Making Response to Intervention Stick: Sustaining Implementation Past Your Retirement

The response-to-intervention (RTI) or multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS) framework has quickly emerged as a methodology for improving outcomes for all students. While as many as 60 % of districts are implementing this framework throughout the country, the real challenge lies in sustaining this innovation over the long term. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss how educators and systems can institutionalize RTI/MTSS in ways that preserve the positive changes and instill resilience in resisting efforts to revert back to the old ways of doing things in schools. It is suggested that in order to effectively manage and sustain the change process, districts need to attend to seven imperative components: (a) Leadership, (b) Vision and Culture, (c) Infrastructure, (d) Resources, (e) Implementation Plans, (f) Professional Development (knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy), and (g) Incentives. This chapter describes each of these components along with practical suggestions at the local educational agency level. In addition, measuring implementation at both the state and local level is discussed. Finally, the chapter concludes with lessons learned and implications for practice.