A study of the teacher perceptions of the boost program : a tier two academic intervention program at a middle school

Higher achievement scores, skill building, and closing the achievement gap are all anticipated results when providing academic interventions to students. When using Response to Intervention (RtI), a three tiered model where academic interventions are provided systematically to improve student outcomes, teachers would expect academic success from students. However, one middle school is experiencing positive unintended consequences that are lifelong skills students need to succeed. Accountability, self-advocacy and relationship building are all components that have been reported by teachers who are using BOOST, a RtI model created uniquely to fit the needs of a middle school in the Midwest. BOOST stands for Broadening Opportunities to Obtain Superior Thinking; it is a tier two academic intervention program. This qualitative study used focus groups and interviews to gain perceptual data regarding the use of a tier-two academic intervention model.