Many schools attempt to identify and service students at risk for poor mental health outcomes within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Universal screening within a MTSS requires technically adequate tools. The Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener (SAEBRS) has been put forth as a technically adequate screener. Researchers…

Contemporary perspectives on emergent literacy in preschool emphasize the importance of providing developmentally appropriate, authentic, early writing experiences and supporting students' home language and culture. The current study analyzed kindergarten outcomes for 82 linguistically diverse, low-income children (60% Black, 40% Latino) who…

This paper presents the results of a quasi-experimental study examining the effectiveness of Amplify Reading, a digital supplemental literacy curriculum that students play independently at school or at home, in improving student literacy outcomes as measured by end of year Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Next for…

Between 1990 and 2010, the demographics of Everett, Massachusetts underwent significant change. Families that were new to the community, and new to the United States, arrived to the predominantly white working-class community, bringing ethnic and linguistic diversity. Everett Public Schools faced a challenge in accommodating a more diverse student…

This randomized controlled experiment compared the efficacy of two response-to-intervention (RTI) models--typical RTI and dynamic RTI--and included 34 first-grade classrooms (n = 522 students) across 10 socioeconomically and culturally diverse schools. Typical RTI was designed to follow the two-stage RTI decision rules that wait to assess response…

The purpose of this study was to examine how the Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI2) framework was implemented at a culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse urban school. This study also evaluated the effectiveness of Burst: Early Literacy Intervention (Wireless Generation®, 2009), a Tier 2 intervention program, in regards to…

Despite the billions of dollars spent in the last forty years, America's efforts toward closing the achievement gaps among diverse learners and their receptive counterparts have not been realized. Limitations noted in previous research discussed the need to examine the unique contributions of diverse learner variables as a way of determining their…

School districts are struggling with how to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) students. Research has correlated improvement in core language learning--writing, reading decoding, reading comprehension, and listening--with the use of iPods. This dissertation therefore examines the ability of current, portable…

Early intervention to mitigate special education and reading risk is especially critical for low socioeconomic and minority learners. This study examined the lasting effects of an early reading intervention package of phonemic awareness on the reading skills of 38 second-grade students one and two years after intervention ended. The participants…