LD News is a free e-publication of the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD). It is sent out monthly and addresses issues related to learning disabilities for parents, care-givers, educators, advocates and individuals with learning disabilities.

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Letter from NCLD
NCLD's Executive Director, James Wendorf, discusses NCLD's commitment to providing our audience with unprecedented access to the nation's top experts with our online LD Talk.

Research Roundup
NCLD's Director of Professional Services, Dr. Sheldon Horowitz, gives a brief introduction on the neurobiology of LD, and discusses "the ever-changing interrelationship between the brain and a person's experiences in the world."

Policy Updates
Read a new report on the amendments to state NCLB accountability plans, find out how states are measuring up with 2005 participation and accommodation policies, and more.

News Desk
Learn how to submit entries to "30 Voices of LD" with our new extended deadline, find out why more college students are not attending their first-choice schools, read up on the benefits of free play in elementary schools and more in this month's News Desk.

LD Links
This month, find out about a Tool Kit on teaching and assessing students with disabilities, find out what's new on the What Works Clearinghouse Web site, learn about the new Google Book search engine and more.

RTI Update
Response to Intervention Webcast Training Series
The California Department of Education offers free materials from their "Response to Intervention Training for California Educators" Webcast Training Series. The series offered presentations and information on implementing a multi-tier Response to Intervention system (RTI) that is designed to align with No Child Left Behind legislation. For a breakdown of each session, see below.

RTI -- Why Now?
According to the research of many education professionals, most special education programs "do not close the achievement gap" and "remediation is not a solution." In "RTI Why Now," statistics are presented verifying that LD is common, if not prevalent, in special education programs, and that quality instruction (or the lack thereof) is directly linked to learning problems and learning disabilities. Also discussed are the inherent problems of IQ testing, and subsequent IQ discrepancies that evolve in relation, as well as the assertion that early interventions have reduced the number of "at risk" students (bottom 20% of students). It is offered that the solution to both the general and special education crises in this country is a combination of scientifically-based instruction; more frequent assessment; progress monitoring and formative evaluation; integrated multi-tiered interventions; decisions driven by child responses to instruction in general remedial and special education; and the alignment of resources to enhance positive outcomes.

What is RTI?
In the "What is RTI?" Webcast, Amanda M. VanDerHeyden, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of California in Santa Barbara, introduced the Response to Intervention (RTI) three-tier education model. In her presentation, VanDerHeyden debunked the myths about the RTI model, presented the basic concepts of RTI, (functional assessment; convergent data; decisions based on data; analysis of alterable variables; instruction matched to student needs; ongoing assessment of effectiveness), as well as her four essential components of a successful shift to an RTI instruction model, including: a system-wide understanding of why the shift to RTI is necessary; fundamental change in resource development structure; applying a scientific method of problem-solving to applied practice, and the use of scientifically validated practices.

Administrative Issues in RTI
Judy Elliot, chief of Teaching and Learning at Portland, Ore. Public Schools, and George Batsche, professor/co-director of the Institute for School Reform, jointly presented the "RTI Administration Considerations" Webcast. The presentation identified eight "Big Ideas" that administrators should keep in mind during RTI implementation and execution -- relating vision and message to staff; creating a structure for the general education curriculum; the usage of a tiered system of service delivery; the use of available technology; adequate staff development as well as parent involvement. The Elliot-Basche presentation stressed the need for administrators to present solid leadership and continued developmental support for staff as well as parents.

Instruction in RTI Systems
Barbara Moore Brown, Ed.D. is the director of Special Youth Services in the Anaheim Union High School District. Her portion of the "Instruction in RTI Systems" Webcast exclaimed that the multi-tiered systematic intervention approach successfully addresses the needs of students while eliminating the "wait to fail" model of status quo education practice. Moore Brown reviewed the No Child Left Behind legislation along with IDEA 2004, stating that the true test of school systems is to determine which students are truly learning disabled and those whose poor performance is due to their having been subjected to poor instruction or lack of learning opportunities. Moore Brown stressed the five essential components of reading instruction (phonemic awareness; phonemic instruction; fluency; vocabulary development, and text comprehension), and hypothesized that if these components were utilized, and if struggling readers were exposed to intense good instruction rather than "specialized instruction," the readers would improve in all five areas. After nine weeks of this intense reading instruction and intervention, 85% of 63 students studied demonstrated a year's growth in reading skills. Moore Brown noted several additional benefits stemming from the interventions, the most encouraging of which was that many students began to see themselves as "readers."

Wendy Robinson, language and literacy trainer for the Heartland Area Education Agency in Iowa, focused her portion of the "Instruction in RTI Systems" on her three "Big Ideas," which included systematic utilization of the basic premises of effective reading instructions; effective instruction at the core, supplemental and intervention levels; and matching instruction to student needs based on assessment data. Robinson stressed the importance of educators "harnessing the power of instruction" by reinforcing a strong belief that all students can learn to read; creating a valid and reliable assessment system; establishing a system for monitoring effectiveness of instruction; using a "literacy team" to support the use of data; using instructional strategies and materials that are consistent with scientifically-based research; professional development, as well as administrative and policy support.

RTI -- Getting Started
The final Webcasts, presented by Alnita Dunn, psychological services coordinator in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Margie McGinchey, instructional consultant at the Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency and co-director of Michigan's Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative for the Michigan Department of Education, and Jan Mayer, assistant superintendent of the Learning Support and Partnerships Division at the California Department of Education, focused on "Getting Started with RTI." School-wide implementation of RTI is a process of many steps. McGlinchey noted the most important steps to implementation include gaining commitment; building a leadership team; completing a school audit; creating a school action plan; implementing the action plan; and evaluating the results. McGlinchey also highlighted the importance of administrator and staff commitment to the model from the very start.

Dunn's presentation highlighted the challenges involved in implementation, noting most distinctly that "changing perceptions, beliefs, attitudes and approaches is an intentional process. It doesn't just happen." Dunn reiterated the views of RTI model supporters by stating thorough early screening and interventions best serve the student population and the system in general and used the PAL-RW and LAUSD intervention models as exceptional examples of RTI implementation.

Jan Mayer rounded out the implementation presentations by paying close attention to the importance of creating "learning supports" in education systems to encourage unilateral success. Mayer identified external circumstances, including eating habits; physical activity; school safety; existence of caring relationships; and the participation in community activities, should be taken into account when assessing possible strategies for future student academic success.

To access the complete Webcast series, as well as additional resources presented by the California Department of Education, visit the "Response to Intervention Training for California Educators" Webcast Training Series.