Response to Intervention in the middle school and its effect on accessing literacy skills in the Tier 1 classroom

As students enter middle schools across the country, many of them lack the literacy skills needed to access content-area knowledge. Response to Intervention (RtI) is an intervention model that is helping students find success at the elementary level, but there are few studies and models that are appropriate for the middle-school level in helping students access literacy skills. One of the barriers that prevent middle schools from being able to use elementary RtI practices is the need for a comprehensive literacy program that will allow students to succeed in mastering the content standards. This research investigated effective ways to implement RtI in a middle-school setting while promoting the acquisition of literacy skills. Formative assessment theory informs the problem of practice by providing the lens from which RtI and literacy integration can be achieved in the middle-school setting. The overarching research question for this study was: What is the process by which a suburban, East Coast, middle school designed and implemented Tier 1 Response to Intervention (RtI) strategies in their classrooms and what perceived impact have these strategies had on improving the literacy skills and access to content-specific knowledge for students? This research question was answered using data collected and analyzed from a descriptive, single case study of one middle school in Central Massachusetts. The findings showed that RtI is necessary for students who need extra support. Teachers felt the different aspects of the professional development they received highlighting RtI and the Workshop Model was both a positive and negative experience depending on the content area. Teachers and administrators believed there were benefits of the Workshop Model. The findings also demonstrated that literacy integration benefited all students and requires collaboration among teachers. Lastly, the findings showed that RtI required commitment from both teachers and administrators.