The Hamilton School District is in the midst of its multi-year Response to Intervention (RtI) framework implementation and the board was given an update on its progress. 

RtI is a federal and state mandate that is designed to standardize quality instruction, balanced assessments and collaboration. A three-tiered process helps identify and respond to student needs. RtI requires staff to implement research-based instructional and behavioral strategies with an emphasis on intervention rather than remediation. 

Before students can be referred for special education services, schools must show evidence that a student did not make progress in the three tiers of increasingly-intensive intervention. The district must be ready by Dec. 1 to use RtI to determine eligibility for specific learning disabilities. Recent district progress toward RtI implementation includes the following.

• Four schools – Templeton Middle and Maple Avenue, Marcy and Woodside Elementary – participated in an RtI external audit. The schools were chosen to represent the district. The audit examined leadership, organizational structures, instruction, cultural responsiveness, student servicing, collaborative practices, assessment practices, behavioral support system, communication and professional development. Auditors’ findings revealed no surprises for the district with many strengths and a few areas for growth including the need for better understanding of the new disability criteria.

• Professional development continues to provide clarity regarding RtI implementation.

• After using EasyCBM as its progress monitoring tool for one year, the district is considering moving to AIMSWeb tool as a replacement. Staff determined that EasyCBM does not meet the RtI needs of the district.