Effects of Strategically Designed Professional Development Experiences on Teacher Perceptions of Response to Interventions Tier I Instructional Strategies

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to determine the effects of strategically designed professional experiences on teacher perceptions of use of Tier I Response to Intervention instructional strategies. This study was motivated by recent changes in course offerings in a general education Language Arts department at a high school. Staff members from the English Language Arts department along with the Special Education department collaborated to address how to effectively meet the needs of a more heterogeneous mix of students in their general education classrooms. Pre and post surveys were used to collect quantitative data to strategically design, administer, and evaluate the effects of professional development experiences to general and special education teachers. Based on the results of these baseline surveys and conversations with both special and general education teachers, the Tier I instructional strategies of co-teaching in the inclusionary setting and differentiation were identified as essential strategies to improve to meet the needs of all students. Following the professional development experiences, the post survey was used to analyze and evaluate the effects the professional development experiences had on the teachers' perceptions of both the priority of and confidence in use of the identified Response to Intervention Tier I strategies.