INTERVENING IN INTERVENTION: A LIBRARIAN’S ROLE IN RESPONSE-TO-INTERVENTION

Response to Intervention, or RTI, is a three-tiered instructional model that has been implemented by a large number of K-12 schools in the United States to bolster learning by all students, particularly struggling readers. RTI fulfills the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (2002) to deliver research-based instruction and interventions that support all students in the achievement of grade-level expectations. As RTI is being implemented into public schools, school librarians are called to lend a hand; and, therefore, the school librarian’s role is being transformed to include RTI functions. Frequently the driving force behind literacy efforts, the school librarian is the ideal helpmate to support this literacy endeavor. In numerous school systems across America, school librarians are actively collaborating with teachers, scheduling, planning, and promoting RTI. This article will examine reading intervention and the school librarian’s contributions in accomplishing the goals of RTI.