The RTI Responder

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CENTER HIGHLIGHTS

Upcoming Webinar: High School Response to Intervention: Progress Monitoring

Dr. Kristen McMaster		On Wednesday, May 12th, at 3:00pm EDT, the High School Tiered Interventions Initiative (HSTII), a collaborative effort among the National Center on Response to Intervention, the National High School Center, and the Center on Instruction, is sponsoring a free webinar entitled, “High School Response to Intervention: Progress Monitoring.” In this webinar, Dr. Kristen McMaster will provide an overview of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM), including the purpose, a brief description of research, and a demonstration of how CBM data can be used to monitor student progress. She will briefly review CBM tools that are available for high schools in reading, mathematics, and the content areas, and provide instructions for developing CBM tools for use at the high school level. Following Dr. McMaster's presentation of CBM in high school, representatives from Walla Walla High School in Walla Walla, Washington, will discuss how they have monitored school progress as part of their tiered intervention model. Click here to register for this webinar.
National Center on Response to Intervention National High School Center Center on Instruction

Upcoming Webinar: RTI Implementation: Developing Effective Schedules at the Elementary Level

Dr. Alexandra Hilt-Panahon

On Tuesday, May 25th, at 2:00pm EDT, the NCRTI is hosting a free webinar entitled, “RTI Implementation: Developing Effective Schedules at the Elementary Level.” One of the key components of an effective RTI model is the development of schedules that maximize the time, resources, and personnel available within a school. This webinar will address issues surrounding the development of effective schedules for the implementation of RTI at the elementary level. Scheduling of core instruction, intervention time, team meetings, and planning will all be addressed. Dr. Alexandra Hilt-Panahon and Dr. Karen Gischlar, our special guest presenters for this webinar, both have experience working with schools to develop schedules at initial implementation of RTI as well as across time. Recommendations for efficient, effective, and sustainable schedules will be provided. Pre-registration is not required for this free event. For more information, visit the NCRTI’s website.

Dr. Karen Gischlar

FEATURED NCRTI RESOURCES

Essential Components of RTI – A Closer Look at Response to Intervention

To assist states and local districts with planning for RTI, the NCRTI has developed an information brief, Essential Components of RTI – A Closer Look at Response to Intervention. The brief provides a definition of RTI, reviews essential RTI components, and responds to frequently asked questions. The information presented is intended to provide educators with guidance for RTI implementation that reflects research and evidence-based practices, and supports the implementation of a comprehensive RTI framework. Click here to view, download, and print the document as a PDF file. We encourage you to contact the NCRTI with additional questions you may have regarding effective implementation of RTI. You can email questions to rticenter@air.org, or call us at (877) RTI-4-ALL.

Release of the Progress Monitoring Tools Chart

The Center is pleased to announce the release of the Progress Monitoring Tools Chart! This chart represents the results of the second annual review of progress monitoring tools by the Center’s Technical Review Committee (TRC). The NCRTI publishes this tools chart to assist educators and families in becoming informed consumers who can select progress monitoring tools that best meet their individual needs. Please note that the Center does not endorse or recommend the tools included in the chart. To view the chart, visit the NCRTI’s website.

STATE RTI NEWS AND EVENTS

Idaho Holds First Statewide Response to Intervention Conference

Idaho held its first statewide Response to Intervention (RTI) Conference, The Shape of Innovation, on April 13-14th in Boise.  Over 600 teachers, principals, support personnel, and district administrators joined national, regional, and state experts to learn about RTI implementation. Tom Luna, Idaho’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, delivered the opening remarks for the conference; key note speakers included Rob Horner, Greg Roberts, and Mark Shinn. The National Center on Response to Intervention, in partnership with the Northwest Regional Comprehensive Center, provided support for the conference through numerous conference presentations by NCRTI staff members Tessie Rose, Jenny Scala, and Daryl Mellard. For more information on Idaho’s conference, and RTI in Idaho, visit the Idaho State Department of Education’s RTI website. For information on what other states are doing around RTI, visit the NCRTI State Database.

RESOURCES FROM OUR PARTNERS

IRIS Star Legacy Module: Fidelity of Implementation: Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices and Programs

The IRIS Center recently released the Star Legacy Module “Fidelity of Implementation: Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Practices and Programs.” Developed with guidance from George Sugai of the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports, and Lisa Sanetti of the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, this module describes how school personnel can identify an evidence-based practice or program that matches their school's specific needs and resources. The module underscores the importance of implementing the practice or program with fidelity, and discusses actions that school personnel can take to increase the likelihood that education professionals will implement the new practice or program with high fidelity. To demonstrate how school personnel can put these actions into practice, the module provides three fictional school examples, step-by-step demonstration movies, and numerous activities. The module also contains audio interviews with leading experts including Larry Wexler (Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education), Lynn Fuchs and Daryl Mellard (National Center on Response to Intervention), and Joseph Torgesen (Florida Center for Reading Research). To access this module, visit the IRIS Center’s Star Legacy Module website.

EdWeek Upcoming Webinar: RTI and Special Education: Putting It All Together

On Thursday, May 13th, at 2:00pm EDT, EdWeek is hosting the free webinar entitled, “RTI and Special Education: Putting It All Together.” This webinar will explore what schools can do to better coordinate and possibly integrate RTI and special education. Issues that will be covered include: What are the potential roles of special education teachers in an RTI framework? How can student data be integrated and leveraged across intervention areas? Could individualized education plans fit into RTI initiatives? How are special education classifications made under RTI? The webinar will be led by Kristen McMaster, Amanda VanDerHeyden, and Evelyn Johnson. To register for this webinar, visit EdWeek’s website.

WestEd Archived Webinar: Differentiated Tools and Strategies to Support RTI in Language Arts/Social Studies

During this webinar, hosted by the WestEd initiative SchoolsMovingUp on March 24th, Kathy Glass, President of Glass Educational Consulting and author of Lesson Design for Differentiated Instruction, discussed how RTI provides a roadmap for implementing differentiated instruction (DI) in the language arts or social studies classroom. Ms. Glass provided a definition of differentiated instruction and shared several practical DI tools, strategies, and assessments. She also addressed how teachers may formulate differentiated assessments that allow students to demonstrate knowledge in a way that highlights student achievement. To view the archived webinar, visit the SchoolsMovingUp website.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

The 2010 U.S. Department of Education Reading Institute

On July 19-21, 2010, the U.S. Department of Education will host the 2010 Reading Institute in Anaheim, California. The Institute will feature national reading experts, researchers, and practitioners at the forefront of topics critical to high quality scientifically-based reading instruction. The experts will present on topics of reading comprehension and vocabulary as well as other essential elements of teaching and learning to read. This year, the U.S. Department of Education will also collaborate with the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to convene a separate strand at the Reading Institute entitled, "Learning and Development: Birth to Third Grade." This strand will address the research regarding developmentally appropriate early learning goals grounded in child development, sound policy, effective practice, and clearly stated standards. Teachers, coaches, principals, and state and district administrators are welcome to attend the 2010 Reading Institute.  There is no registration fee.  For more information and to register, visit the 2010 Reading Institute website.