Date of Conferral

2023

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Derek R. Schroll

Abstract

AbstractIn an urban Midwestern elementary school, the teachers and administrators were perplexed by the rise in special education referrals even with the implementation of response to intervention (RTI). The problem addressed in this study is the general education teachers’ implementation of RTI to identify if there were any gaps in practice and, if so, to create a plan that could correct those gaps and potentially decrease the number of special education referrals and students identified for special education services. The conceptual framework for this study was the multitiered system of support, of which RTI is one component. Four research questions that guided this study examined how teachers were implementing RTI at the local level, how their strategies were selected, how they ensured the strategies were being implemented with fidelity, and how their strategies compared to the evidence-based strategies. Twelve school staff members participated in this study, including teachers, administrators, and an RTI coordinator. The data were collected via individual semistructured interviews. The data were analyzed using open and thematic coding. The findings of this study indicated that general education teachers did not clearly understand the significance of RTI and the importance of implementation fidelity. Thus, the students at the study site may not have received the optimal benefits of RTI due to the lack of implementation fidelity. This study may promote positive social change by assisting district leaders with strengthening their RTI programs, which may decrease the referrals for special education services and increase student achievement.

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