Dr. Jim Lesko, the Director of Early Development and Learning Resources for the Delaware Department of Education, disusses the differences between RTI in early childhood and K-12 settings (running time: 1 min., 50 sec.).
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Narrator:
This RTI national online forum is presented by the RTI action network a program of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. Funding is provided by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.
Interviewer:
Jim let me move to you, how is RTI different in the early childhood than in the K through twelve settings?
Jim:
Well Doris there are several differences, I think, that need to be considered. The first would be, and it is a major issue, is funding. Within the K to twelve system there are some more firm funding resources that are available. IDEA makes some specific resources available through their comprehensive Early Intervening Services component of that. Whereas below kindergarten it is much more difficult to identify funding and it is often necessary for districts and programs to be very creative around that process. The second component would be around the competencies and resources that are available to programs that are below kindergarten. We’re often dealing with a very different population of practitioners, some that come into the setting with less knowledge than what we might find in a K to twelve system. I guess the third component would be the settings. In the K to twelve system we have school building, we have classrooms. Below kindergarten we’re looking at preschool programs, child care centers, daycare, family child care. So there are some distinct differences across settings.
Interviewer:
Ok, thank you Jim.