This brief examines California's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), which is a framework designed to identify and assist students performing below grade level. MTSS involves at least three tiers of support; Tier 2 includes personalized assistance. Unfortunately, Tier 2 services are not adequately resourced so it is not surprising that…

U.S. education has experienced many waves of reform in responding to rapid changes in knowledge, technologies, and the economy. It is now widely accepted that, to succeed in the future, all young people must have the opportunity to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and communication competencies--often referred to as…

Response to Intervention (RD) has been shown to be an effective method for the identification and remediation of poor readers especially in the early grades. Given the extensive advantages of RTI school districts across the country are interested in adopting such a model however very little research in this area has been completed. This case study…

Mixed methods were used to determine teachers' and administrators' perceptions of the degree of implementation of Response-to-Intervention (RtI) in four areas: research-based and standards-driven instruction, assessment practices or monitoring, intervention strategy identification, and decision-making processes. One hundred sixteen teachers and…

This qualitative comparative study examined three core components of RtI[superscript 2] implementation at two purposefully selected elementary schools in one county in Southern California. The researcher interviewed principals, teachers, and support staff regarding leadership attributes, skills and behaviors perceived as critical, professional…

This study has tackled the thorny problem of closing the Student Achievement Gap (SAG) in California's elementary schools. To address that problem, an "Integrated" form of educational leadership called Transformational Instructional Leadership (TIL), a form grounded in "best practices" of Transformational and Instructional…

Situated in the heart of the fertile San Joaquin Valley twenty miles north of Fresno, the city of Madera has a population of 56,710 people. Agriculture is the driving force behind the local economy; the area produces more than 100 crops including raisin grapes, almonds, figs, pistachios, alfalfa, corn, milk, cattle and poultry. The total value of…

One question frequently arises in the work of the Regional Comprehensive Centers: "What are states, districts, and schools doing about RTI?" This document addresses that question, with particular focus on instruction and the implementation of effective practices. It uses a frequently asked questions (FAQs) format, with answers based on…