Friday April 3, 2026
8:15 - 3:30
Changing the Story: Defensible academic assessment and intervention for student progress across a tiered system
A conference for education professionals who have an interest in research-supported practices, including school psychologists, curriculum specialists, regular and special education teachers, and education administrators
Continuing Education Credits
6.0 CPD hours are available for this event!
NHASP is approved by the National Association of School Psychologists to offer professional development for school psychologists and other professionals. NHASP maintains responsibility for the program. Certificates of Attendance will be provided following completion of the event. A total of 6.0 CPD hours will be awarded for this event. These hours are accepted towards the NCSP and other professional credentials.
Conference Description
Presenter: Dr. Matthew K. Burns, Fein Professor of Special Education, University of Florida
Dr. Burns will draw on findings and lessons from the many research studies he and collaborators have conducted over the past 20 years. He will cover a variety of topics related to preventing, identifying, and solving student academic problems, and highlight the value of curriculum-based measures (CBM) in those efforts. Dr. Burns will address decision-making with academic data at all tiers of a multitiered system of support, starting with the purposes of academic assessments (e.g., screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring). For example, he will review the type, amount, and scheduling of academic screenings for all students to determine risk of failure. Dr. Burns will also discuss factors surrounding the selection of core instructional programs (Tier I), and the current understanding of effective reading and mathematics interventions at Tier II and III.
His presentation will also include:
- Using assessment tools to match reading materials to skill levels (frustrational, instructional, independent)
- Measurement concepts like expected (normative) rate of improvement
- An expert perspective on CBM tools sold by companies such as AIMSweb, FastBridge, easyCBM, and Star CBM
- Specific subskill mastery measures (SSMMs) to monitor student improvement in more targeted skills (e.g., targeting consonant blends)
- Decision-making models for evaluating response to intervention
- Components of small-group academic interventions which drive their effectiveness
- Decision accuracy of commonly used dyslexia screeners
- An expert perspective on the identification of Learning Disability using a Response-to-Intervention framework
Learning Objectives
- Participants will describe the purposes of academic assessments at different tiers of a multitiered system of support.
- Participants will identify effective, defensible assessment tools for studying different kinds of student academic problems.
- Participants will identify evidence-based academic interventions which are appropriate at different tiers of support.
- Participants will apply knowledge of evidence-based assessment and intervention practices to academic problem-solving in their own professional practice.
General Schedule
7:30 Registration and breakfast
8:15 Start
10:00-10:15 Break
11:15-12:15 Lunch
12:15 Resume
2:00-2:15 Break
3:30 End
Location & Meals
Venue: Plymouth State University
Merrill Place Conference Center at PSU: 14 Merrill St, Plymouth NH 03264
Includes: continental breakfast and coffee, lunch, afternoon snack
PSU is only minutes from Interstate 93. The following information will help you get to the event:
- Refer to this document for written instructions on how to drive to PSU.
- Check back here for very specific information about the best parking for Merrill Place Conference Center.
- This PSU Campus Map can also help you with navigation on the day of the conference.
Registration Information
Online payments are preferred for this event. Please note that NHASP is now using payment processing through our website Wild Apricot to simplify your checkout process. You will no longer be redirected to PayPal for payment.
No refunds will be provided for cancellations received after 5pm on Monday, March 23, 2026.
*Students currently enrolled in an educator training program (including school psychology) receive a greatly reduced registration fee for this event. Evidence of enrollment will be required.
For questions, please contact NHASP President Joe Mahoney using the Contact Us page on our website, https://www.nhaspweb.org.
Presenter Information
Dr. Matthew K. Burns is a prolific researcher (e.g., published over 200 articles and book chapters and 15 books), but is dedicated to positively influencing practice in K-12 schools and mentoring the next generation of thought leaders in education. As one of the leading researchers regarding the use of assessment data to determine individual or small-group interventions, Dr. Burns works closely with schools to study and implement multitiered systems of support, intensive reading and math interventions, school-based teams, and generally supporting students with and without disabilities whose needs are not being met. He is a Past Editor of School Psychology Review and Assessment for Effective Intervention. Dr. Burns was also a first-generation college student who was born in Flint, Michigan and served on the faculty of the University of Missouri for 9 years, University of Minnesota for 10 years and Central Michigan University for 5 years.
