Purpose: The purpose of this project is to address key measurement issues associated with the response-to-intervention (RTI) process: Who should enter the RTI process? How does one determine whether effective Tier 2 intervention has been conducted? What is a valid and practical method of monitoring responsiveness to Tier 2 instruction? What is a valid definition of 'nonresponsiveness' (i.e., reading disabled [RD])?

Project Activities: The researchers are examining measurement issues related to RTI by conducting a longitudinal screening study to examine three approaches to assessing risk for long-term reading disabilities at the beginning-of-1st-grade and whether each approach should be considered separately or in combination, to determine the criteria for who should enter the RTI process. The study involves a longitudinal correlational design across Grades 1-4 and relies on a two-level individual growth curve analysis to develop the basic prediction models of academic growth.

Products: The expected outcomes from this study include:

1. A set of procedures, screening measures, measurement schedules, scales, and cut-points for identifying 1st grade children at risk of developing reading disabilities,
2. A set of procedures for classifying 'nonresponsiveness (i.e., RD), and
3. An evaluation of how RTI compares to low achievement and discrepancy approaches to classification in terms of RD prevalence, severity, predictive utility, and stability.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to address key measurement issues associated with the response-to-intervention (RTI) process. This study will address the following questions: (a) who should enter the RTI process; (b) how does one determine whether effective Tier 2 intervention has been conducted; (c) what is a valid and practical method of monitoring responsiveness to Tier 2 instruction; and (d) what is a valid definition of 'nonresponsiveness' (i.e., having a reading disability.

Setting: The elementary schools are located in Tennessee.

Population: Approximately 450 first graders will participate in the research and followed through fourth grade.

Research Design and Methods: This study is a longitudinal correlational screening study, across first through fourth grade, designed to examine three approaches for assessing risk for long-term reading disabilities. This study will also examine whether each approach should be considered separately or in combination with the others in order to determine criteria for who should enter the RTI process.

Key Measures: Students will be administered a battery of language, literacy, and social-behavioral measures from first through fourth grade to determine a set of procedures for identifying first grade students at risk of developing reading disabilities and classifying nonresponsiveness.

Data Analytic Strategy: A combination of statistical techniques will be utilized. Individual growth curve analysis will be used to develop the basic prediction models of academic growth. In addition, logistic regression, classification tree analysis, and artificial neural nets will be used to develop decisions rules for identifying first grade students' risk for reading disabilities. Descriptive and inferential techniques will be used to examine prevalence, severity, predictive utility, and stability within RTI approaches. In addition, estimates of the percentage of students classified as having a reading disability and effect sizes between students with reading disabilities and students without reading disabilities across measures will be examined. Finally, the hit rate, sensitivity, and specificity of classification across years will be calculated for the RTI approaches.