The reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004 spurred sweeping changes in how special education students are identified in the United States. IDEA encourages instructional models that are research-based, and emphasizes the analysis of student progress data prior to special education identification. Response to Intervention (RTI) is at the forefront of these models, and it is currently being implemented across the nation. As schools begin to implement these models, the principal becomes a key figure in determining the success of RTI. Elementary education has a long history of remediating skills as a function of core instruction. Middle schools and high schools, however, tend to be lagging in providing opportunities to remediate student skills such as reading, because teachers are more subject area-oriented and focused on the instructional core (Ratekin, et al.1985). This study examines how middle school principals view the merits of RTI and how external, internal, and environmental pressures affect their perceptions and the implementation of RTI programming in their schools. A clearer understanding of the principal's role in implementing programs such as RTI may help policy-makers develop considerations within policy that support the needs of principals, therefore increasing the likelihood of full policy implementation.
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