Psicothema 2010. Vol. 22, n'A. pp.

932-934 ISSN 0214-9915 CODEN PSOTEG

www.psicothema.com Copyright © 2010 Psicothema

SECCIÓN ESPECIAL:
Modelo de Respuesta a la Intervención (Rtl) y Dificultades de Aprendizaje

Response to Intervention (Rtl) Model: A promising alternative

for identifying students with learning disabilities?

Juan E. Jiménez
Universidad de La Laguna

Until recently, in the United States, the traditional way to identify students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) was
through the discrepancy model where student IQs were compared to their level of achievement. However, educators and
researchers alike have questioned this model as a means to define and identify students with SLD. The 2004 reauthorization
ofthe Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) includes the use of response to intervention (Rtl)
as possible alternative to the intelligence-achievement discrepancy for identifying SLD. Core components of Rtl include
high-quality classroom instruction, universal screening, continuous progress monitoring, research-based interventions,
and fidelity of instructional interventions. In Spain, the last publication of Ley Orgánica 2/2006, May 3, of Education
(LOE) uses the term. Specific Leaming Disabilities (SLD), in the chapter on students with specific needs of educational
support. Some Autonomous Communities in Spain like the Canary Islands region are regulating SLD identification that
adds Rtl as an option to use in the eligibility process. Nevertheless, this model it is still at an embryonic stage and many
issues are unresolved. While no special issue can cover all of these themes and issues, the contributions included in this
monograph examine relevant aspects of this approach. Indeed, this special section is an attempt to introduce in Spain an
approach that could be an alternative for identifying and intervening with students who have leaming disabilities.

Modetode Respuesta a ¡a Intervención (Rtl): ¿una alternativaprotnetedorapara la identificación de niños con dificultades
específicas de aprendizaje? Hasta hace poco, en los Estados Unidos la forma tradicional de identifiear a los estudiantes
con dificultades específicas de aprendizaje (DEA) ha sido a través del modelo de discrepancia inteligencia-rendimiento,
donde se comparaba la capacidad intelectual del estudiante con su nivel de logro académico. Sin embargo, los educadores
e investigadores han cuestionado este modelo como un medio para definir e identificar a los estudiantes con DEA. La
reautorización de la Ley de Educación para Individuos con Discapacidades en 2004 (IDEA) incluye el uso de respuesta
a la intervención (Rtl) como posible altemativa a la discrepancia inteligencia-rendimiento para la identificación de DEA.
Los componentes fundamentales del modelo Rtl se refieren a una instrucción de alta calidad, cribaje universal, control
del progreso de aprendizaje, intervención basada en la investigación y rigor en la implementación. En España, la última
publicación de la Ley Orgánica 2/2006, 3 de mayo, de Educación (LOE) utiliza el término dificultades espeeíficas de
aprendizaje (DEA) en el capítulo sobre los alumnos con necesidades específicas de apoyo educativo. Algunas comunidades
autónomas en España, como la región de las Islas Canarias, están regulando criterios para la identificación de DEA
que añaden Rtl como una opción para determinar si el alumno es o no elegible para educación especial. Sin embargo,
este modelo se eneuentra todavía en una fase embrionaria y son muchos los temas aún sin resolver. Si bien resulta
difícil que una monografía pueda abarcar todos estos temas y cuestiones, las contribuciones que han sido seleccionadas
examinan los aspectos relevantes de este enfoque. Además, esta sección especial es un intento de introducir en España
un enfoque que podría ser una altemativa para identificar e intervenir a los estudiantes que tienen dificultades espeeíficas
de aprendizaje.

The roots of the concept of responsiveness or Response to

Fecha recepción; 8-6-10 • Fecha aceptación; 8-6-10 Intervention (Rtl) are an attempt to find the best way to educate
Correspondencia; Juan E. Jiménez children by adjusting pedagogical strategies based on student
Facultad de Psicología
Universidad de La Laguna
patterns of responses (Grigorenko, 2009). Thus, prevention and
38205 Tenerife (Spain) more effective teaching in the context of regular education are key
e-mail; [email protected] concepts associated with RtL The promise of RTI that students
RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION (RTI) MODEL: A PROMISING ALTERNATIVE FOR IDENTYFYING STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES? 933

no longer have to «wait to fail» to receive help, it may prevent one hundred schools are currently implementing the Rtl model in
the over-identificatidn of students for special education, and the Canary Islands, a welcome shift from the wait-to-fail trtodel
assessments that help educators plan instruction. Therefore, this historically favored in educational responses to struggling readers.
model is gaining acceptance in the special education community. In the second paper written by O. Lipka and L.S. Siegel (2010) a
In ÉEUU, the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with longitudinal research is presented where the Rtl model targeted
Disabilities Education Improvement Act made, for the first time, the entire student population, including English language learners
the use of response to intervention acceptable as an alternative (ELLs) in the North Vancouver school district in Canada. Students
means of identifying students with specific learning disabilities who entered the school system in their kindergarten year were
(SLD). As a result of this legislation, many states have begun followed until Grade 7. ELLs came from a variety of linguistic
to quickly move toward implementation of some form of Rtl backgrounds that included Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, Farsi and
(Berkeley, Bender, Gregg, & Saunders, 2009). Special educational Spanish. A number of children with reading problems decreased
needs or learning disabilities in Spain, as in some other European significantly as a result of the Rtl approach.
countries such as the'United Kingdom (McLaughlin et al., 2006), The disproportionate representation of ELLs in special
are identified when a pupil does not learn in the ordinary classroom education, particularly Spanish-speaking English-language
setting and the teacher observes a difference between that pupil and learners, has been a long-standing concern in the United States
the rest of the class's ¡attainment regarding learning in subjects like and it is examined in the next three papers. A. J. Artiles and E. B.
reading, writing, and arithmetic that should have been achieved Kosleski (2010) examine the potential of Rtl models to improve
according to age or grade. The identification of learning disabilities educational opportunities for culturally and linguistically diverse
is made regardless of whether this difficulty is caused by sensory students and to reduce their disproportionate representation in
impairment, mental retardation, serious emotional disturbance. special education. They adopt a cultural view of development
extrinsic influences such as cultural differences, or insufficient or and learning to examine definitions and assumptions embedded
inappropriate instruction. Recently, however, the last publication in the notions of «response» and «intervention». Therefore, their
of Ley Orgánica lIlQiÇlè, May 3, of Education (LOE) uses the term. contribution is an attempt to examine the role of culture in Rtl and
Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), in the chapter on students their implications for identifying and intervening with students at
with specific needs of educational support. In spite of this, there is risk for poor learning outcomes. The tnain argument is that the
no clear definition about SLD (Jiménez & Hernández-Valle, 1999) assumptions of Rtl might create blind sides for researchers and
but some Autonomous Communities in Spain like the Canary practitioners about how to design, assess, and promote learning
Islands region are regulating SLD identification that adds Rtl as an and instruction, particularly for diverse students. Therefore, they
option to use in the eligibility process. suggest that Rtl models should be based on a theory of how culture
Nevertheless, this model it is still at an embryonic stage and mediates learning processes. Also, a relevant issue within the
many issues are unresolved. While no special issue can cover context of a Response to Intervention approach is the identification
all of these themes and issues, the contributions included in this of measures and procedures that screen students as at risk and not
monograph exatnine relevant aspects of this approach. Indeed, at risk for future reading failure. The paper of S. Linan-Thompson
this special section is an attempt to introduce in Spain an approach (2010) focuses on the current assessment procedures that are used
that could be an alternative for identifying and intervening with to screen English language learners who might experience reading
students who have learning disabilities. difficulties. In general, screening measures do not accurately
The first two papers in this special issue provide empirical discriminate among ELLs who score poorly due to a learning
disability, lack of language proficiency, a language disorder, or lack
evidence about the effectiveness of the Rtl model for Spanish
of educational opportunities and do not take differences in language
monolingual at-risk readers as well as second-language learners.
proficiency and educational opportunities into account. Linan-
The article by J.E. Jiménez, C. Rodriguez, P. Crespo, D. González,
Thompson also examines different factors that have contributed to
C. Artiles and M. Afonso (2010) is a study designed to test the
the disproportionate representation of ELLs in special education.
effectiveness of the itnplementation of a second tier intervention
As an example one of the contributing factors is student's language
within the context of Rtl for Spanish at-risk readers in the region
proficiency because determining the cause of a learning difficulty
of the Canary Islands (Spain). This study is an example of a
is challenging when the student has limited English proficiency.
collaboration between Canarian Universities and the Department
Finally, she examines different alternatives for identifying ELLs
of Education of the Canary Islands. Results indicated that children
at risk for reading difficulties. The contribution by D.L. Baker, Y.
who received a second tier intervention using the PREDEA
Park, and S.K. Baker (2010) has also implications for implementing
curriculum had higher scores on initial sound identification,
an Rtl model in schools teaching Spanish-speaking students to read
listening comprehension, letter sound knowledge and oral reading
in Spanish. Their study demonstrates that a substantial percentage
fluency tasks compared to the control group. Therefore, the authors
of the variance in Spanish reading comprehension at the end of
conclude that response to intervention would be an effective and
first grade can be explained by Spanish initial status, and growth
valid approach to improve cognitive skills and reading skills in
on pseudoword reading, a measure of the understanding of the
Spanish-speaking children who may be at-risk for long-term
alphabetic principle (i.e., the understanding that letters are symbols
reading difficulties when learning to read in Spanish. This pilot
for sounds and that blending these sounds will help children read
experience demonstrates that the Rtl model is a viable model that
words). The main implications of these findings in a Response
can be effectively implemented in Spanish-speaking countries and
to intervention approach is that knowing how much growth on
it is an alternative to expensive and resource intensive approaches.
pseudoword reading can be expected of a first grader learning to
Based on the results of this study, the Department of Education of
read in Spanish helps educators detennine the level of support
the Canarian Government has adopted Rtl or tiered intervention
struggling readers will need to master the alphabetic principle.
policies as a comiiion practice serving all students. More than
934 JUAN E. JIMÉNEZ

a foundational component of beginning reading in alphabetic teachers do not always have sufficient knowledge of literacy-
languages. related content to teach reading and spelling effectively. Therefore,
Finally, S. Carreker and R.M. Joshi (2010) suggest another they recommend that the body of converging scientific evidence
model, the Component Model of Reading (CMR) as an alternative on effective practices of teaching reading and spelling should be
to the discrepancy model and RtL On one hand, they recognize that available to teachers to build their background knowledge for the
Rtl has the potential to improve student reading achievement; on effective implementation of the CMR or Rtl model. However, to
the other hand, the Rtl model fails to consider the multidimensional improve educational practices, researchers and practitioners need
nature of reading, that is, the cognitive, psychological, and ecological to take into account teacher's motivation, and previous teaching
domains that may cause reading difficulties. For this reason, Rtl knowledge and skills.
does not seem to be the most promising method for identifying I hope that you enjoy reading these papers and, even more
individuals with leaming disabilities. Their study presents evidence importantly, I hope that these contributions serve as a spark for
ofthe efficacy ofthe CMR model. Nevertheless, they also indicate stimulating the introduction of new ways to serve to students with
that the Rtl and the CMR models present limitations because learning disabilities in our country.

References

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Intervention in RTI? A Sociocultural Analysis. Psicolhema, 22,949-954. Afonso, M. (2010). Implementation of Response to Intervention (Rtl)
Baker, D.L., Park, Y., & Baker, S.K. (2010). Effect of initial status and Model in Spain: An example of a collaboration between Canarian
growth in pseudoword reading on Spanish reading comprehension at universities and the department of education of the Canary Islands.
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