For this Assignment, you will select a gap identified in Module 2 with RtI, PBIS, or MTSS. Referencing the Learning Resources and research conducted on each state, support your rationale as to why addressing this gap will improve services for diverse learners and enhance professional practice.

To prepare

• Review the module Learning Resources. Pay attention to any gaps identified within the field of special education as it relates to improving services for students with diverse needs.
• Select a gap identified in the research from Module 2 relating to RtI, PBIS, or MTSS.
• Listen to Dr. Research discuss gaps between research and practice in relation to school-wide interventions. Reflect on all you have learned through this course and compare the research to your current cite. What types of school-wide interventions are being implemented with fidelity? What did you find in research that you don’t see being implemented in the field?

By Day 7 of Week 10

Submit a 3- to 5-page draft addressing a gap that you identified in the research that interests you. Include the following sections:

Section 1: Problem Statement

Provide a 1- to 2-paragraph statement that is the result of a review of current literature and practice that contains the following information:

• A logical argument for the need to address an identified gap between research and special education practice. Make sure to clarify why you believe that this is a problem of practice in special education.
• Preliminary evidence that provides justification that this problem is meaningful. Evidence should include a minimum of three to five key citations that support the relevance and currency of the problem. Note: These references need not all be from peer-reviewed journals but should be from reputable sources, such as national agency databases or scholarly books, and they should ideally be current, i.e., from the past 5 years.

Section 2: Significance

Provide one or two paragraphs informed by the topic outlined in the problem statement that explains the following:

• How this study will contribute to filling the gap in special education practice identified in the problem statement.
• What original contribution will this study make to the field of Special Education?
• How this research will support professional practice or allow practical application, i.e., answer the “So what?” question.

Section 3: Questions

List the questions or a series of related questions that are informed by the purpose, which will lead to the development of what needs to be done to research the identified gap in practice. A research question informs the research design by providing a foundation for:

• Generation of hypotheses in quantitative studies,
• Questions necessary to build the design structure for qualitative studies, and
• A process by which different methods will work together in mixed-method studies.

Section 4: Nature of the Study

Using one of the following terms as a subheading, provide a concise paragraph that discusses the approach that will be used to address the research questions(s) and how this approach aligns with the problem statement. The subheadings and examples of study designs are as follows:

• Quantitative – for experimental, quasi-experimental, or non-experimental designs, treatment-control, repeated measures, causal-comparative, single-subject, predictive studies, or other quantitative approaches;
• Qualitative – for ethnography, case study, grounded theory, narrative inquiry, phenomenological research, policy analysis, or other qualitative traditions;
• Mixed methods, primarily qualitative – for sequential, concurrent or transformative studies, with the main focus on qualitative methods, and single subject.

Section 5: Social Change

Consider the relationship between the identified problem of practice and social change. In 2 or 3 paragraphs describe:

• How the claim aligns with the problem statement to reflect the potential relevance in this study to society: How might the potential findings lead to positive social change for students with exceptionalities?
• Then, give your perspective. Craft a Research Promise to Students with Exceptionalities. Take the researcher’s perspective as you craft this “promise.”
• Example: As I move through my program, I promise to seek the highest and deepest levels of scholarship in order to bring about meaningful social change for students with exceptionalities. As a part of this promise, I will: list two to three ways in which you will pursue and fulfill this promise.

Section 6: References

On a separate page, cite the text, articles, and other current peer-reviewed research in support of your position. Be specific and provide examples. Remember to use APA format in completing this Assignment.

Note: The Instructor feedback you receive should be integrated into your final version of the assignment submitted in Week 11.

For this Assignment and all others in this course and throughout the program, you will be expected to use APA style (7th ed.). Use the Walden Writing Center as a resource for completing Assignments.