Reading Achievement of English Learners Who Participated in the Response to Intervention Model

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if English Learners (ELs) reading achievement scores could be related to the group’s participation in Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI addresses the challenges many public schools face as they seek the best methods for teaching reading and language while facing a nationally significant growth in the population of ELs students. This quantitative study utilized a repeated-measures design with English proficiency as the one between-groups factor and California Standardized Test (CST) as the one repeated-measures factor with two levels. The data were gathered from CSTs for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 school years. Each research question was answered with descriptive statistics gathered from a general linear model ANOVA to determine if there was a statistically significant relationship between participation in RTI and ELs reading achievement scores. As a result of the data analyzed for this study, students who are ELs and also participants in the RTI model demonstrated a relationship between their participation in RTI and reading achievement. To support effective implementation practices for RTI, school administrators can use the descriptive data found in this study to consider possible RTI implementation options. The results of this study indicated that RTI was a beneficial practice for ELs. Further study is needed to address the decline in test scores for both ELs and English Only (EO) students in grade 3. District administrators can use the results of the study to address curricular needs for ELs during the first year of schooling between the scaffolded grade 2 administration of the CST and the independently read grade 3 administration of the CST. The results of this study are significant for ELs and the schools that serve them. Schools similar to those that participated in this study can glean important information about RTI implementation and the effect it has on ELs and their reading achievement. Administrators and school leaders can consider the data presented in this study and the interpretation of the results and construct a similar RTI model or begin implementation of an RTI model that will ultimately be beneficial to the EL population in schools.