Schools need to make strategic decisions regarding the practicalities of delivering interventions for students struggling with foundational literacy and numeracy skills. This includes planning -- or designing -- how the overall learning environment and experience of the intervention will work to obtain desired results, not just the instructional…

Effective classroom management (CM) is critical to promoting student success, as there is a clear connection between teacher CM practices and student academic, social, and behavioral outcomes. Research demonstrates that children spend more time academically engaged, progress more rapidly, and have higher levels of academic achievement when they…

Over the past few decades, the prevalence and adverse impact of trauma on children have been widely researched and documented. Trauma exposure in children has been associated with long-lasting and detrimental outcomes in childhood and into adulthood, causing disruptions and impairments in their cognitive, social-emotional, mental health, and…

This study investigated the comprehensive implementation of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) within a school district, focusing on the engagement and collaboration of educators in refining and executing MTSS strategies. The problem investigated was the effectiveness of MTSS implementation and collaboration among educators. This action…

There is a gap in research focusing on how leaders implement complex policies such as Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). To address this gap, this phenomenological case study examined school leaders' perceptions of their roles as leaders…

Teachers and clinicians report feeling underprepared to implement evidence-based behavior supports. As such, effective models of professional development that lead to improved outcomes for all individuals are required. Critical components of high-quality professional development include explicit instruction, modeling, practice, direct feedback,…

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are disproportionately at-risk for bullying victimization and perpetration, yet there is a lack of educator-focused professional development targeting prevention for these students. This project sought to address gaps in training through the creation of four online professional development modules: (1)…

The Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework is a research-based model that yields positive behavioral, social, emotional, and academic outcomes (Horner et al., 2009; Horner, 2014; Mathews et al., 2013). However, schools have reported varied success rates with implementation and achieving desired outcomes. While hundreds of…

In this dissertation study, we investigated professional learning practices common to tiered systems, with specific focus on the Comprehensive, Integrated, Three-Tiered (Ci3T) model of prevention. First, we outlined tiered models and how they address the rising, multiple needs of students, and the fitness of Ci3T for the current educational…

This study used a convergent mixed-method design and a pragmatic approach to examine how professional development (PD) affected teachers' confidence in their abilities to use the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework in a rural Mississippi middle school. Grounded in Bandura's self-efficacy theory, the study aimed to answer two research…

In this dissertation, the researcher examined the effective implementation of Tier I strategies at One Team Central School District within the broader framework of Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS), addressing the urgent issue of Tier 1 instructional quality, particularly targeted at economically…

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-tiered system of support designed to provide increasing levels of intervention and enrichment based on student need. Research suggests that although RTI is regularly utilized in elementary schools, secondary school leaders are less likely to implement if due to the unique challenges of a secondary school…

There are many integrated Multi-tiered Systems of Support (iMTSS), which we refer to as integrated-tiered systems. These systems hold benefits for students with disabilities, as such systems have the potential to facilitate inclusion and focus the collective expertise of educators committed to meeting students' multiple needs. The Comprehensive,…

Students with disabilities (SWDs) are disproportionately at-risk for bullying victimization and perpetration, yet there is a lack of educator-focused professional development targeting prevention for these students. This project sought to address gaps in training through the creation of four online professional development modules: (1)…

This study investigated the impact of professional development support structures for enhancing teacher mastery of Response to Intervention (RTI) in an urban elementary school setting. With a focus on effective implementation strategies, the research explored the role of tailored professional development initiatives in equipping educators with the…