Examining the Perceptions of Elementary General Education Teachers with Response to Intervention

Date of Award

5-1-2025

Degree Name

Ed.D. in Leadership for Organizations

Department

School of Education and Health Sciences

Advisor/Chair

Aaliyah Baker

Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) advocates for students to be educated in the general education setting to the greatest extent possible, given each student's specific profile (O'Connor et al., 2016). Therefore, systems like Response to Intervention (RtI) or Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) are closely aligned to concerns related to overrepresentation and inaccuracies due to the IQ Achievement "discrepancy" model. Thus, helping to reduce the number of referrals for special education. For the purpose of this study, RtI is a multi-tiered model of intervention support that is designed for early identification and support of students who demonstrate significant learning and behavioral challenges (Aspiranti, et al., 2019). RtI was enacted by the IDEIA (2004) as a replacement for the less accurate IQ-achievement discrepancy formulas used to identify students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) (Bradley et al, 2005). Gersten and Dimino (2006) noted that RtI not only provides solutions for students placed at-risk but also offers a more reliable assessment to identify individuals with learning disabilities (LD). Similarly, the whole child that is a hallmark of the RtI approach that addresses emotion, cognition and identity to instruction and learning is embraced by MTSS (Nasir et al., 2021). Both MTSS and RtI have major characteristics, including reliance on RtI data collection via universal screening, data driven decision-making, and problem-solving teams, with a focus on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Most states, however, characterize the MTSS process as encompassing a more comprehensive approach than RtI, catering to the needs of all students by aligning the complete framework of initiatives, supports, and resources, and by executing continuous improvement processes at every level of the system. It may be said that any RtI school would possess established frameworks for both academics and behaviors, hence, "RtI" and MTSS are used interchangeably (Djabrayan-Hannigan & Hannigan, 2021). Ongoing assessment and progress monitoring are necessary to guarantee that the appropriate evidence-based practices are implemented in order to maintain this coherence (Sailor et al., 2021).

Keywords

Education, Special Education, Teacher Education, Teaching

Rights Statement

Copyright 2025, author.

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