High-quality Tier 1 instruction is frequently conceptualized as the "foundation" for other tiers of intervention within multitiered systems of support (MTSS) models. However, the vast majority of Tier 2 intervention studies do not account for Tier 1 variables when examining intervention effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to…

Recent legislation through the Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) has implications for school systems across the nation in creating and implementing a multi-tiered system of support. Pennsylvania has its own state legislation that also provides the language for schools to implement an MTSS framework that includes tiered support in academics through…

The relationships between response to intervention (RTI) data, cognitive ability, academic achievement, identification methods, and specific learning disability (SLD) identification have been studied extensively in recent years; however, an empirically supported method of identifying a learning disability has yet to be agreed upon. Without a…

The purpose of this study was to explore practices from the Reading First Grant implementation, which itself no longer exists, with an intent of identifying those practices that have continued to be utilized through the Response to Intervention process and the practices that have changed in the interim. This research reports the results of an…

Much is known about the role of vocabulary in reading and the instructional procedures that improve vocabulary. Relatively less is known about feasible approaches to implement vocabulary interventions for struggling readers within tiered frameworks. The current study randomly assigned at-risk kindergarten and first-grade students to a vocabulary…

Dyslexia is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. The analysis of the Response to Intervention Model, current research in the fields of dyslexia and information literacy and the American Association of School Librarians Standards Framework for Learners, resulted in…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of RTI implementation among administrators in rural Texas elementary schools. Qualitative research was needed to provide administrators with a comprehensive understanding of the demands of RTI implementation (Benjamin, 2011). The researcher conducted a qualitative study…

Early identification of learning difficulties is a critical component of the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. In kindergarten, the screening of foundational reading skills can provide a data-based guideline for identifying students requiring a more intensive response-based intervention before starting elementary school. This study examines…

We investigated the variability across states in the prevalence of learning disabilities (LD) as reported by the U. S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). This expanded upon the work of Hallahan and colleagues on interstate prevalence rate variability of special education disability categories by focusing on a…

This study examined school psychologists' perceptions and acceptability of a state-mandated response to intervention (RtI) model. The purpose of this study was to examine the role school psychologists play in the RtI process as well as investigate factors influencing school psychologists' involvement in RtI. A survey was disseminated through…

With the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education (Improvement) Act (IDEA) in 2004, local education agencies (LEAs) were no longer required to employ an IQ-achievement discrepancy model in the identification of a specific learning disability (SLD). Rather, districts were permitted to use data from a Response to Intervention…

To prevent academic failure and promote long-term success, response-to-intervention (RtI) is designed to systematically increase the intensity of delivering research-based interventions. Interventions within an RtI framework must not only be effective but also be implemented with treatment fidelity and delivered with the appropriate level of…

Prevalence estimates suggest that up to 20% of students in schools experience significant internalizing behaviors that impact behavioral, social, or academic functioning. School-based interventions have great potential to promote student mental health; however, validated and feasible brief assessments are needed to progress monitor students'…

The purpose of this Action Research study was to examine and improve professional dialogue and collaboration on student literacy among teachers at a Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 4 elementary school serving 460 students in a small rural college town. The project focused on teachers' collaborative processes in their efforts to address the literacy needs…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether factors in school climate and culture and the educator's role in evaluating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma-informed situations, and disruptive classroom behaviors, enable a school to generate interventions needed to help students succeed. This qualitative study evaluated the ACEs and…