Special Education Listserv

Subject: Response to Intervention/Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities/Revision to Guidance Documents

Source: Thea Scott, Assistant Director, Compliance

Intended Audience: Special Education Directors and Coordinators, Special Education Teachers

Date: June 26, 2008

The Division of Special Education has posted revised versions of two important documents relating to the identification of children with Learning Disabilities and the use of Response to Intervention in the identification process.

The first document, State of Missouri Guidance for Identification of Specific Learning Disabilities, contains general information on the IDEA statutory and regulatory requirements and effective practices in identifying children as eligible for special education services under the category of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD).

The second document, State of Missouri RtI Guidelines: Appendix A, is a document to be used by districts in developing their own written procedures regarding the use of Response to Intervention (RtI) in the identification of children with specific learning disabilities.  The State Regulations Implementing Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that went into effect on August 28, 2007, requires that "any agency using a Response to Intervention model for the identification of Specific Learning Disability, must have written procedures for implementation that, at a minimum, incorporate guidelines developed by the SEA."  All responsible public agencies using a Response to Intervention model to identify children as SLD must use the information in this document to develop their agency's written procedures for the use of an RtI model.  These written procedures do not have to be submitted to DESE, but must be on file in the agency.

Agencies using an RtI model for SLD eligibility determination are advised to develop and implement their local procedures as soon as possible and to ensure that all staff involved in evaluation and eligibility determination decisions are aware of the procedures and implementing them as written.

Both documents may be found at the following web address http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/RtIpg.html.