Kitty Murphy is assistant superintendent for student services and special education; Melea Smith is the director of communications and INSPRA immediate past president. Both are with Naperville CUSD 203.

Response to Intervention (RtI), Problem Solving or Flexible Delivery Modelthis unique, collaborative approach to instruction has many monikers! And whenever you have a concept that is known by more than one name, it takes extra effort to keep everyone on the same page.

Although RtI has been a part of the national educational vernacular for more than a decade, the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Act in 2004 has brought it to the forefront, changing the way schools identify and address students with learning needs.

This seismic shift, a true transformation in the way students will be served, comes with a number of new terms, too — integrity of intervention, progress monitoring, curriculum based measures (CBM), universal, targeted and intense interventions. Just looking at this list, it's easy to see why, without a well-constructed plan for communication, working hand-in-hand with implementation, RtI can bring upheaval to any educational system.

Because RtI affects curriculum, instruction and roles within the entire network of the school district, it is imperative to insure clarity of the initiative among internal audiences, including the school board, central office administration, principals, union leadership and staff. The key is to communicate, communicate, communicate — upward, downward and horizontally.

As with any change, it is first important to establish a shared understanding of the need for change, with the focus on student benefits. Working with the curriculum office, special education administrators must take the lead in:

• creating building-based problem solving teams;
• training staff in the concepts of curriculum-based goal-writing, measurement and progress monitoring;
• establishing district response to research-based interventions for academic and behavioral needs;
• providing staff with the knowledge of and ability to use a variety of authentic measurement tools, as well as the technology to assist them in problem solving; and
• securing parent participation.

This is a huge undertaking. A team approach, involving staff and parent representatives, works best. Every district has its own unique culture. For any initiative to become common practice requires time and buy-in.

One of the biggest mistakes a district can make is "requiring" that everyone jump on board. The second biggest mistake is assuming that they already have.

Enter the diffusion model, a practical application of classic communication theory. Diffusion is the process by which new ideas and practices are integrated into a social system. Just "publicizing" new information is not enough. Through years of research, sociologists have identified five stages of acceptance. They are:

1. Knowledge — the initial stage of learning and becoming familiar with the new idea;

2. Persuasion — potential adopters become more interested and seek further information;

3. Decision — potential adopters decide to accept or reject the idea after considering its merits for their own situation;

4. Implementation — those willing to try the idea begin to apply it on a small scale; they become interested in further exploring techniques;

5. Confirmation — the idea gains full acceptance or is rejected based on evaluation.

Obviously, it's going to take more than a PowerPoint presentation for RtI (or any new initiative) to be accepted at the granular level. This model demonstrates the critical importance of two-way communication.

Additionally, an effective communications plan would explain the following key points about how RtI works and the benefits involved:

• Aligns with IDEA 2004 and NCLB
• Eliminates the "wait to fail" model
• Is data-driven and objective
• Allows the rethinking of resources in a systemic, creative, efficient manner
• Creates a continuum of interventions for students
• Decreases the over-identification of students with LD labels
• Puts the focus on instruction rather than on a student's "disability"
• Decreases the over-identification of minorities in special education.
• Changes the role of psychologists from "test givers" to intervention specialists
• Blends regular education and special education as a continuum of services
• Reinforces ownership for all students
• Is a teamwork approach that merges efforts of regular ed and special ed staff
• Focuses on outcomes and accountability
• Meets the needs of the increasingly diverse population of students
• Increases the early and ongoing involvement of parents in an objective manner
• Is the right thing to do to insure student success

After establishing a shared understanding, internal communications efforts can help keep everyone apprised of on-going work within the district.

Externally, parents, physicians and private evaluators will certainly need to be apprised of the new RtI model as the need arises. Parent participation is an important part of RtI. The required on-going data collection and progress monitoring will necessitate increased communication among all involved in the plan to address each student's needs.

Additional external communication links will need to be established with the community to convey the importance of what the district is doing, why changes are being made, what costs are involved and how students will benefit in the long term. This could be in the form of a brochure with talking points, a designated space for frequently asked questions on a Web site or a series of articles in the local media highlighting the changes, punctuated, if possible, by statistics and personal stories. Reporters always strive to "put the local face" on any at-large initiative.

While the task seems daunting, help is available. Fill your RtI toolbox by consulting with other districts, by taking advantage of the resources offered by consortiums and by participating in state training opportunities.

Explaining a shift in educational thinking of this magnitude demands a well thought-out plan. But whatever the plan you choose, remember to communicate with those on the front line first.

Scott M. Cutlip, Allen H. Center and Glen M. Broom, Effective Public Relations, Prentice-Hall Inc., 2000, citing Everett M. Rogers, Diffusion of Innovations, New York: Free Press, 1983

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