A Secondary School’s Approach to Implementing Response to Instruction

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined how a single secondary school chose to interpret and implement the Response to Instruction (RtI) framework, and how teachers perceived the effectiveness of implementation.

Research Method: This qualitative case study used archived data, observations, and semi-structured interviews to explore how the school interpreted and implemented the RtI framework, and gain insight into the factors that teachers perceived to support implementation. Initial a priori codes were informed by a review of literature, and codes were added or revised as additional data from observations and interviews was collected and analyzed.

Findings: Findings indicated that students needed a mentoring component in addition to math and reading intervention, and teachers perceived positive, deep relationships to be the most powerful factor that affected the students on RtI. In addition, participants noted that motivation, attendance, and language barriers were the biggest struggles that students in this study faced.

Implications for Research and Practice: The study concludes with a discussion of the role that mentoring played in the problem-solving team (PST) process, and the enabling factors and obstacles that teachers perceive to affect the PST process. Further consideration is given to how administrators can best support teachers through the PST process, and further research to investigate teacher perceptions of the RtI model.