The RTI Responder

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NCRTI HIGHLIGHTS & RESOURCES

Updated Progress Monitoring Tools Chart

The National Center on Response to Intervention (NCRTI) is pleased to announce the release of the updated Progress Monitoring Tools Chart! This chart represents the results of the third annual review of progress monitoring tools by the Center’s Technical Review Committee (TRC). During this latest review, the TRC required all submissions to include direct evidence of their tool’s effectiveness. Indirect evidence is no longer considered sufficient to establish a tool’s technical adequacy; the ratings on this chart reflect this new policy. 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 NCRTI does not endorse or recommend the tools included in the chart.

Webinar and Live Chat

In this webinar, "Response to Intervention Practices in Middle Schools," Dr. Daryl Mellard and Ms. Sara Prewett present information from a nationwide descriptive study of response to intervention practices and implementation procedures in middle schools. View this webinar from our website at your convenience or download it to your mp3 player or other device to watch on the go. After watching the webinar, e-mail us your questions at RTIWebinars@air.org.

Follow-up Live Online Chat

A live online chat focused on “Response to Intervention Practices in Middle Schools” will take place on April 26th from 3:00 – 4:00 pm Eastern.  At this time, Dr. Daryl Mellard and Ms. Sara Prewett will answer the questions you submitted via e-mail as well as any additional questions that come up during the online chat.  To participate in the live online chat, go to www.rti4success.org and click on "Join our Live Chat." Note that this will not be available until 15 minutes prior to the beginning of the chat.

Ask the Expert Video: 

“What is the difference in RTI for Reading and Math?” Watch the video of Dr. Lynn Fuchs, senior advisor to the NCRTI, as she answers this question.  You can also view and/or download all the Ask the Expert videos on our website. 

Call for Screening Tools

The NCRTI has announced a call for screening tools. Now through May 6th, the Center’s Technical Review Committee is accepting submissions of reading and math screening tools that can be used in an RTI context. All interested vendors are invited to submit. For more details see the Tools/Interventions section of our website: www.rti4success.org

STATE RTI NEWS AND EVENTS

Louisiana Convenes RTI Coordinators from Districts Across the State

The first meeting of RTI Coordinators from districts across Louisiana occurred March 14, 2011 in Baton Rouge, LA.  The meeting helped to build statewide RTI capacity by providing and discussing information about state and national RTI strategies and issues, sharing a variety of resources that support the RTI processes,  developing role parameters for RTI Coordinators, and establishing opportunities for ongoing networking and support throughout the state. NCRTI technical assistance provider Winsome Waite presented on the key resources and supports that the Center provides including the Center's website, the state database, selected products and the tools charts.  Learn more about RTI in Louisiana by visiting their website and viewing their implementation plan.

South Carolina holds a RTI Summit to Discuss Lessons Learned

South Carolina's RTI partner and demonstration sites gathered March 16, 2011 in Habison, SC to discuss lessons learned and ongoing challenges for implementing RTI.  The group of school personnel, interventionists, and the state team brainstormed about guidance to share with sites that are in the beginning stages of implementing RTI, identified areas where the state and NCRTI could provide support, shared resources and experiences with each other, and began to develop a plan for other schools in the state to visit and learn from their sites. NCRTI staff members Katie Tackett and Jessica Agus participated in the summit and shared Center resources. Click here to learn more about RTI in South Carolina.

RESOURCES FROM OUR PARTNERS

Education Week Produces a Special Report and Live Chat on Response to Intervention

Education Week has released a special report “Monitoring Progress: Response to Intervention Promises and Pitfalls” which includes a series of articles that examine the evolution of RTI and the approaches, regulations, and research that defines RTI. In addition, the report features an example of the implementation of RTI in a California school and discusses how RTI relates to curriculum development, schools of higher education, parents, behavior, and funding. On Thursday March 24, 2011 Education Week held a live chat on Response to Intervention in Theory and in Practice. The chat featured Dr. David Putnam Jr., director of the Oregon Response to Intervention, Tigard-Tualatin School District and Drs. Darren Woodruff and  Katie Tackett from the National Center on Response to Intervention.  

Center on Instruction releases Conversations with Practitioners: Supporting State-level Collaboration among General and Special Educators

The Center on Instruction (COI) released Conversations with Practitioners: Supporting State-level Collaboration among General and Special Educators.  This is the third in a series of resources developed with the support of a working group of state-level and regional comprehensive center (RCC) staff. The working group focused on learning how state departments of education, along with their RCCs, are supporting an RTI framework. This document features information about collaboration between general and special educators and discusses the definition of collaboration.  In addition, it provides recommendations for supporting state-level collaboration and offers tools and suggestions for building capacity for collaboration. The other resources in the series are Conversations with Practitioners: Current Practice in Statewide RTI Implementation and the RTI CTRL: Response to Intervention Classification Tool and Resource Locator. Learn more about COI and the resources they have related to RTI by visiting their website.

CEC Annual Convention and Expo: April 25-28, 2011

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Annual Convention and Expo will occur April 25-28, 2011 at National Harbor, MD. The Convention features more than 800 presentations over the course of three days including many focused on Response to Intervention. NCRTI staff will present and participate on panels at a number of sessions throughout the convention. Learn about indentifying tools and interventions, the supply and demand for evidence based practices, tools for high schools implementing RTI, and translating RTI from research to implementation.  While at the convention, visit NCRTI in the expo hall in booth #639.  See all the RTI sessions offered at the convention on the CEC website. 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Doing What Works Highlights the use of Data for Decision-making

Data-based decision making is an essential component of the RTI framework and improving instruction and learning. Through a host of interactive media Doing What Works provides resources and information to help educators and administrators to implement the recommendations identified in Using Student Achievement Data to Support Instructional Decision Making Practice Guide published in 2009. Through  videos, presentations, visual diagrams, examples  from the field, tools, and other resources the site helps to show educators how they can implement  a cycle of instructional improvement, teach students to examine their own data, establish a vision for data use, develop and support a data-driven culture, and maintain a district-wide data system in order to use data to better meet students' needs and improve instruction and learning. View other resources about RTI on the Doing What Works 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