The RTI Responder

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NCRTI HIGHLIGHTS

RTI Talk: Building a Master Schedule to Facilitate RTI

On June 2, 2010, at 3 p.m. EDT, the RTI Action Network, in collaboration with the National Center on Response to Intervention, will present an RTI Talk on “Building a Master Schedule to Facilitate RTI.” This companion to the NCRTI’s May 25th webinar, "Developing Effective Schedules at the Elementary Level," provides an opportunity for you to submit questions directly to Leslie VanKleek and Steven Vandemark, RTI implementers experienced in scheduling to accommodate planning, team meetings, core instruction, and intervention time. To submit your questions, click here.

Did you miss the May webinar, “Developing Effective Schedules at the Elementary Level”? See it, as well as all of the NCRTI’s previous webinars, on our website.

FEATURED NCRTI RESOURCES

NCRTI Brief: Using School Leadership Teams to Meet the Needs of English Language Learners

To ensure that the implementation of RTI strategies effectively addresses the needs of all students, the NCRTI recommends that schools and local districts establish leadership teams that focus on issues affecting culturally and linguistically diverse students.  The NCRTI has developed this information brief, “Using School Leadership Teams to Meet the Needs of English Language Learners,” to provide guidelines for organizing and implementing a school leadership team that focuses on the needs of English Language Learners (ELLs).

The brief covers a variety of topic areas:

• The importance of having a school leadership team for ELLs

• Who should be on the ELL leadership team

• The role of parents on the ELL leadership team

• How the leadership team can be culturally and linguistically responsive

• How to tell if the leadership team is successful

• How to support the leadership team

• Useful tips for ensuring a successful leadership team

To view, download and print the brief as a PDF, visit the NCRTI’s website. For other resources related to cultural and linguistic diversity and RTI, visit the NCRTI online library.

Tiered Interventions in High Schools: Using Preliminary 'Lessons Learned' to Guide Ongoing Discussion

This document—representing the initial work of the High School Tiered Interventions Initiative (HSTII), a collaborative project of the National Center on Response to Intervention, the National High School Center, and the Center on Instruction—summarizes what HSTII has learned thus far about effective RTI implementation in high schools. It is divided into three main sections:

• “Response to Intervention” provides a brief description of the RTI framework and the essential components of RTI;

• “Applying the RTI Framework at the High School Level” illustrates how the essential components of RTI were implemented at eight visited schools; and

• “High School Contextual Factors That Affect Tiered Intervention Implementation” highlights contextual factors unique to high schools and examines how these factors can affect school-level implementation of tiered interventions.

To view, download and print the brief as a PDF, click here.

Ask the Expert Video: Using Progress Monitoring Data to Inform Intervention Changes

“I’ve been collecting progress monitoring data. When do I know it’s time to make an intervention change?” Watch the video of Dr. Erica Lembke of the University of Missouri as she answers this question in the ninth installment of the NCRTI’s Ask the Expert video series.

STATE RTI NEWS AND EVENTS

NCRTI Provides Intensive and Collaborative Technical Assistance to Missouri

Since January 2010, Missouri has received intensive technical assistance from the NCRTI. As part of this assistance, the NCRTI has provided guidance and support for Missouri in allocating resources to promote RTI and offer quality professional development opportunities for practitioners throughout the state.

Three significant features illustrate Missouri’s success thus far:

• Allocation of resources to allow for the appointment of a full-time Director of the Three Tiered Model;

• An RTI Leadership Team that includes three Assistant Commissioners; and

• Integrating RTI with already established systems, such as Professional Learning Communities and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS).

The NCRTI has also collaborated with other Centers to conduct five RTI conferences throughout the state. One such conference, the “Missouri Three-tiered Model of Intervention Strategic Planning Meeting,” was held on May 12-13, 2010. Representatives from the NCRTI, the Mid-Continent Comprehensive Center (MC3), the North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC), the Region VII Midwest Equity Assistance Center (MEAC), the IDEA Partnership, and the Center on Instruction (COI) came together with key Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) staff members to have a targeted discussion leading to the development of a comprehensive technical assistance plan. The plan will assist Missouri DESE in expanding a three-tiered model of intervention statewide. For more information on three-tiered models of intervention in Missouri, visit the Missouri DESE website.

NCRTI Technical Assistance Presentation for Rhode Island: RTI at the Secondary Level

On May 5th, NCRTI Technical Assistance Support Specialists Jenny Scala and Anthea Medyn presented “RTI at the Secondary Level: Accelerating Learning and Support for Every Student” to Rhode Island school and district teams at the Rhode Island Convention Center. Participants learned what a successful RTI framework looks like at the secondary level and how certain contextual factors can affect RTI implementation. Tools and models were shared for building an RTI framework, with an emphasis on mathematics. The school and district teams in attendance were also guided in an assessment of their current practices and the development of an action plan to further build and implement an RTI framework. For more information on the conference, see the conference brochure. For more information on the NCRTI’s technical assistance, visit the NCRTI’s website.

RESOURCES FROM OUR PARTNERS

NDPC-SD Teleseminar: Supporting Adolescent English Language Learners through Response to Intervention

On Thursday, May 27th, the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) hosted a telephone seminar entitled, “Supporting Adolescent English Language Learners through Response to Intervention.” During this seminar the presenter, Dr. Janette Klingner, discussed one high school’s plan for improving instruction for English language learners (ELLs) through implementation of an RTI framework. Dr. Klingner discussed the challenges faced by the staff as they implemented the plan and ways they addressed these challenges. Through June 10th, Dr. Klingner will host an online discussion about the teleseminar. The online discussion is open to all and provides an opportunity to discuss questions and concerns with Dr. Klingner. Those who were unable to attend the teleseminar can access a free recording and transcript of the event. For more information, visit the NDPC-SD website.

COI Report: Effective Practices for English Language Learners: Principals from Five States Speak

This report released by the Center on Instruction (COI) identifies characteristics of exemplary instructional practices and approaches for assisting English language learners (ELLs) with achieving academic success. COI surveyed 49 principals of schools with high populations of ELLs that have attained academic success in their second, acquired language. The report details findings from this survey on nine factors, including school and student characteristics, instructional supports and strategies for ELLs, and barriers to effective instruction for ELLs. To view, download and print the report as a PDF, click here.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

REL-MA Forum: Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades

On June 16, 2010, the Regional Educational Laboratory Mid-Atlantic  of the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES), is hosting the forum, “Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades” at Rutgers University in New Jersey. The forum will focus on the five recommendations put forth in the IES practice guide “Effective Literacy and English Language Instruction for English Learners in the Elementary Grades.” A general presentation on the practice guide will be given, followed by two interactive sessions during which participants will learn how to implement strategies found in the practice guide in classrooms, schools, and districts. Speakers at the forum include Dr. Russell Gersten, executive director of Instructional Research Group and professor emeritus at the University of Oregon, Dr. Joseph Dimino, senior research associate at the Instructional Research Group, Dr. Robin Scarcella from the University of California at Irvine, and Dr. Sylvia Linan-Thompson from the University of Texas at Austin. For more information, see the forum agenda or visit the IES website.

This is the National Center on Response to Intervention's monthly e-newsletter, the RTI Responder! We share the latest research findings about RTI, related information from our partners and the federal Technical Assistance and Dissemination network, as well as the policies, strategies, and techniques that states have developed to implement an RTI model.We hope that you find this newsletter pertinent and informative.

The National Center on RTI Staff