Are you an educator interested in learning more about data-based individualization (DBI) and how to implement DBI to support your students with the most intensive academic and behavioral needs? NCII is excited to launch a community of practice (CoP) for educators. Educators—special educators, interventionists, and other educators who work with students with intensive learning needs—are eligible to participate. Participants will have access to experts, learn about the DBI process and how to implement with students, and connect and network with colleagues. Participants will receive completion credits for participation.

The purpose of this training is to gain foundational knowledge of how all behavior serves a purpose or function. This foundational knowledge is core to understanding behavior, supporting students with challenging behavior, and diagnosing the function of behavior and developing effective behavioral interventions. This module introduces function of behavior and provides suggestions for how you can use this understanding within the context of a data-based individualization (DBI) process. While this module briefly mentions the role of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), this is not the focus of this module.

This virtual community of practice is intended for state-level personnel interested in developing capacity and the understanding of what it takes to support implementation of DBI. Participants will discuss critical factors for implementing and scaling-up DBI at the state level, develop an action plan, and connect and network with colleagues. State staff can participate individually or as a team in the CoP.

Are you a faculty member looking to enhance your courses with a focus on intensive reading intervention? NCII is excited to launch a community of practice (CoP) for educator preparation faculty. This virtual CoP is intended for faculty currently teaching reading methods, assessment, or intervention courses. It will focus on discussing strategies to integrate DBI content into the design and delivery of teacher preparation courses. Participants will have access to experts, develop course materials, and connect and network with colleagues.

Are you an educator interested in learning more about intensive intervention and how it can assist students you work with? Are you a faculty member interested in embedding intensive intervention into your course content? Are you a state leader interested in working to build systems to support intensive intervention implementation? The NCII is excited to offer a series of Communities of Practice (CoPs) starting this spring and summer to provide educators, faculty, and state level staff an opportunity to learn more about data-based individualization (DBI) and collaborate with like-minded colleagues. Learn more about the three offerings below:

Join NCII on May 17, 2022 at 4:00 pm ET for a webinar focus on support English Learners (ELs) with intensive intervention needs. This webinar, featuring Drs. Donna Sacco, John Hoover, and Tracy Spies, will illustrate considerations for implementing data-based individualization (DBI) with ELs that accounts for their unique academic, social, behavioral, linguistic, and cultural experiences, assets, and needs. They will share why it is important to (a) deliver instruction that represents culturally and linguistically sustaining best practices, and (b) distinguish the needs and assets of learners to improve progress (i.e., second-language acquisition, culture, learning challenges).

Getting along with others, paying attention, following directions, making responsible decisions, and managing emotions are challenges for many students who require intensive intervention, and may be linked to difficulties with executive functioning, communication, behavior, and academic learning. In this webinar, presenters Mara Schanfield and Zach Weingarten shared an overview of how social emotional learning (SEL) relates to intensive intervention and offer sample strategies and resources for building social and emotional competencies for students in need of intensive learning, social, emotional, or behavioral supports.  

The NCII has established a standard process to evaluate the scientific rigor of commercially available assessments and interventions that can be used as part of a DBI process. The 2022 call for submissions for academic and behavior interventions is NOW OPEN. NCII invites vendors of academic and behavior interventions to submit studies for review now through June 3, 2022. Call for Academic Intervention and Behavior Intervention Tools – Open Now through May 20, 2022

State education agencies (SEAs) have an important role in initiating, supporting, and sustaining district- and school-level implementation of intensive intervention for students with severe and persistent learning and behavior needs. This document outlines five recommendations offered by SEA personnel who successfully led DBI capacity-building efforts in their states.

Meet the new NCII Team that is working hard to help build capacity of state and local education agencies, universities, practitioners, and other stakeholders to support implementation of intensive intervention. The team brings expertise as researchers, educators, leaders, and professional development providers. We look forward to working with you over the next five years!