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The researchers of this study used a mixed-methods approach to understand issues of rural special education teacher burnout. Results of survey responses ( n = 64) and follow-up focus group interviews ( n = 12) from rural special education teachers indicated several factors contributing to stress and burnout. Teachers noted that lack of clarity in their roles, too many facets to the roles, emotional exhaustion, and lack of accomplishment contributed to their perceptions. Good working relationships with colleagues and administrators, building relationships with students, and a high level of self-advocacy were noted as helping to maintain mental health and a work–life balance. Possible steps to alleviate risk factors of rural special education teacher burnout are discussed.

An e-mail survey of special education directors was conducted to ascertain practices related to implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI) processes in North Carolina schools. The data indicate that special education directors have information about RTI as a method of identifying students with disabilities, but there is little consensus on the procedural steps for implementation of the RTI process. Multiple professionals were named as persons to be responsible for collecting data, interpreting graphs, and determining students' responsiveness or nonresponsiveness to instruction. Finally, no consensus was found on whether the discrepancy model should be retained or dropped.

Peer models (classmates without disabilities) who were proficient in performing a task completed one response chain each day and described the steps they performed while their classmates with disabilities observed. Three students with disabilities participated, and their performance of the response chains was assessed immediately prior to and following the peer modeling each day. A multiple probe design across response chains, replicated across children with disabilities, was used. In addition, participation and social interactions of children with disabilities and their peer models were assessed in classroom activities after daily modeling sessions. The results indicate that the peer models performed the response chains accurately and quickly, and students with disabilities acquired the response chains. Across the study, participation in classroom activities was high, social interactions were low, and neither was affected by the peer modeling intervention.