1. A CASE STUDY OF THEIMPLEMENTATION OFRESPONSE TO INTERVENTIONAND ITS IMPACT ON TEACHEREFFICACYTRACEY I. MACCIA 2. INTRODUCTION An achievement gaps exists in our nationsschools Research suggests that early identificationand intervention is the most effectivemethod for helping academically strugglingstudents Reauthorized IDEA of 2004 introducedResponse to Intervention (RTI) as a modelrequiring general educators to be moreresponsive to academically strugglingstudents 3. Statement of Problem Nationally, an upward trends exists for studentswho are being identified with a specific learningdisability RTI has been implemented as state wide/localeducational agency initiatives in several statesyet it still remains unclear to what extent it hashad on the effect of teachers efficacy This study takes place in an urban northernNew Jersey school district where over 20% ofstudent population are identified as having adisability in comparison to the state average of14% 4. Problem-cont.District Policy: (1) Wait and See toward struggling readers (2) Refer struggling readers for specialeducation servicesSchool district was being monitored for specialeducation services due to a high percentageof students with disabilities placed in separatepublic and private settings 5. What is RTI? 6. PURPOSE OF STUDY Understand both general and specialeducation teachers experiences andperception of RTI implementation Teacher efficacy as it relates toimplementation of RTI 7. RESEARCHQUESTIONS 1. How do teachers perceive that RTI enhancedtheir efficacy in understanding and meeting theneeds of their academically strugglingstudents? 2. How do teachers perceive that RTI had animpact on their efficacy in the collaborationbetween general and special educationteachers? 3. How do teachers perceive that RTI hadinfluenced the school climate in a way thatpromoted or impeded teacher efficacy inmeeting the needs of academically strugglingstudents? 8. THEORIESIMPLEMENTERS AS LEARNERS Review of literature reveals that well-planned professional development programs addresslearning transfer. After professional development, it is imperative to create opportunities forteachers to utilize an intervention and test out the change in practices and share knowledge withtheir colleaguesSOCIAL INVENTION The concept that there are real disabilities, and they are part of the nature of things, is depictedas a discovery narrative. This narrative may be a social invention narrative, where truth is onlyseen in terms of what people find useful. The problem with categorization is that it cements inplace these unproductive qualities to our students rather than responding to our students inauthentic and respectful waysCRITICAL CULTURAL CONSCIOUSNESS When implementing RTI in an urban school district, it is imperative to become a culturallyresponsive educator. When differences are no longer viewed as deficits, teachers develop anaffirming attitude toward students from lower socio-economic status 9. LITERATURE REVIEW RTI and Prevention-Wanzek and Vaughn (2009)conducted a research study on a school based model toprevent reading disabilities Six elementary schools were more than 80% minoritystudents and more than 80% received free and reducedlunch A comparison of control and experimental groupsindicated that the three tier model improved readingoutcomes of students participating The value of brief intervention is of considerableimportance to teachers in determining successcompared to special education services 10. LITERATURE REVIEW RTI and Problem Solving-Minneapolis PublicSchool (1992) study and the Heartland AreaEducation study (1990). Conclusion: problem solving methods toimprove assessment and decision makingregarding eligibility for special education Askew et al (2002) found that provision ofinstructional interventions at tier one level canchange educational outcomes and reduce thenumber of students requiring special educationservices 11. LITERATURE REVIEW RTI AND Referral Rate-Tilly (2003) conducted astudy over a four year time-span on 120 schools inIowa who were using a tiered problem solvingprogram. Tillys studied acknowledged RTI as having thedemonstrated ability to reduce the number ofspecial education referrals and placements forparticipating students Tillys study recorded a decrease in the number ofspecial education referrals by: 39% forkindergartners, 32% for first graders, 21% forsecond graders and 19% for third graders 12. LITERATURE REVIEW RTI AND Efficacy-Greenfield, Rinaldi, Proctor &Cardarelli examined teachers perceptions of RTI in theirschool at an urban elementary school in the Northeastserving 310 students The overall findings suggest two general outcomes:student data showed progress monitoring was presentand teachers reported that student data helped toincrease student achievement Francis (2009) conducted research on RTI and teacherefficacy and found that as teachers gained moreknowledge about RTI, they also began to believe thatthe school was more adequately addressing the needsof struggling students 13. LITERATURE REVIEW RTI and Efficacy, cont.-Bandura (1993) &Goddar, Hoy, Woolfolk-Hoy (2000) conducted astudy on the beliefs of teachers regarding theirinstructional efficacy Bandura found that the single influence thatwas attributed to student performance was thebelief of the faculty about their collectiveefficacy to both motivate and educate thestudents they served Goodard et al (2000) found that collectiveefficacy was a significant predictor of academicachievement 14. LITERATURE REVIEWRTI, Supportive School Environment andTeacher EfficacyLose (2008) recognized that administratorshave a distinct and potent position inimplementing a systemic change required inimplementing RTIRAND (1970s) studies found that not only isadministrative support critical to successfulimplementation but that active support bydistrict leaders is also crucial to new initiatives 15. REFERRAL RATES Research reveals that a tiered system ofdelivery of instruction like RTI has beenfound to have a positive effect on loweringthe number of students referred for specialeducation services 16. TEACHER EFFICACY(AS IT RELATES TO IMPLEMENTATION OF RTI) In schools, educators share theresponsibility for the academic performanceof students This interdependence is the differencebetween individual (teacher) and group(collective) efficacy Bandura, 2004, found that the single mostinfluence attributing to student performancewas the belief of the faculty about theircollective efficacy to both motivate andeducate the students they serve 17. RTI AND SUPPORT Researchers agree that there is a strongrelationship between teacher efficacy, asupportive school climate, and studentperformance 18. RESEARCH DESIGNThirty of the 75 teachers from the three participating schools wereasked to participate in a semi-structured interview process usingthe strategy of maximum variation samplingThe intent in this selection was not to analyze which participantsfound RTI most successful but rather to select a sample ofteachers who teach across content areasFifteen teachers were interviewed Special education teachers General education teachers Basic skills teachers 19. RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY Semi-structured interview protocol Descriptive case study Empirical inquiry investigating RTIimplementation and its impact on teacherefficacy Employed a inductive research strategy bybuilding themes from the data 20. CONTEXT Study Site: Three elementary schools K-3 ina lower socio-economic status district innorthern New Jersey The borough is 2.58 miles and home to21,000 residents of which 2,900 arestudents attending the Pre-K-12 schooldistrict The district is categorized a B district in thedistrict factor grouping category. 21. DEMOGRAPHICS 75% OF STUDENTS ARE AFRICANAMERICAN 25% OF STUDENTS ARE HISPANIC 5% OF STUDENTS ARE CAUCASIAN 2% OF STUDENTS ARE ASIAN 22. DATA & ANALYSIS Data reduction was used to condense pages ofworks to their importance level 1st process-read transcript several times tobecome familiar with its content 2nd process-coded the interview. Coding isreading the transcript until themes begin toemerge 3rd process-wrote a summary of the coded data 4th process-interpreted and tied together thethemes to translate what it all means 23. ROLE OF RESEARCHER &BIAS All data was passed, interpreted andreported through me My bias is that I have worked for 15 yearsas a special education administrator andfeel strongly about providing early intensivereading intervention to struggling readersinstead of referring students for specialeducation services 24. RTI & TEACHEREFFICACYResearch Question #1: How do urban teacherperceive that RTI enhanced their efficacy inunderstanding & meeting the needs of theiracademically struggling students? All interviewees responded in a positive andenthusiastic manner about the effects of RTIenhancing their efficacy in understandingand meeting the needs of their academicallystruggling readers 25. PAST PRACTICES Both general and special education teachersseemed to experience difficulties inunderstanding students needs prior toimplementation of RTI The majority of teachers stated they wouldsearch online or conduct their own researchbecause nothing was in place for readinginterventions 26. EFFECTIVEPRACTICES AFTERRTI RTI implementation changed the generaleducation teaching practices The majority of teachers stated that theirpractices of teaching struggling readersbecame more effective after implementingRTI Teachers stated the data from RTI helpedidentify students strengths and weaknesses 27. COLLABORATION ANDTEACHER EFFICACYResearch Question #2: How do urban teachersperceive RTI has impact on their efficacy in thecollaboration between general and specialeducation teachers? The majority of teachers reported that they feltmore collaborative after implementing RTI Teachers reported a positive change ininstructional practices through collaborationbetween general and special educationteachers 28. SCHOOL CLIMATEAND TEACHEREFFICACYResearch Question #3: How do urbanteachers perceive that RTI had influenced theschool climate in a way that promoted orimpeded teacher efficacy in meeting the needsof academically struggling students? Teachers reported that RTI had a positiveimpact on school climate after implementingRTI. Teachers reported that they took amore problem-solving approach to assiststruggling readers 29. RTI & REFERRALRATESProblem: High referral rate for special education services in the districtunder study General education teachers were referring struggling readers forspecial education services instead of assisting them with readinginterventionsReferral Data:2009-2010-96 students were referred for special education servicesYear of RTI Implementation2010-2011-61 students were referred for special education servicesThis indicates a 36% decrease in referrals for special educationservices 30. CONCLUSIONSTeacher Efficacy & RTI:A teacher commented, For myself, I think I have more patience with children that arestruggling, more tolerance and more willingness to use different program and strategiesand more open to different ideas and suggestions(after implementing RTI) All teachers commented that they were more effective in assisting their strugglingreaders after implementation of RTI A major component of the success of RTI implementation was the professionaldevelopment component When teachers receive quality training, they have the ability to create anatmosphere where students are successful This conclusion is in agreement with the theory of implementers as learners 31. CONCLUSIONSCollaboration & RTI Results are compelling due to the fact that general and specialeducation teachers were working in isolated settings prior toimplementation of RTI The RTI initiative weaved together the delivery of instruction ingeneral and special education like a tapestry of art Both general and special education teachers workedcollaboratively to problem solve and assist all strugglingreaders The majority of teachers felt that without collaboration betweengeneral and special education teachers, RTI implementationwould be impossible to implement 32. CONCLUSIONSSchool Climate & RTI Overall, teachers reported a positive impacton school climate while implementing RTI They developed a sense of trust in theircolleagues In general, teachers were more prone toproblem solve together while assistingstruggling readers 33. LIMITATIONS OFSTUDY The school district was developing a RTI modelduring the project. The initiative was in its first yearin the district and not followed up. Therefore, theresults cannot be generalized to models that arefully developed Because of the small number of teachers in thesample, one cannot assume that results representall possible perspectives I was a district administrator in the district two yearsprior to this study. It is possible that teacherresponses were affected by the fact that I was apast supervisor 34. POLICYIMPLICATIONS A major message for policy makers andschool administrators is to provide high-qualityprofessional development inresearch based intervention strategies priorto implementing RTI Follow-up is equally important for teachersto feel more competent in utilizing anintervention strategy. 35. SUGGESTIONS FORFUTURE RESEARCH Examine the impact of RTI on literacyachievement especially the achievement ofurban students Impact of RTI over time Long term results of RTI Features of Professional Development orsuccessful implementation of RTI 36. Thank-YouSUGGESTIONSINPUT