Date of Award
2011
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Julie Alemany
Committee Member
Paul Borthwick
Committee Member
Dana Scott Mills
Keywords
academic achievement, adverse student success, alternative method, data gathering, decision-making framework, educators, evaluation, first-year implementation program, formative evaluations, information gathering instruments, intervention, interviews, learning disabilities, leadership team, observations, program evaluation, record reviews, remediation, research-based practices, Response to Intervention, RTI, school-based leadership team, sixth-grade students, special education, state assessment scores, student academic gains, student achievement, students at risk, summative evaluations, surveys, systemic outcomes, tiered intervention, traditional wait-and-fail model, triangulation of information
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate if implementation of the Response to Intervention (RTI) model had an effect on student academic gains at the target school. The problem that prompted this study was that information on the effectiveness of the RTI model had not yet been determined. The reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act allowed the use of the RTI model as a viable alternative for identifying students who may be experiencing academic difficulties rather than the traditional wait-and-fail model. Data and state assessment scores for sixth-grade students indicated that remediation was necessary. The RTI model allows for the identification of students with learning disabilities and provides early intervention for students at risk of academic failure. An evaluation of the RTI model was necessary to ensure that educators, students, and systemic outcomes met core objectives.
The purpose of this evaluation study was to examine the impact of RTI as an alternative method for (a) decreasing the number of students referred to special education programs, (b) increasing academic gains for students, and (c) limiting data associated with adverse student success. The RTI model served as the decision-making framework for delineating what services were needed by which students.
Formative and summative evaluations were used to assess the overall criteria of the RTI’s fidelity of implementation. The assessment design examined the school-based leadership team for (a) consensus, (b) infrastructure, and (c) implementation. Information-gathering instruments included surveys, individual interviews, record reviews, and observations. Triangulation of information and data gathered were used to validate findings. An analysis of the data revealed that key components, such as tiered intervention, continuous assessment, research-based practices, and data fidelity, were consistent with an ideal RTI model for a first-year implementation program.
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Special Education Administration Commons