The moderating role of Response to Intervention in the special education placement of English Learners

Michalopoulou, L. E. (Lito)
The Pennsylvania State University, CEDAR Building, PA16802, University Park

 

Submission type

Oral only

Scheduled

Room 118, 10-07-2019, 13:30 - 15:00

Keywords

English Learners, Response to Intervention, nondiscinimatory practices, disproportionality

Summary

The percentage of English Learners (ELs) in the United States has increased over the past decade (U.S. Department of Education, NCES, 2015). The issue of disproportionality has been raised with research yielding inconsistent findings regarding the representation patterns of ELs in special education (e.g., Morgan et al., 2015; Sullivan, 2011). Response to Intervention (RtI) has been argued as a promising evaluation and intervention framework for addressing the needs of ELs and has been recommended for school psychologists who are interested in minority over- or under-representation (e.g., Cohen et al., 2015; McIntosh et al., 2011; Richards-Tutor et al., 2012; Vadasy et al., 2015). However, limited empirical evidence exists regarding the efficacy of RtI for ELs (Xu & Drame, 2008). Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11, which is comprised of a U.S. representative sample, this study examines the moderating role of RtI in the placement of Spanish-speaking ELs in special education by third grade. Hierarchical logistic regression models with interaction terms are employed. Identified covariates include sex, socioeconomic status, and executive function. This study discusses RtI as a protective factor for developmental trajectories and how it can contribute to the early identification and intervention of struggling ELs.

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