Pearson's Free "Response to Intervention" Virtual Conference for Educators Offers Solutions for Struggling Students

Continuing Schedule of Daily Live Webinars, Tips, Networking Opportunities and Answers to Funding Questions Offered through July 30

New York, July 27, 2010 – ”Response to Intervention” (RTI) is a hot topic among educators today as the Obama administration continues to release stimulus funds to help the country’s struggling students. What does a teacher do when a child in his or her classroom is falling behind? Or when half of the class is having a hard time keeping up? Response to Intervention is an educational framework designed to help all children learn by identifying problems earlier, monitoring student progress through data, and applying appropriate learning strategies to keep students on track.

With nearly every state implementing RTI programs now, educators are looking for trustworthy information on RTI and best practices for putting their RTI strategies into action. The education services and technology company Pearson is helping educators better understand and execute RTI plans by offering a virtual conference dedicated to Response to Intervention.

Continuing through July 30, teachers and school officials nationwide will have access to multimedia resources geared toward RTI through this completely online conference available at: www.PearsonSchool.com/2010RTIVCon. Like a traditional conference, Pearson’s RTI Virtual Conference enables America’s educators to attend educational sessions, explore RTI products and programs at the exhibition hall, chat with their peers and industry experts in real time, and have their funding questions answered.

Each day features a new schedule of renowned experts addressing a wide range of RTI topics like strategies for successful implementations, classroom tips for assessment and instruction, and RTI funding. Speakers include:

Dr. Karen Wixson, Professor of Education at the University of Michigan – Keynote Address: Response to Intervention: A Core Understanding
Dr. Laurie Goodman, Director of Curriculum at Kingsburg Elementary Charter School District — Using Multiple Information Sources: Targeting the Needs of Students Learning to Read
Roslyn Poole, Education Consultant — Setting Up Your RTI Classroom and RTI in Tiers 1 and 2 in a Balanced Literacy Classroom
Tom Komp, Principal at Boulevard Elementary School in Gloversville, NY — Overcoming Roadblocks within RTI
Carolyn Dungan, Education Consultant — Successfully Implementing RTI – Teachers and Administrators
Dr. Elfrieda Hiebert, Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley — Matching Texts and Readers in RTI
Lisa Fraine, Florida Virtual Schools eSolutions Consultant — Virtual Learning = Personalized Learning
Dr. Mark R. Shinn — Big Ideas in RTI Success
Mellie Joiner, M.Ed., Coordinator for RTI, 504, and Dyslexia Services at Keller Independent School District — What About Tier 1?
Donald Bear, Director and Professor at University of Nevada, Reno — Effective Word Study and Reading Activities, A Developmental Approach

During these sessions, teachers can ask RTI questions and share experiences. Each session is being archived and will be made available online until the end of the year.

“We are hearing from educators, and they are thirsty for more information on Response to Intervention, but in this era of tight budgets travel expenses and registration fees are making it difficult to attend traditional conferences. To help them, we’ve launched our unique RTI Virtual Conference that provides teachers, administrators and school district officials with a wide array of RTI information but without cost barriers. And, because the virtual conference is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, teachers can access quality RTI information when it best fits their schedules,” said Elizabeth Bassford, Pearson’s literacy expert.

Along with the archived presentations, other educational resources like podcasts, website links and downloadable materials also are accessible at: www.PearsonSchool.com/2010RTIVCon to ensure educators have continued access to RTI information at the click of a mouse.

At the RTI Virtual Conference exhibit hall, educators can engage with Pearson’s RTI solutions for math, literature, assessment and professional development, all of which are eligible for federal funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Featured RTI programs and services include:

Assessment: AIMSweb, Developmental Reading Assessment 2 (DRA2), KeyMath3 and MathXL for School
Elementary Literature: Good Habits, Great Readers; My Sidewalks; QuickReads; Reading Street; and Words Their Way
Elementary Math: Dimension M powered by Pearson, enVisionMATH, Focus Math, and Investigations
Secondary Literature: AMP Reading System, Prentice Hall Literature, QReads, and The Reader’s Journey
Secondary Math: AMP Math System; Connected Math; and Prentice Hall Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II
Professional development: Pearson’s full suite of professional development offerings, including information about improving parental involvement

The conference opens today and continues through July 30, 2009. To register, go to: www.PearsonSchool.com/2010RTIVCon. Educators can also see RTI Virtual Conference updates and discussions via @Pearson on Twitter or by following the hash tag #2010RTIVCon.

About Pearson

Pearson (NYSE:PSO), the global leader in education services, technology and school solutions, provides innovative print and digital education materials for pre-K through college, student information systems and learning management systems, teacher professional development, career certification programs, and testing and assessment products that set the standard for the industry. Pearson’s other primary businesses include the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. For more information, go to: www.pearson.com.