Implementing RTI With English Learners, Oct/2010

Winner-Association of Educational Publishers 2011 Distinguished Achievement Award

Winner-Association of Educational Publishers 2011 Innovation Award

Learn why response to intervention is the ideal framework for supporting English learners. Find clear guidelines for distinguishing between lack of language proficiency and learning disability. Follow the application and effectiveness of RTI through the stories of four representative students of varying ages, nationalities, and language proficiency levels. Throughout the book, the authors illustrate the benefits of implementing RTI in a professional learning community. 

1. Review a thorough treatment of both the RTI model and the unique needs of ELs.
2. Gain a clear and detailed explanation of the three tiers of RTI.
3. Examine real-life examples of supports and interventions for broad range of ELs.
4. Get end-of-chapter solutions for teaching ELs.

About The Authors:
Douglas Fisher, PhD, is professor of language and literacy education in the Department of Teacher Education at San Diego State University and a classroom teacher at Health Sciences High and Middle College. He teaches preservice courses in literacy and English language learners, graduate courses in reading instruction and intervention, and doctoral courses in policy, research, and literacy. As a classroom teacher, Dr. Fisher focuses on English language arts instruction. He was director of professional development for the City Heights Educational Collaborative and also taught English at Hoover High School.

Dr. Fisher received an International Reading Association Celebrate Literacy Award for his work on literacy leadership. For his work as codirector of the City Heights Professional Development Schools, Dr. Fisher received the Christa McAuliffe award. He was corecipient of the Farmer Award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of English for the article, “Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School,” published in The English Journal.

Dr. Fisher has written numerous articles on reading and literacy, differentiated instruction, and curriculum design. His books include Creating Literacy-Rich Schools for Adolescents, Checking for Understanding, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, and Content-Area Conversations.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in communication, a master’s degree in public health, an executive master’s degree in business, and a doctoral degree in multicultural education. Dr. Fisher completed post-doctoral study at the National Association of State Boards of Education focused on standards-based reforms.

Nancy Frey, PhD, is a professor of literacy in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University. Through the university’s teacher-credentialing and reading specialist programs, she teaches courses on elementary and secondary reading instruction and literacy in content areas, classroom management, and supporting students with diverse learning needs. Dr. Frey also teaches classes at Health Sciences High and Middle College in San Diego. She is a board member of the California Reading Association and a credentialed special educator and reading specialist in California.

Before joining the university faculty, Dr. Frey was a public school teacher in Florida. She worked at the state level for the Florida Inclusion Network helping districts design systems for supporting students with disabilities in general education classrooms.

She is the recipient of the 2008 Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference and the Christa McAuliffe Award for excellence in teacher education from the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She was corecipient of the Farmer Award for excellence in writing from the National Council of Teachers of English for the article “Using Graphic Novels, Anime, and the Internet in an Urban High School.”

Dr. Frey is coauthor of Checking for Understanding, Better Learning Through Structured Teaching, and Content-Area Conversations. She has written articles for The Reading Teacher, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, English Journal, Voices in the Middle, Middle School Journal, Remedial and Special Education, and Educational Leadership.

Carol Rothenberg is coordinator of the New Arrival Center for the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). This intensive, accelerated program assists adolescents who are new to the United States and English. She has worked with elementary and secondary schools throughout the district, training teachers and administrators on effective programs and instruction for English learners. Carol is also a consultant for the Springdale School District in Arkansas, where she has been the primary trainer for their districtwide initiative on literacy and ELLs. An experienced classroom teacher and literacy coach, Carol has taught bilingual special education, Spanish, and English to migrant workers, as well as state-approved classes for new teachers on effective instruction of ELLs.

Carol’s career in education has taken her from classrooms to lecture halls to on-site trainings, workshops, and study groups. As a member of the consultant network for the National Council of Teachers of English, she assisted in the development of their online professional development program Pathways.

Carol coauthored Teaching English Language Learners: A Differentiated Approach; Language Learners in the English Classroom; and Content-Area Conversations: How to Plan Discussion-Based Lessons for Diverse Language Learners. She is also a contributor to Adolescent Literacy: Research-Based Best Practices.

Carol has a master of science in handicapped learners from Portland State University, a bachelor of arts in Spanish from the University of Oregon, and a Spanish major from the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla, Mexico.