Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice

Advisor

Peter Ross

Committee Member

Judith Galician

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

academic, collective-case, educators, elementary, fidelity, interventions, perceptions, qualitative, response to intervention (RTI), RTI support, teachers, tier 3 (education), Tier 3 RTI services

Abstract

This applied dissertation was designed to discover teachers’ perceptions about the overall effectiveness of Tier 3 RTI services for resolving academic problems and teachers’ perceptions about transitioning students out of RTI. Students receiving services in Tier 3 of the RTI process often spend a considerable amount of time attempting to meet their goals. A search for answers to this problem, combined with a gap in the existing literature regarding time spent in Tier 3, led to the development of this study.

Data collection was acquired through a qualitative collective-case method focused on semi-structured interviews. Participants consisted of general and special educators from six elementary schools and two K–8 schools in a large northeastern U.S. city school district. Three general themes emerged from data analysis: (a) elementary teachers struggle to get past the barriers of confusion and frustration with RTI in order to apply it effectively, (b) Tier 3 academic interventions can be successful with clear RTI guidelines and interventions that are implemented with fidelity, and (c) a lack of protocol to help students transition out of RTI services often leads to significant impediments to student success. The findings of this study will help districts strengthen their RTI practice and prevent students from spending an excessive time spent in Tier 3.

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