On April 2nd, thousands of principals will show up in New Orleans for the National Association of Elementary Principals National Conference. Principals from all over the country will be looking for ways to improve their leadership skills, investigate new building innovations, network, and share experiences as they address educational issues and educational questions in their states and schools.
We all know that RTI implementation is a topic on the minds of many principals, and principals at the national conference will come from varied experiences and backgrounds concerning their knowledge and understanding of the process. As I go to the conference, I am very interested in the multiple experiences that principals have had while implementing RTI in their schools. At the national conference I hope to glean some qualitative information from practicing principals.
RTI implementation in a school stretches a principal and his/her staff. Through implementation, principals and staff have to create a whole new "world view" about assessment, instruction, and student achievement. As I go to the conference, I am specifically interested in asking principals about RTI implementation in their school. Here is a short list of some of the questions I have about the principal and RTI implementation:
During the conference, I will be at the RTI Action Network booth, #907, in the exhibit hall. I invite principals to stop by during the days of the conference and talk with me and the other members of the RTI Action Network team about their RTI implementation experience. Once I return, I will follow-up with a blog about my conversations on the RTINetwork.org website. I know that when we share experiences, we gain knowledge and understanding, so my hope is to share the wealth with those who are implementing and those who are planning to implement RTI in their schools.