General Education Pre-Service Teachers’ Levels of Concern on Response to Intervention (RTI) Implementation

Abstract

Revisions to Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEIA) proposed alternative models, such as Response to Intervention (RTI), as a preventive measure that supports students at risk. As teachers’ roles evolve in response to RTI, teacher preparation programs must adjust their focus and curriculum accordingly. A mixed-methods design was used to explore general education pre-service teachers’ concerns regarding the implementation of RTI based on the Concerns-Based Adoption Model. Results suggest pre-service teachers focused their concerns on feeling unprepared and not understanding how to effectively implement RTI. These implications may guide teacher preparation programs as they assess the readiness of their pre-service teachers to effectively implement RTI.