
Experts
Clients
Contracting with AIR
Contact Us

Our Work

AIR Assessment
Education
Health
International
Workforce

Client Services

Student Assessment
Research and Evaluation
Policy, Practice, and
Systems Change

News & Events

Careers at AIR


Search form


 

Connecting

FacebookTwitterLinkedinYouTubeInstagram

American Institutes for Research

1000 Thomas Jefferson Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Call: (202) 403-5000
Fax: (855) 459-6213

Copyright © 2019 American Institutes for Research®.  All rights reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap