Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners: A Secondary Redesign Professional Learning Opportunity
Invitation to Apply:
You’re invited to submit an application for the second cohort of the Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners Initiative (RTSL), a dropout prevention project of the Michigan Department of Education/Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (MDE/OSE-EIS). This secondary redesign effort will support a leadership team of six (6) or more members to ensure positive outcomes for students with disabilities and all struggling learners at the middle and/or high school level.
Schools Likely to Benefit:
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Middle and high schools concerned with the performance of their special education subgroup
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Schools which may be participating in the State Superintendent’s Dropout Challenge
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Secondary schools which are in the planning stages of adopting or enhancing levels of interventions
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Schools currently adopting practices aimed at closing the achievement gap
Strategic Outcomes:
The majority of the activities will involve district/building teams and will include, but will not be limited to, the following opportunities:
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Adoption of the eight practices of Response to Intervention
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Embed literacy and math supports and enhancements
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Employ learning community principles for deep school improvement
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Plan for effective transitions from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school
Finding the Fit and Checking for Understanding:
The screening and selection timelines listed in the “The Basics” document is intended to help you explore the fit between your current work and the RTSL outcomes.
Further Information Regarding RTSL:
If you would like to learn more about the initiative from another administrator, please visit http://rtsl.cenmi.org for a list of schools participating in the first cohort.
The monetary investment in this program is substantial and is covered by an OSE/EIS grant. The yearly fee of $1,000 required from each building is earnest money designed to ensure your district’s commitment to the initiative.
Time Period for RTSL:
Beginning this summer, building team(s) will make a three (3) year commitment to reduce their risk for dropout. RTSL helps schools create a system in which their struggling students become mature learners, with college and work ready skills. As an action research project, teams, in addition to studying the needs that all students have, will continue to monitor a group of struggling students in order to personalize learning, i.e., test the fit and strength of the interventions.
Next Steps:
We are sending this entire packet to you by e-mail to facilitate your sharing the materials with potential team members and your staff at large.
To submit an application, please mail, email, or fax the following no later than March 17, 2010:
1) Team Registration Form
2) Individual Participant Registration Form
3) Facilitator Nomination/Application Form
To:
Dr. Douglas McCall
Reaching and Teaching Struggling Learners (RTSL)
6412 Centurion, Ste. 130
Lansing, MI 48917
Fax – (517)908-0703
If you have questions about registration or the project, please contact Leisa Gallagher at (517)908-3921 or lgallagher@cenmi.org or Doug McCall at (517)908-3920 or dmccall@cenmi.org.
Attachments:
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The Basics
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Team Registration Form
·
RTSL Skills for members of the Multi-disciplinary Team
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Facilitator Nomination/Application Form
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Individual Registration Form