1. RtI and Title I in Wisconsin
Title I and School Support Team
Wisconsin Department of
Public instruction

2. RtI and Title I in Wisconsin
Objectives:
Provide an overview of Wisconsin’s definition and vision of RtI
Look at how RtI can be supported in a schoolwide and targeted Title I programming
Give examples of RtI and Title I funding scenarios
Look at RtI programming in a Targeted Assistance Title I program

3. RtI in Wisconsin Defined:
RtI is a process for achieving higher levels of academic and behavioral success for all students through:
High quality instructional practice
Continuous review of student progress (using multiple measures)
Collaboration
The above information is from:

4. Wisconsin’s RtI Vision
Successful implementation of this framework in Wisconsin is based upon the following seven principles:
RtI is for ALL children and ALL educators.
RtI must support and provide value to effective practices.
Success for RtI lies within the classroom through collaboration.
RtI applies to both academics and behavior.
The above information is from:

5. Wisconsin’s RtI Vision (cont.)
RtI supports and provides value to the use of multiple assessments to inform instructional practices.
RtI is something you do and not necessarily something you buy.
RtI emerges from and supports research and evidence based practice.
You can find this information here:
The above information is from:

6. Funding Considerations: Targeted vs. Schoolwide
Title I has funding rules that determine what is an allowable Title I expense. The main determinant of what is allowable depends on the Title I program model in the school: Targeted Assistance VS. Schoolwide
As a result: one cannot determine if something is an allowable Title I program or expense without knowing the larger context in which the program is taking place.
The following power point attempts to address some of the more general questions regarding the coordination and integration of a school’s and district’s RtI and Title I programs.
Further inquiry about the allow ability of activities in your school and district should be discussed with your DPI Title I Consultant OR your CESA Title I Network Coordinator.

7. Funding Considerations: Targeted vs. Schoolwide
Title I Schoolwide
Title I funds can be used to support any aspect of RtI in a schoolwide program as long as:
The activities are aligned with the schoolwide needs assessment and the schoolwide plan. The plan’s effectiveness is reviewed annually;
AND
The District ensures they are not supplanting state and local funds with federal Title I funding.
IDEA Part B funds may be used within Title I schoolwide schools to support any part of schoolwide plan

8. Funding Considerations: Targeted vs. Schoolwide
Title I Schoolwide For example: A district could fund any level of intervention of a multi-level RtI system with their Title I schoolwide funds. This could include assessments and/or interventions for any student.

9. Funding Considerations: Targeted vs. Schoolwide
Title I Targeted Assistance In a Title I targeted assistance school, Title I funds may only be used to fund services to Title I eligible students identified as having the greatest need for special assistance. Title I funds may not be utilized to fund PBIS in a Title I targeted assistance school.

10. Funding Considerations: Targeted vs. Schoolwide
Title I Targeted Assistance For example: If all schools of a certain grade range in the district are targeted assistance, a district could choose to fund a certain level of intervention with their Title I dollars if deemed necessary through the needs assessment. This would require the school to have clear entrance and exit requirements for a targeted student population as well as notification of parents when intervention services begin.

11. Supplement Not Supplant
As a review:
Title I has a supplement not supplant requirement that affects the use of funds to implement RtI.
In general, the supplement not supplant requirement is intended to ensure that services provided with Federal funds are in addition to, and do not replace or supplant, services that students would otherwise receive.
Usually, determining whether supplanting has occurred is done after-the-fact. In other words, if a State department of education suspects supplanting, it must determine what services an LEA would have provided if Title I funds were not available. In deciding whether to use these funds to implement RtI, however, you should not wait until an after-the-fact analysis is conducted. Rather, you should consider from the outset what an after-the-fact analysis would likely conclude about the funds.
If you are implementing RtI in a Title I school, the supplement not supplant requirement applies differently depending on the type of school. In a schoolwide school, for example, the school must receive all of the non-federal funds it would otherwise have received if it were not operating a schoolwide program, including those funds necessary to provide services required by law for students with disabilities and LEP students. However, the school does not need to demonstrate that Title I are used only for activities that supplement those the school would otherwise provide with non-federal funds.
To determine if supplanting has occurred, the Department uses three tests or assumptions. The following three slides describe each of these tests.
This slide taken from USDE power point:

12. Funding Considerations: Supplement not Supplant
Each Title I school must consider their program model as well as what program models are being utilized at other schools in the district.
Type of Title I program
Allowable use of Title I funds
Targeted assistance schools
Programming that is supplementary (on top of) to what the non-Title I schools receive. The district must continues to provide these schools with an equitable share of state and local dollars.
Schoolwide schools
Title I funds that are supplementary to what the non-Title schools receive.
Programming and funding for any level of service for all students.
Non-Title I receiving schools
No Title I funding. May not receive the same services as those provided to Title I students in targeted assistance schools.

13. RtI and Title I Scenarios
The following scenarios may or may not be applicable to your district. When funding components of RtI with Title I funds, a “one size fits all” model does not exist. If you have any questions or require further clarification, please refer to your DPI Title I consultant.

14. RtI and Title I: Scenario 1
Question: My district is made up of eight elementary schools. Three are Title I targeted assistance schools, two are schoolwide schools and three do not receive Title funds. The district is currently implementing RtI district wide and I would like to fund the Tier 2 interventions for all of the Title I receiving schools with Title I dollars. Is this allowable?

15. RtI and Title I: Scenario 1
Answer: If the district is paying for Tier 2 interventions at the non-Title I schools with state or local funds, the district may not pay for these interventions with Title I funds in your targeted assistance school. Title I services should be a supplemental intervention to district funded interventions. The district may pay for Tier 2 interventions at your Title I schoolwide school. However, the district must ensure that it continues to provide this school with the same amount of state and local dollars as the rest of the schools in the district.

16. RtI and Title I: Scenario 2
Question: My district is made up of five elementary schools. Three are Title I targeted assistance schools, one is a schoolwide schools and one does not receive Title funds. In order to progress towards a district-wide RtI systems approach, we need to purchase a universal screener. May we utilize our Title I funds to do so?

17. RtI and Title I: Scenario 2
Answer: Supplanting would occur if the district were to pay for a universal screener with Title I funds at their Title I receiving schools while utilizing local funds for the same purchase in a non-Title I receiving school.
The purpose of a universal screener in a district – wide RtI implementation is to gather information on all students for academic needs / possible intervention placement. Unless all campuses are schoolwide, Title I funds may not be utilized to purchase a universal screener to be used by all students within the district.

18. RTI and Targeted Assistance Programming
The following slides will focus on implementing RtI in a school with a Title I targeted assistance program.

19. Title I Teachers in Targeted Assistance Schools
Should:
Provide supplemental educational support to targeted students
Have explicit criteria for students entering and exiting the Title I program
Notify parents when students are participating in Title I
(they do not need to obtain permission to provide Title services)
Collaborate with classroom teachers to:
Identify potential Title I students
Help design classroom interventions to implement with students before they would enter the Title I program

20. Title I Teachers in Targeted Assistance Schools
Should not:
Deliver interventions designed for non-Title I students
Provide core instruction to all students (even if differentiated)
Reduce student access to core instruction

21. Title I Teachers in Targeted Assistance Schools
Title I teachers could go into the classroom and:
Provide Title I students with supplemental assistance in reading and math
Give Title I students additional instructional time while the classroom teacher is rotating their time through several groups of students
Title I teachers could not go into the classroom and:
Team teach with regular education staff
Divide students into three groups and split the responsibility for providing instruction between the regular education, Special Education and Title I teacher
These examples taken from the North Dakota DPI at:

22. Title I Paraprofessional in Targeted Assistance Schools
Should:
Work under direct supervision of a highly-qualified teacher
Support students receiving Title I services
Should not:
Provide interventions to non-Title I students
For more information on Title I paraprofessionals, see Bulletin 03.02, ESEA Update: Paraprofessionals – FAQs (

23. Title I Staff Participation
In a targeted assistance school, Title I staff may be involved in:
Professional Learning Communities / Collaboration
Professional Development
Assessment / Data
Title I staff are part of a team – they should not be functioning independently of other school supports especially in an RTI model.
Professional Learning Communities / Collaboration – An effective RTI model is dependent on a strong instructional leader who will facilitate and stress the importance of ongoing communication and joint planning opportunities.
Professional Development –
Assessment – All staff can share assessment data collaboratively to target those students in need of additional services
These examples taken from the North Dakota DPI at:

24. Progress Monitoring and Screening in Targeted Assistance Schools
Title I funds can provide:
Assessment/progress monitoring tools that provide one of the multiple academic measures that determine a student’s entrance and exit from the Title I program
These tools can only be used with a pre-determined list of potentially eligible Title students
Title I funds can not provide:
Universal screeners that are used to assess all students in the school and/or the district.

25. Professional Development and Materials in Targeted Assistance Schools
Title I funds can provide:
Professional development (for staff that work directly with Title I students in their classroom) that focuses on how to best serve Title I students
Instructional materials for Title I students as a part of the Title I program
Title I funds can not provide:
Professional development for all staff pertaining to core programming
Instructional materials for non-Title I students or non-Title I schools

26. Specific Learning Disability Rule (SLD) and Targeted Assistance Schools
Title I teachers must serve Title I identified students and provide the necessary supplemental interventions to these students. The Title I provided documented interventions may meet the standards of an “intensive intervention” as required as part of a SLD eligibility decision. For more information on the SLD criteria and its definition of “intensive interventions”, see:

27. RtI and Title I
If you have additional questions regarding the coordination between RtI and Title I, please contact: Your DPI Title I Consultant: Or, your CESA’s Title I Network Coordinator:

28. Title I and RtI Resources
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction:
Title I and RtI FAQs:
RtI Home page:
Wisconsin RtI Center:
National RtI Center:
U.S. Department of Education, “Implementing RtI using Title I, Title III and CEIS funds”: