Illuminate Blog
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MTSS Tiers & MTSS Interventions 101
This article was co-written with Lynn Ehlers Interventions aren’t new to education-they’re a long-time component of good instructional practices. But as districts implement multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), interventions are…
Create an Elevator Pitch for Progress Monitoring
In the early ’90s I entered into the world we now know as Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). We didn’t have the full vision and all the structures then, but…
How I Made MTSS Work in My District
As a practicing educator for 15 years, I coordinated our district’s multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) and response to intervention (RtI) implementations for many years. For ten of those years,…
Customer Spotlight: Sarah Rines
Spotlight On: Sarah Rines, 7th Grade Science Teacher Calavera Hills Middle School, Carlsbad Unified School District (Carlsbad, CA) School Description: 574 students, Grades 6-8 Free/Reduced Lunch Population: 32% Suburban community,…
How to Set Academic Progress Monitoring Goals
There are several ways of setting goals for students when progress monitoring, one of the essential components in a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS). The ways in which goals are…
What’s the ROI on RtI?
Every teacher, site leader, and district administrator has a question in common: Is what we are doing working? We all became educators because we want to make a difference for…
Creating a Next Generation Inquiry-Based Classroom
As we discussed in a previous blog, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have transformed K-12 science education in countless ways. One of those major shifts is the change in…
2019 eduCLIMBER Power User and Platinum Level Certificate Awardees Announced
Last week, we were delighted to host our first ever ceremony for the eduCLIMBER Power User and Platinum Level Certificate Awards. These programs are designed to honor outstanding educators who…
How a Large Georgia School District Sees Every Student
Located just east of metro Atlanta, the Newton County School System (NCSS) is the twenty-first largest district in the state of Georgia. It is home to 13 elementary schools, five…
PLCs: Leveraging Collaboration to Move Student Achievement
While collaboration is central to a PLC’s success, it can sometimes feel difficult for educators to accomplish. For many districts and schools, this challenge stems from having a single subject…