Texas asks four things of every campus. These are the rules you must never miss. Everything else in this handbook is good practice built around them.
Rule 1Tell the parent in writing when extra help begins
When a student who is not in special education starts Tier 2 or Tier 3 help, the school must send the parent a notice. It must go out when the help begins for that school year, so a student who continues from last year gets a new notice this year. The notice must be in English or, where practical, the parent's home language. TEA gives a sample form in English and Spanish.
The notice must include five things:
| The notice must say | In plain words |
|---|---|
| A description of the help | What we will do and in which area (reading, math, behavior) |
| What Tier 1 already showed | The classroom data that told us the student needs more |
| How long the help is expected to last | For example, 6 weeks |
| When the parent will get progress reports | For example, every grading period |
| The parent's rights statement | A parent may ask for a special education or Section 504 evaluation at any time |
Rule 2RTI can never delay or deny an evaluation
If anyone suspects a disability, the student must be referred for evaluation, at any point in the process. The team does not wait to finish a tier first. Help and evaluation can happen at the same time, and help already under way should continue.
Rule 3A written parent request starts a clock
A parent may ask for an evaluation at any time. When the request is in writing and goes to the principal, the special education director or another administrator, the district must answer within 15 school days. If a parent asks you out loud, help them put it in writing that day and hand it to the principal. Write the date you received it.
Rule 4The state counts these students
Each year the district reports to the state, through PEIMS, how many students received intervention strategies at any time during the year. Students served under Section 504 are counted separately. Your SuccessEd records are the source of that count, so a missing record is a wrong number sent to the state.
District rules sit on top of these. Confirm locally: the district RTI/MTSS plan, the entry and exit scores for each tier, required forms, who signs them, and who sends the PEIMS count.
Privacy. RTI records are student education records. Share them only with staff who work with that student. Never put student names or ID numbers into email subject lines, group chats or any AI tool.