Response to intervention (RTI) for English language learners: Exploring the experiences of an RTI team in a culturally and linguistically diverse school

Abstract

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a framework used to determine if classroom instruction is
effective for students and to identify students in need of supplemental support, including special
education services. Culturally and linguistically diverse students, including English language
learners (ELLs), are often disproportionately represented in special education. The present study
used an interpretive, qualitative research design to explore the experiences of an RTI team
providing intervention for ELLs at an elementary school in the mid-Atlantic region of the United
States. The specific research questions asked were: (a) How do RTI members define and apply
services and interventions in the process?; (b) How is native language taken into account in RTI
assessment and intervention?; and (c) How does the RTI team engage with other staff members
to provide services? Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) and analytic induction were
employed to analyze data collected over a period of two months. Three assertions emerged from
the data: (a) Staff definition of services and intervention differs for ELLs in the RTI system; (b)
Native language is not always considered in the assessment and placement of ELLs in the RTI
system; and (c) Staff collaboration varies in terms of structure and communication between
general education teachers, RTI teachers, and ESOL teachers. Implications include
recommendations for tiered instruction for ELLs, as well as training for school staff to provide
culturally and linguistically responsive RTI.