The Role of Response to Intervention in the Mediation of Teachers' Instructional Approaches

• In Event: Building Culturally Responsive Teacher Communities Through Collaborative Reflection

Abstract

The disproportionate rate of historically marginalized social groups in special education indicates that large populations of students are potentially being misdiagnosed and underserved. Scholars suggest that the collaborative analysis of multiple measures of data in the Response to Intervention (RtI) model make it a more equitable alternative to traditional forms of special education evaluation referral. However, limited empirical studies on RtI implementation make it challenging to substantiate this potential. Cultural-historical activity theory and intersectionality are used to examine how: (1) educators at two high-achieving schools are attending to student identity; and (2) RtI is mediating teachers’ approaches to academic intervention and referral criteria. The results hold implications for future approaches to RtI implementation and teacher learning.

Author

• Joyce Melissa Gomez-Najarro, University of Southern California