NEW BOOK!

Everything that was shared on today was interesting and refreshing - from theory to practical steps to creating culturally relevant models. We are working to bring Mr. Williams back to conduct culturally relevant response-to-intervention part 2!

Mr. Williams' presentation was extremely enlightening! I really appreciated having terminology such as 'culturally relevant' redefined and then related back to the Rtl process. Although I provide services to students of color, cultural relevance is not something I had given much thought to prior to today's seminar.

"In the 7 years I have been going to this conference, Dwayne's presentation was the BEST I have ever attended. He is amazingly engaging with insightful, relevant and actionable information. I was blown away and can't wait to apply what I have learned. In fact, I learned more about being culturally relevant in 3 short hours with Dwayne than I did in 3 very long years in a graduate program. Bravo, Mr. Williams! You have educated a pasty white Irishman (no small accomplishment)."

It is clear that Mr. Williams is a visionary. He will be a change agent in education.

Mr. Dwayne D. Williams presented an enlightening aspect of Response-to-Intervention that is greatly absent from the intervention process. Our special education team has recommended that Mr. Williams return to our district to train our general education teachers on culturally relevant models, and I highly recommend Mr. Williams as a presenter for school districts seeking to increase academic achievement among culturally diverse students.

I was impressed to hear Mr. Williams speak on Rtl, culturally relevant Rtl, and special education law with such fervor! His knowledge surrounding this work is amazing. He provided concrete examples on culturally relevant instruction and I am hoping I can use him as a resource in the near future.

Dear Mr. Williams, Thank you very much for speaking at our recent Child Welfare Issues Committee Symposium. Over 250 people attended the training and 60 watched the live webcast. Thanks to your efforts, everyone who participated gained a greater ability to help the children and families of Dupage County. The audience praised your presentation, saying you were a good speaker; people loved that you shared your personal story. Thanks for taking the time to prepare and present at the symposium. All of us on the Child Welfare Issues Committee are grateful for your efforts. Your work will make a difference for abused, neglected and delinquent children. Thanks for helping change their future!

Dwayne Williams' approach to Rtl training is inclusive. It considers cultural differences as opposed to simply putting students through tiers and focusing on an abstract triangle. His model focuses on using what the student knows to increase engagement in the classroom. This in-service was very engaging and impactful!

What I found most meaningful on today was the subject in which Mr. Williams spoke on improving the performance of our students. I think the topic is something that should be discussed more often with educators and not just special education staff... more with the regular ed staff. I am reading more into this topic for my own personal reason so I will be contacting Mr. Williams for recommendations on books to read.