District team to present Response to Intervention model to Delaware educators

Walla Walla Public Schools Response to Intervention (RTI) Coordinator Maria Garcia and Walla Walla High School Associate Principal Mira Gobel have been invited by the Delaware Department of Education to travel to Dover, Delaware to participate on an expert panel November 5 to discuss Walla Walla High School's RTI success stories with education leaders from Delaware.

All travel expenses are paid for by the Delaware Department of Education.

Garcia and Gobel will participate in a half-day roundtable discussion with other education experts and then present individually for 10 to 15 minutes on the Walla Walla's strategies and successes.

Gobel said Walla Walla High School's administrators, teachers and support staff have embraced the RTI model and have developed a culture committed to ensuring success for every student. She says the school's 96.4 percent on-time graduation rate is just one of the school's success stories.

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a way of organizing instruction and assessment that has two purposes:
1.) To identify children needing help in reading, math, writing, and prevent the development of serious learning problems; and
2.) To identify children who, even when given extra help, make very limited progress. Research has shown that these children sometimes have a learning disability.

Walla Walla High School RtI Mission Statement:
We will support the development, implementation, and monitoring of programs and efforts to ensure EVERY student's success in school.

Delaware RTI Secondary Education Expert Panel
Research:
- Charles Hughes, Professor of Special Education, Pennsylvania State University
- John Hosp, Associate Professor, Department of Teaching and Learning, University of Iowa

Implementation:
State/Regional Perspective:
- Nanette Fritschmann, Consultant for the PA Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg, PA/Assistant Professor of Special Education, College of William & Mary

District Perspective:
- Ken Geisick, Superintendent, Riverbank Unified School District, California
- Christine Lay, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Central Dauphin School District, Pennsylvania
- Martha Menz, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Upper Darby School District, Pennsylvania

School/Building Perspective:
- Mira Gobel, Associate Principal, Walla Walla High School, Washington & Maria Garcia, District RTI Coordinator, Walla Walls Public Schools, WA
- Howard McMackin, Consultant for the Rolling Meadows High School, Illinois

Attendees: Five Delaware Department of Education staff and administrators from 19 districts and three charter schools. Approximately 30-40 educators, including the experts and facilitator, are expected to attend.