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The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) will be launching the RTI (Response to Intervention) Action Network and its corresponding Web site in spring 2008.
The RTI Action Network’s mission is to inform, promote and accelerate systemic education reform through the implementation of the Response to Intervention approach to instruction, to ensure that all children have access to high quality instruction and learning opportunities. The use of RTI will ensure that struggling learners – including those with learning disabilities – are identified, supported, and served early and effectively, so that they succeed in school and life.
Kathleen A. Whitmire, Ph.D. has joined NCLD as the director of the RTI Action Network. Dr. Whitmire is passionate about RTI and about the legacy of student success it promises.
LD News sat down with Dr. Whitmire to hear first-hand about how she was drawn to both NCLD and the RTI Action Network.
LD News—Dr. Whitmire, can you share your view of how RTI can positively impact the education system in America?Dr. Whitmire: With the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, schools may use RTI for delivering early intervening services as well as for helping to identify students with of learning disabilities (LD). This presents a wonderful opportunity to bring together the many talented resources in both general education and special education to work together on behalf of all students--particularly struggling learners and those with special needs.
The adoption of RTI will of course require some deep, system-wide changes. While change is hard, and sometimes uncomfortable, we can reach our goal of providing high-quality instruction to all students if we work collaboratively and collectively. It is paramount that state and local policies and practices evolve in order to help inform building-level leadership. School leadership in turn will be able to galvanize school staff to embrace the necessary changes in roles and responsibilities and help facilitate the breaking-down of barriers between general education and special education.
Changes of this magnitude will require careful thought and a process put in place over time. It is important to remember that RTI implementation is a ‘process,’ and that true, effective shifts in policy and procedures happen in stages. The efforts will be worth it in the long run because of the benefits that will be afforded to students nationwide.
LD News—Dr. Whitmire, how is the RTI Action Network different from other RTI initiatives?Dr. Whitmire: The RTI Action Network is in a unique position to offer the most comprehensive information about RTI to a wide audience. This is a privately-funded initiative led by a non-governmental not-for-profit organization. Rather than being member-based and thus obligated to focus on members' needs, the RTI Action Network is cross-disciplinary and partner-driven with relationships established with key organizations representing front-line educators and families. We're comprehensive in terms of outreach to audiences across a broad spectrum of the education community, as well as to families. Our perspective stretches from preschool to the secondary level, and reaches across content areas and behavioral issues. In addition, we’re taking special care to be sensitive to the needs of disadvantaged populations, minority students, and English language learners.
The foundation for this initiative was created by some of the nation’s top experts, both researchers and implementers at the state and local levels, and further refined by careful thought about how our collaborative efforts can maximize both our ability to influence change and increase awareness of the benefits of RTI. Finally, we’re focusing on local implementation by front-line educators and families, ensuring we maintain our ties to these pivotal communities.
LD News—Dr. Whitmire, what did you find most compelling about joining the RTI Action Network?Dr. Whitmire: The prospect of working with an organization as highly regarded as NCLD, with such strong connections to leaders in the field and a long-standing commitment to students with disabilities, was quite simply an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
I feel very fortunate to have had a career that allowed me, in different ways, to influence the kinds of services and supports that benefit the lives of our nation’s children. I have always tried to ensure that my work has a positive impact on our nation's obligation to students, particularly to those most in need. I'm pleased to continue my career by joining this landmark NCLD initiative.
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Additional Resources on Response to Intervention
LD News Response to Intervention Archive
Every month in LD News, NCLD highlights the latest news, research and practices in Response to Intervention.
Response to Intervention section in NCLD's Infozone
NCLD has compiled a robust listing of RTI information and support materials housed on the NCLD Web site, as well as other leading organizations.
A Parent's Guide to Response to Intervention
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes a new provision that allows states and school districts to use high quality, research-based instruction in general and special education to provide services and interventions to students who struggle with learning and may be at risk, or suspected of having, learning disabilities. This NCLD guide offers an overview of the RTI process, describes how it is implemented in schools, and offer questions that parents can ask their children's schools.
LD Talk Transcript: Reading and Response to Intervention (RTI): How Students Benefit from Multi-Tiered Instruction and Intervention
This April 2007 LD Talk featured experts Drs. Sharon Vaughn and Jeanne Wanzek, who answered questions about features of evidence-based reading instruction, the delivery of effective supplemental services, the importance of collecting and using data to inform instruction, as well as offering valuable information about the implementation of Response to Intervention (RTI).
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LD InfoZone
