Did You Miss our Webinar on Using SPM in an RTI Model?
On September 26, Dr. John Hintze presented a webinar entitled “Using Student Progress Monitoring in a Response to Intervention Model.”  This webinar provided an overview of a 3-tier Response to Intervention (RTI) Model, as well as specifics on how to use Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) to identify whether or not students are responding to instruction in each tier.  Dr. John Hintze, a Center Trainer and Technical Review Committee member, is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program at the University of Massachusetts. To access the free recording of this webinar, please click here. 

2007 Summer Institute Materials Now Available!
The National Center on Student Progress Monitoring held the 2007 Summer Institute on Student Progress Monitoring on July 10-11 in Nashville, Tennessee. The PowerPoint presentations, handouts, and training manuals from all sessions are now available on our website. Whether or not you were able to attend the Summer Institute, you are sure to find the training material useful as you implement student progress monitoring in your state, district, building, or classroom! We encourage you to download and share these free materials with your colleagues.

New Online Training Module
The Center’s first online training module, “Using Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM) for Student Progress Monitoring” is designed for those who are new to student progress monitoring (SPM) in general and CBM in particular. Users will learn the differences and similiarities between CBM and other forms of assessment. The module presents examples of CBM in several academic areas and describes the process for using CBM for monitoring student progress.

ED Awards $14 Million to Better Assess Students with Disabilities Under NCLB, IDEA
As part of a special education partnership with states, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $14 million in grants to help them meet requirements for students with disabilities under the No Child Left Behind Act and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). A total of 27 states will benefit from the awards in a grant program in which states were encouraged to work together and apply for funding in a consortium with other states. The funds will be used for developing:

• Modified academic achievement standards.
• Alternate academic achievement standards (for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities).
• State assessments based on modified or alternate academic achievement standards.
• Clear and appropriate guidelines for Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, which include parents, to identify children with disabilities who should be assessed based on alternate or modified academic achievement standards.
• Training on those guidelines for IEP teams.

http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/10/10092007.html

NICHCY Releases New Professional Development Module on Discipline
This online module looks in detail at IDEA’s 2004 provisions concerning the discipline of students with disabilities. The module provides a detailed look at the considerations that come into play when a child with a disability breaks a code of student conduct and becomes subject to disciplinary action by the school system. http://www.nichcy.org/training/contents.asp#19

Response to Intervention:  A Partnership Collection
Response to Intervention (RTI) is frequently cited as one vehicle for implementation of Early Intervening Services (EIS).  Both RTI and EIS are possible bridges between IDEA and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) as mechanisms for helping to reduce achievement gaps and special education referrals. The RTI Partnership Collection, which includes a glossary of terms, three powerpoint presentations with presenter guides and dialogue guides on critical issues in RTI, along with several other resources, can be accessed on the Partnership website. http://www.ideapartnership.org/page.cfm?pageid=17

IRIS Center to Conduct Web Tours
The IRIS Center is pleased to announce the unveiling of its newly revised Web site. To acquaint visitors with the site's expanded capability and improved interface, the Center is currently arranging free Web tours for all those who wish to learn more about their training enhancements. One of the Web site's most popular features include training modules on RTI.
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/index.html

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