Illinois ASPIRE

Alliance for School-based Problem-solving & Intervention Resources in Education
Funded by a five-year (2005-2001) State Personnel Development Grant under PArt D of IDEA 2004

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Mark Shinn

Dr. Shinn currently is the Project Director for I-ASPIRE North and is a professor of School Psychology at National Louis University.  From 1999-2003, he was a professor of Special Education at the University of Oregon. From 1984-1999, he was a professor of School Psychology and Director of the University of Oregon School Psychology Program.   He received the 2003 Jack Bardon Award from Division 16 (School Psychology) from the American Psychological Association for Distinguished Service.  The award, in part, read, “for more than two decades, Dr. Shinn has assessed effective assessment tools for the diagnosis, placement, and remediation of learning and behavioral problems.” He currently serves a one of the six members of the Technical Review Panel for the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education (OSEP) National Center on Student Progress Monitoring.

Dr. Shinn has taught pre-service courses on contemporary educational assessment, including Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and Problem Solving, since 1980 to general and special education teachers, school psychologists, and administrators.  He has consulted with school districts and state departments of education in 38 states and has contributed over 50 articles and 20 book chapters to the literature on using CBM in a Problem-Solving model.  Dr. Shinn has been a principal investigator on more than $4.1 million in federal training and research grants since 1988.

Barb Curl

Educational Background and Professional Experiences:

• 27 years in K to Grade 8 school systems
• Special education teacher- resource and self contained in both elementary and middle school settings
• Special Education coordinator in two K-8 school systems
• Ph.D. in Communicatiion Sciences and Disorders: Learning Disabilities/Reading - Northwestern University
• Ed.S. in Educational Psychology – National Louis University

Experiences directly related to IAspire coaching/coordination responsibilities:

• Assisted in Implementation of a Problem Solving/RtI Model in D105, LaGrange, Il.
• Presented trainings at the national, state, and local levels in the areas of Curriculum Based Measurement and Early Literacy assessments; Curriculum Based Evaluation; 3-tiered reading intervention models; Progress monitoring; Effectiveness of specific reading interventions
• Developed and presented numerous other workshops designed to support the implementation of a RTI/PS model
• Provided on-site problem solving coaching to schools within LADSE
• Awarded the ISPA Research Practitioner Grant for 2005-06 and 06-07
• Awarded an IAASE innovative practices mini grant for 2004-05

Madi Phillips

Madi Phillips, Ph.D. N.C.S.P. is currently working as a Regional Coordinator for the I-ASPIRE North ISBE sponsored Grant to support Problem-Solving and Response to Intervention implementation in Waukegan and other school districts. Additionally, she is a Professional Development Specialist for the North Suburban Special Education District (NSSED) and Lake Forest School Districts 67 and 115. Her training and consultation experience include Problem Solving and data-based decision making (Response to Intervention), effective curriculum and instruction for students who are at-risk or disabled, behavior management, Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM), assessment for intervention planning (Curriculum-Based Evaluation) and Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS).

Christine Martin

Christine Martin is a Regional Coordinator for I-ASPIRE North and a Problem Solving Coach for Indian Prairie CUSD 204. She has worked as a school psychologist in pre-K through high school at both the special education cooperative and district levels and has considerable experience with implementation of data based decision making and the problem solving model, including RtI. Christine received the Illinois School Psychologist Association Practitioner of the Year award in 2006.

Janice Miller

Educational Background and Professional Experiences:

• 33 years in Pre-school to Grade 8 school systems
• general and special education teacher
• administrative positions in special education cooperative and in elementary school district
• director of assessment in K-8 district
• university faculty member
• Ph.D. Public Policy Analysis and Evaluation -- University of Illinois at Chicago

Experiences directly related to IAspire coaching/coordination responsibilities:

• Implemented a Problem Solving Model in Arlington Heights District 25
• Trained staff in implementation of Curriculum-Based Assessment and Curriculum-Based Evaluation
• Developed Reading Programs Handbook
• Developed and presented numerous college courses and workshops designed to support the implementation of a RTI/PS model
• Provided on-site problem solving coaching to schools within NSSED

Pamela M. Radford

Pamela M. Radford, Ph.D. is currently working as a Regional Coordinator for the I-ASPIRE grant to support the implementation of a Problem Solving Model, including Response to Intervention in North Shore District 112. Dr. Radford also serves as the Problem Solving Services Coordinator for the Northern Suburban Special Education District (NSSED) and has been coaching NSSED schools in the implementation of a Problem Solving model for 6 years. In 2006, she received an award of recognition for her consultative work with NSSED schools in the implementation of a Flexible Service Delivery Model to improve student outcomes. Her training and consultation experience include problem solving and data based decision making, functional behavioral assessment and behavior intervention plans, Curriculum Based Measurement, and Direct Instruction curricula.

Benjamin Ditkowsky

Benjamin Ditkowsky is the regional evaluator for I-ASPIRE. He received his Ph.D. in the area of Special Education from the University of Oregon in 2002. Ben has taught courses in instruction, characteristics of special education students, and assessment. In addition, he has supervised and evaluated pre-service teachers, coached teachers in the field, provided staff development in data-based, decision-making, and he has collaborated with school staff in grant writing activities. Ben has worked as an educational consultant, a behavior specialist, and as a classroom teacher in both general and special education classrooms. Finally, in addition to being the regional evaluator for IASPIRE, Ben is currently working as the Director of Assessment, Intervention and Research in Lincolnwood School District 74.

Christine Malecki

Christine Malecki is the proud supervisor of the ASPIRE North - NIU Regional Outreach Coaches including Lyndsay Jenkins, P.J. Perry, Vinita Menon and Jim Goodwin.  Christine is an Associate Professor in the School Psychology Program at Northern Illinois University. She has been involved in problem-solving in the schools since her days as a school psychologist in Iowa. Christine consults and trains extensively in the schools, maintains an active research program, and enjoys training future school psychologists at NIU.

Mary Miller

Mary Miller has been a School Psychologist in the Illinois public school system for the past 29 years. Currently, she is a Regional Coordinator for IASPIRE North and the District Problem Solving Coach for Community Unit School District #220 in Barrington, Illinois. Her experience includes early childhood, elementary and secondary assignments. As District Problem Solving Coach, she is assisting CUSD #220 in the implementation of a three tier problem solving model.