March 2022
Time is moving fast and we are rolling into the final sessions for many of our current NDMTSS cohorts/training and planning for the June NDMTSS Conference!!

Spring is upon us which means warmer weather, sunshine, and the end of the school year. With just a couple of months left, we want to provide you with learning opportunities that you can access when it works best for you and the ability to do a bit of pre-planning for next year.
Two great opportunities for right NOW!
Assessing to Inform Recordings & Materials are Now Accessible!

Through these VIRTUAL, hands-on experiences, learn key guidelines and tips for interpreting data and viewing reports at the student, classroom, school, district, and national levels. Learn how to really understand and apply the data to guide instruction and intervention, plan student groupings, etc. See how to use data to facilitate improved educational outcomes for students.

Recordings and materials are available for FastBridge, NWEA, and aimswebPLUS. Renaissance STAR recordings are NOT available, but we're still providing access to materials utilized during the sessions.

These opportunities are FREE of charge to all North Dakota educators!
Brief Participant Data Share...

  • Renaissance STAR - 94 attendees
  • NWEA - 68 attendees
  • FastBridge - 41 attendees
  • aimsweb - 27 attendees
All sessions saw significant increases in participant comfortability in accessing reports, understanding the data provided in their assessment vendor reports. There were multiple requests for more training like this in our state... so we'll keep that in mind as we work to develop next steps and additional supports!
"I found it highly valuable. I was especially helped by the focus skills information and grouping of students. Also, finding out about the ability to change the benchmark percentage ranges could be very valuable in identifying students and evaluating our MTSS system. Super excited about that!" (Instructional Coach – Midway Public School)

This was one of the best STAR PD opportunities I have been a part of over the past few years. The presenter did an amazing job in answering all questions.
(Coordinator – Minot Public Schools)

This was great! I have spent a lot of time learning about the reports on my own but this was very helpful. I am also looking forward to sharing some of the specifics from the grade band training with the teachers in those grade bands. (Administrator – Killdeer Public School)

Very helpful for finding the right report to use to target those students whom we need to provide intervention. (Instructional Coach – West Fargo Elementary School)

This was an excellent introduction to AIMS WEB. As the administrator, it provided me with a better understanding of the terminology used and how to read the various reports. (Administrator – Starkweather Elementary School
K-6 ELA Curriculum Fair

As districts look for the right Tier 1 ELA curriculum materials to invest in for their school, but also align to the Science of Reading, the SEEC is offering another K-6 ELA Curriculum Fair opportunity to showcase some materials out there that fit this need.

Teams begin by becoming familiar with the Science of Reading along with two tools: The Reading League's Curriculum Evaluation Tool and Colorado's Approved Curriculum List K-3.

The group will then engage in discussions around implementation considerations and start exploring materials available - listed on the registration page.

If this date doesn't work for you, or if it fills up before you're able to register, know that another set of sessions will be available in July at the North Dakota Literacy Training (details further down).
Quick glance into recent happenings...
The first cohort of 110 educators is a success!

The first cohort of the Supporting Secondary Struggling Readers learning series wrapped up on March 8th. This course was designed for to provide secondary educators with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to respond to student reading needs by matching them to appropriate instructional strategies at the secondary level. Sessions focused on Curriculum (what we teach), Instruction (how we teach), and Assessment (data needed to guide the process).
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I loved the applicable strategies and the videos that showed how actual teachers apply them. I also appreciated the presenter kept a perky pace and required participation from us.

Shannon is extremely knowledgeable and presented the information in a very organized and systematic way.


REAs hosted locations in Minot, Jamestown, Devils Lake, and Bismarck to meet the needs of educators from around the state. Read below for survey response data (68% response rate) and comments from participants!
  • Across nine evaluated areas related to reading instruction, applying instructional routines, intensifying struggling readers, and providing reading interventions there were no items in which 50% or more reported having a "strong" or "moderate" understanding. After the training, this increased for ALL nine areas assessed with all being at 85% or more - with an average increase of 58%!
  • 91% said they would recommend this series to a colleague or send another team/staff member to a similar offering.
  • 89.2% of participants indicated the content presented was either “very valuable” (60.8%) or “valuable” (28.4%) to them in their position/role. 
  • 93.2% of respondents indicated at least “moderate” increases in their knowledge and 89.2% in their skills, with 58.1% and 51.4% reporting “substantial” increases, respectively.
  • 94.6% of participants indicated that they would be able to apply what they learned to a least “a moderate extent”, with 51.4% indicating “to a great extent”.
  • 96.0% indicated that what they learned would have at least a “moderate” impact on those they serve, with two-thirds 67.6% indicating it would have a “substantial” impact on them.
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Showing these strategies is not only good for ELA teachers, but this is the key to moving all students into that proficient category. As you stated, many of these kids are not disabled in what they know, but they just didn't learn it yet.

Very dynamic, applicable information, and doable immediately — all of which was very cost-effective :)
Mark those calendars... summer IS coming!
JUNE 6 - 10 | Virtual
9:00 - 11:00am
Graduate Credit Available
+ train the trainer option available


Trauma Sensitive Schools: A New Perspective on Student Behavior and Learning provides educators with knowledge related to trauma, its effects on students and learning, strategies for interacting with students exposed to trauma, and strategies for taking care of oneself when interacting with students who have been exposed to trauma.

One in four children has been exposed to a traumatic event that may have a lasting impact on the well-being and functioning of students and their families. By understanding how trauma impacts students and adopting a trauma-informed approach, educators can play a crucial role in mitigating both the short- and long-term effects of trauma.
NDMTSS Conference

June 13-15, 2022 | Holiday Inn, Fargo | Registration opens April 20th

The schedule is coming together and we're excited to announce our keynotes:

NDSEL Network Summer Summit set for June 7
Save the Date for the June NDSEL Network Summit. Members will have the time and space to - Present evident of organizational progress
- Network both Inter- and cross-organizationally
- Advance their action / implementation plans.
North Dakota Literacy Training

July 11-13, 2022
Bismarck Event Center

Opportunities for one, two, and three-day workshops focused on the science of reading, curriculum review, family engagement, adolescent literacy, and early childhood. Find sessions tailored to teachers of reading, principals, and teachers of other content areas.

Tickets are limited, so register soon to reserve your seat. Please address questions to Brenda Ehrmantraut at (701) 934-7272.
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Highlights & Resources
B-HERO surveyed Behavioral Health Resource Coordinators across the state to identify their favorite relationship building strategies.

Here are B-HERO's Top Ten strategies meant to serve as a guide for educators to make meaningful connections with students while maintaining healthy boundaries.

This guide is curated using resources from Greater Good in Education: Science-Based Practices for Kinder, Happier School.



From Corwin subscribed emails...

Schools have a responsibility for ensuring that assessments accurately measure student growth—and further it. While we discuss how to get—and keep—our students on track, it is critical that we ensure our measurements are accurate and that our focus is on student learning while minimizing the negative impact of grades in an already difficult time.

Check out their new and bestselling Assessment books on these topics below. 
Expert Margaret Heritage explains how to articulate learning progressions, goals, and success criteria; select assessment strategies and provide quality feedback, and create an environment that values feedback as part of the learning process. This new edition addresses:
  • College and career readiness standards, Common Core State Standards, and Next Generation Science Standards
  • Equity and individual learning needs
  • Discipline-based and student-centered formative assessment
  • Social and emotional learning

Great things happen when students are able to focus on their learning instead of their scores. Reform assessment, reduce stress, and strengthen learning by removing the negative impacts of grades while maintaining a high level of accountability. In Going Gradeless, you'll find:
  • Sample assessments and rubrics
  • Student work samples from all grade levels
  • An accountability checklist
  • A review of collected data

Assessment literacy leads to improved outcomes for all. This book guides you and your leadership team through 10 assessment literacy goals with practical content, how-to’s, success indicators, and activities to extend and process learning. 

Jennifer Glasheen
South East Education Cooperative
Lyndsi Engstrom
Central Regional Education Association