MN RtI Center - Introductory Seminars

This is the first post from the MN RtI Center! We plan to use this site to discuss implementation issues for schools that are implementing RtI. We know there will be many questions, concerns, and ideas from readers that will be beneficial to others. While this site is primarily for MN schools, others are free to read and comment.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Response to Intervention here are a few organizing principles: RtI is about preventing student failure by clearly identifying student needs, designing a tiered system of supports that rest on strong core instruction, frequently monitoring the progress of students who are not achieving important benchmarks, and changing interventions when students are not progressing. RtI requires a schedule that allows both core and targeted instruction. Students who are struggling will struggle more if they give up time in core instruction to receive targeted interventions. They need both - quality evidence based instruction in the core and in the interventions. For some schools, this requires a shift in thinking - everybody does not receive the same number of minutes of instruction. Some students require more instruction in order to make progress. Schools, then, need to organize their resources in a way that ensures students get the amount and kind of instruction they need to be successful. RtI is a systems change model focused on both school and student improvement.

The MN RtI Center will be conducting nine introductory sessions throughout the state of Minnesota in November 2007. For information on registration, please go to the following web address to download the flyer and registration form:

www.scred.k12.mn.us/RTI/RTIcontact.htm

All the sessions require advance registration, so if you are interested, please register now as November is right around the corner. Consensus building for RtI implementation is a very important step. A good place to start with consensus building would be to bring a representative team from your MN school to one of the November awareness sessions.

The MN RtI Center was developed as a MN Legislative grant to the St. Croix River Education District to develop statewide introductory trainings, provide technical assistance, and coach individual schools in the application of the RtI model. Schools interested in participating in the coaching model should go to the above website, and download the coaching application, as well as the Readiness for RtI Implementation checklist.

A final charge to the Center is to consult with colleges and universities in Minnesota about including information about RtI in pre-service courses.