Intervention before Identification: An Analysis of Culturally Responsive Teacher Self-Efficacy and Response to Intervention

Abstract

Black male students have been identified disproportionately in high-incidence, subjective disability categories, such as Developmental Delay (DD), Emotional Disability (ED), Intellectual Disability (ID), and Specific Learning Disability (SLD) (Sullivan & Bal, 2013; U.S. Department of Education, 2017). Many states have adopted Response to Intervention (RtI) or Multi-tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) to provide early intervention. However, there is considerable variability in how states, districts, and schools implement RtI. Teachers are responsible for using student data from RtI to inform instructional decisions for students, so it is necessary to understand the knowledge they have about the structure of RtI in their individual schools and the depth of knowledge acquired for effectively reaching students representing a myriad of cultures, races, and backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher preparedness for effective RtI implementation with Black male students and assess the relationship between teacher perceptions of their culturally responsive efficacy and their ability to implement effective RtI practices through a quantitative correlational research design. A Qualtrics XM survey link was distributed to 100 certified Pre-Kindergarten through Grade Five elementary teachers in a Southeastern school district. Seventy participants responded to the survey comprised of factors from the Culturally Responsive Teacher Self-Efficacy scale (Siwatu, 2007) and Survey of Teacher Knowledge about RtI Implementation. A bivariate Spearman correlation test revealed there was sufficient evidence to conclude there was a moderately significant linear relationship between culturally responsive teaching efficacy and implementation of effective RtI practices.