Due to changes in the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, school districts must offer an option for determining Specific Learning Disabilities other than the discrepancy model, which has been in place for 20 years. This option is Response to Intervention. 

Response to Intervention, or RTI, is the practice of high-quality instruction/intervention matched to student needs, using learning rate over time and level of performance to make important decisions. With its focus on scientifically based instruction, frequent progress monitoring, and decisions driven by child response to instruction, RTI has a strong connection to No Child Left Behind and School Improvement.

South Dakota’s Special Education Programs has organized a group of stakeholders to develop a statewide RTI model and technical assistance guide. The South Dakota model will emphasize early intervention services for reading difficulties, classroom management, and scientifically based instruction for all students. The model and technical assistance guide will include a service delivery plan and implementation plan for grades K-12. However, Special Education Programs recommends beginning with grades K-3 in the first year of implementation.

The discrepancy model has been criticized as a “wait to fail” model (waiting for the gap between ability and achievement to meet eligibility criteria), which leaves children, families and schools with few options when services are necessary. With RTI, interventions are provided for all students not making gains toward benchmarks. Students get immediate help through general education, and therefore, their needs are met sooner. Parents also are involved in this process.  

Currently, half of all students identified in the United States are identified as Specific Learning Disability. There are 12 other disability categories.  

For more information about RTI, contact Ray Tracy in the Department of Education’s Special Education Programs. Call (605) 773-3219 or ray.tracy@state.sd.us.

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