Development and validation of a semi-automated, scalable response to intervention framework in mathematics

Abstract

Response to Intervention (RTI) has been shown to be better at identifying and addressing learning difficulties than other frameworks. However, only a few educational systems have implemented it, and it can be difficult for schools to implement RTI on their own without policies in place. One solution is to create semi-automated digital tools that can assist with RTI without requiring a lot of extra time from the teacher. This study describes the development and implementation of such tools in schools that were not previously familiar with RTI. The effectiveness of the tools was tested by comparing 5 schools (149 students) that used RTI with 8 schools (269 students) that did not. The results showed that the extra practice was effective and that students in the intervention group made significantly more progress in arithmetic fluency than their peers in the control group. These students were also more likely to leave the “low achievement” and “at risk of Mathematics Learning Difficulties” zones than students in the control group. This suggests that it is possible to develop a scalable RTI framework and implement it in educational systems without RTI-based policies.