Professional Development in Response to Intervention: Implementation of a Model in a Rural Region

Abstract

For the successful implementation of a three-tier response to intervention system, high quality professional development is crucial. This article describes the Illinois ASPIRE initiative, a response to intervention professional development project of the Illinois State Board of Education. Specifically, the implementation of the initiative in the southern region of the state, a primarily rural region, is illustrated. The recruitment of participants, the structure of the professional development, preliminary evaluation outcomes, and future directions are described. The article may provide a potential model for other rural regions that are interested in designing professional development to support the implementation of response to intervention.