March/April 2021
ORTIi News & Updates
Greetings from Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention

Welcome to spring! Hats off to many of you for making it through yet another set of transitions - either to a hybrid model or back to full schools in the past month or so.

In the conversations we are having this spring with school districts currently in the ORTIi project, we are excited and optimistic to hear how they plan to continue to build up and rely on their multi-tiered systems of support for students as a key tool for recovery from this year. As students return to school with varied CDL experiences this year and next, data-based problem solving will be more important than ever as we think about how to intensify instruction to meet the needs of an entire class, a group of students, or individual students in academic and social emotional areas.

It is, as always, our hope that this newsletter offers you a tidbit or two of new learning to help your team continue to improve instruction and supports in your MTSS, both for this unique year and beyond.
The ORTIi Team: David, Jamie, Jon, Lisa, Nicole, Shelby, Beth, Brad, and Christie
Thanks to Kennedy Elementary School in Salem for the First Day of Hybrid Learning photo!
Updates from ORTIi
ORTIi'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Join us virtually for 2 more days in April and May!
(Audience: ALL)

There are still 2 more days of amazing presenters!

April 28, 2021
Effective Instruction Based in The Science of Reading
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Steve Dykstra
The full session list will be sent out next week.


May 6, 2021
Equity: Making it Happen Through Inclusive Practices,
Multi-tiered Systems of Support, and Science-Based Reading Instruction
Conference Endnote: Dr. Anita Archer
3:00-4:30 PT

We know not everyone can attend the sessions live. All session videos will be available a few days after the conference on that day's digital program.

These sessions can support your spring professional development planning. One school we know of had a "watch party" where they divided up the sessions among the staff and then had teams report back to the whole group with the following points:
  • What was the overall message of the session?
  • What did the presenter share that I already knew and was affirming?
  • What did the presenter share that was new and impactful for me?
  • What did the presenter share that is important to the work we are doing in our school or district?

Did you miss Day 1: Building an MTSS on a Foundation of Equity? Here is the link to the Day 1 Digital Program where you can find the videos.

Day 2: Ensuring Inclusive Practices for Students with Disabilities videos will be available next week at this link to the Day 2 Digital Program.

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Have you said or heard "Our triangle is upside down?"
(Audience: All)

We are all looking forward to Stephanie Stoller's presentation at our April conference day, but in the meantime, her recent Reading Science Academy blog post about "upside down RTI triangles" is a great read. Stephanie has a way of saying things that just make sense, such as this reminder that the triangle is about Tiers of Support, not students. Click here to read it.
elkonin box & Sheep

Explicit Instruction of Foundational Reading Skills in Distance, Hybrid and In-person Teaching
Audience: All elementary staff

In a recent Reading Rockets article titled Literacy Instruction at a Distance: Strategies for Supporting Students with Learning Disabilities, there were some great suggestions for activities for teaching and practicing reading foundational skills that could be used both virtually and in-person. While the title indicates these activities (from the amazing UFLI Virtual Teaching Hub) are good for supporting students with reading disabilities, they actually are really great small group activities for most students in K-1 and some students in other grades depending on need. If you are looking to expand your toolbox, check this article out.
The Simple View of Writing
Audience: All

By now you are probably very familiar with the Simple View of Reading. Did you know there are also models for a Simple View of Writing and a Writing Rope? To find Dr. Pam Kastner's collection of resources about writing click here: Writing Wakelet. One of the resources on this Wakelet is PaTTAN's webinar called "An Introduction to the Simple View of Writing" that is a great overview.
students graduating
Webinar Series: Supporting Secondary Students With Intensive Needs During the Pandemic
Audience: All Secondary Staff

The National Center on Intensive Intervention and the Center for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports will be holding a 4-part webinar series over the next few weeks on supporting secondary students through your multi-tiered systems of support both for the remainder of this year and in planning for next year. Click here for more information
New Guide About Intensifying Literacy Instruction
Audience: All

A recent publication from Michigan's MTSS Technical Center called "Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices"(click here to read) is a concise but thorough overview of effective practices for intensifying literacy instruction through all 3 tiers of support. It aligns really well with the structures that ORTIi districts have in place. In addition to this document, two of the authors, Dr. Kim St. Martin and Dr. Sharon Vaughn, will hold a related webinar on April 8. You can click here to register for "What Does it Take to Meet the Needs of Struggling Readers? An Overview of Essential Practices for Intensifying Literacy Instruction"
Sound Walls Webinar
Audience: Elementary staff

Do you know the difference between a word wall and a sound wall? At her wonderful session this week at our conference, Dr. Carrie Thomas-Beck told us briefly about the "How and Why" of sound walls. Right after her session, she forwarded us an email about an upcoming webinar from the researcher she mentioned. So now you have an opportunity to hear even more about sound walls. Check out Dr. Mary Dahlgren's "The How and Why of Implementing a Sound Wall" webinar on April 14. You can click here to register.
computer and flowers
What's on our minds?

Visit our Padlet to see what the ORTIi staff have been reading, watching or listening to lately. You can like, comment, and also make suggestions on the Padlet!