State News And Events

Wisconsin Holds Training on Secondary RTI
On December 7, 2011 a group of about 60 principals and leadership teams from the Milwaukee area came together to learn more about implementing RTI as part of a daylong event supported by the Wisconsin RTI Center.  As part of the day long training, Jess Agus and Jenny Scala provided a virtual presentation on behalf of the National High School Center and the National Center on Response to Intervention. Their presentation, Implementing Essential Components of RTI in High Schools, provided a national perspective of implementing RTI at the high school level. Learn more about secondary RTI and lessons learned from implementation by viewing the Tiered Interventions in High Schools: Using Preliminary 'Lessons Learned' to Guide Ongoing Discussion publication and accompanying PowerPoint slides and planning tool. A number of webinars focused on secondary RTI resources can also be found on the NCRTI’s website. 

Resources From Our Partners

National High School Center Releases a New Early Warning System Middle Grades Tool and an Enhanced Early Warning System High School Tool
The National High School Center recently released a new Early Warning System Middle Grades (EWS MG) Tool and an enhanced version of the Early Warning System High School (EWS HS) Tool. The Early Warning System tools are free, Excel based tools that rely on readily available student-level data (attendance, course failures, grade point average, credit accumulation, and behavior) to identify middle grade and high school students that show early signs that they are at risk for dropping out of high school. Learn more about early warning systems and download the tools. To supplement the release of the new tools, the Center hosted a series of webinars focused on the implementation and use of the tools in middle and high school and experiences from states that have been using the early warning system in November and December. Access the webinar recordings and presentation materials on their website.  

RTI Action Network Releases New Thought Leaders Network Response from Lynn Fuchs
In the Thought Leaders Network Series, RTI experts discuss how thoughts and practices from different disciplines relate to and inform the RTI movement. In this new entry "Rethinking RTI Practices a Decade Later", Lynn Fuchs, Professor of Special Education; Nicholas Hobbs Professor of Special Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University and Senior Advisor to the NCRTI, discusses the connection between the need to continuously improve and develop innovative technologies, such as the Apple iPad 2, and the need for innovation based on new research to continuously improve RTI Implementation and outcomes for students. One example she provides is introducing a second stage of screening to reduce the cost associated with providing more intensive interventions for students who might not need additional support. Watch to learn how research can help to shape innovations in planning and implementation of RTI on the RTI Action Network website.

Reading Recovery Council of North America Holds National Conference
The Reading Recovery Council of North America will hold its National Reading Recovery & K-6 Classroom Literacy Conference February 4-7, 2012 in Columbus, Ohio.  The conference will feature over 120 sessions led by nationally respected literacy experts focusing on all aspects of K-6 literacy including comprehension, struggling readers, common core standards, RTI, non-fiction, ELL, assessments, parental involvement, literacy coaching, Reading Recovery, children’s  literature, administration, and much more. Teachers, school administrators, university professors, pre-service educators and others who are interested in early literacy education are invited to attend. Learn more about the conference here and more about the Reading Recovery Council of North America on their website.

U.S. Department of Education

AIM Commission Releases Report on Disparities in Postsecondary Learning Material for Students with Disabilities
The Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities, established as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, brought together representatives from a range of backgrounds including government leaders, representatives from the publishing industry, individuals with print disabilities, representatives from two- and four-year institutions of higher education, leaders in accessible technology, and other stakeholders. Their findings provide Congress with important recommendations for improving accessibility of instructional materials for postsecondary students with disabilities in a timely and cost-effective manner. The full report and recommendations can be found here and additional information about the commission is also available. 

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