| Response to intervention (RTI) offers a unique opportunity to meet the needs of English language learners (ELLs) before academic difficulties manifest as disabilities. Effective use of RTI has the potential to limit or eliminate problems of disproportionate representation of ELLs in special education programs. However, little research exists on how RTI models function for ELLs. The present study attends to this gap by using a mixed methods case study design to explore and describe the decision-making processes in two urban elementary schools. Through interviews, observations, and surveys, the findings from this study paint a portrait of each school's unique RTI program. Three overarching themes were found in the results: uncertainty about the RTI process, a previous methods mindset, and a defined RTI philosophy. Strengths, areas for improvement, and concerns about the results are addressed using a systems view (Bronfenbrenner, 1976). This study also examines the larger theoretical and practical implications of the findings as they pertain to ELLs at elementary schools implementing RTI. |
