MISSOULA, MT and WASHINGTON, DC: February 8, 2013—The Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) announce the release of a jointly-developed paper, Frameworks for Response to Intervention in Early Childhood: Description and Implications, that promotes a broader understanding of and provides guidance on the relationship of response to intervention (RTI) frameworks to the unique contexts of early childhood.
All three organizations are nationally recognized for their work in promoting high-quality, developmentally appropriate teaching and related services that support every child’s optimal development and learning.
As the use of RTI increases in schools and early childhood education programs across the country, administrators and educators are asking for guidance about its use with young children. This joint paper provides clarification and guidance on the relationship of RTI frameworks to the unique context of early childhood programs serving children from birth until school entry, helps to dispel misunderstandings and misconceptions, and promotes a broader understanding and discussion of the topic.
DEC, NAEYC, and NHSA hope the paper will be a valuable resource to early childhood and special education professionals, family members, teachers, administrators, and other leaders in support of professional development, public policy, and advocacy efforts on behalf of the development and learning of young children. The paper may be read and commented on here.