Thesis (Ed. S.)--Miami University, Dept. of Educational Psychology, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 20-24).

Elementary math teachers (76) from selected Texas schools that included Grade 5 responded to an online self-report survey with respect to school-level factors that may be associated with student math achievement. Questions on the survey focused on school-level factors related to math, campus leadership, integration of technology in the math classroom, teacher expectations, utilization of student data in decision-making and professional development. The schools included in the study were rated as Acceptable or Exemplary schools by the Texas Education Agency for three-consecutive years (2007-2010). Logistic regression techniques were used to analyze the data and 11 questions out of 45 were analyzed to determine the odds ratio. Factors that were correlated with being an Exemplary campus were teacher certification routes, not benchmarking student progress, implementation of response to intervention (RTI), classroom management focus (equally divided between student and teacher centered) within the classroom, and technology integration. The results indicated that at the .05 level of probability, the only factor that met that level of significance was full implementation of RTI.

Education reform in the United States has shifted from all students reaching proficiency to all students progressing academically regardless of their ability levels. Response to Intervention (RtI) is a three-tiered delivery model for students with exceptional needs not being met in the general classroom setting. The components of universal screening, continuous progress monitoring, implementation of interventions with fidelity, and decision making are currently implemented in many public schools throughout the nation. Implications for Gifted and Talented (GT) services are positive as the tiered structure of RtI is revised and incorporated into state policies to serve high ability students. Instead of solely focusing on behavior and remediation in academic areas, alternative methods are being developed to service students who exhibit high academic and creative abilities. The successes of RtI, its widespread implementation, and the lack of research regarding proposed GT/RtI models, revealed the need for research examining the RtI model in relation to gifted education. Through qualitative research methods, the study was conducted in a Western Kentucky school district using a descriptive research design. Data was collected, analyzed, and evaluated to gain insight into the viability of the GT/RtI model: identification of gifted students through universal screenings, decision making regarding placement of gifted students, and service options implemented to challenge and meet the intellectual, academic, and creative needs of gifted learners.

Pre-service teachers are entering the field as novice practitioners with concerns regarding their ability to confidently and effectively implement key components of response to intervention (RTI). This concurrent mixed-methods study explores pre-service teachers' (N =169) perceptions and experiences with key components of RTI (e.g., screening, multi-tiered evidence-based intervention, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making). A questionnaire in conjunction with open-response items and four focus groups provided data to identify aspects of university coursework and field experiences that contribute to pre-service teachers' perceived ability to confidently implement key components of RTI. The results of this investigation show between group differences in perception and experiences related to RTI. Special education certification seekers reported higher perceived confidence, receiving more coursework, and having more field experiences with RTI than elementary, middle grade, and secondary certification seekers. Among all groups, secondary certification seekers reported the lowest confidence, least amount of coursework, and fewest field experiences with RTI. Pre-service teachers in this study valued coursework and knowledgeable instructors who emphasized the components of RTI and participating in hands-on class activities. Participants noted benefits from or a desire for field experiences with struggling learners and having mentors with knowledge and expertise in RTI. Study findings suggest providing pre-service teachers with comprehensive preparation in RTI during coursework in combination with field experiences working with struggling learners may increase perceived confidence and is valued.

RTI has gained popularity in recent years. RTI uses research-based instruction, data based decisions, and early interventions to identify and remediate students early. However, little research exists regarding the effects of RTI implementation in schools. This embedded case study looks at how a subject school implemented RTI, how it intervened with its most at-risk students, and the relationship between reading scores in first grade and at the end of fourth grade. The findings show that the school implemented RTI utilizing a hybrid model, incorporating components of both the standard protocol and problem-solving approaches to RTI. To monitor student progress, the school also utilized a hybrid model incorporating components of both the direct approach and the progress monitoring approach. To provide a common understanding of the RTI model, the district created a manual that documented the RTI expectations and a manual that documented the problem-solving process. The district addressed fidelity of implementing these expectations by holding the schools accountable for instructional fidelity. The district monitored instructional fidelity through quarterly superintendent reports, monthly data meetings, and by hiring an outside consultant. The data regarding the relationship between first and fourth grade scores suggested that RTI does not differ from current research, suggesting there is a relationship between first grade reading scores and fourth grade reading scores. / Ed. D.

The Early Reading First Program emphasizes that preschool classrooms provide services to better prepare children entering kindergarten with the necessary language, cognitive, and literacy skills that can avert reading difficulties. This study investigated two questions. The first addressed the effectiveness of the ERF program on students identified with a disability within control and experimental groups. The second addressed the effectiveness of the ERF program on subpopulations of students within the ERF program categorized with a severe language delay or a mild/moderate language delay. To address the first question, results showed a statistically significant difference between the control sample and experimental sample of posttest data in the area of language development. Addressing the second question, results showed a statistically significant difference in posttest scores between the mild/moderate sample of students versus the severe sample of students on the Individual Growth and Development Indicators (IGDI) Alliteration subtest and the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) Print-Word Awareness subtest. A major limitation of this study is the small number of children and, thus, it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions.

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Nya dator– och robotsystem utvecklas ständigt och är på väg in i så gott som alla branscher. En mycket omdiskuterad artikel från USA har med anledning av detta beräknat en så kallad automatiseringssannolikhet för samtliga yrkesgrupper i landet. 2010 gjorde författarna ett försök att förutspå framtiden och drog slutsatsen att 47 procent av alla yrken i USA kommer att försvinna till följd av automatisering under de kommande 20 åren. Denna studie undersöker, med hjälp av måttens svenska motsvarighet, i vilken utsträckning digitaliseringen påverkat sysselsättningsfördelningen i Sverige mellan 2001-2013. Då fler faktorer naturligtvis kan ha betydelse har variabler såsom sannolikhet för att flytta delar av produktionsprocessen utomlands (offshoring) och grad av rutinmässighet (RTI) också tagits med i modellerna. Resultatet visade att det finns ett statistiskt säkerställt samband mellan förändringen i andel sysselsatta i ett yrke och yrkets automatiseringssannolikhet, även om effekten är svag. Ju högre automatiseringssannolikhet ett yrke har, desto sämre har sysselsättningsutvecklingen i termer av yrkets andel av den totala sysselsättningen varit. Även RTI och offshoring uppvisar ett negativt samband med sysselsättningsutvecklingen.

As school divisions across the country toil with closing achievement gaps and work towards finding a comprehensive approach to meeting the needs of all learners, many have turned to the implementation of multi-tiered response to intervention (RTI) models. While RTI initially surfaced as an alternative to the IQ discrepancy model used to identify students with specific learning disabilities, it is now being used by school divisions as a systemic framework for responding to the needs of all students. The difficulty, however, for many school divisions as they move forward with the implementation of such a model is the conceptualization of what RTI should look like, especially at the middle school level. The purpose of this study is to assess and compare the perceptions of faculty and staff (teachers, counselors, school psychologists, and social workers), and administrators at two middle schools in the same school division regarding the fidelity of implementation of key RTI components in their schools. The study utilized school administrator interviews and teacher focus group interviews to make comparisons and draw conclusions about similar challenges and successes. The researcher used a combination of descriptive and inferential procedures to determine the perceptions of fidelity of RTI implementation in two middle schools within a school division in southeastern Virginia. The two overarching research questions for the study were: How does the integrity tool survey completed by faculty and staff reflect the concerns and successes perceived when interviewing faculty and staff? What, if any, similarities and differences were identified in the implementation of RTI between two middle schools in a school division in southeastern Virginia? In addition to the interviews, an integrity survey was utilized as a method to identify levels of fidelity to the key features of the RTI program. Implementation profiles were developed for each participating school, and comparisons were made through the surveys and interviews to determine if strategies, barriers and infidelity features could be identified as a means to direct overall school feedback, growth and facilitate RTI implementation at the middle school level. The findings from the study indicated that both middle schools are implementing the various components of an RTI framework, although at relatively low levels of implementation fidelity. Because of the complexity of such a system and lack of empirical evidence regarding systems change for RTI implementation, schools are still struggling with attaining higher levels of fidelity of implementation with all RTI components. / Ed. D.

Thesis advisor: David Scanlon / School districts have been attempting to implement the response-to-intervention (RTI) framework in an effort both to comply with federal legislation (i.e., IDEA 2004) and to improve teaching for all students. Extant research on this framework has focused on exploring assessment practices across tiers and the efficacy of specific interventions, providing an overly simplistic view of RTI and overlooking the complexities involved in sustainable school-wide implementation. In September 2010, a large urban school district in the eastern United States began implementation of a reform effort premised on the RTI framework that was intended to provide a systematic, research-based, and collaborative framework for teaching all students. Drawing on a theoretical orientation that situates reform as a co-constructed process (Datnow, Hubbard, and Mehan, 1998), this qualitative single case study explored how educators at one urban K-8 school interpreted and implemented a district reform effort premised on the RTI framework. This research employed a qualitative case study approach, utilizing interviews, observations and document analysis, to: a) chronicle the sequence of events and process of decision-making in the school's development of RTI; b) explore factors supporting and hindering implementation; and c) understand how school staff responded to the implementation. Findings revealed that although the school adopted the model developed by the district, its implementation at the school, and particularly across grade levels, reflected a co-constructed and evolving approach shaped mainly by the school culture and community, individual teachers' beliefs and practices, and the variable availability and use of technical infrastructures. Results may be useful to school districts and educator preparation programs as they consider how to prepare and support educators in implementing an RTI framework. In particular, several implications emerged related to schools' implementation of RTI: a) self-assessment is critical to promoting quality, fidelity and sustainability; b) school leadership should share power and encourage co-construction; c) resources matter; d) elementary and middle school implementation must occur differently; e) culture and beliefs matter; and f) RTI implementation must seriously attend to issues of educational equity. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.