Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Implementing Response to Intervention in Meeting Academic Needs of At-Risk Students in Kindergarten through Second Grade.

The passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) increased educators\u27 awareness of Response to Intervention (RTI) as a means of providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to student needs. The challenges that came with RTI were meeting every student\u27s need, implementing scientific research-based interventions, and expecting mastery of grade-level standards. The purpose of this study was to create a foundation of knowledge through exploratory case study interviews in 4 rural school districts in East Tennessee. All participants were certified teachers of kindergarten, 1st grade, or 2nd grade students. The guided interview approach was used to identify teachers\u27 perceptions of implementing RTI in the classroom. The research questions addressed quality of RTI professional development activities, meeting RTI criteria of at-risk students, supporting role of administration, RTI impacting or benefiting students\u27 academic growth, and effectiveness of RTI in the classroom. The findings of this study revealed all participants perceived RTI was necessary in meeting all students\u27 needs. Teachers did not perceive RTI useful only for at-risk students but for every academic level of student in the classroom. However, to implement RTI effectively, teachers\u27 perceived it beneficial to have a literacy coach or reading specialist in the building and to have administration\u27s support. Recommendations for implementing RTI successfully were based on the data analysis