Leading Policy Implementation: A Case Study of One District's RTI Approach

There is a gap in research focusing on how leaders implement complex policies such as Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). Response to Intervention/Multitiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS). To address this gap, this phenomenological case study examined school leaders' perceptions of their roles as leaders collectively implementing RTI/MTSS in their school district to uncover how leaders approach complex policy implementation. In this study, I sought to understand how their individual leadership and the system of leadership in their district influenced RTI/MTSS implementation. Six participants, including two teacher leaders, two building leaders, and two district leaders, were interviewed using Seidman's (2019) three-part interview approach. The design implemented horizontal and vertical data analysis across leadership roles in the district. Inductive coding and thematic data analysis yielded five leadership themes, interpreted differently depending on each participant's role: (a) leaders' vision grounds implementation, (b) leaders support implementation, (c) leadership is collaborative and founded on relationships, (d) leaders prioritize implementation, and (e) providing staff with examples of implementation success shifts mindsets across roles. The themes suggested several conclusions that similar districts may apply when leading policy implementation in their schools. Vision is a lynchpin for policy implementation. Leaders must communicate the vision over time and set vision-aligned implementation goals. Strong relationships support collaboration among leaders, and collective leadership develops from collaborative work on vision-aligned tasks. During implementation, leaders must prioritize the initiative and provide tailored support to others. Ongoing professional development for leaders deepens their ability to support others in their organization with the initiative. Finally, leaders should provide staff with experiences to show how RTI/MTSS practices meet their students' needs to shift mindsets over time. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]