Taking Action: A Handbook for RTI at Work™ (How to Implement Response to Intervention in Your School) - Softcover

Austin Buffum; Mike Mattos; Janet Malone

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1942496176 ISBN 13: 9781942496175

Publisher: Solution Tree Press, 2017

Synopsis

Response to intervention or RTI (also known as multi-tiered system of supports or MTSS) is the most effective process for ensuring student success, using differentiated instruction to provide the time and support necessary. This comprehensive implementation guide covers every element required to build a successful RTI at Work™ system of support in schools. The authors share step-by-step actions for implementing the essential elements, instructional strategies, and tools needed to support implementation, as well as tips for engaging and supporting educators. Readers who valued the practical knowledge in Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work™ (DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many, and Mattos) will appreciate a similar style and practicality in Taking Action.

This guide will help you incorporate the response to intervention process by allowing you to:

• Understand how RTI at Work™ builds on the PLC at Work™ process.
• Review the revised RTI at Work™ pyramid and its three RTI tiers.
• Learn what roles teacher teams, leadership teams, and schoolwide teams play in a multi-tiered intervention structure.
• Understand the differences among intervention, extension, prevention, and enrichment.
• Avoid common missteps when implementing RTI (or MTSS).
• Consider why an achievement gap remains in 21st century education and how the RTI process can close that gap.

Contents:

Introduction
Chapter 1: The RTI at Work™ Pyramid
Chapter 2: A Culture of Collective Responsibility
Chapter 3: Tier 1 Teacher Team Essential Actions
Chapter 4: Tier 1 Schoolwide Essential Actions
Chapter 5: Tier 2 Teacher Team Essential Actions
Chapter 6: Tier 2 Schoolwide Essential Actions
Chapter 7: Tier 3 Schoolwide Essential Actions
Chapter 8: Tier 3 Intervention Team Essential Actions

About this title

About the Author:

Austin Buffum, EdD, has thirty-eight years of experience in public schools. His many roles include serving as former senior deputy superintendent of California's Capistrano Unified School District. Austin has presented in over 500 school districts throughout the United States and around the world. He delivers training and presentations on the RTI at WorkTM model. This tiered approach to response to intervention is centered on professional learning communities (PLC) at WorkTM concepts and strategies, to ensure every student receives the time and support necessary to succeed.

Austin was selected 2006 Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators. He attended the Principals' Center at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He later led Capistrano's K-12 instructional program on an increasingly collaborative path toward operating as a PLC. During this process, thirty-seven of the district's schools were designated California Distinguished Schools, and eleven received National Blue Ribbon recognition.

A graduate of the University of Southern California, Austin earned a bachelor of music degree and received a master of education degree with honors. He holds a doctor of education degree from Nova Southeastern University.

Mike Mattos is an internationally recognized author, presenter, and practitioner who specializes in uniting teachers, administrators, and support staff to transform schools by implementing the response to intervention and PLC processes. Mike co-created the RTI at WorkTM model, which builds on the foundation of the PLC at WorkTM process by using team structures and a focus on learning, collaboration, and results to drive successful outcomes and creating tiered systems of support to ensure high levels of learning for all students.

He is former principal of Marjorie Veeh Elementary School and Pioneer Middle School in California. At both schools, Mike helped create powerful PLCs, improving learning for all students. In 2004, Marjorie Veeh, an elementary school with a large population of youth at risk, won the California Distinguished School and National Title I Achieving School awards.

Based on standardized test scores, Pioneer ranks among the top 1 percent of California secondary schools and, in 2009 and 2011, was named Orange County's top middle school. For his leadership, Mike was named the Orange County Middle School Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators.

Janet Malone is former director of professional development for the Poway Unified School District in California. With experience as a teacher, principal, and central office administrator, Janet connects with audiences on topics ranging from assessment and effective grading to PLCs, team building, and more.

As director of professional development, Janet coordinated a class-size reduction initiative in her district that effectively utilized standards-based formative and summative assessments. She also designed and coordinated the implementation of comprehensive staff development for more than eight hundred K-3 teachers. Janet has facilitated a range of professional learning opportunities focused on K-12 literacy, balanced assessment, leadership development, and standards-based learning and teaching.

Janet has presented at conferences for the California School Boards Association, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Learning Forward, Educational Testing Service, and Solution Tree. She has conducted workshops and consulted with school districts throughout North America, and she is a graduate of the National Staff Development Council's (now Learning Forward) Academy XII.

Review:

"In Taking Action, Buffum, Mattos, and Malone take readers on a deep dive into critical questions 3 and 4 of the PLC at Work process: How will we respond when some students do not learn? How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient? Filled with new RTI research, insights, strategies, tips, and templates to assist educators who are at work responding to the learning needs of each student, this handbook is a must-have resource for schools committed to the mission of ensuring high levels of learning for all."

--Rebecca DuFour, author and educational consultant

"The RTI at Work framework is the perfect bridge for a school that truly wants to cross over the threshold of learning by chance to learning by design. Buffum, Mattos, and Malone demystify the connection between the PLC and RTI process and make an argument for a systemic approach to student support. This book cuts to the chase and provides a logical, well-researched, step-by-step guide. As a former principal, I wish I had a tool like this to guide me through the process of creating systems to support student learning."

--Anthony Muhammad, author and educational consultant

"In Taking Action, the authors distill the RTI at Work process into clear, essential actions, including the why and how needed to bring the framework to life. This handbook can be used at every level of educational organizations, from a grade-level team to a full school or district system working to ensure all students are achieving at high levels. The practical tools and resources are immediately actionable in building systems of support for students, leading to learning gains for our most at-risk learners."

--Vanessa Hilton, assistant superintendent for student achievement, Pasco County Schools, Florida

About this edition

• Publisher: Solution Tree Press
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1942496176
• ISBN 13: 9781942496175
• Binding: Perfect Paperback
• Number of pages: 320