ABSTRACT
The chapters in this section address many of the trends and issues in Response to Intervention and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. RTI has a long history, while MTSS is relatively new to the field. Perhaps one of the most controversial topics within this work is the terms RTI and MTSS, along with how each are implemented in schools. All of the authors in the section, and in the volume for that matter, use RTI in various ways, sometimes distinguishing between MTSS and RTI, other times using the terms synonymously. In Chapter 1, “Response to Intervention and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: How Do They Differ and How Are They the Same, If at All,” my colleagues (Wilhelmina van Dijk, Vivian E. Gonsalves, Holly B. Lane, and Kristen E. Ashworth) and I clarify some of the terms used to refer to the various purposes of instruction across multiple tiers. We took this approach to address the terms that are confusing within the field among top professionals in special education and school psychology. Even with the clarification of terms, we need to further distinguish between the various ways in which RTI is being implemented in schools. We posit that RTI (Response to Intervention) should remain as it is intended in IDEIA for the identification of disabilities. A new term for the multiple tiers of support that do not lead to identification should be identified. Distinguishing between these purposes via a new term may eliminate RTI as being a road block to students being identified for special education services.
