Date of Award

2026

Degree Type

Open Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Education, PhD

Program

School of Educational Studies

Advisor/Supervisor/Committee Chair

David Drew

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

Susan Bush-Mecenas

Dissertation or Thesis Committee Member

June Hilton

Terms of Use & License Information

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Rights Information

© 2026 Behrose Foroughi

Keywords

Inclusion, MTSS, PBIS, RTI, Special Education, Teacher Education

Subject Categories

Education | Special Education and Teaching | Teacher Education and Professional Development

Abstract

This dissertation study captured how teachers learn strategies to support students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) through the use of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). In the MTSS framework, Tier 1 serves approximately 80–85% of students with high-quality evidence-based core instruction (e.g., science of reading curriculum, social emotional curriculum); Tier 2 serves approximately 10–15% with targeted small-group interventions (e.g., data-informed small-group math/reading groups, check-in/check-out behavior programs); Tier 3 serves approximately 5% with intensive individualized support (e.g., Orton-Gillingham reading intervention groups, individualized behavior plans). Special Education is a separate, legally mandated service outside the tiers for students with identified disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This mixed-methods study utilized surveys, sentence stems, and interviews to explore teacher development in their teacher education and ongoing training throughout their careers. Grounded in the theoretical framework of andragogy (adult learning), the research drew on teacher preparation at the college level as well as ongoing training throughout their professional careers, indicating that teachers did not receive specific training on inclusion, serving students with IEPs, and/or MTSS. The findings indicated that while teachers felt confident in implementing Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions for both academics and behaviors, their confidence significantly decreased regarding Tier 3 interventions. The study revealed that teachers are eager to be trained and coached in authentic ways to support special education students within the general education classroom, such as ongoing coaching. However, they also identified a critical need for additional resources, personnel such as aides, increased collaboration with specialists, and further training.

ISBN

9798247926085

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