2024 NDMTSS Conference Registration is Open!

Every year this conference is built with YOU in mind –

ND’s Administrators; General, Title 1, Para- and Special Educators; Instructional Coaches, Interventionists, Performance Strategists, and School Psychologists, Counselors, and Social Workers

everyone who shows up, day-in-and-day-out, to create more effective and efficient learning systems that support ALL students!


The NDMTSS Team & Liaisons learn alongside ND school-based teams throughout the year in our NDMTSS Trainings, Extended Learning Opportunities, and Leadership & Coaching sessions. The learnings and ideas gathered throughout the year are used to inform the development of the annual NDMTSS Conference. 


The 2024 NDMTSS Conference brings together national experts, collaborative partners, and ND schools to assist each other to learn more, become empowered, and grow our network of support and ideas.


As you review the schedule you will see specific STRANDS emerge for participants who may want to focus on a specific role, content area, or topic such as:

Leadership, Math, Standards-Based Learning, Behavior, Effective Instruction, Assessment, and Literacy.


In addition, every school has its own unique experience and NDMTSS story to share, as well as lessons learned, creative solutions, additional initiatives, and next steps. 

Join the ND School Journey sessions to learn more! 

Register Now!

NDMTSS Conference Keynotes

About Aaron Stabel [Day 1 Keynote]


Aaron Stabel is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 20 years of experience supporting school districts and families across the country to assess and implement interventions for children with social-emotional, behavioral, and developmental disabilities. He has also contributed to several university-based research projects, including the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders, the Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism, and the University of Wyoming's ECHO Project. Aaron also enjoys camping and exploring rivers with his wife and two daughters whenever he gets the chance.

KEYNOTE: Celebrating Success and Promoting Student Independence


At the core of our efforts to teach academics, and social, emotional, and behavioral skills, is the goal of helping students learn to be independent and socially responsible human beings. We want to begin with the end in mind. As educators, we try to provide the assistance our students need to help them reach their full potential now, next year, and as adults. This will require us to plan and focus our efforts on promoting their independence, self-reliance . . . and celebrating success along the way. Let’s review a few highly effective strategies that can be used to promote independence, fade adult-directed intervention, and build a runway toward successful transition.

  • Explore the interactions between additional adult support and the risks of student dependency.
  • Learn four evidence-based practices to promote student independence and self-reliance.

About Dr. George Batsche [Day 2 Keynote]


Dr. George M. Batsche is a Professor and Director Emeritus and previous Professor and Coordinator of graduate programs in School Psychology at the University of South Florida. He was the Co-Director of the Institute for School Reform at USF. The Institute is focused on an integrated service delivery model to improve academic and behavioral/social-emotional outcomes for all students using a MTSS framework. The majority of his work has focused on systemic district and statewide school reform and improvement initiatives with an emphasis on improving the performance of students with disabilities and at-risk populations. Dr. Batsche has authored more than 75 publications (journal articles, book chapters, books, technical reports) related to his work. Dr. Batsche also serves on numerous state departments of education advisory boards and is the Vice-Chair of the Professional Advisory Board for the National Center on Learning Disabilities (NCLD.) Dr. Batsche’s experience also includes serving as a school psychologist, a building principal and a district administrator.

KEYNOTE: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS): Evidence-Based to Accelerate the Growth of ALL Students


MTSS is a framework within which all educational services are integrated. It is not RTI, just for special education and struggling students or 'something else to do.' When implemented well, it is a more efficient and effective way to improve student outcomes. This session will focus on how this goal can be accomplished.

  1. Understand specifically how each component of MTSS contributes to student outcomes.
  2. Reflect on how this framework aligns with your current practices with MTSS.
  3. Answer your questions about MTSS implementation.
  4. Understand how this framework incorporates what you are currently doing and provides 'food for thought' on how you can make this framework more robust.

About Dr. Dawn Miller [Day 3 Keynote]


Dr. Dawn Miller, Ph.D., is Associate Director of Technical Assistance of SWIFT Education Center at the University of Kansas. Her experience includes roles in statewide and district planning, professional learning, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). In addition she served on a committee that led state regulatory changes regarding Child Find and eligibility of children in the community for special education services and translated these changes into district procedures linked to MTSS. Dr. Miller is well known for her leadership in a national network of like-minded individuals and state agencies who share a vision for and systems approach to supporting student success. She has recently published a book on Leading Equity-Based MTSS for All Students, contributed to the literature in several Best Practices in School Psychology volumes, and had other publications related to MTSS. She strives daily to support the creation of a single system that demonstrates strong outcomes for each and every student.

KEYNOTE: MTSS Integrated Supports: Whole Child - Whole System

About Shannon Harken [Days 1 & 2 Presenter]


Shannon Harken, M.A.Ed., began her career as an elementary and special education teacher in 1991. She also served as a special education consultant in a problem-solving service delivery system, where she helped school-based teams use data to develop a more efficient, proactive, and systematic process to meet the needs of all students. Shannon currently works as an RtI Professional Learning and Leadership Consultant (PLLC) for Heartland AEA 11.


Based on her experiences, teaching background, and knowledge from experts in the field, Shannon has spent the last 10 years, co-authoring and training RtI modules in the areas of consensus building, infrastructure development, and implementation to hundreds of school-based teams across the country interested in implementing RtI. She also has co-developed several organizational tools, such as a four-box format that groups students with similar instructional needs and provides guidance for an appropriate instructional match and action plans, for school-based teams to use as they work towards implementing RtI.


In addition to training new schools Shannon provides on-going follow-up trainings, holds coaches meetings, and assists buildings with data analysis and decision making. The lessons she continually learns while in the “RtI implementation trenches” greatly enhance her work as she strives to assist schools to raise the achievement of all students.

About Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden [Day 1 Presenter]


Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden is a policy adviser and thought leader who actively conducts research focused on improving learning outcomes for students. She has served as a standing panel member for NIH, IES at the U.S. Department of Education, an adviser and reviewer for NCII, USAID, the IRIS center, the Dyslexia Foundation, and numerous state departments of education. Dr. VanDerHeyden has authored a number of policy guides and position statements, and delivered testimony on the use of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) MTSS and Response to Intervention (RTI) to identify students for special education. She is credited with developing models of academic screening that are widely used in schools, conducting innovative research in mathematics screening and progress monitoring using mastery measurement, and the creation of SpringMath. Dr. VanDerHeyden is President of Education Research & Consulting in Fairhope, Alabama, and has a faculty affiliation with the Wheelock College of Education at Boston University.

Breakout Sessions:

General Conference Info and Session Descriptions

Monday, June 10th

Changing Behaviors with a Simple Team-Based Plan

Aaron Stabel, Behavior Advantage


ND A+ Balanced System of Assessments

NDDPI & Pearson representatives


Intro to NDMTSS: What Does Implementation Look Like

Shannon Harken, Harken Consulting LLC


Use Science to Drive Learning Gains and Avoid "Change Fatigue"

Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, SpringMath


Writing for All - Elementary Focus

Erica Carney, South East Education Cooperative (SEEC)


NDSBL School Leadership Series: Session 1 - Let's Get Started

Melissa Stanley, North Dakota Standards-Based Learning (NDSBL)

Behavior Momentum and Goal-Scaling Methods to Map Implementation and Change Student Habits

Aaron Stabel, Behavior Advantage


ND A+ Interim Assessments: A Checkpoint for Growth

NDDPI & Pearson representatives


Communication is Key: Developing and Using Your NDMTSS Playbook

Shannon Harken, Harken Consulting LLC


Boosters: Leverage Classwide Math Intervention for Greater Math Mastery for All Students

Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, SpringMath


Writing for All - Middle School/High School Focus

Erica Carney, South East Education Cooperative (SEEC)


NDSBL School Leadership Series: Session 2 - Now Meets Next

Melissa Stanley, North Dakota Standards-Based Learning (NDSBL)

Getting Unstuck: A Collaborative Problem-Solving Q&A

Aaron Stabel, Behavior Advantage


Meet Navvy: A Fresh Approach to Navigating Student Learning of ND Content Standards

NDDPI & Pearson representatives


Embedding Critical Literacy Practices Across the Day in the Secondary Setting

Shannon Harken, Harken Consulting LLC


Coaching Session for Current SpringMath Users

Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden, SpringMath


New to SpringMath? Come Learn How to Get Started

Ashley Protovinski, SpringMath


NDSBL School Leadership Series: Session 3 - All Students All Levels

Melissa Stanley, North Dakota Standards Based Learning (NDSBL)

NDMTSS Implementation Barrier Busting

Shannon Harken, Harken Consulting LLC

Tuesday, June 11th

Evidence-Based Practices for Effective Collaboration

Dr. George Batsche, University of South Florida


(REPEAT) Meet Navvy: A Fresh Approach to Navigating Student Learning of ND Content Standards

NDDPI & Pearson representatives


Science of Reading: How to Move from Theory to Practice

Shannon Harken, Harken Consulting LLC


Enhancing MTSS Tier 1 Practices Through Standards-Based Learning

Katie Oster, Northeast Education Services Cooperative (NESC)


Belief Systems and MTSS

Dr. Dawn Miller, SWIFT Education Center


Spaced Learning Over Time (SLOT) and Practice Test Retrieval Strategies to Increase Learner Retention in the Math Classroom

Dr. Ryan Lyson, SEEC & Kaye Andersen, WERC

Integrating Instruction (Academic, Behavior, Social-Emotional) Across the Tiers: This Involves EVERYBODY

Dr. George Batsche, University of South Florida


ND A+ Assessment System Q&A

NDDPI & Pearson representatives


Instructional Changes Schoolwide to Increase Student Achievement

Devils Lake Minnie H Kindergarten Center team


Strategically Supporting All Learners Through General Instructional Supports

Erin Lacina & Katie Oster, Northeast Education Services Cooperative (NESC)


MTSS: Differentiating Instruction Across Tiers

Dr. Dawn Miller, SWIFT Education Center


Interleaving Practice Format and Practice Test Retrieval Strategies to Increase Learner Retention in the Math Classroom

Dr. Ryan Lyson, SEEC & Kaye Andersen, WERC

Maximizing the Impact of Leadership (District and School) on Student Growth: A Q&A Session

Dr. George Batsche, University of South Florida


Get the Most out of Testing

Tina Bryn, Barnes County North


Data Meeting Protocols: Screening, Diagnostic, and Progress Monitoring Processes

Shannon Harken, Harken Consulting LLC


NDSBL Leadership Series: Session 4 - The SBL Journey

Melissa Stanley, North Dakota Standards-Based Learning (NDSBL)


High Leverage Practices for MTSS: Setting Students up for Success by Ensuring Adults are Supported and Engaged in the Implementation Process

Dr. Dawn Miller, SWIFT Education Center


Back-Mapping Math Priority Standards to Build Long-term Retention: K-10

Kaye Andersen, Western Education Regional Cooperative (WERC)


Check In Check Out: A Tier 2 Strategy

Brandie Ulland, SEEC & Dawn Miller, Rural Cass - South Valley SPED Units

Wednesday, June 12th

(REPEAT) High Leverage Practices for MTSS: Setting Students up for Success by Ensuring Adults are Supported and Engaged in the Implementation Process

Dr. Dawn Miller, SWIFT Education Center


Charting Progress: Our MTSS Journey Towards Student Success

Dr. Danielle Bosse, Laine Klasinski, & Tresa Cruff, Barnes County North


MTSS Implementation at Oak Grove Elementary School

Josh Kading, Nicole Swanson, & Sara Carlson, Oak Grove Lutheran Elementary


St. John Public School "Our journey to becoming a Distinguished School"

Catherine Anderson, Chip Andersen, & Dr. Sherry Tandeski, St. John Public School


ND Standards-Based Learning - Importance of Vocabulary Instruction

Danette Brown, South East Education Cooperative (SEEC)


Evidence-Based Practices to Build Fluency in Mathematics Classrooms:

K-8

Kaye Andersen, Western Education Regional Cooperative (WERC)


Eight Mile Elementary - One School's MTSS Pathway to Proficiency

Matt Schriver, Gary Fisher, & Stacey Clarys, Eight Mile Elementary School

MTSS Manifesto: Putting it All Together to Strengthen Your Efforts

Dr. Dawn Miller, SWIFT Education Center

General Conference Info and Session Descriptions
Register Now!

Jennifer Glasheen

South East Education Cooperative

Jennifer.Glasheen@k12.nd.us


Brandie Ulland

South East Education Cooperative

Brandie.Ulland@k12.nd.us

Cheryl Hoggarth

South East Education Cooperative

Cheryl.Hoggarth@k12.nd.us


Kayla Durkin

Central Regional Education Association

Kayla.Durkin@k12.nd.us