Welcome

National Center on Response to Intervention 
The Center’s mission is to provide technical assistance to states and districts and building the capacity of states to assist districts in implementing proven models for RTI/EIS.

Polling Question

What content area(s) are of greatest interest/need to you?

Professional Development

Alaska’s Opportunities:

Developing a High Performing School Culture Where Failure is NOT an Option
June 9-10, Soldotna High School, Soldotna

Join Alan Blankstein, president of the Hope Foundation, internationally-recognized consultant, and author of the bestselling book, Failure is Not an Option; and a team of colleagues from the Hope Foundation for a scintillating two-day institute.  This is a great opportunity for school teams. Click the link below for additional information and/or to register:
https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=193584

Information on other 2008 Summer Institutes (May, June, and August) sponsored by Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN) can be viewed by going to the link below:
http://www.asdn.org/summer_institutes.html

Did you know that ASDN offers distance education classes that meet the Alaska History and Multi-Cultural requirements for state education certification and they also offer 500-level courses that have been approved for certification renewal.  These courses are designed for working professionals and can be started anytime.  Each course has an instructor assigned.  To get more information on these opportunities, go to the link below:
http://www.asdn.org/distance_education.html

National Opportunities:
Online Events:
Using Formative Assessments to Accelerate the Academic Achievement of English Learners
Date:  April 17, 2008
Time:  9:30-11:00am (Alaska Standard Time)

This free webinar will present key ideas about the use of formative assessment with English Learners to increase their academic achievement. Robert Anderson, Senior Assessment Specialist at WestEd, will focus on the systemic use of formative assessment to enhance learning opportunities for English Learners. Margaret Heritage, Assistant Director for Professional Development at the National Center for Research Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) at UCLA, will draw from her new book, Formative Assessment for Literacy: Building Reading and Academic Language Across the Curriculum, to discuss ways in which formative assessment can assist teachers working with English Learners to develop skills in academic language.  Click the link below for additional information and/or to register:
http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/wested/view/e/2801

A County Immersed in Vocabulary
Date:  April 22, 2008
Time:  9:30-11:00am (Alaska Standard Time)
Elfrieda H. Hiebert, Adjunct Professor at the University of California at Berkeley and facilitator of the California Vocabulary Forum (CVF), will lead this free webinar highlighting a county-wide effort emanating from the California Vocabulary Forum. She will be joined by Frank Smith, Director of Elementary Education at Stanislaus County Office of Education. Click the link below for additional information and/or to register:
http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/wested/view/e/2708

Online Chat Opportunity:
The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality’s online discussion board will launch a new topic:  Critical Assessments Within a Response to Intervention (RtI) Model starting Monday, April 7 and continuing through April 14.  This discussion offers opportunities to interact and discuss RTI assessment strategies, methods for data collection and progress monitoring, and the required competencies for teachers and related services personnel within an RTI system.  There will be opportunities to chat live with Kimberly Gibbons, Ph.D., executive director of the St. Croix Education District (SCRED) located in Rush City, Minnesota.  For more information on this opportunity and information on other discussion topics, click on the link below:
http://www.tqsource.org/forum/