Response to Intervention with Older Students with Reading Difficulties

Area of Science:

• Education
• Literacy Studies
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Secondary school literacy achievement requires addressing diverse student needs, including struggling readers.
• The Response to Intervention (RTI) model, traditionally used in younger grades, is being explored for older students.
• Effective literacy instruction is crucial for academic success in middle school.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe an enhanced literacy instruction approach for middle school students based on the RTI model.
• To detail the essential components of this RTI model: universal screening, progress monitoring, and multi-tiered service delivery.
• To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of this RTI model for middle school literacy.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of universal screening and progress-monitoring tools aligned with state accountability tests.
• Development of a multi-tiered instructional framework to meet varied literacy needs.
• Conducting a large-scale, multi-site randomized trial to assess the model's impact.

Main Results:

• The study is currently underway, with a randomized trial evaluating the RTI model's feasibility and effectiveness.
• Preliminary data collection and analysis are ongoing.
• The focus is on gathering empirical evidence regarding the intervention's success.

Conclusions:

• The RTI model shows promise for improving literacy outcomes in middle school.
• This approach offers a structured framework to support diverse learners.
• Further research through the ongoing trial will determine the model's widespread applicability and impact.