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The purpose of this study was to empirically evaluate the effects of the Math to Mastery intervention package versus the effects of immediate corrective feedback with elementary school students who were performing at least one year below grade level in mathematics. Students were participants in a one-month summer academic clinic for remediation of reading, writing, and mathematics deficits held at a university in the southeastern United States. A combined-series multiple baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the effects of both interventions for gains in fluency as measured by digits correct per minute on one minute curriculum-based measurement probes. Implications for implementation in applied settings and future research are provided.

The Individuals with Disabilities Improvement Act (IDEA) was reauthorized by Congress in 2004 (IDEA, 2004). The new legislation permits educational practitioners to identify students suspected of having a learning disability by continuing to use the ability-achievement discrepancy model or by the analysis of the child's response to prescriptive intervention delivered through a systematic multi-tiered instructional intervention approach which has become to be known as Response to Intervention (RtI). However, the change in the federal legislation does not provide specific guidelines for the planning and implementation of intervention services. The examination of the effectiveness of instructional intervention programs, the reliability of the ability-achievement discrepancy model to identify a child of having a suspected learning disability, and an introduction to the concept of Response to Intervention (RtI) is included in this work. The purpose of the present work is the development of a RtI Innovation Configuration Map that may be utilized as a guide for the planning, development, and implementation of a school-based RtI program that is also useful to assess the operationalization of a school-based RtI program in use. The procedures followed for the development of the RtI Innovation Configuration Map included the selection of a national review panel of educational practitioners from across the country to confirm the essential components and action steps to be considered when planning for the implementation of a RtI program. A RtI Innovation Configuration Map Team was selected from a school in Virginia that had successfully opertionalized a RtI program as a result of the schools participation in the Virginia Department of Education's RtI Initiative. The RtI Map Team developed a RtI Innovation Configuration Map that included varying levels of implementation of the essential components and action steps that were identified by the national review panel. To assess the utility of the RtI Innovation Configuration Map to illustrate the varying levels of implementation of a school-based RtI program, individuals from four schools taking part in the Virginia Department of Education's RtI initiative were randomly selected and interviewed regarding the RtI program being implemented in their school. Based on those interviews and other evidence obtained at the four schools, the utility of the RtI Innovation Configuration Map was revised. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the levels of implementation of four Response to Intervention (RTI) components on the overall special education referral rates of elementary school students at 35 schools. The four RTI components are (a) using intervention teams to problem-solve for struggling students, (b) selecting the appropriate intervention, (c) monitoring student progress, and (d) graphing data for visual analysis. The four levels of implementation are (a) lacks skills or basic knowledge of this component, (b) beginning to learn this component (beginning level), (c) developing skill with this component (intermediate level), and (d) fully competent in this component (advanced level). Data were analyzed on 483 responders from 35 elementary schools. The quantitative research designs were the descriptive-survey and causal comparative designs. Findings for research question one showed the highest percentages of responders from the schools perceived the four components were at the advanced level or intermediate level of implementation. Results for research question two showed the male subgroup had the highest mean referral rate, while the African American subgroup had the second highest mean referral rate. For research question three, findings showed there was a significant difference in the referral rate for special education services based on the implementation levels of RTI (F(2, 32) = 7.25, p = 0.003. Results for research question four showed the level of implementation had an impact on the rate of referral for special education services based on demographic factors of gender and ethnicity. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to examine a novel campus-based multi-tier systems of support (MTSS) framework. The framework included a standard-response protocol approach to response to intervention (RTI), integrated with a reversed process to professional learning communities, to support learning for students who were struggling to learn. Using a causal-comparative research design, a secondary analysis of quantitative data from one Title I school of approximately 500 students during the 2016-2018 school years was conducted to determine the level of impact MTSS had on reading achievement. Independent and paired samples t-tests were used to analyze iStation indicators of progress reading scores, resulting in statistically significant results. Kindergarten through 5th grade students' reading scores were significantly higher after one year of MTSS intervention than students who did not receive MTSS. One year of MTSS intervention had a statistically significant impact on both early and intermediate readers. Early readers, who began below grade level, performed significantly higher in reading achievement after just one year of MTSS as well. Intermediate readers, who began on or above grade level did not perform significantly higher in reading achievement after one year of MTSS, however. Possible long-term implications for MTSS were analyzed by comparing one year to two years of MTSS intervention. A consistently significant increase in reading scores occurred, suggesting growth that took place from one year of MTSS was enhanced by an additional year of MTSS. This novel MTSS framework could be used by campus leaders as an intervention to provide equitable learning for all students and yield statistically significant results in reading achievement in one school year. Additional research examining the impact of MTSS on Tier 1 intermediate readers receiving enrichment is recommended.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Elementary Education / Marjorie Hancock / A portion of the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004), Response to Intervention (RtI), aims to prevent unnecessary student placement in special education. The intent of RtI is to provide all students with effective classroom instruction first and afford low-performing students with increasingly intensive, individualized interventions (Fuchs, Fuchs, & Vaughn,2008). Although there is considerable information available in regard to the effectiveness of the multi-tiered model of the Response to Intervention approach to deliver intervention services to struggling readers (Speece & Walker, 2007), very little is known about implementing RtI in the schools (Allington, 2009). This qualitative, exploratory, collective case study was conducted during the fall/spring semesters of the 2009/2010 school year between November 16, 2009 and February 26, 2010. This study investigated how three kindergarten classroom teachers, located in two elementary schools, delivered Tier 2 literacy instruction to kindergarten struggling readers within the Response to Intervention model in the classroom setting. Multiple data sources were gathered from interviews with administrators and teachers, guided conversations with students, classroom observations and field notes, and documents/artifacts. Data were collected and analyzed during three phases of the study. This study’s findings established that in the new era of Response to Intervention (RtI), teachers were able to apply literacy instructional approaches and pedagogy based on their teaching philosophy to address the needs of at-risk struggling readers within the kindergarten classroom environment. However, data analysis revealed dissimilar perceptions of the three case study teachers regarding their roles and responsibilities teaching literacy within the Response to Intervention approach which influenced how they delivered Tier 2 intervention instruction. The three classroom teachers utilized the modeled, shared, and guided approaches to literacy instruction and provided lessons in phonemic awareness and phonics during Tier 2 small group literacy interventions. In addition, the data collection and analysis identified three pedagogies which occurred during Tier 2 instruction: 1) monitoring of learning; 2) encouraging and supportive learning environments; and 3) feedback and reinforcement. Data analysis also revealed the student participant benefits included positive attitudes towards reading, students’ perception of themselves as self-confident and motivated readers, development of an emerging love of reading, and enjoyment of practicing their reading skills in small groups.

This study was designed to address teachers' difficulties implementing Response-to-Intervention (RtI) program strategies at a low-performing school in south Texas in response to students failing to meet statewide assessment standards in reading. This exploratory case study investigated the perceptions of Grades 3 and 4 teachers to assist in understanding a pathway to increase higher fidelity of RtI implementation and improve student academic performance. Knowles' theory of andragogy and Lewin's change theory provided the framework for the study. The study included interview data from 6 purposefully selected Grades 3 and 4 teachers supplemented by document reviews of professional development (PD) presentations and RtI implementation policies. All data were analyzed using comparative and inductive analysis and coded into 7 emergent themes. The findings included the need for administrative supervision, a lack of RtI fidelity of implementation, and a need for PD focusing on interventions and organizational tools. The project, which was developed based on the findings and literature review, includes opportunities for learning and participating in campus RtI planning to gain support for the program, attending district-approved PD sessions to assist teachers' techniques to improve student performance in reading, and training in specific RtI progress monitor reporting to document use of the various interventions for individuals in the classroom. By ensuring that students receive RtI instruction that is designed to meet their individual academic needs, the project may help the school district decrease referrals to special education and improve students' reading abilities.

Using a multiple-gating procedure, 5 research sites (3 elementary and 2 middle schools) were identified as implementing a Response to Intervention (RTI) framework. This study uses a multiple case study design to describe the RTI implementation in reading at these 5 sites. Findings suggest that the sites studied are utilizing a hybrid model (a combination of standard treatment protocol and problem solving models) for developing and assigning reading interventions. The five sites implemented critical components of RTI (universal screening, progress monitoring, scientifically-based core curriculum, and a multi-tiered system of interventions) similarly, despite differences in campus-level variables. However, no site implemented a process for assessing the fidelity of implementation of the RTI framework. They also followed state and/or district guidelines on the use of RTI data in special education eligibility decisions. / text