This study evaluated third grade students who received RTI instruction and third grade students who do not receive RTI instruction performance on the Renaissance STAR Reading® assessment and the SC READY assessment with respect to gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. This study is significant because it examined the academic performance relationship among three elementary schools in a rural school district located in the southeastern part of South Carolina. This study used a quantitative comparative descriptive approach. The conceptual framework that provided the context and support for this study were assessment, RTI, technology, reading intervention, and student achievement. Descriptive, inferential statistics, and data used in this study were subjected to two statistical procedures: Levene's Test for Equality of Variances and T-Test for Equality of Means. According to the results of this study, RTI instruction did not help to close the reading achievement gap between students. There were no significant differences in male and female performance on Renaissance Star Reading®, but there was a significant difference in SC READY ELA performance; female SC READY ELA scores were better than males. White students performed better in Renaissance Star Reading® than Black students, but there was no significant difference in students' SC READY ELA performance with respect to ethnicity. Non-poverty students performed better in Renaissance Star Reading® than poverty students, but there was no significant difference in students' SC READY ELA performance with respect to socioeconomic status. For future research, it is recommended that school district leaders begin to evaluate the effectiveness of RTI instruction on a semi-annual or yearly basis, extending the study to include all elementary students or even middle school students could lead to further insight being obtained about the effectiveness of RTI, extending the study to include the level of teacher experience could lead to further insight being obtained about the effectiveness of RTI, and this study could be replicated with modification to provide a statewide perception. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]