Intervention and Referral Services: student and teacher support team or roadblock to special education?

The purpose of this research study was to investigate the effect of the Intervention and Referral Services (I&RS) process in a pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade elementary school in Southern New Jersey. In an attempt to identify student outcomes, as well as teacher and team member perceptions of the process, a log of I&RS meetings was reviewed. The resulting data suggested that slightly less than half of the students referred through the process over the 2009/ 2010 school year were either retained the following school year or eventually found eligible for special education. Results of a survey given to team members showed that most feel as though the process itself is a formality taken prior to retaining a child or receiving special education and slightly more than half of team members perceived the process as an effective means of improving student performance in the classroom. Results of a teacher survey mirrored these aforementioned results. While team members' responses reflected a lack of training regarding research-based interventions in regard to both academic and behavioral instructional strategies, each member was open to receiving more training and support in this area. Further, while teachers' perceptions reflected a lack of trust in the interventions being offered, many were open to receiving a greater amount of follow-up support in the form of classroom demonstrations and monitoring student progress.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A. Learning Disabilities

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Special Educational Services/Instruction

Year dc:date.available

2011

Author dc:creator

• Brown, Joshua

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kuder, S Jay

• Children with disabilities--Identification; Special education teachers--Training of
• Special Education and Teaching

Repository record dc:identifier

https://rdw.rowan.edu/etd/32

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rdw.rowan.edu:etd-1031