Response to Intervention ( RtI ) was established in accordance with the reauthorization of the
Special Education Act. The President’s Commission on Education findings reflected the fact
that the current special education system is inefficient and ineffective because it is a ‘fail first’
approach. While special educators are some of the best trained educators in the system, they
cannot overcome the fact that students must be at least two years behind before a student can be
identified and services provided. Response to Intervention ( RtI ) created a path for a process
under regular education that provides for intervention before a student falls so far behind that
they may never catch up.