SRBI and LD Eligibility
Scientific Research-Based Intervention
Dear Parent/Guardian:
You may have heard about state and federal mandates for Scientific Research Based Intervention (SRBI) which are designed to improve the quality of instruction for all students in the core subject areas of reading, writing, and math. In Simsbury, we are committed to the SRBI process. Some of our Simsbury students are already participating in SRBI and are reaping the benefits of those interventions in the form of higher test scores, a stronger base of knowledge, and improved academic skills. We want to emphasize that we are fully committed to implementing SRBI in our district. We have developed specific a process and procedures to support struggling students in each of our schools through Student Intervention Teams (SIT).
If your child requires supplemental targeted instruction in the SRBI model, you will receive specific notification of that from your child's school. His or her progress in this supplemental instruction will be tracked so that you can receive periodic updates concerning your child's progress. If you believe that your child is receiving or may require such instruction, please contact your school principal for additional information regarding your school's SRBI process.
If you would like to obtain more information about the policies of the State of Connecticut for student performance, strategies for increasing student rate of learning, we invite you to visit the following websites which provide additional information:
- The SRBI Framework that describes the state's perspective on SRBI can be reviewed in the 2008 publication Using Scientific-Research Based Intervention: Improving Education for All Students.
- Connecticut's framework for the Response to Intervention (RTI) model for identification of children with specific learning disabilities can be found in the State of Connecticut Publication entitled A Family Guide: Connecticut's Framework to RTI.
Guidelines for Determining a Learning Disability
The State Department of Education has released the revised Guidelines for Identifying Children with Learning Disabilities. These guidelines mandate the use of scientific research-based interventions (SRBI) for all students who demonstrate difficulty in academic and/or behavioral areas. This intervention data must then be considered when making an eligibility determination for a student suspected of having a learning disability. As a district, we are committed to making sure that the district's program for SRBI, which includes implementation of strong curriculum in reading, math, and writing, professional development for teachers, a system of assessment of progress in each tier of intervention, and a system for communication of results with parents/guardians, is of high quality and effectively supports students, teachers and parents/guardians.
If you would like to obtain more information about the policies of the State of Connecticut for student performance or strategies for increasing student rate of learning, we invite you to visit the following websites which provide additional information.
- Information concerning a parent's right to request an evaluation of a child suspected of having a learning disability can be found in the State of Connecticut publication Procedural Safeguards in Special Education.
- The Guidelines for Identifying Children with Learning Disabilities is a 2010 State of Connecticut publication that provides a comprehensive description regarding the identification and eligibility determination of children with a specific learning disability.
We know that this information can be confusing for parents, and we want to provide as much information as we can to help alleviate any concerns that may be raised by this process. Your child's individual progress is important to us; we value the parent-school partnerships that help every child to excel. If you have any questions regarding this notification, please feel free to contact Katie Krasula at 860-658-3874 or Nancy Forsberg at 860-658-3875.