Meeting Societies’ Increased Expectations Through Responsive Instruction: The Power and Potential of Systemwide Approaches

Abstract

With education's ever-changing and increasing expectations, including response-to-intervention, schools are required to make significant changes in practice to meet the needs of all students. The effectiveness and efficiencies garnered in implementing prevention-oriented, schoolwide approaches to instructional delivery provide the necessary structures schools need to support these changes and improve student outcomes. The authors detail the specific features of these schoolwide approaches along with one district's efforts in implementing and sustaining this transformation. Results indicated that the percentage of students (a) reading successfully in first grade more than doubled, (b) identified as having reading disabilities was cut in half, and (c) passing the state assessment dramatically increased in 4 years.