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Kristal Wheaton
Author Note
Kristal Wheaton is a graduate student in the Master’s Degree Program in Special (Adapted)
Physical Education at Western Michigan University. This paper is submitted to the instructor for
fulfillment of a course requirement for HPHE 7100, Independent Study in Special (Adapted) Physical
Education.
Running Head: IMPLEMENTATION OF RtI
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of response to intervention in adapted
physical education across the nation. In addition, the study sought to gather information regarding state
physical education assessments, APE state guidelines, and APE teacher requirements. Two methods of
investigation were used, including the administration of a survey to state department of education
special education directors and physical education directors; and the careful review of state laws and
policies governing the provision of physical education and adapted physical education. The results of
the study were that a total of 26 states require physical assessments in physical education, 18 have
developed APE state guidelines, and 5 require a separate teaching certificate or endorsement to teach
APE. A total of 5 states have implemented RtI in APE. Other states have developed physical education
programs which incorporate the components of RtI including assessment, progress monitoring, and
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percent of high schools implemented Response to Intervention (RtI) during the 2008-2009 school year
(United States Department of Education [US ED], 2011). The majority of these RtI programs have been
implemented to identify and improve academic and behavioral outcomes, primarily in reading and math
(US ED et al.). According to Winnick (2011) the RtI framework fits nicely into the adapted physical
education model, the implementation of which should be studied and researched further.
RtI provides schools with a method for identifying students who need instructional
interventions, and the framework in which to implement interventions. Universal screening identifies
students falling below the 25th percentile, and a tiered approach to intervention provides increasing
levels of intensity and instructional support (Buchanan, Hinton, & Rudisill, 2013). Although any number
of tiers may exist, 3 to 4 is the most common (National Center on Response to Intervention, 2010).
Within a three-tiered model the bottom tier or first tier represents instruction within the general
education classroom in which 80 percent of students are successful, the second tier represents more
intensive small group instruction provided to on average 20 percent of students, while the third tier
According to Averill, Baker, & Rinaldi (2014) even though RtI interventions are provided within
the general education setting, RtI is often confused with special education. However, a distinction must
be made because as Averill et al. explain that students with and without disabilities are able to benefit
from RtI programming. However, federally funded RtI programs exclude students with disabilities based
on the rationale that RtI services are meant to supplement not supplant SE services. (US ED, 2008).
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Running Head: IMPLEMENTATION OF RtI
Federal funding for RtI programs is provided through the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals
with Disabilities Act (IDEA), in which up to 15 percent of IDEA Part B funds and IDEA Part D State
Personnel Development (SPD) funds (US ED, 2012) may be used to provide additional instructional
support to students who have been identified through universal screening as not meeting grade-level
expectations. However, among school districts implementing RtI programs, only 41 percent used IDEA
funds, while 80 percent used general education funds (US ED, 2012).
APE, on the other hand, is typically funded through special education funds (Stephens, Silliman-
French, Kinnison, French, 2010). According the Sherrill (2004) IDEA forms the basis for APE being
provided only to students declared disabled by IEP eligibility procedures. The National Association for
Sport & Physical Education (NASPE), along with the American Association for Physical Activity &
Recreation (AAPAR) report that “as practiced today, APE has been shaped significantly by mandates
within IDEA” (p.6). These mandates set eligibility requirements for APE, including that a student must
have one of 13 disabilities recognized by IDEA in order receive APE services, and once eligibility is
determined APE must be provided within the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) (Sherrill, 2004).
IDEA eligibility guidelines do not address motor competence and physical fitness levels, two
fundamental aspects of physical education. NASPE recommends that individuals scoring 1.5 standard
deviations below the mean on motor assessment be recommended for APE (2010). According to Sherrill
(2004) many students without disabilities have significant motor problems requiring APE intervention,
and therefore services should be expanded to include nondisabled students. Implementing RtI in
physical education permits nondisabled students with motor problems and low physical fitness to
receive APE interventions, thus expanding APE services as Sherrill had suggested.
According to Winnick (2010) by implementing RtI in APE, physical educators can better meet the
needs of all learners. The basic components of RtI programming, including universal screening, a tiered
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approach to intervention, progress monitoring, and data-based decision making (National Center on
Response to Intervention, 2012) are easily applied within a physical education setting. Universal
screening takes the form of a motor or fitness assessment, differentiated instruction provides
appropriate interventions, and continuous progress monitoring ensures new skills are being learned and
A review of the literature finds several examples of RtI implementation within general physical
education. Stephens, Silliman-French, Kinnison, & French (2010) present a four-tiered model for
implementing RtI in physical education, in which the first two tiers represent interventions within
general education, with the third tier representing individualized instruction outside of the general
education setting designed by an APE teacher, and finally the fourth tier representing interventions
provided within special education. This model differs from the three-tiered model presented by
Dauenhauer (2012) based on a successful RtI pilot program implemented in a Texas elementary school,
although receiving no APE interventions. Applegate & Jung (2012) discuss the successful implementation
of three-tiered model focused on improving physical fitness levels within an Illinois elementary school,
and provide suggestions for physical educators wishing to implement RtI programming.
California, Connecticut, and Maryland are leading the nation in the implementation of RtI in
APE. The California Department of Education (2012) guidelines for APE are very clear regarding the
integral role of APE teachers within RtI programming, including advising and collaborating with the
general physical education teacher through all aspects of the RtI program. Within California, counties
have issued their own guidelines for implementing RtI in APE, modeled after the state's policy. An
exemplary three-tiered model is presented by the Los Angeles Unified School District for identifying and
improving outcomes for students with motor problems, in which the APE teacher assists with the
identification of motor problems, analysis of movement patterns, lesson design, measurement and
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evaluation (Los Angeles School District, 2011). The Connecticut Department of Education (2011)
established a three-tiered model for improving physical activity levels among students, in which APE
interventions are provided with the third tier. The Maryland Department of Education (2015) has
implemented a RtI model for students not meeting grade-level physical education outcomes, including
Murawski & Hughes (2009) indicate that RtI represents major changes in US public schools,
including broadening the scope of general education classes and instructional practices, removing the
stigma associated with receiving academic support, and increasing the number of students to which
quality individualized instruction is provided. Accordingly, implementing RtI in APE represents major
changes in the provision of APE across the nation, including broadening the role of APE teachers, as well
as improving educational outcomes in areas of motor competence and physical fitness for countless
students nationwide. The purpose of this research is to investigate the implementation of RtI in APE
across the nation by 1) conducting a survey of state programs, and 2) researching state laws and policies
online.
Method
Participants
Participants for this research included State Department of Education (ED) Special Education
(SE) Directors and Physical Education (PE) Directors. State ED contacts were researched by accessing the
US ED online education directory. Individual states were selected from the drop-down list to display
address, telephone numbers, fax numbers, and website address for the states’ ED and OSE.
Contact information for State SE and PE Directors was researched by linking to the websites
provided. SE Directors were often listed on the OSE homepage and PE Directors were often listed on the
PE homepage. If contacts were not listed on their respective homepages, site directories were searched.
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SE Directors or their respective assistants were identified and email addresses obtained for 45 of the 50
states. PE Directors were identified and email addresses obtained for all 50 states.
Participants were contacted by email. The Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB)
approved Consent Form was attached to the email invitations, and the principal researcher Dr. Jiabei
A third group of Participants included physical education contacts identified in the SHAPE of the
Nation (2012) Executive Summary. These individuals had in some cases already been invited to
participate in the research, as they were identified as the state PE Director. Email invitations were sent
Surveys
Two forms of the survey were developed, one for SE Directors and the other for PE Directors.
The survey designed for SE Directors included 12 questions regarding APE state guidelines, APE teacher
requirements, and the implementation of RtI in APE. The survey designed for PE Directors included
these same questions, in addition to 3 questions regarding the state requirements for assessments in
physical education. The survey administered to SE Directors was also sent to physical education contacts
listed on the SHAPE of the Nation (2012) Executive Summary. The physical assessment questions were
o YES
o NO
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o YES
o NO
3. Please provide the website address for accessing APE state guidelines.
in your state?
o YES
o NO
o OTHER
o YES
o NO
o MOTOR COMPETENCE
o PHYSICAL FITNESS
o PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
o OTHER
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o OTHER
10. Which screening tools are used? Mark all that apply.
o FITNESSGRAM
o OTHER
11. Which of the following tasks are completed by the APE teacher? Mark all that apply.
o OTHER
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o YES
o NO
o FITNESSGRAM
o OTHER
o YES
o NO
o YES
o NO
7. Please provide the website address for accessing APE state guidelines.
in your state?
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o YES
o NO
o OTHER
o YES
o NO
o MOTOR COMPETENCE
o PHYSICAL FITNESS
o PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
o OTHER
o OTHER
14. Which screening tools are used? Mark all that apply.
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o FITNESSGRAM
o OTHER
15. Which of the following tasks are completed by the APE teacher? Mark all that apply.
o OTHER
Data Collection
Surveys were collected online using SurveyMonkey.com. A data table was created using
Microsoft Excel to record survey responses. A total of 17 headers were developed for the data table,
including a name header, a physical education assessment header, and 15 headers corresponding to the
survey questions. The physical education assessment data was obtained from SHAPE of the Nation
(2012). Individual surveys were then downloaded from SurveyMonkey in pdf format. Survey responses
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Running Head: IMPLEMENTATION OF RtI
and SHAPE (2012) data was coded for Microsoft Excel. Each survey was assigned a unique identifier
based on its corresponding position within SurveyMonkey. For example, the 4 th Special Education
Response survey received was assigned the unique identifier of SER04. The unique identifiers were
If no survey response was received from a state, state laws and policies were researched online
by using the Google search engine and by visiting the state’s ED website. The Google search engine was
used exclusively for this research. To locate APE guidelines the name of the state followed by “Adapted
Physical Education” was entered in the search engine. For example, to locate Arkansas APE Guidelines
the following phrase was used “Arkansas Adapted Physical Education”. If no relevant documentation
was found using the Google search engine, the state ED website was researched for APE guidelines and
documentation.
The Google search engine was also used to locate state’s in which RtI has been implemented in
APE. The terms “RtI in APE”, “RtI in Adapted Physical Education”, and “Response to Intervention in APE”
were entered in the search engine. In this manner, it was discovered that California, Connecticut, and
Results
Data was collected for a total of 42 states, including 11 states in which APE policy
documentation informed the research needs, 10 states in which PE policy documentation informed the
Survey Responses. A total of 26 responses were received, including 15 from Group 1, 10 from
Group 2, and 1 from Group 3. Together these responses represented data for a total of 22 states. When
more than one response was received for a state, the data was combined. Any conflicts of data received
from multiple responses were resolved by researching the available state policy documents.
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Running Head: IMPLEMENTATION OF RtI
physical education (SHAPE, 2012). Assessments may be conducted once per year, several times per
year, or at designated grades or intervals. Fitness assessments are the most common assessment used
by states.
APE Teacher Requirements. APE teacher requirements were determined for a total of 29
states, of which 5 required separate teaching certificates or endorsements for APE teachers. In the
remaining 24 states, the requirements varied. A total of 23 states reported that PE teachers may teach
APE. In addition to PE teachers, some states permit SE teachers, PT, OT, PTA, and OTA to teach APE.
RtI Implemented in APE. A total of 5 states have implemented RtI in APE. These states include
States requiring assessments that have implemented RtI. A total of 2 states requiring
States not requiring assessments that have implemented RtI. A total of 3 states requiring
Discussion
While many states have not specifically implemented RtI in APE their policies and procedures
governing physical education and adapted physical education serve the purpose of differentiating
instruction in physical education to meet the needs of all learners regardless of disability. For example,
Delaware has developed Exit Tasks aligned to national standards which assess motor skills, movement
skills, physical activity, physical fitness, and social skills (Delaware ED, 2008). In addition, the state
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requires local school districts to administer fitness assessments of all students in grades 4, 7, and grades
9 or 10 (Delaware ED, 2007). The combined use of Exit Task Assessments and school-wide physical
fitness assessments inform the identification process for APE services (Delaware ED, 2012). Similarly, the
Ohio ED has implemented benchmark assessments in grades 2, 5, 8, and in high school based on NASPE
standards for physical education (Ohio ED, 2013). Local districts may use the results of these
assessments to guide the delivery of APE programs and services (Ohio ED, 2012).
Several state physical education programs incorporate the basic components of RtI, including
assessment, continual progress monitoring, and data-based decision making into their general physical
education programs. For example, New York requires the development of individualized physical
education plans which include continual assessment of student goals and progress (New York
Department of Education, 2010). In addition, New York state guidelines for APE recommend the use of
annual fitness assessments as universal screening tools for the identification of students who need APE
services (New York et al., 1997). New York City Schools require annual fitness assessments for all
students in grades 1-12, thereby implementing universal screening procedures to identify students
State APE programs may be classified based on if their requirements for providing APE are
IDEA-aligned. APE is special education provided according to IDEA regulations. APE services are
provided to students with disabilities in the LRE. APE in a separate facility are only provided when the
NASPE-aligned. The provision of APE meets IDEA requirements for students with disabilities. In
addition, APE services are provided to students with gross motor delays.
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Running Head: IMPLEMENTATION OF RtI
Content-aligned. The provision of APE meets IDEA requirements for students with disabilities. In
addition, APE services are provided to students not meeting grade-level content expectations in physical
education.
The limitations of this research include that the study was conducted entirely online. Both the
survey and the policy research were conducted via the Internet. It is likely that a higher response rate
for the survey would have been achieved had participants been contacted by phone, mail, or in-person.
Furthermore, the researcher was limited in her examination of state laws and policies regarding physical
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References
Applegate K. & Jung J. (2012). Response to intervention and physical education: using the two together.
Buchanan, A.M., Hinton, V., & Rudisill, M. (2013). Using positive behavior support in physical education.
California State Department of Education (2012). Adapted physical education guidelines in California
schools.
Connecticut State Department of Education (2011). Guidelines for adapted physical education.
Georgia Department of Education (2011). The Georgia student health and physical education (SHAPE)
Los Angeles Unified School District (2011). Adapted physical education. Position Paper No. Schools for
Maryland State Department of Education (2015). Adapted physical education a guide for serving
United States Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (2008).
Memorandum. Subject: Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Under Part B of the
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United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional
Assistance (2011). IDEA National Assessment Implementation Study Final Report July 2011.
United States Department of Education, Special Education (2012). Fiscal year 2013 budget request.
Murawski & Hughes (2009) Response to intervention, collaboration, and co-teaching: a logical
combination for successful systemic change. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for
National Association for Sport & Physical Education, American Alliance for Physical Activity, Recreation,
& Dance (2010). Eligibility criteria for adapted physical education services, position statement.
National Center on Response to Intervention (2010). Essential components of RtI – a closer look
at response to intervention.
Society of Health and Physical Educators (2012). State requirements for student assessment in physical
education.
Stephens, T. L., Silliman-French, L., Kinnison, L., French, R. (2010). Implementation of response-to-
intervention system in general physical education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, &
Dance, 81 (9).
Sherrill, C. A. (2004). Adapted Physical Activity, Recreation, and Sport, Sixth Edition. New York: McGraw
18
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Hill Companies.
Winnick, J.P. (2010). Adapted Physical Education and Sport, Fifth Edition. Human Kinetics Publishers
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Table 1 – States requiring assessment, how often assessment is requirement, and the assessment used.
Alabama 1 1 4
Alaska 2
Arizona 2
Arkansas 2
California 1
Colorado 1
Connecticut 1 3 4
Delaware 1 3 1
Florida 1
Georgia 1 1 1
Hawaii 1
Idaho 2
Illinois 2
Indiana 2
Iowa 2
Kansas 2
Kentucky 2
Louisiana 2
Maine 1 4 5
Maryland 1 4 5
Massachusetts 2
Michigan 2
Minnesota 1
Mississippi 1
Missouri 1 3 1
Montana 1 4 5
Nebraska 2
Nevada 2
New Hampshire 1 4 5
New Jersey 2 4 5
New Mexico 1
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New York 1 4 5
North Carolina 2
North Dakota 2 4 1
Ohio 1 1 4
Oklahoma 1 2 1
Oregon 2
Pennsylvania 1
Rhode Island 2
South Carolina 1 3 1
South Dakota 2
Tennessee 2
Texas 1
Utah 2
Vermont 1 4 5
Virginia 1
Washington 1 3 4
West Virginia 1 3 1
Wisconsin 2
Wyoming 2
Table 2 – States having developed APE Guidelines, and websites for accessing documentation.
State has developed APE Website address to access State APE Guidelines
Guidelines
Alabama 1 http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ape.al.elig.crit.pdf
Alaska 2
Arizona 2
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Arkansas http://www.arkansased.gov/public/userfiles/Learning_Services/Curriculum%20and%20Instruction/Frameworks/PE
1 %20Health/Physical_Education_and_Health_K_8.pdf
California 1 https://www.shastacoe.org/uploaded/Dept/selpa/SELPA_Resources/APE_Guidelines.pdf
Colorado 2
Connecticut 1 http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/publications/apeguide/apeguide.pdf
Delaware 1 https://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/communities/tle2-de-sample-measure-c.pdf
Florida 2
Georgia 1 https://www.georgiastandards.org/standards/GPS%20Support%20Docs/Physical_Education_Standards_4-30-09.pdf
Hawaii 3
Idaho 2
Illinois 3
Indiana 2
Iowa 3
Kansas 3
Kentucky 3
Louisiana 1 http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ape.la.elig.crit.pdf
Maine 1 http://www.maine.gov/doe/physicaled/adapted/index.html
Maryland 1 http://www.wrightslaw.com/info/ape.md.service.guide.pdf
Massachusetts 2
Michigan 2
Minnesota 3
Mississippi 2
Missouri 1 https://dese.mo.gov/faq-categorization/adapted-physical-education
Montana 1 http://opi.mt.gov/pdf/SpecED/guides/OT_PTGuidelines.pdf
Nebraska 3
Nevada 3
New Hampshire 2
New Jersey 2
New Mexico 3
North Dakota 3
Ohio http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Academic-Content-Standards/Physical-Education/Physical-Education-
1 Evaluation-updated/Adapted-Physical-Education-Evaluation-8-30-12.pdf.aspx
Oklahoma 2
Oregon 2
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Pennsylvania 1 http://www.pattan.net/category/Educational%20Initiatives/Adapted%20Physical%20Education
South Carolina 3
South Dakota 2
Tennessee 3
Texas 1 http://www.tahperd.org/web/images/pdfs/about%20us/divisions/ape_qanda.pdf
Utah 2
Vermont 2
Virginia 2
Washington 1 http://www.k12.wa.us/HealthFitness/Standards/PhysicalEducationK-12LearningStandards.pdf
West Virginia 2
Wisconsin 1 https://dpi.wi.gov/sped/topics/specially-designed-physical-education
Wyoming 2
1= Yes
2= No
3= Unknown
Alabama 2 1
Alaska 1
Arizona 2 1,2,5
Arkansas 3
California 1
Colorado 2 1
Connecticut 2 1
Delaware 3
Florida 3
Georgia 2 1
Hawaii 3
Idaho 2 1,2
Illinois 3
Indiana 3
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Iowa 3
Kansas 3
Kentucky 3
Louisiana 3
Maine 2 1
Maryland 2 1
Massachusetts 2
Michigan 2 1,2
Minnesota 3
Mississippi 3
Missouri 1
Montana 2 1,5
Nebraska 3
Nevada 3
New Hampshire 2 1
New Jersey 3
New Mexico 3
New York 2 1
North Carolina 3
North Dakota 3
Ohio 2 1
Oklahoma 2 1
Oregon 2 1,2,3,4
Pennsylvania 2 1
Rhode Island 2 1
South Carolina 3
South Dakota 1
Tennessee 3
Texas 2 1,2,3,4
Utah 2 1,2,3,4
Vermont 2 1, 3
Virginia 2 1
Washington 3
West Virginia 2 1
Wisconsin 1
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Wyoming 2 1
3=UK 3=OT or PT
4=OT or PT assistant
5=CERTIFIED TEACHER
6=OTHER
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