Definition

Definition of RTI (Response To Instruction)
The practice of providing high-quality instruction and increasing levels of interventions matched to students' needs, monitoring progress frequently to make changes in instruction or goals, and applying child response data to important educational decisions. (Buffum, Mattos, Weber, 2009)

This system is usually represented graphically by a pyramid showing three levels or tiers of intervention. (Howell, et al, 2008)

These levels differ in frequency and intensity: Tier 1: high quality regular education instruction/intervention responsive to the needs for all students, Tier 2: immediate, targeted instruction/intervention systematically applied for any student not achieving academic and/or behavioral goals Tier 3: intensive interventions intended to close the gap for students with chronic or severe academic and/or behavioral delays