---
title: What RTI should and shouldn’t include
description: What does the response to intervention (RTI) process involve, and what shouldn’t it include? Find out what RTI includes.
slug: what-rti-should-and-shouldnt-include
author: Amanda Morin
reviewer: Elaine M. Niefeld, MA, MBA
published: '2019-10-16T11:47:05.403Z'
thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/2Vt1UGcyVE2w6wtsDm0lSx/dca90ab9af6ea10a02922aa0f142fbe9/G1498440573.png
source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-rti-should-and-shouldnt-include
lang: en
---

# What RTI should and shouldn’t include

Your child’s school might use [response to intervention](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-response-to-intervention) (RTI) to help kids make progress. There are some things RTI should include, and some things it shouldn’t. Here’s what to know. 

## RTI should include:

- Screening the entire class, then frequently testing students to see how they’re responding to targeted help.
- Breaking into small groups and helping students improve skills using [interventions](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/instructional-intervention-what-you-need-to-know) supported by research.
- A set of guidelines to follow when deciding which students aren’t making enough progress and need more help from teachers, reading specialists, and other professionals.
- A plan for figuring out what type of support a student needs to avoid [repeating a grade](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/repeating-a-grade-pros-and-cons).
- Consistent communication with families.

## RTI should *not *include:

- Relying on classroom observations to identify struggling students.
- More of the same type of classroom instruction and work.
- Special seat assignments or a reduced workload.
- Repeating a grade.
- Informal and infrequent communication with families about their child’s progress.

Find out [who’s on the RTI team](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/whos-on-the-rti-team). And explore [RTI in more depth](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/faqs-about-rti).

---

## Explore related topics and articles

- [What is response to intervention \(RTI\)?](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/understanding-response-to-intervention) - -  RTI aims to identify kids who are struggling in school. -  It uses targeted teaching to help them catch up. -  An important part of RTI is measuring progress and providing more support to kids who need it.    If you look inside any general education classroom, chances are good that youd see diffe
- [Who’s on the RTI team](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/whos-on-the-rti-team) - Response to intervention \(RTI\) teams are made up of a number of people. And the exact members may differ from school to school. Learn who's likely to be on the RTI team at your childs school and how they can help. Administrator/school principal  -  Oversees the administrative details of RTI -  Assig
- [FAQs about RTI](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/faqs-about-rti) - -  Response to intervention \(RTI\) is a systematic way of identifying struggling students and giving them extra help. -  Monitoring students progress is a big part of RTI. -  The RTI process is designed to provide extra help before students fall significantly behind their classmates.  Chances are goo

---

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