"For valid disability determination to occur, a diagnostic team needs to be able to determine that a student has received appropriate instruction in the general education classroom" (Johnson, Mellard, Fuchs, & McKnight, 2006, p. 4.2). The purpose of the study was to determine whether a middle school Response to Intervention (RTI)…

Reform in educational policy and federal legislation has placed an emphasis on data collection pertaining to student outcomes in the academic setting. In response, school systems have shifted to multi-tiered frameworks that utilize varying levels of support through the implementation of evidence-based interventions. Data-based decision making…

Response to Intervention (RTI) is defined by the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) as the practice of providing high-quality instruction and intervention matched to student needs and using learning rate over time and level of performance to make important educational decisions (2007). Both IDEA 2004 and the…

School district superintendents and boards of education in the twenty-first century are facing unprecedented pressure to improve student achievement results. In order to compete, superintendents and boards of education must share the role of solution seeker to meet the challenge of increasing achievement for all students. This study sought to…

For over four decades, the concept of teacher leadership has been debated nationally and internationally with a view of establishing its role in student learning and achievements in schools. Over this period, a sizeable amount of literature has been written with regards to teacher and school administration leadership. However, studies remain…

Federal and state initiatives (No Child Left Behind, 2001) require schools and districts to set high standards for student growth and achievement. Currently, student growth and progress are measured in Louisiana via statewide achievement tests. In 4th and 8th grades these assessments are considered to be 'high-stakes', as promotion and retention…