This is my first look at the eligibility and identification practices for special education. I do not agree with the Discrepancy Model. However, from the reading and what I have observed in the school, I think that Response-to-Intervention (RTI) is the best practice for special education placement and identification. The school, where I am placed, uses a mixture of both methods, although, IQ and performance are used for eligibility. I feel that the Discrepancy Model fails to identify some students and allows them to struggle, sometimes for years, prior to receiving help. RTI helps to reduce this and can get the student the help that is required when it is needed, and even at a younger age. According to the IRIS module Response-to-Intervention
