HOW WE SERVE OUR CLIENTS
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Professional Development
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Consulting
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Speaking Engagements
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Workshops and Trainings
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Program Evaluation
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Course Development
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Executive & Strategic Planning
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Curriculum Revision
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Teacher & Interventionist Coaching
WHO WE WORK WITH
Schools & Preschools
With more than a decade of experience in education, we help educators expand their impact and promote positive outcomes for children.
Our clients:
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Improve students' academic proficiency
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Build social-emotional skills
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Limit behavioral disruptions
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Have the tools to work with children with special needs
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Learn how to use data to drive instruction
Nonprofits & Afterschool Programs
Our work involves collaborating with any organization that operates in any kind of learning environment, regardless of whether they serve children or adults.
Our clients:
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Build capacity for their teams on best practices in teaching & learning for both academic and recreation activities
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Expand their impact
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Improve diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives
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Have the tools to work with children & adults with special needs
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Enhance programs that foster academic and social success
Private Companies
Our expertise in project management, program evaluation, and curriculum development provides our clients with expert advisement and solutions.
Our clients:
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Produce products & publications that align with the latest research
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Present webinars, workshops, and profesional development that highlight evidence-based practices
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Create products that are teacher friendly and allow educators to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of all learners
Families
We support families of children with disabilities in advocating for and implementing changes that produce positive outcomes.
Our clients:
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Better understand the needs of their children and help caretakers implement best practices at school and at home
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Have a sincere and knowledgeable advocate for their child during IEP/504 meetings
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Are able to efficiently work with teachers and administrators for the implementation of evidence-based strategies
Areas of Expertise
Science of Reading
English & Spanish
Academic success, as defined by high school graduation, can be predicted with reasonable accuracy by knowing someone’s reading skill at the end of third grade.
(National Research Council, 1998)
Dr. Ortiz has extensive research and teaching experience in literacy acquisition and foundational reading skills. She is a co-author on several peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters on the topic of literacy. Dr. Ortiz has taught several courses and regularly delivers professional development workshops and trainings on the topic of literacy acquisition, the science of reading, and evidence-based strategies for students with learning disabilities in reading (including Dyslexia).
Dr. Ortiz received her Bachelor's and Master's degree from Florida State University in Exceptional Student Education. While in the classroom she taught students with Emotional and Behavior Disorders and her research experience has been with students who have Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Intellectual Disability. Dr. Ortiz has a wealth of experience in evidence-based practices for working with students with disabilities and believes that ALL students can learn when given the right supports.
Special Education
Special Education is not a place, but rather supports and services brought to students through an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).
(Peak Parent Center, Inc.)
Classroom & Behavior Management
Though classroom management is consistently a significant predictor of positive student outcomes, teachers often consider classroom management to be the most challenging aspect of their job; many exiting the teaching profession within their first five years indicate that classroom management is their primary reason for leaving.
(Gage & MacSuga-Gage, 2017; University of Florida)
Having taught students with behavior disorders, Dr. Ortiz knows that the teacher is the most important variable when it comes to classroom management. She has taught several behavioral intervention courses and continues to immerse herself in behavioral research. While in the classroom, her students consistently demonstrated at least one year of growth on their state assessments, and her classroom had the fewest number of behavioral disruptions within the entire school. Dr. Ortiz always incorporates a behavioral lens when delivering any type of professional development and is passionate about giving those who work with children the tools to be an impactful instructor no matter which context.
Dr. Ortiz has in-depth experience of what it takes to develop and refine instructional curriculum programs. She works closely with the authors of Friends on the Block Literacy Curriculum and serves as an advisor for Learning Without Tears.
Dr. Ortiz has also served as a research manager for multiple research projects where she was responsible for training the research team on the administration and interpretation of the assessments used. Dr. Ortiz also has extensive experience teaching assessment related education courses at Southern Methodist University including Literacy Assessment & Assessment in Special Education.
