Achieving positive postschool outcomes continues to be a challenge for many students. These challenges are compounded for students with disabilities, even years after the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (1990; IDEA) required systematic transition planning. In this era of accountability through high-stakes testing, schools and families…

Using the Evidence-Based Model developed by Odden and Picus (2008) as a conceptual framework in correlation with the Ten Strategies for Doubling Student Performance (Odden, 2009) for comparison, this study examines the school-level resource allocation strategies used to improve learning for struggling readers in high-minority, high-poverty, urban…

In today's educational climate, where inclusion and response to intervention (RTI) are valued, the use of coteaching represents one potential way for schools to meet the diverse needs of students in their classrooms. Although school psychologists are not typically involved in delivering instruction through a coteaching paradigm, they have the…

As Response to Intervention (RtI) approaches become more common in educational systems throughout the country, it is increasingly important to identify how practitioners perceive these changes and how they obtain the skills necessary to face emergent roles and responsibilities. In this exploratory study, a national sample of 557 school…

The purpose of this study was to explore the literacy instructional leadership behaviors of principals in two high poverty elementary schools in North Carolina who have experienced success with student growth in reading achievement over a three year period. This was a qualitative exploratory multiple case study. Data was gathered from 21…

Response to intervention (RtI) is an approach to assist students with learning difficulties. There is limited research into the effectiveness of RtI within rural school districts. To address that gap, this quantitative, experimental study tested the theory of RtI, comparing the tier of intervention to oral reading fluency, controlling for…

Within a response to intervention (RTI) framework, students are typically identified as "academically at-risk" if they score below a specified cut-point on a benchmark screener. Students identified as at-risk are provided with an intervention intended to increase achievement. In the following technical report, we describe a process for…

Within a response to intervention (RTI) framework, students are typically identified as "academically at-risk" if they score below a specified cut-point on a benchmark screener. Students identified as at-risk are provided with an intervention intended to increase achievement. In the following technical report, we describe a process for…

This technical report presents results from a cross-validation study designed to identify optimal cut scores when using easyCBM[R] reading tests in Washington state. The cross-validation study analyzes data from the 2009-2010 academic year for easyCBM[R] reading measures. A sample of approximately 900 students per grade, randomly split into two…

The purpose of this article is to examine the fundamentals of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and its impact on music educators. Topics include: (a) zero reject, (b) non-discriminatory evaluations, (c) free appropriate public education, (d) least restrictive environment, (e) procedural due process, (f) parental involvement, and (g)…

Response To Intervention (RTI) integrates assessment and intervention within a school-wide, multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavior problems. With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions, and adjust the intensity and…

In the following technical report, we present evidence of the technical adequacy of the easyCBM[R] math measures in grades K-2. In addition to reliability information, we present criterion-related validity evidence, both concurrent and predictive, and construct validity evidence. The results represent data gathered throughout the 2009/2010 school…

The easyCBM[R] assessment system is an online benchmark and progress monitoring assessment system designed for use within a response to intervention framework. Educators using easyCBM[R] are often interested in using the results to predict students' state test performance. In the following technical document, we report diagnostic efficiency…

This article considers the rise of therapeutic education in Finland, a phenomenon already acknowledged in Europe, Canada and the United States. In Finland, the therapeutic ethos has been assimilated into educational policies and practices, but the shift to therapisation and especially its consequences have attracted little interest in critical…

Reading is the most valuable skill children must master early in schooling. Unfortunately, many students struggle to read and may be identified as having a Reading Disability (RD). In this dissertation, I explored the usefulness of the Response-to-Intervention (RtI) framework for identifying children with RD by examining the use of 1st and 2nd…