When SOAR and RtI (Response to Intervention) came to Park Hill, I was excited and hesitant all at the same time. My excitement came from listening to colleagues across the nation share how RtI made a difference in their schools. My hesitancy came from my lack of knowledge and understanding as well as my fears that implementation had not been thoroughly outlined.
I am someone who naturally responds better to well organized implementations. I find comfort in having the answers and being able to provide answers to my staff. So, the thought of starting a program without knowing all the answers placed me outside my comfort zone. Despite this, I embraced the ambiguity and pledged to learn to work through the process. The results....Amazing! Not only have the results been amazing for our students, I learned how to live in ambiguity and it really isn't as scary as I thought it would be!
RtI has made such a difference for our students that I am now one of the top supporters of the process. What do I like about RtI? RtI provides a structure to our interventions. RtI allows equitable response to student needs. RtI assures kids do not slip through the cracks. RtI drills down to the individual student level. RtI creates teacher efficacy and empowerment.
I'm glad to say that SOAR and RtI will continue next year in Park Hill and at Renner. The even better news - for those of us still learning to live with ambiguity - is that the processes, procedures and expectations have become more clear defined. Some of those changes include structured intervention times, improved universal screenings, and efficient tracking of progress monitoring. I look forward to sharing all the positive changes that have been made to the RtI process and to watching the impact of RtI on the students and staff at Renner.
Have a fantastic week!
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