An RtI Alternative

I am participating in SL3's RtI blog hop. Each day during May, SLPs and OTs are sharing a post dedicated to School Based Innovation and RtI. You can check out everyone who participated and their links here.

This year, my special ed coordinator gave the SLPs permission to try something we have wanted to do for several years. I found it frustrating to have students on my caseload with 1 or 2 error sounds that I knew could be corrected if I could just see them one-on-one for 5-10 minutes a couple of times/week. Thankfully, the coordinator bought into what we were asking for, and agreed to let us try it.
We call the program Quick Speech. This is not a special ed program, so the most students I can see through Quick Speech is 10% of my caseload. It also is not RtI.
I identified students from screening who were stimulable for their error sounds, or who only had 1 or 2 sounds in error. I see them 2 times/week for 5 minutes for "kill and drill". I like to use Articulate It! (Smarty Ears) as the stimuli since it takes the data for me. That way, I can concentrate on what the student is saying. Plus, I only have to carry my iPad and a notebook with me. Since Quick Speech is not a Special Education Program, I don't see the students in my speech room for their session.
Parent permission is required; we make it perfectly clear in the letter that this is not a special ed service. Also included is what may be recommended following the 9 weeks.

An important aspect of this program is homework. I keep track of when it is given and when it is returned with a parent signature. I keep it simple: I write down words missed during the 5 minutes and the student takes that sheet home to work on.

I try to have everything on 1 sheet: Goal, Attendance, Data, and Homework:

(Original Data Sheet from Kelly Davis, who gave permission for the form to be modified. Original can be found here.)

So far, I have seen excellent progress with students. I have been able to keep several students from being identified as "Special Ed Students" only to have them be dismissed during the year that they were identified. Definitely a "win-win" for everybody!