Special Education Laurie Carey laurie.carey@esc2.us (361)561-8538 Legal Framework Special Education Evaluation/SWEP Special Education Monitoring (RF & PBM) Child Find Facilitated IEP Section 504 T-TESS Trainer Lynn Dodge lynn.dodge@esc2.us (361)561-8512 Advanced Academic/Gifted & Talented Campus Leadership Mari Garza maricela.garza@esc2.us (361)561-8539 Visual Impairments/Speech and Language/Deaf and Hard of Hearing CRCG Member & Non-Educational Support Grant Parent Coordination Janay Mullan janay.mullan@esc2.us (361)561-8509 Orientation & Mobility Services (O&M) Christa Rasche christa.rasche@esc2.us (361)561-8550 Progress in General Curriculum (PCG)-Secondary Secondary Transition Autism Conference Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI)
(Melody) Kay Smith melody.smith@esc2.us (361)561-8514 Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities Low Incidence Disability Assistive Technology Veronica Trevino veronica.trevino@esc2.us (361)561-8519 Texas Behavior Support (TBS)/Behavior/Discipline Disproportionate Representation Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) Erika West erika.west@esc2.us (361)561-8506 Progress in General Curriculum (PGC) Charter Schools Dyslexia Linda Riddle linda.riddle@esc2.us (361)561-8508 Special Education Administrator Analysis and Discussion Points The Admission, Review, and Dismissal (ARD) committee is tasked with creating an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for every special education student, which is essential in assisting the student with making progress in the general curriculum. The goals created by the ARD committee guide the instructional placement and the continuum of inclusion support. Accommodation decisions are another fundamental element of the ARD meeting. Accommodations may include graphic organizers, provide an outline of classroom notes, extra time to complete assignments, accompany oral directions with visual materials, provide activities with manipulatives, pre-teach vocabulary, and provide lists of procedures in problem solving.
Utilizing the components of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in the general education classroom can help teachers reach diverse students. UDL is a framework for learning that incorporates flexibility into the lesson and reduces barriers to instruction. Along with UDL, High Yield Instructional Strategies aim to address the varying learning needs of students with the goal of maximizing the possibilities of each learner. Some High Yield Instructional Strategies include teacher questioning, problem-solving teaching, and vocabulary instruction. Professional Development Considerations STAAR Alt. 2: Vertical Alignment for New Teachers Participants will learn how to align the grade-level TEKS to prerequisite readiness skills, find the correct essence statements, and develop lesson plans. Teaching Reading to Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Participants will learn how to teach reading to students with low incidence disabilities using guided reading and balanced literacy. IEP Goal Development This training focuses on the creation of Standards-Based IEP goals and objectives. o Related Service Personnel Progress Monitoring of IEP Goals & Objectives At this workshop participants will review best practices in the progress monitoring of IEP goals and objectives. Instructional Placements in the Least Restrictive Environment
This training will help teachers understand different instructional placements and how to look at data to make decisions. High Yield Instructional Strategies for Struggling Learners This training focuses on utilizing high yield instructional strategies to increase overall student achievement in the classroom. o General Education Teachers Responsible Inclusionary Practices for Administrators This workshop will help administrators understand instructional settings, best practices for the use of paraprofessionals, and making informed decisions at ARD. o Administrators o Evaluation Staff Secondary Classroom Management This training will offer strategies for preventing behavioral issues in the secondary classroom. Participants will also receive research based practices to increase student motivation to learn. o Administrators o General Education Teachers Positive Behavior Supports for Elementary School Children Participants will receive training on targeted social emotional supports, and intensive interventions to address the needs of all children, including those with persistent and challenging behavior. o Administrators / Leadership o Support Personnel/Counselors o General Education Teachers Differentiation for all Students in the Social Studies Classroom
Participants will learn how to use Universal Design for Learning to develop lessons that meet the needs of all learners in the social studies classroom. Strategies for differentiation will focus on three areas, representation, expression and engagement, which are applicable to elementary and secondary students. Key Strategies: o Pre-Assessment-Informal techniques: Fist of Five, Four Corners, Individual Response Boards, Thumbs Up, Plus more o SPED Strategies: Guided Notes, Pre-teaching strategies, On-line lectures, Increase opportunities to respond, Low and High interest activities, Plus more o ESL Strategies: Using visuals, Pre-teach vocabulary/content, Sentence frames, Plus more o Strategies to Address Varying Levels of Readiness: Curriculum Compacting, Tiered Assignments, Menus, Anchor Activities, Learning Centers, Flexible Grouping, Learning Contracts, Plus more Improving Math Learning for Struggling Students: Algebraic Thinking, Expressions, and Equations (Grades 6-8) Participants will learn about barriers to learning mathematical concepts & skills and hands-on strategies to improve math learning for struggling students Key Strategies: visual representations such as strip diagrams and percent bars, manipulatives such as algebra tiles, anticipation of difficulties while lesson planning, and use of the accommodation triangle on TEA website to find accommodations that may be allowable on STAAR Manipulative Mania: Interactive Activities to Help Reach Special Populations (Science) Participants will learn what accessibility is from the student and teacher perspective; review some barriers to learning and strategies that can be used to help students overcome those barriers; looked at ways to increase student engagement through the use of word walls, interactive anchor charts, games and an opportunity to create an interactive anchor chart for their classrooms Key Strategies: Engaging students through the use of multiple sensory modalities, word walls, word wall activities, anchor charts, games, science toys to help demonstrate concepts; kinesthetic experiences Reading and Writing in the Content Areas: Reading Support for Struggling Secondary Readers
Participants will learn about the 4 main components or reading and evidence-based strategies to support students in those areas and how to select accommodations to address the needs of the students. Key Strategies: word walls, Universal Design for Learning, use of theatre to build fluency, Frayer Model for vocabulary development, and Predict-O-Gram Turn It Up with the Math Process Standards Participants will explore and categorize the seven math process standards into four big ideas; engage in/explore instructional strategies that allow all students to acquire the math and demonstrate their understanding; identify the mathematical process standards used to amplify a task; identify the scaffolding/differentiation strategies provided and tell what type of student was being considered. Participants will also take an original task and practice turning it up a notch or two (amplify a task using the math process standards and at least one scaffolding/differentiation strategy). Key Strategies: use of model drawing, manipulatives, visualization, writing and journals, reciprocal teaching, concept connections, consideration of ALL students (ELLs, SPED, GT), tying it all together to amplify tasks, looking at STAAR to see how are the processes assessed Twice-Exceptional Participants will get information and strategies to work with children who are both gifted and have a disability. Once any student is identified as G/T, they must be provided services that are commensurate with their abilities. Additionally, due to their disability, twice-exceptional learners who have an IEP through special education services or a 504 plan through general education. The asynchronous development of twice-exceptional learners results in inconsistent academic performance. Their hidden disabilities cause problems in a non-differentiated classroom. Teachers/administrators must learn to recognize and plan lessons that meet the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social needs of all students. Key Strategies: multi-sensory means to access information, alternate ways to express ideas and create products, Graphic organizers, Interest-based authentic curriculum, opportunity to identify with others of like talents, instruction using visuals, lectures, taped interviews, field trips, demonstrations, high quality picture books, computers, kinesthetic experiences, specific praise for effort