David Putnam, Jr., Ph.D., has over thirty years of experience in education with a primary focus on evidence-based practices and systems that support all learners, particularly those who have struggled academically or have been otherwise marginalized. For the past 11 years, Dr. Putnam served as the Director of Oregon Response to Instruction and Intervention (ORTIi). ORTIi is an Oregon Department of Education funded initiative that provides training, coaching, and technical assistance that supports the implementation of comprehensive Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTIi) systems in school districts throughout Oregon. ORTIi employs a structured and systematic approach to systems change, and as director, he managed the development of tools and strategies that strengthen school and district capacity to implement effective and sustainable evidence-based practices. He worked with over 100 school districts in his work with ORTIi, and countless others throughout his career.

His professional trajectory was launched at the University of Oregon where he earned Master's and Doctorate degrees in School Psychology. There he engaged in foundational research on assessment and instructional practices within an RTIi framework. Since that time, he has worked as a school psychologist, instructor, educational leader, and consultant in public and private schools in the US and abroad. Dr. Putnam is passionate about supporting the success of all students through equitable and inclusive evidence-based instructional practices, data-based decision making, and systems-level change.