Since the turn of the century, U.S. education policies have focused on accountability and student progress. Two major pieces of federal legislation--No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004)--pose several legal issues that educators must contemplate as they strive to be accountable and meet the needs of all students. In particular, the insertion of provisions recommending aspects of response to intervention (RTI) into IDEA 2004 generated several new issues that schools must consider. Defined as "an objective examination of the cause-effect relationship(s) between academic or behavioral intervention and the student's response to the intervention," RTI is a tiered approach that educators can use to help students who struggle academically and exhibit at-risk behavior. Response to intervention programs identify students in need and provide appropriate levels of support. This article discusses legal considerations for schools, enumerates six critical components of all RTI models, describes a three-tier model of intervention, and presents recommendations for RTI programs.