March 2023

ORTIi News & Updates

Come Join Us! In April, Oregon Response to Instruction and intervention will be hiring new team members. An ORTIi coach operates as part of a team to develop RTI, MTSS and evidence-based teaching capacity in the school districts we serve. A successful applicant will possess a deep understanding of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, including evidence-based reading instruction, culturally sustaining practices, data-based teaming structures to inform instructional decisions and implementation science. They must have experience leading teams of educators in K-5 environments and be willing to travel to partner districts across the state for coaching and consulting with teams.  The position will be posted through Northwest Regional ESD soon but please feel free to send resumes and inquiries to [email protected]. From the ORTIi Team Beth, Lisa, Nicole and Ryan

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The Right To Read Did you get a chance to see this film yet? (Audience: All) "When a child can’t read, their chances of incarceration, homelessness, and unemployment increase. That's why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change." (from the press kit for the movie) We hope you got a chance to see this powerful film when it was widely available this week.The free access is available only until midnight on March 9th by clicking here. If you'd also like to share it more broadly with your community, you can visit the Right To Read Film website to arrange your own event for screening it. There are many affordable licensing options, depending on the needs of your setting. Click here to find out more about the film.

Melissa and Lori Love Literacy Structured Literacy in Small Group Time (Audience: Elementary Teachers and Leaders) This episode contained a very good explanation of how structured literacy small group instruction is different from guided reading groups based on reading levels. The hosts and guests (teacher Casey Jergens and author Natalie Wexler) also discuss how it is important to keep in mind that if most of your students need a skill, you should teach those skills whole group instead of teaching the same thing multiple times. Click here to listen to the episode

Literacy Talks Podcast More Than a Few Words About Vocabulary (Audience: All) This episode of Literacy Talks contains many reminders about effective vocabulary instruction and fun ways to give opportunities to practice big words. It also has a good discussion of why ALL students need access to grade level text and the important role read alouds and ear reading (via audiobooks) play for building a robust vocabulary for students who are still learning to decode. Click here to listen to the episode

Hurry! There's only a few spots left! ORTIi is partnering with NWPBIS for a combined spring conference to meet all your MTSS needs: Building Equitable MTSS, Social Emotional and Mental Health, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and of course, Literacy! Click here to access the conference information page, including registration information. We look forward to seeing you there!

ORTIi Resources For Your Professional Learning Needs

The TIER 3 Facilitation Guide is here! MTSS Components Does your PD plan for the year include staff training on the components of MTSS? We've got you covered! We now have facilitation guides for ALL modules! Click here for the NEW Tier 3 Facilitation Guide Click here for the module page

Still need to catch up on a session or two? Check out the December Reading Symposium video resource page HERE.

Science of Reading Professional Learning Have you been asked to present some introductory information to your staff about the Science of Reading and don't know where to start? We created some slide decks you can use to start to build understanding about what science tells us about how we learn to read and how that science informs what and how we should teach reading and writing. These are not videos, so you will need to lead the sessions yourself and can customize them for your setting, but everything you need to get started is here. The topics include: What is the Science of Reading Anyway? Word Recognition Language Comprehension Explicit and Systematic Instruction Reading Assessment Click here to find the Science of Reading PL Materials