MTSS Integrated Conference '26: Full Schedule

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

10:00am PDT

Where Federal & State Policy Meets District Reality

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT

Federal and state policy can read very differently from a Washington, D.C. memo than it does from a director’s office in a Washington school district. This opening session brings the policy lens and the practitioner lens into the same room. Drawing on her experience leading special education at both the federal and state levels, Glenna Gallo will walk through the policy pressures shaping our work right now — from IDEA implementation to state-level guidance — and where directors are feeling the friction between intent and execution. Expect a candid look at what is shifting, what is staying the same, and where district leaders have leverage. The session is designed to set context for the rest of the day and to surface the questions you will want to keep asking.

Speakers

Glenna Gallo

Tuesday July 28, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am PDT
Orchard South

11:00am PDT

Unpacking Difficult Conversations: Community Complaints & Due Process — Part 1

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT

Orchard South

Speakers

Alyssa Fairbanks

Assistant Director of Dispute Resolution, OSPI

Jeffrey Neiss

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT
Orchard South

1:00pm PDT

Unpacking Difficult Conversations: Community Complaints & Due Process — Part 2

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm PDT

Orchard South

Building on the morning’s framework, this focused 30-minute follow-up turns toward application. Together we’ll work through choice points drawn from real Washington districts — the early family meeting that did or did not happen, the documentation that did or did not exist, the response that calmed or escalated — and pull out a working set of practices for managing complaints and due process matters in ways that protect students, support staff, and preserve relationships with families wherever possible.

Speakers

Alyssa Fairbanks

Assistant Director of Dispute Resolution, OSPI

Jeffrey Neiss

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:30pm PDT
Orchard South

1:30pm PDT

Finance 101

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm PDT

Orchard South

For directors who are new to special education finance in Washington — or who want a clean refresher on the fundamentals — this session walks through the building blocks: how Program 267 works, where special education dollars actually come from at the state and federal levels, an introduction to Safety Net and Maintenance of Effort, and the questions a director should be able to answer about their own program’s budget. You’ll leave with the literacy you need to read your budget, partner with your business office, and know what to ask next. Directors looking for a deeper dive into Safety Net, MOE, and other advanced topics may prefer the concurrent Beyond the Basics session.

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm PDT
Orchard South

10:10am PDT

Using Your MTSS Data to Support New SLD Eligibility Determination Procedures

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

Washington’s shift to RtI-based SLD eligibility requires a system-level approach. This session translates WAC and OSPI guidance into action, highlighting what districts must do to deliver defensible decisions. We’ll address common gaps like—fragmented data, inconsistent Tier 1 instruction, and weak progress monitoring, and we will define what a high-functioning MTSS system looks like in practice. Through a real-world use case, learn how to operationalize MTSS with the infrastructure needed to support early identification, and eligibility determination at scale.

Speakers

Caitlin Crossman

Senior Professional Services Manager of Operations, Branching Minds

Caitlin Crossman is the Senior Professional Services Manager of Operations at Branching Minds. In this role, she partners with district and building leaders to support the successful adoption and implementation of the Branching Minds platform.Caitlin earned a Bachelor of Science in... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:10am - 11:10am PDT
Orchard South

Special Education

Target Audience Principals, Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, School Psychologists, Special Education Directors, District Administration
Experience Proficient
Grade Band District-wide

11:20am PDT

Eligibility Is Not Enough: Aligning MTSS Data with the ‘Need for Special Education’ Requirement

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:20am - 12:20pm PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

Eligibility determinations under IDEA require more than identifying a disability—they demand a legally sound analysis of whether a student needs special education. This session examines the often-misunderstood “second prong” and its connection to MTSS. Participants will learn how to use MTSS data to distinguish between students supported in general education and those requiring specialized instruction, avoid common legal pitfalls, and strengthen documentation and decision-making to ensure consistent, equitable, and defensible eligibility outcomes.

Speakers

Howard Fulfrost

Partner, Other

Howard Fulfrost represents school districts, county offices of education and special education local plan areas in all aspects
of special education law. Howard’s ability to facilitate fair and effective negotiations brings administrators and families together to attain the best outcomes possible. Howard is known for his experience in the area of local educational agencies’ obligations to students with... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 11:20am - 12:20pm PDT
Orchard South

Special Education

Target Audience Principals, Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, School Psychologists, Special Education Directors, District Administration
Experience Developing
Grade Band District-wide

1:20pm PDT

Multi-Tiered System of Supports: A District Implementation Roadmap — An Evidence-Based Framework for Systemic School & District Improvement

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:20pm PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

MTSS/RTI is not a program you purchase — it is a systemic transformation in how districts think about students, data, and instruction. Drawing on two decades of peer-reviewed research and real-world district experience, this session walks participants through a three-phase, three-year implementation roadmap anchored in four non-negotiable components: a tiered continuum of supports, universal screening, progress monitoring, and data-based decision-making. Equity, family partnership, and lessons from Washington State's Last Mile Project are woven throughout.

Speakers

Cassie Martin

Executive Director of Special Education, OSPI

Dr. Cassie Martin is WA state’s Executive Director of Special Education at OSPI. For over 25 years, Cassie has dedicated her professional life and learning to equitable and inclusive education for students with disabilities in support of strong educational outcomes for all students... Read More →

Tania May

Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, OSPI

Dr. Tania May is the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education for the Washington state Office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Her work is focused on collaborating with schools,
community partners, families, and students in support of improved outcomes for stude... Read More →

William Rasplica

Executive Director, Learning Support Services (Retired), UW Bothell

Bill retired after 42 years working in the public schools of Illinois, Iowa and Washington State. Past positions include paraprofessional, special education teacher, principal, AEA special education consultant and district special education administrator. In Washington, Bill has been... Read More →

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:20pm - 2:20pm PDT
Orchard South

Leadership & Systems

Target Audience Principals, Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, School Psychologists, Special Education Directors, District Administration
Experience Foundational, Developing, Proficient
Grade Band District-wide

2:30pm PDT

Investing in Prevention: Special Education Resources to Strengthen MTSS Implementation

Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

Speakers

Cassie Martin

Executive Director of Special Education, OSPI

Tania May

Assistant Superintendent of Special Education, OSPI

Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm PDT
Orchard South

Special Education

Target Audience Principals, Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, School Psychologists, Special Education Directors, District Administration
Experience Foundational, Developing, Proficient
Grade Band Elementary, Secondary, District-wide

3:40pm PDT

Acceleration by Design: Progress Monitoring Across the MTSS Tiers

Wednesday July 29, 2026 3:40pm - 4:40pm PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

Learn how purposeful progress monitoring can turn MTSS into a true learning accelerator. This session clarifies what progress monitoring looks like in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 and how learning progressions help teams use the right data to guide instruction and support catch-up growth. Participants will explore practical tools and “quarter-turn” improvements that strengthen Tier 2, clarify educator roles, and build a coherent, sustainable MTSS system that supports both intervention and core instruction.

Speakers

Joan Fleming

Educator, Ephrata School District

Wednesday July 29, 2026 3:40pm - 4:40pm PDT
Orchard South

Data & Assessment

Target Audience Principals, Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, Special Education Directors, District Administration
Experience Foundational, Developing
Grade Band District-wide

10:40am PDT

Track Your Data!

Thursday July 30, 2026 10:40am - 11:40am PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

Need to track student data? Not sure where to start? Come check out how to easily track data on your students using Google Sheets and other tools. This hands-on tutorial presentation will show you how to track the data you have on your students and make it easy to share with your intervention team, administration, and other specialists. Please bring a laptop with you to this session.

Speakers

Susan Schuh

K-8 MTSS Coordinator, Bridgeport School District

Thursday July 30, 2026 10:40am - 11:40am PDT
Orchard South

Data & Assessment

Target Audience Principals, Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, School Psychologists, Special Education Directors, District Administration
Experience Foundational, Developing
Grade Band Elementary, Secondary, District-wide

12:40pm PDT

Designing Trauma-Informed Behavior Supports Across Tiers 2 and 3

Thursday July 30, 2026 12:40pm - 1:40pm PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

This presentation focuses on conducting trauma-informed functional behavior analysis and assessments, including how past trauma can influence both internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Combining behavior analytic and mental health perspectives helps teams look beyond observable behaviors to identify underlying functions. Through a collaborative team approach and strategic data collection, these protective functions are incorporated into hypotheses. The session also covers developing trauma-informed Positive Behavior Support Plans and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) that prioritize prevention, skill-building, and integrated Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports.

Speakers

Rachel Barrett

Sound Supports

Debbie Limon

Executive Director, Sound Supports

Thursday July 30, 2026 12:40pm - 1:40pm PDT
Orchard South

Behavior & PBIS

Target Audience Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, School Psychologists
Experience Developing
Grade Band District-wide

1:50pm PDT

You Can’t Run MTSS on Burnout: Fueling Sustainable Systems and Staff

Thursday July 30, 2026 1:50pm - 2:50pm PDT

Orchard South

Feedback Survey

MTSS effectiveness depends on the people implementing it. When expectations outpace capacity, even strong systems become inconsistent and difficult to sustain. This interactive session moves beyond awareness into action. Participants will work through a practical tool to identify where misalignment is occurring in their roles and leave with a clear plan to realign expectations, improve clarity, and create more sustainable routines—supporting both staff well-being and long-term MTSS implementation.

Speakers

Mariah Angele

Auburn School District

Thursday July 30, 2026 1:50pm - 2:50pm PDT
Orchard South

Leadership & Systems

Target Audience Principals, Teachers, MTSS Coach/Specialists, School Psychologists, District Administration
Experience Foundational, Developing
Grade Band District-wide

10:00am PDT

11:00am PDT

1:00pm PDT

1:30pm PDT

10:10am PDT

11:20am PDT

1:20pm PDT

2:30pm PDT

3:40pm PDT

10:40am PDT

12:40pm PDT

1:50pm PDT

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