A Survey of Response to Intervention Team Members' Effective Practices in Rural Elementary Schools

Abstract

This study examined the perceptions of general and special education teachers regarding the effectiveness of intervention teams in rural elementary schools. The passage of IDEIA 2004 brought considerable support for the use of the Response to Intervention (RtI) process providing research-based interventions to students who are struggling. Response to Intervention emphasizes the use of multidisciplinary teams to problem solve and identify instructional interventions that will address educational deficits and curtail the need for special education services. This process presents a challenge for rural schools to develop effective team practices with limited resources and staff. The researcher surveyed general and special education teachers to examine perceptions of team membership practices and effectiveness based on quality indicators of effective intervention team practices as identified in literature. The study indicated the majority of rural schools represented by the teachers surveyed were implementing the team process. The findings identified team practices, such as problem-solving, teacher support, developing interventions, and implementing interventions, as more effective than ineffective. Quantitative results indicated special education teachers reported a higher degree of knowledge of intervention practices and the team process than general education teachers reported. In addition, the special education teachers reported a higher rate of student referrals to the team for intervention than general education teachers reported. The findings suggest the need for rural schools to consider ongoing professional development for both general and special education teachers regarding effective team intervention team practices in order to refine the process.