2011 Response to Intervention Report by GlobalScholar, NASDSE, CASE and AASA Uncovers Latest Trends in RTI Adoption Among US School Districts

SEATTLE, Aug. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Spectrum K12 (now part of the GlobalScholar brand) and leading education organizations, including the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE), Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), today announced the results of their 2011 survey of K-12 district administrators which gauges the extent to which Response to Intervention (RTI) is being adopted and implemented.

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The report explores three key areas:

• How widely RTI has been adopted in U.S. school districts
• How RTI is being implemented and scaled within a district
• The impact of RTI on student and district performance

Among the findings, the survey revealed that RTI implementation has steadily continued to rise from 2007 through 2011, with 94 percent of respondents in 2011 indicating they are currently at some stage of RTI implementation. While the majority of schools have identified the need for RTI, only 24 percent of schools have reached full implementation. In addition, according to the report, districts with 10,000 or more students are significantly more likely to be in full implementation than smaller districts. Moreover, of those schools planning or implementing RTI, elementary schools are leading the way, with 80 percent of respondents reporting they have fully implemented RTI in one or more domain areas (reading, writing, math, behavior, or science).

The report also reveals that schools are increasingly using RTI to create personalized instruction for all students, with an increase from 49 percent in 2010 to 62 percent in 2011. Eight in ten districts tracking RTI results report reduced referrals to special education. Furthermore, of the 28 percent of schools that have sufficient student data, a majority report that RTI has had a positive impact on adequate yearly progress (AYP).

The full 2011 RTI Adoption report is available online at www.globalscholar.com/2011RTI.  Additionally, the report's sponsors will be offering state-specific webinars about the findings beginning on August 24; interested educators can register at www.globalscholar.com/2011RTI.

"Conducting the fourth annual 2011 RTI Adoption Survey and making the results available to educators and parents would not have been possible without our continued relationship with the RTI Action Network/NCLD, AASA, CASE and NASDSE," said Kal Raman, CEO of GlobalScholar. "The findings of this survey underscore that RTI is no longer just for special needs students, but can be very instrumental in supporting personalized instruction for all students."

"The RTI Adoption Survey serves as a unique window to the implementation of RTI in our school districts as it rapidly changes over time," said Kathleen Whitmire, director, RTI Action Network, a program of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. "This information is valuable on many levels—for those who provide supports to local implementers to ensure that resources meet the current needs of the field, for school administrators to assess their efforts in comparison to schools across the nation, and for colleges and universities as they prepare future educators.  NCLD is very pleased to be a partner in this important project."

"AASA continues to find the RTI survey a valuable tool that school administrators can use when determining the benefits of implementing or expanding RTI in their districts," said Sasha Bartolf, legislative specialist at AASA. "As RTI becomes more utilized in both general-education and special-education settings, and as the promise of RTI continues to grow, this survey demonstrates why the federal government has an incentive to allow schools to devote more resources to RTI related activities."

"I am pleased that the multi-tiered system of supports or RTI process is successful in so many schools across the nation, and that the numbers of schools adopting the process continues to grow," said Bill East, executive director of NASDSE. "I encourage stakeholders to use the new data in this annual update to help expand and improve programs in their states, school districts and schools."

"The Council of Administrators of Special Education is proud to participate for another year in the collaborative effort led by Spectrum K12 in this follow up survey on the implementation of Response to Intervention in our schools," stated Luann Purcell, executive director of the Council of Administrators of Special Education. "In the era of accountability, it is imperative we seek data to make efficient and effective instructional decisions. Having data now spanning over 4 years provides clarity and reliability needed for the tough decisions being faced daily.  We applaud the efforts of those who participated in this survey so we can all be more responsive to the needs of ALL students."

About the American Association of School Administrators (AASA)

The American Association of School Administrators, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders across the United States. AASA's mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.

About the Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE)

The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) is an international professional educational organization, which is affiliated with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted.

The mission of CASE is to provide leadership and support to members by shaping policies and practices that impact the quality of education. For more information, visit www.casecec.org.

About the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)

NASDSE operates for the purpose of providing services to state agencies to facilitate their efforts to maximize educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities. NASDSE is a not-for-profit organization established to promote and support education programs and related services for children and youth with disabilities in the United States and outlying areas. NASDSE accomplishes its goals by establishing and maintaining relations between those responsible for the development of statewide and federal special education programs and those responsible for general curriculum planning at the local, state and national levels. NASDSE activities are designed to provide professional support to its members and others interested in special education. For more information, go to www.nasdse.org.

About GlobalScholar

GlobalScholar (www.globalscholar.com) is comprised of the education solution offerings of Scantron, GlobalScholar and Spectrum K12. Solutions from GlobalScholar empower educators, parents and students throughout the entire learning lifecycle, helping schools achieve educational excellence. The brand's offerings provide educators with data and insights needed to advance teacher effectiveness and student performance. GlobalScholar also supports parents and students directly with online services that include tutoring and homework help for students, as well as school matching services/online school finders to help parents find the right school for their child. The brand serves 80 of the largest 100 school districts in the United States, as well as 70 countries and 15 Ministries of Education throughout the world. It partners with some of the most progressive and innovative school systems in America, including recipients of funding from the Race to the Top initiative and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Scantron Corporation is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Harland Clarke Holdings Corp., which also owns Harland Clarke Corp. and Harland Financial Solutions, Inc.  

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SOURCE GlobalScholar