Response to intervention (RTI) is a general education intervention system used by classroom teachers to assist struggling learners and provide individualized, academic support to help all students succeed academically. This process is also vital as a prereferral process as a prerequisite to special education referrals and eligibility determination. Identification and prereferral processes are the responsibility of the general education teacher as the first point of contact with a student who struggles academically or behaviorally. The purpose of this study was to examine preservice teachers' (PSTs') understanding, practice, and generalization of RTI practices in a university mathematics methods course assignment that applies RTI methodology. The research design followed a case study methodology. Undergraduate students working toward elementary teaching certification at a north Texas university were recruited as participants. Approximately 85 PSTs were enrolled in professional development schools (PDS) course work in the spring 2015 semester, from which 22 candidates consented to participate in the study. The participants included one bilingual candidate, six special education (SPED) candidates, and 15 English as a second language (ESL) candidates across four sections of the mathematics methods courses. Data were derived from document analysis of the PSTs' field-based assignment and focus group interviews during the first PDS semester. Focus group interviews were conducted with small groups of PSTs during concurrent enrollment in the mathematics methods course. A document analysis approach was used to examine data gathered from the mathematics interaction project (MIP). The analysis focused on pre- and postassessment data and formative assessments as a decision-making tool, specific reflections on lesson planning and applicability to the teaching practice, and mathematical understandings of how to intervene with students explicitly connected to an RTI practice. The interview portion of the data analysis involved digitally recording, transcribing, and uploading the digitally written material into NVivo 10. Differences in levels of transfer existed between the ESL and SPED candidates. ESL candidates evidenced a lower level of application transfer regarding RTI understanding and practice. There appears to be a discrepancy between what RTI was intended to do and how PSTs are prepared to apply RTI principles.