Each month more educators and researchers are coming forward to talk at conferences or during webinars about how to apply “response to intervention” to English-language learners. The educational approach is a way of identifying struggling learners and trying to give them the help they need so they aren’t erroneously referred to special education.
The National Center for Response to Intervention is scheduled to host a free Webinar April 29 on the topic from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time.
I’ve written here at EdWeek about the work of researchers Douglas Fisher and Jana Echevarria on RTI and ELLs. Echevarria was the co-author of a research brief on the subject last year. Fisher has consulted with the Chula Vista Elementary School District in California on RTI and ELLs, which I wrote about in a story in January.
The TESOL conference held in Boston last weekend also had RTI and ELLs on the program for a couple of sessions, according to the program for the meeting. Scheduled to make presentations at a session called “Promises and Challenges of RTI for ELLs” were Alfredo J. Artiles, Nancy Cloud, Catherine Collier, and Alba A. Ortiz.
EdWeek is planning a live chat with experts on the subject as well in May.