RTI: An Introduction to Tier 3 Problem-Solving Teams

The RTI Problem-Solving Team is a multi-disciplinary group of educators that create intensive, customized intervention plans for struggling general-education students who have not responded to lesser levels of academic or behavioral support. This full-day workshop provides guidance to schools to set up effective RTI Problem-Solving Teams in elementary and secondary buildings.


In this training, educators learn about:

  • a structured, efficient 8-step process for running an RTI Team meeting that identifies the student academic or behavioral concern and matches that student to evidence-based interventions.
  • the specialized roles assumed by RTI Team members (i.e., facilitator, recorder, time-keeper, case-manager, coordinator).
  • strategies for interacting in an accepting, collegial manner with teachers who refer students to the RTI Team documentation forms for recording information from the RTI Team meeting and monitoring the student’s progress on an intervention plan.
  • ideas for engaging parents (and—when appropriate—students) to fully participate in the RTI Team process.
  • methods that the RTI Team can use to monitor the quality (‘treatment integrity’) of student intervention plans.

The training also prepares participants to anticipate and avoid common Problem-Solving Team 'pitfalls'. The workshop concludes with a review of free web resources to assist RTI Teams in their work. NOTE: This workshop can be offered in an elementary-level version (grades K-6) or a secondary-level version (grades 7-12).


As a result of attending this workshop, participants will:
  • describe the central role of the RTI Problem-Solving Team in assisting schools to create customized, intensive academic and behavioral intervention plans.
  • Implement the steps and scripted roles of an RTI Team meeting.
  • intervention plans and monitor the integrity with which interventions are carried.
  • avoid common ‘pitfalls—such as limited data collection—that can confront RTI Teams.
  • use strategies for interacting in an accepting, collegial manner with teachers who refer students to the RTI Team.