Six cards cover the moments when you will not have time to open this handbook. Print-ready versions are on the companion page, RTI Quick Cards and FAQ. The text of each card is below so you can edit it.
| Card | Keep it | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The four rules | Taped inside your planner | Anyone asks "do we have to?" |
| 2. Tiers at a glance | On your desk | Explaining RTI to a teacher or parent |
| 3. Seven steps | By your monitor | Opening any student record |
| 4. Complete-record check | Clipped to your meeting folder | Before and after every meeting |
| 5. Parent talk card | In your meeting folder | A parent call or conference |
| 6. Stop and call | On your badge lanyard | Something feels urgent |
Card 1The four rules
Notice goes home when Tier 2 or 3 begins. Every school year.
RTI never delays an evaluation.
A written parent request goes to the principal the same day. 15 school days to answer.
If it is not in SuccessEd, it did not happen.
Card 2Tiers at a glance
Tier 1: everyone. Classroom teaching.
Tier 2: some. Small group, added on top. Check every 2 weeks.
Tier 3: few. Intensive and individual, added on top. Check every week.
Card 3Seven steps
Spot. Try in class. Meet. Notify and plan. Help and check. Review. Next move.
Card 4Complete-record check
Referral. Tier 1 data. First meeting. Notice this year. Intervention. Goal with numbers. Scores on schedule. Review with decision. Next review date.
Card 5Parent talk card
Say: "Your child is getting extra help in ___. It is added to regular class, not instead of it."
Say: "We check progress every ___ and will send you a report every ___."
Say: "You can ask for a special education or 504 evaluation at any time. I can show you how to put it in writing."
Avoid: tier numbers without explaining them, test names without explaining them, and the word "failing."
Offer the notice in the home language.
Card 6Stop and call
Call your principal the same day when:
A parent asks for testing or an evaluation, in any words
A teacher says "I think there is a disability"
You find help that started with no notice sent
A student may be a danger to self or others. Follow the campus crisis steps first.
More ideas if these work well
A one-page teacher referral guide: what to bring to the first meeting
A meeting agenda card with a 15-minute script per student
A goal-writing strip with three fill-in sentence frames
A bilingual one-page parent flyer, "What is RTI?"
A wall calendar strip with screening windows and review weeks