McGraw-Hill Education Underscores Commitment to Teaching Struggling Students

K-12 instructors, now more than ever, are better prepared to meet the challenge of teaching students who are at different levels of achievement and who come from different backgrounds. In his new position paper, Arthur Griffin Jr., senior vice president of McGraw-Hill Education's Urban Advisory Resource, explained how a formalized process called Response to Intervention (RtI) is helping teachers support struggling students using scientifically based instructional methods and information technology.

"The difference between RtI and previous assessment and intervention methods is the difference between a treasure hunt and a witch hunt," Griffin a foremost expert on turning around failing schools said. "The old model looked for what was wrong with children and focused on what they didn't understand. The new model looks at what they do understand and attempts to build upon that spark to nurture their development and encourage their future achievement."

A former chairman of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., Board of Education, Griffin issued "Response to Intervention: High Standards for a New Level of Achievement," which explores the current state of the RtI process. RtI was originally created to give educators an accurate method to determine which children should be identified as learning disabled. However, the process has yielded unexpected benefits. It is helping many struggling children in regular classrooms to catch up before they fall too far behind.

Teachers use information technology to understand exactly what each student understands and what needs to be retaught. But the process actually goes beyond evaluating the students to monitor and evaluate its own effectiveness on an ongoing basis, Griffin noted. "In other words, it is not just the performance of the student at risk of failure that is being measured. The curriculum and the interventions employed to help that student are also monitored for results and adjusted at every stage of RtI," he said.

  Griffin shares three factors that must be present for RtI to succeed:
  --  High and consistent standards for achievement
  --  Ongoing, scientifically based assessments and instructional practices
      that are continually evaluated and adjusted for efficacy

  --  Teachers and teacher aides who have been trained properly in the
      implementation of the RtI assessment and intervention process

"In the end, it all comes back, as it always has, to the interaction between the teacher and the student in the classroom. All theories and systems of education must be focused on helping the teacher to light that fire."

Griffin's position paper is available for download at http://www.mheducation.com/uar/RtI_White_Paperfinal.pdf.

"At McGraw-Hill Education, we do more than just offer products. We are committed to partnering with schools to develop customized solutions to prepare students for lifelong success. We want to be part of the conversation that helps to determine what tools are needed most to make RtI truly effective," said Griffin.

McGraw-Hill Education offers a comprehensive array of research-based intervention resources to help educators in implementing RtI programs and encourage learning. For more information about McGraw-Hill Education's intervention resources and to create customized solutions based on specific intervention needs, visit www.InterventionResources.com.

About McGraw-Hill Urban Advisory Resource

The McGraw-Hill Urban Advisory Resource is a team with a deep understanding of the challenges facing urban districts. These experts work closely with districts to find the best solutions to provide better quality instruction, curriculum, and assessment to their students.

About McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is a leading global provider of print and digital instructional, assessment and reference solutions that empower professionals and students of all ages. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages. Additional information is available at MHEducation.com.

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SOURCE: McGraw-Hill Education

CONTACT: Tom Stanton of McGraw-Hill Education, +1-212-904-3214,
Tom_Stanton@McGraw-Hill.com; or Melina Metzger of Paul Werth Associates,
+1-614-224-8114, mmetzger@paulwerth.com

Web Site: http://www.mheducation.com/