Identity-Blind Intervention: Examining Teachers’ Attention to Social Identity in the Context of Response to Intervention

Abstract

Limited qualitative work has examined how response to intervention (RTI) is shaping teachers’ understandings of intervention, the premise for conversation about referral, when serving diverse learners. In this case study, I use the lenses of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory and intersectionality to examine (a) how educators at one public elementary school are attending to student identity in the context of RTI implementation, and (b) how RTI is mediating teachers’ approaches to academic intervention. Findings indicate that teachers struggled to develop differentiated, culturally relevant approaches to intervention. The results hold implications for the preparation of teachers to serve diverse learners using RTI.