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RTI IN MATH
Each of these issues presents some concern when conceptualizing how the RTI process might be implemented in mathematics. While educators have dealt with these issues successfully in the elementary grades, lingering questions about early mathematics assessment may hamper RTI efforts at the very early elementary level (Bender, 2009b). While there are a very limited amount of number sense and early mathematics skills assessments available, none have yet to receive wide acceptance (Bender, 2009a).
Conclusion This chapter presented the basics of the RTI process in mathematics within the context of the three-tier RTI pyramid along with a synopsis of research supporting RTI in both mathematics and reading. We presented material to assist school leaders in their advocacy for RTI procedures, as well as identified issues of concern for educators to consider as they implement the RTI process in mathematics. The foundation of the RTI process in mathematics is the quality of mathematics instruction in the general education classroom. The next chapter focuses on Tier 1 instruction specifically. Subsequent chapters will focus on interventions at the Tier 2 and Tier 3 levels in various areas of primary and elementary mathematics. Finally, chapter 6 presents an array of guidelines for schoolwide planning for implementation of RTI in mathematics.
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This lack of agreement on what constitutes appropriate number-sense curriculum is not an issue beyond the beginning of school. As discussed previously, the NCTM (2006) specified appropriate curricular content from the beginning of kindergarten through grade 8; however, that organization did not present a blueprint of the types of mathematics readiness skills that a child entering kindergarten should have previously mastered, so benchmarking mathematics readiness in the early months of kindergarten, as we are currently doing in reading, remains highly problematic. Chapter 3 focuses on implementation of RTI procedures in mathematics during the early school years and addresses this issue on early mathematics readiness assessment and curricula in more depth.