The Response to Intervention (RtI) model is an identification model for Specific Learning Disability (SLD), one of the 13 disability categories identified under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004. The RtI model has been proposed as an alternative model to the discrepancy model (e.g., intelligence quotient-achievement discrepancy model). In the RtI model, students’ responsiveness (e.g., levels of performance and slopes of progress) yields their eligibility for special education. However, to date, research that examined the validity of the RtI model (e.g., examination of intervention responsiveness with students with academic deficits) has been limited in the area of mathematics. The purpose of this study was to examine the responsiveness of elementary-aged students, with and without SLD, to interventions for mathematics calculation. It was hypothesized that students with mathematics deficits would demonstrate progress after receiving an empirically-derived intervention, regardless of their placement in general or special education. It was also hypothesized that students with mathematics deficits would demonstrate satisfaction with intervention procedures and self-efficacy with their progress after receiving an empirically-derived intervention. Students with and without SLD were selected based on specific criteria for this study (e.g., a skill deficit). To examine these hypotheses, for each student, an intervention was selected using an experimental analysis. The effects of the intervention on mathematics calculation were examined using single subject design. Maintenance on instructional materials and generalization from instructional-level to grade-level materials were examined. Social validity (e.g., satisfaction) of interventions and self-efficacy of students were also assessed. The results of the study indicate that empirically-derived interventions were effective in enhancing the calculation skills of students with and without SLD and maintaining their skills during and after the intervention phase. However, the students with and without SLD did not generalize their calculation skills to grade-level materials. The students demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the interventions at the end of the interventions and enhanced their self-efficacy across the study. The study partially supported the validity of the RtI model in the area of mathematics such that the RtI model may be reliable in identification of students with SLD in mathematics calculation.

Education for All (2005) offers a developmentally appropriate plan based on responsiveness to intervention (RTI) research. The model, termed the tiered approach, advocates intervention as a step in the process of identification which involves closely monitoring students in the primary years and providing additional support through direct instruction and increased monitoring of students who are at-risk. There are numerous empirical studies discussing the potential benefits of the RTI model (Feiker Hollenbeck, 2007; Fuchs & Deshler, 2007). However, the promise of a theory is never enough to ensure a change in the practice of teachers or an improvement in the learning of students. Since it is the teachers who will alter their classroom practice and systematically monitor student progress in order to decide whether suitable learning trajectories are being achieved, researchers must examine how best to support teachers in the face of such change. This study describes, through the use of focus group data, teachers’ views of their experiences participating in a pilot project of the RTI model. While exploring the supports and barriers that these teachers face in the first year of implementing the RTI model, this study describes the limitations imposed by the teachers’ perceived lack of empowerment throughout the pilot project. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2009-06-24 12:49:27.836