Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

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

Advisor

Hardwick Smith Johnson, Jr

Committee Member

Sherry Burke

Committee Member

Kimberly Durham

Keywords

academic data, barriers, brain processing skills, challenges, Class Dojo, collaboration, executive functioning, hands-on training, i-Ready, implementation, iXL, middle school teachers, professional development, response to intervention, RTI, small-group interventions, special education, strategies, student performance data, teacher preparedness, thematic analysis, time constraints

Abstract

According to Benedict et al. (2020), response to intervention (RTI) skills were necessary for the enhancement of teaching and the effectiveness of educators in the RTI process. The purpose of this study was to investigate how well middle school special education teachers applied the skills they acquired through RTI professional development. The exploratory grounded theory design guided data collection from eight purposefully selected teachers. The eight teachers participated in semi-structured interviews of about 30 minutes in duration. Data analysis entailed using thematic analysis to identify themes and patterns for the themes (Braun & Clarke, 2006; Dalglish et al., 2021).

Findings (themes) for Research Question 1 provided strategies, from the professional development, that teachers found helpful to overcome barriers to successfully implementing RTI techniques in teaching practices. Strategies were use of online personalized learning software like i-ready, IXL, Class Dojo, and easyCBM. Additional strategies were hands-on training with teachers and real classroom students and targeted interventions in small groups of students using students’ academic and test performance data.

Themes for Research Question 2 conveyed how teachers perceived the effectiveness of the professional development on preparing teachers to implement RTI strategies in their classrooms. Professional development was effective when the emphasis was on realistic and hands-on training involving teacher colleagues and their students with disabilities. Teachers were better prepared when the training emphasized the brain processing skills like executive functioning. Teachers preferred realistic training tailored to actual daily learning issues in the classrooms.

Themes for Research Question 3 revealed challenges teachers faced when trying to implement RTI skills in their classrooms. Challenges were the subpar communication and minimum positive collaborations between the regular education and special education teachers. Additional challenges were not enough time in the school day to accomplish all that needed to be accomplished as well as insufficient expertise by some middle school teachers to effectively use student academic data to “drive” for RTI implementation decision-making.

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