Date of Award
12-2017
Degree Type
Certificate of Advanced Study
Department
Educational Leadership
Advisor
Dr. Charles Britton
Abstract
In 2006, a reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act led to changes in how the state of Connecticut determined special education eligibility for a student with a specific learning disability. The Response to Intervention (RTI) approach replaced of the discrepancy model in making this determination. This retrospective case study looked at the perceptions of North Haven Staff on the efficacy of the RTI process in reducing the over-identification of students with specific learning disabilities. A mixed-methods survey was administered to 337 professionals in North Haven, CT. Of the 86 responses received, 73 were determined to be useful responses. The research questions sought the perceptions of staff from different demographic categories (position, years in the field, experience in RTI, and school employed) on the efficacy of the RTI process and the effectiveness in deterring the number of students identified as eligible for services as a child with a specific learning disability. The results indicate that most staff perceived the process as improving as students moved through the three tiers. Although the perceptions of North Haven professionals were somewhat favorable, the data indicated that there is room for improvement in the RTI process.
Recommended Citation
Gallagher, K.B. (2017). Unpublished Certificate of Advanced Study Thesis, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.sacredheart.edu/edl/20
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Education Law Commons
Comments
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the coursework required for the post-masters' Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Educational Leadership.