Psychological Development and Education ›› 2016, Vol. 32 ›› Issue (6): 706-716.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2016.06.09

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The Validity of the RTI Model for Identifying Learning Disabilities and the Moderators: A Meta-analysis of the Past Two Decades' Studies

WANG Cuicui1, XU Qinfang1,2, TAO Sha1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875;
    2. National Innovation Center for Assessment of Basic Education Quality, Beijing 100875
  • Online:2016-11-15 Published:2016-11-15

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Abstract: Learning disability is one of common neurocognitive developmental disorders among children and adolescents. The mode of Response to intervention (RTI) has been recommended to identify learning disabilities since 2004.However, the validity of the RTI model for identifying learning disabilities has been questioned. This study aimed to exam the validity of the RTI model and the moderating effects of the major variables being involved in the application of RTI model on the basis of the past two decades' of studies. Articles were obtained using keywords, i.e., "RTI(response to intervention) "and "Dyslexia" or "Dyscalculia" or "Specific learning difficulties/disorders" or "Reading disorder (s)/difficulties" or "Mathematical disorder (s)/difficulties" from Web of science, Psychoinform and CNKI. Thirty-four studies published within 1996 to 2015 met the criteria and were included into the meta-analysis, yielding 45 samples (N=6,127) and 261 weighted effect sizes (ESs). Results indicated:(1)The non-responders performed significantly poorer on academic achievement, cognitive skills and behaviors than the responders, and the ESs of all the variables were above 0.5.(2)Evidences from six longitudinal studies indicated that the gap between the groups of responders and non-responders were persistent across time on academic achievement and cognitive skills, but some responders may perform similarly to the non-responders at the follow-up assessments.(3)Moderating effects were found significant for the severity of learning difficulty, intervention tier and duration. Significantly larger ESs emerged from the studies about at-risk students, using short-term intensive Tier 2 intervention rather than from those students with severe learning difficulties, using long-term multi-tiered intervention.(4)Moderating effects were also found significant for measures and criteria of responsive status. Academic achievement rather than cognitive skills were more reliable as the indicators of responsiveness. Compared with the growth or the dual discrepancy criteria, the achievement status was more reliable in differentiating responders and non-responders. When standardized, norm-referenced instruments were used for measuring academic achievement, the 16th percentile would be recommended as the cut-off points. And when non-standardized instruments were used, the 25th percentile would be preferred. Findings from this meta-analysis support the RTI model valid for identifying the subgroups of at risk students for learning disabilities. Guidelines for implementing RTI model in research and practices were recommended. Future directions were also discussed.

Key words: response to intervention (RTI), identification of learning disability, meta-analysis

CLC Number: 

  • G442

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