Service Delivery for Response to Intervention: Core Components and Directions for Future Research

Abstract

The primary potential benefit of the response-to-intervention model is its utility for serving students with unmet instructional or behavioral needs. Although discussion and debates have often focused on the potential “promise and pitfalls” of using response to intervention to make eligibility decisions, less attention has been devoted to key aspects of service delivery necessary for response-to-intervention implementation. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the state of the science relevant to the actual application of response-to-intervention service delivery within schools. The article outlines five core service delivery components, provides a summary of evidence corresponding to each component, and identifies necessary directions for future research with implications for practice.