A case study of responsiveness-to-intervention tier II tutoring intervention: what makes responders and non-responders different?

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a Responsiveness-to-Intervention (RTI) Tier II tutoring program on first grade students who are at risk for reading disabilities. Ten students (8 boys and 2 girls) received one-on-one decoding and fluency tutoring 3 times a week for 20 weeks. This case study describes these students who struggled in reading at the beginning of their first school year, the progress they made through the tutoring program, and the testing results at the end of the school year. The author also discusses the differences between the students who responded to the program and the ones who did not make satisfactory progress. A hypothesis regarding why the differences exist is also suggested. The current study increased the validity of the RTI Tier II decoding fluency tutoring program. The school-wide implementation of this tutoring program for at-risk children is promising.