Response to intervention : a qualitative case study at an urban elementary school in New Mexico

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how participants in an urban elementary school in New Mexico experienced the implementation of a multi-tiered Response to Intervention (RTI) system. More specifically, this research provided an opportunity to examine the latter stages of a long-term RTI implementation effort. The following three research questions guided this study: 1) How did an urban elementary school in New Mexico implement an integrated RTI model? 2) How did implementation of an integrated RTI framework change teaching practices in an urban elementary school in New Mexico? 3) How did implementation of an integrated RTI framework change leadership practices in an urban elementary school in New Mexico? Data were collected from fourteen individual interviews, one focus group, documents from the case site, and observations of school based teams, like grade level, SAT and CTTs, and professional development meetings. Participants selected for the study represented members from across the elementary school organization, including those who held leadership roles relating to the RTI implementation. Data were analyzed through a general inductive approach and a constant comparison process that further facilitated the emergence of meaningful study findings.In answering the first research question, a case narrative described the phases of the integrated RTI implementation that were chronicled by the teachers and administrators responsible for carrying out this initiative. The findings, from the second and third research questions, revealed that teaching and leadership practices were both impacted over the course of RTI implementation at the case site. As a result, teaching practices shifted to incorporate more individualized instruction, improved cooperation among stakeholders, and greater reliance on data for progress monitoring and refining of instructional practices. Changes in leadership I want to thank Dr. Elizabeth E. Bennett, my advisor, for her guidance and support as we collaborated on this scholarly journey. I also want to thank my other committee members who

A Qualitative Synthesis of Research on Professional Learning for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

“…According to Learning Forward's (2011) theoretical framework, effectively functioning learning communities require communication and collaboration among educators to promote implementation and improved outcomes. Positive outcomes of collaboration included a common understanding of key components of an MTSS framework (e.g., data-driven decision-making), increased comfort with risk taking, sustained initiative implementation, and increased knowledge and skills as educators learned from and with each other (Diakakis, 2014;Epler-Brooks, 2011;Giurlando, 2019;Hecht, 2015;Jenkins, 2013;McLaughlin, 2014;Murphy, 2017;O'Grady, 2013;Ryan, 2011;Steele, 2013). The school counselor in Giurlando (2019), for example, noted that collaboration led to establishing a cohesive community: I think it [RTI] made 'em [teachers] closer.…”