State News And Events

Wisconsin Releases a Series of RTI Stories Including Videos and Resources
Wisconsin recently released a series of RTI Stories which includes videos, conversation guides, and resources focused on getting started with RTI, collaboration, balanced assessment, and high quality instruction. The goal of the series was to address questions from educators throughout Wisconsin about RTI. Watch Wisconsin RTI Stories to learn from these schools about the challenges and promise of implementing an RTI system. Watch the videos and view other related resources and information about RTI in Wisconsin on the Wisconsin RTI Center website and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website.

States Participated in the RTI Innovations Conference
The fourteenth RTI Innovations Conference was held October 13-14, 2011 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Representatives from states, districts, and schools came together to learn about RTI implementation and share their experiences implementing RTI. The keynote address, focused on creating a combined RTI and PBIS model in Florida, was provided by George Batsche and Don Kincaid. A number of states including Connecticut, Florida, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Minnesota, Utah, North Carolina, Nevada, Virginia, Montana, Illinois, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, and Rhode Island attended.  There was also a state specific strand which focused on scaling-up RTI. The state strand was led by Daphne Pereles, the Executive Director, Office of Support and Intervention and Ed Steinberg, Assistant Commissioner of Education from the Colorado Department of Education and by Steve Goodman, Director of Michigan’s Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi). The facilitators shared examples of the different stages of implementation from the perspectives of their states. Represented states also shared and discussed successes and challenges that they have had and are facing while implementing RTI at the state level. Additional strands focused on Implementing What Works at the Building Level, Implementing What Works at the District Level, Leadership for RTI, RTI and Positive Behavior Support: Integrating and Implementing a Seamless Delivery System, RTI Coaching, Problem Solving RTI in Secondary Settings, and Higher Education/Teacher Preparation Programs and the Implementation of RTI were also available. View information on the conference and its history, the presenters, and the agenda by visiting the conference website.  

Resources From Our Partners

The National Center for Learning Disabilities and the RTI Action Network have Released an Updated "Parents Guided to RTI"
The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) and the RTI Action Network recently released the updated A Parent’s Guide to Response to Intervention. The Parent’s Guide provides background information about RTI to ensure that educators and parents are knowledgeable about RTI and how it can help struggling learners. It includes parent perspectives, a glossary of important terms, sample intervention plans, checklists and worksheets, and more. Visit LD.org to Download the Parent's Guide to Response to Intervention and view a recording of the webinar by Kathleen Whitmire, Candace Cortiella, and Esther Falcetta that is focused on the parent’s guide. You can learn more about the role of parents in RTI by viewing the archived RTI Talk on Powerful Parents that was held October 26, 2011.

RTI Action Network Releases a Brief Focused on Legal Implications of Response to Intervention and Special Education Identification
In this brief, Jose Martín, J.D. explores the fundamental child-find requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) as they relate to response to intervention. In the brief, he breaks down the legal complexities for schools and parents. Read this brief and find other resources related to RTI on the RTI Action Network website.

The Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative shares a Research Brief focused on Multi-tier System of Supports (MTSS)
The research brief, written by Orla Higgins Averill and Claudia Rinaldi from the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative, focuses on combining the models of RTI and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) to create a single framework reflecting a Multi-Tier System of Supports (MTSS).  The authors discuss the similarities between RTI and PBIS and suggest that a unified system or MTSS can leverage both the principles of RTI and PBIS and provide a more comprehensive system to address barriers to student learning through a comprehensive framework of support, resources, strategies, structures, and practices. The authors also discuss how a MTSS could be scaled-up in districts and states and what needs to be considered for implementation. Read the brief and learn more about the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative by visiting their website.

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Holds Conference to Discuss Implementation of 2011 Part C Regulations
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services welcomes participants to join them November 16, 2011 for an interactive training session focused on the 2011 Part C Regulations. The purpose of this conference is to provide information and support to state staff and other interested parties in the implementation of the Part C regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). You can view the agenda for the meeting, register, and find out more about the conference here.

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