Pyramid Response to Intervention: RTI, Professional Learning Communities, and How to Respond When Kids Don't Learn
Austin Buffum, Ed.D., is retired as the senior deputy superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District, which serves more than 51,000 students in South Orange County, California. For his excellent leadership, Dr. Buffum was selected 2006 Curriculum and Instruction Administrator of the Year by the Association of California School Administrators. During his 37-year career in public education, Dr. Buffum also served as a music teacher and coordinator, elementary school principal, curriculum director, and assistant superintendent. In addition to articles published in theJournal of Staff Development,American School Board Journal, andLeadership, he contributed a chapter, "Trust: The Secret Ingredient to Successful Shared Leadership," toThe Collaborative Administrator(Solution Tree, 2008). He shares his in-depth knowledge of building and sustaining PLCs with schools, districts, and state departments of education throughout North America.The leadership ofMichael Mattos, M.S., principal of Pioneer Middle School in Tustin, California, has resulted in consistently outstanding student achievement. Pioneer was named a California Distinguished School in 2003 and 2007, and was one of only eight schools in the nation featured in the professional development video seriesThe Power of Professional Learning Communities at Work: Bringing the Big Ideas to Life. Previously, as principal of Marjorie Veeh Elementary School in Tustin, Mike helped create a powerful professional learning community; in 2004, Veeh was one of only 18 California elementary schools to be named both a California Distinguished School and a National Title I Achieving School. Mike's chapter,"Walk the Lign: Aligning School Practices With Essential PLC Characteristics," appeared inThe Collaborative Administrator, and he contributed toRevisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work: New Insights for Improving Schools(DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker, 2008). Mike is a nationally recognized presenter and consultant, sharing his knowledge with educators throughout North America.Chris Weber, Ed.D., has been a teacher at all grade levels, from Kindergarten through 12th grade, and an administrator at the elementary and secondary school levels. The former principal of Richard Henry Dana Elementary School in Dana Point, California, he now serves as director of K-6 Instructional Services in Garden Grove Unified School District in Orange County, California. Dr. Weber is a former Air Force pilot and a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy.