Effective Universal Instruction

Kimberly Gibbons, PhD, is Associate Director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota. Prior to that, she was Executive Director of the St. Croix River Education District in Minnesota. During this tenure, she was named Outstanding Administrator of the Year by the Minnesota Administrators of Special Education (MASE); she is also a past president of MASE. Dr. Gibbons provides national consultation and has numerous publications on response to intervention and data-based decision making. Sarah Brown, PhD, is Senior Director of Learning and Development at FastBridge Learning in Minnesota. Her work focuses on implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) at multiple levels of the education system and improving systems to support high achievement for every student. Previously, Dr. Brown has had several administrative roles, including serving as a Bureau Chief at the Iowa Department of Education, where she led statewide implementation of MTSS, and as a Unique Learners’ Manager at the St. Croix River Education District in Minnesota. She also worked at the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota. Bradley C. Niebling, PhD, is Bureau Chief for Learner Strategies and Supports at the Iowa Department of Education, where he leads statewide implementation of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), supports Iowa’s statewide implementation of the Iowa Core State Standards, and works with schools to improve Tier 1 practices within MTSS. Prior to that, Dr. Niebling worked at the university, school, and intermediate service agency levels as a school psychologist, trainer, and researcher. He has published multiple journal articles and book chapters on standards-based practices, curriculum alignment, and response to intervention/MTSS.

1. Introduction
2. Learning Targets
3. Universal Tier Assessments
4. Determining the Effectiveness of Universal Instruction
5. Identifying Barriers to Effective Universal Tier Implementation
6. Action Planning to Address Barriers to Universal Tier Instruction
7. Implementing Universal Tier Improvements
8. Evaluating Core Improvement Efforts
9. Continuing the Journey