Eric.ed.gov – Implementing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in Mathematics: Findings from Two Schools

This study examined the benefits and challenges associated with implementing RtI in the area of mathematics in an elementary and a middle school in a rural district in the northeastern United States. We sought to document the ways in which two schools approached implementation of RtI and to explore the issues they encountered with respect to instruction, intervention, and assessment. Five themes were identified that described implementation of the RtI framework: Shifting roles and changing structures, increasing opportunities for collaboration and communication, increasing instructional and assessment support for students who struggle in math, increasing knowledge of support strategies for learners who struggle with math, and “spreading the word” and enhancing the use of the model. The results of this study suggest that the RtI model has potential to improve how math instruction is approached in elementary and middle schools.