Date of Conferral

2-19-2025

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Tammy Hoffman

Abstract

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) added Response to Intervention (RTI) to its policy to close the social and economic disadvantages that suppress the academic achievement of minority students. The problem that was addressed through this study is that teachers struggle to implement RTI to support minority male students in Grades 3 – 5 at four local elementary schools in the Central United States. The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of Grades 3 – 5 teachers for implementing RTI to support minority males and the training and resources available and needed at four elementary schools. The study was grounded by Bandura's social cognitive theory. For this basic qualitative study, semistructured interviews with eight teachers were conducted. The participants' responses were analyzed through descriptive coding, which evolved the following training needs by the participants (a) reoccurring RTI framework training, (b) collaboration with an RTI committee, and (c) culturally responsive teaching. The findings revealed that while teachers recognize RTI as a valuable tool, inconsistent training, insufficient collaboration, and limited culturally relevant instructional strategies hinder effective implementation. By strengthening educators’ implementation of RTI practices through requested professional development as well as heightened awareness of cultural diversity, the results from the study might positively influence social change by fostering an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all learners.

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