Professional Resources
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Description: Register for Professional Learning Series on High Leverage Practices, HLPs - Each self-paced course is offered at no cost to Virginia public school educators and provides 3–5 hours of professional learning. The courses guide educators in learning about specific HLPs through videos that model exemplar teacher behaviors. Educators may enroll in the six courses described below. School Leaders, Administrators, and Instructional Coaches: Strategies for Teacher Retention...
Description: The AT Network has developed a short professional learning course on Virtual Virginia that provides an overview of the new Virginia Assistive Technology, Tools, and Strategies (VATTS): Consideration Guide and Resources. IEP team members can access this course at any time and complete the modules at their own pace. A certificate of completion can be earned by those that finish the course requirements.
Description: With the passage of the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) in the 2022 General Assembly, Virginia is taking the lead nationwide to improve early literacy outcomes for Virginia’s young learners. Through the VLA, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will support school divisions through a multi-year effort with tools, resources, technical assistance and funding.
Description: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - The 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States. We're committed to improving crisis services and advancing suicide prevention by empowering individuals, advancing professional best practices, and building awarenes VDOE Introduction to Suicide Prevention - Schools can play a key...
Description: HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 1: Collaborate with Professionals to Increase Student Success, HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 2: Organize and Facilitate Effective Meetings with Professionals and Families, HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 3: Collaborate with Families to Support Student Learning and Secure Needed Services, HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 4: Use Multiple Sources of Information to Develop a Comprehensive Understanding of a Student’s Strengths and Needs, HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 5: Interpret and...
Description: Attendance & School Engagement (VDOE) Attendance has been increasingly the focus of attention among school divisions and educators. According to research1, regular attendance is a significant factor in a student’s success: Chronic absenteeism correlates to low academic achievement; Absenteeism is a powerful predictor of dropout rates; Absenteeism has been linked to poor outcomes later in life. Attendance Works As a non-profit initiative, Attendance Works collaborates with schools,...
Description: How can data-based individualization (DBI) help educators to address the growing expectations for literacy outcomes for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities? In this webinar, Dr. Chris Lemons an NCII Advisor, Associate Professor of Special Education in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University, and Co-Director of the Stanford Down Syndrome Research Center, provides an overview of activities conducted through an Office of Special Education Programs model...
Description: Course Enhancement Module (CEM): Reading - Through this CEM, participants will learn about intervention practices and assessments that can be integrated within a comprehensive, evidence-based reading intervention program. These tools and practices involve multiple levels of interventions, including classwide, small group, and individual reading practices. Candidates, who gain knowledge about how to use these tools and practices effectively, will become proficient in using reading data to...
Description: Recorded Webinar: Leveraging Data-Based Individualization (DBI) to Design and Deliver Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) - In this webinar, experts from the PROGRESS Center and National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) model how practitioners can use data-based individualization (DBI) to develop and implement SDI for students with disabilities and a panel of special educators share how using DBI improved the efficiency and effectiveness of their service delivery, communication with...
Description: RTI (Part 3): Reading Instruction - This module illustrates different research-based reading strategies that may be used with the response-to-intervention model to improve reading skills (est. completion time: 1.5 hours). This module was developed in collaboration with the Tennessee State Improvement Grant and the Tennessee Department of Education.
Description: Attendance has been increasingly the focus of attention among school divisions and educators. According to research1, regular attendance is a significant factor in a student’s success: Chronic absenteeism correlates to low academic achievement; Absenteeism is a powerful predictor of dropout rates; Absenteeism has been linked to poor outcomes later in life. Footnote Ginsburg, A., Jordan, P., and Chang., H. (August 2014). Absences Add Up: How School Attendance Influences Student...
Description: Phonemic Awareness- Phoneme Manipulating: Phoneme Swap (FCRR) - Teacher ready instructional activities for phoneme substitutions. PHONEME DELETION is a strategy that helps develop students’ phonemic awareness, which is part of phonological awareness. Phoneme deletion involves having students manipulate spoken words by deleting specific phonemes. If this task is too difficult initially, you can begin by having students delete syllables in compound words. Phoneme deletion tasks...
Description: The Core Competencies for Special Education Paraeducators represent the required knowledge and skills all paraeducators need to safely and effectively support students with disabilities in K-12 settings. Paraeducators work in general education and special education classrooms, nonclassroom school settings (e.g., cafeteria, playground), and community-based learning sites supporting an entire classroom of students or individual students with disabilities. Paraeducators provide individualized...
Description: Hanover reviews definitions and key components of digital citizenship, and provides guidelines on how to teach and promote students’ digital citizenship skills. In addition, this research brief provides guidelines on the effective use of technology in and outside the classroom.
Description: This report is comprised of two sections: Section I: Building a Successful PLC Framework overviews best practices for creating district conditions and frameworks to support effective PLCs. This includes practices for directing the mission of PLC work, fostering teacher leadership and collaboration, and supporting data usage throughout the district. Section II: Scaling PLC Implementation Across the District overviews best practices for implementing cohesive PLC strategies across the district....
Description: This report is comprised of two sections: Section I: Best Practices for Integrating Technology in the Classroom reviews best practices for technology integration, including relevant frameworks, instructional design, and classroom practices. Section II: Supporting Instructional Staff in Technology Integration examines how school districts can support instructional staff in technology integration, reviewing best practices for professional development, coaching, and evaluation.
Description: SDI Spotlights in Mathematics focus on research- and evidence-based Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) method in mathematics practices in whole number operations, rational numbers, place value and decimals, algebraic concepts, and geometry. Brief videos demonstrating specific CRA method strategies and lesson plans are shared. Explicit Instruction Checklist, Progress monitoring forms, and other information about the strategy are shared. Information and resources from...
Description: SDI Spotlight – Mathematics: Algebraic Concepts (VDOE TTAC at GMU), SDI Spotlight – Mathematics: Geometry (VDOE TTAC at GMU), SDI Spotlight – Mathematics: Integer Operations (VDOE TTAC at GMU), SDI Spotlight – Mathematics: Place Value, Decimals, Percent (VDOE TTAC at GMU), SDI Spotlight – Mathematics: Rational Number Operations (VDOE TTAC at GMU), SDI Spotlights in Mathematics: Whole Number Operations (VDOE TTAC at GMU)
Description: SDI Spotlights in Mathematics focus on research- and evidence-based Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) method in mathematics practices in whole number operations, rational numbers, place value and decimals, algebraic concepts, and geometry. Brief videos demonstrating specific CRA method strategies and lesson plans are shared. Explicit Instruction Checklist, Progress monitoring forms, and other information about the strategy are shared. Information and resources from...
Description: SDI Spotlights in Mathematics focus on research- and evidence-based Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) method in mathematics practices in whole number operations, rational numbers, place value and decimals, algebraic concepts, and geometry. Brief videos demonstrating specific CRA method strategies and lesson plans are shared. Explicit Instruction Checklist, Progress monitoring forms, and other information about the strategy are shared. Information and resources from...
Description: The Approved Core Instructional Program Guide (PDF) provides an overview of the approved core instructional programs. To compile this guide, VDOE partnered with Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP) at the University of Virginia School of Education to facilitate reviews of core instructional programs. The Core Instructional Review Process is unique to Virginia and consists of two phases, each with discrete rubrics for each grade band. Rubrics were produced by VLP and reviewed by...
Description: Mental Health America recognizes with their Back-to-School Toolkit that our youth are having “All the Feels” as they enter the new school year. These resources look at the issues young people face that are having an impact on their mental health and offer tips on how to deal with them and the resulting emotions. The MHA toolkit can also help parents and school personnel better understand the issues, such as the effects of social media on youth mental health and how to be...
Description: Co-teaching teams and administrators are invited to observe model co-taught lessons and exemplary practices in action at demonstration sites across the Commonwealth. Regional TTAC representative contact information is provided to schedule an in-person or virtual visit to one of these exemplary demonstration sites.
Description: Hanover Research is a brain trust designed to level the information playing field. We are hundreds of researchers who support thousands of organizational decisions every year. Their Research & Insights include K-12 Education - Insight Blogs, Infographics, Reports & Briefs, Case Studies, & Webinars.
Description: National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) is housed at the American Institutes for Research and works in conjunction with many of our nation's most distinguished data-based individualization (DBI) experts. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and is part of OSEP's Technical Assistance and Dissemination Network (TA&D). The mission of the NCII is to build knowledge and capacity of state and local leaders, faculty and professional...
Description: The Why and How of a Positive School Climate in 2023 - Maintaining a positive school climate has never been more challenging for districts — or more essential. With rising concerns about mental health, school violence, academic recovery, and the politicization of education, K–12 districts that fail to set climate goals and make steady improvements risk higher staff turnover and poorer student outcomes. By regularly assessing the social-emotional well-being and mental health of...
Description: Solving K-12 Professional Learning Challenges in 2023 - Although school districts have made significant investments in educator professional learning over the past decade, these efforts have not always resulted in improved outcomes for students or increased retention rates for teachers and staff. For professional learning to advance employee growth and positively impact students, it must be meaningful, ongoing, and tied to real practices. So, how can district leaders be assured their...
Description: What is Teacher Self-Care and How to Practice It - Because teaching is such an intensive job, educators can greatly benefit from learning about activities for practicing self-care. Unfortunately, teachers may worry that taking care of themselves can lead to self-absorption and distract them from their students. However, despite the misleading title, self-care isn’t at all about selfishness. In fact, practicing self-care can be in the best interest of everyone in your classroom....
Description: Self-care for teachers: 5 strategies to prevent compassion fatigue - Educators are some of the most passionate people you’ll meet in any profession, and it’s easy to understand why. Teachers get to introduce children to concepts, people and places that will shape their lives forever. When your lesson goes well and the class is engaged and attentive, it can feel like you’re on top of the world. But teaching is also an emotionally, mentally and physically taxing job that...
Description: Building a Partnership with Your Child’s Teacher - Research shows that children thrive when their families are involved in their care and education. This article provides some ways you can collaborate with your child’s teacher to create and maintain a great relationship.
Description: This one page document is a compilation of HLP tools, guides, rubrics, videos and module with brief descriptions.
Description: Mentoring Virginia is a statewide mentoring initiative to prepare exceptional school-based teacher educators for work in a variety of mentoring roles, including working with teacher candidates in preparation for the profession, new teachers who are completing on-the-job internships, teachers in their first three years of teaching, and veteran teachers engaged in coaching cycles. Across partnerships, communities, states, and international contexts, myriad terms describe school-based teacher...
Description: Mentoring Virginia is a statewide mentoring initiative intended to prepare exceptional school-based teacher educators for work in a variety of mentoring roles, including but not limited to work with 1) teacher candidates in preparation for the profession, 2) new teachers who are completing on the job internships, 3) teachers in their first three years of teaching, and 4) veteran teacher engaged in coaching cycles. Across partnerships, communities, states and international contexts, myriad terms...
Description: This webinar provides information and strategies to support children with disabilities and their families through planned transitions. Learn how to use relationship-based practices to strengthen family engagement and contribute to successful adjustments.
Description: As we get to know the children and their families in our program, we share their joys as well as their challenges. And sometimes there’s a child who we feel worried about. Maybe it’s something about their behavior, or maybe their development and skills. We all know it can be challenging to talk about worries like these with parents. But we also know how helpful intervening early can be when we have a concern. We’re going to look at raising a concern with a parent about their...
Description: In this 1-hour webinar, learn how you can flatten the learning curve for new teachers through a system intentionally designed to promote accelerated—yet effective—professional development. Review aspects of effective professional development for new hires who may not have had the benefit of a traditional teacher preparation program. Attendees will explore how to plan appropriate content for a “teacher acceleration program” that scaffolds learning quickly and effectively.
Description: In this webinar, we’ll discuss how to multiply the value of the time you spend on professional development by becoming part of a learning “team” known as a professional learning community. Professional learning communities (sometimes called PLCs) offer a range of benefits, including empowering leaders to harness the experience and expertise of their own faculty and staff members while also tailoring the experiences to meet the specific needs of their program. We will explore...
Description: When children can fully access their learning environment, they participate and learn. Discover how disability services coordinators can help program staff think about ways to give children with disabilities or suspected delays access to a full range of learning experiences and activities. Explore how to support educators to recognize each child's level of participation. Learn how to set up the learning environment for full participation and when to modify activities and materials, including...
Description: This is a compilation of resources from NCII. Progress Monitoring Progress Monitoring Overview, Academic Progress and Behavior Progress Monitoring Tools Chart & Student Monitoring Tool for Data Collection and Graphing (Excel) (NCII) Self-Paced Modules: What is Progress Monitoring?, How Do I Select an Academic Progress Monitoring Measure? & Graphing and Analyzing Academic Progress Monitoring Data (NCII) Intensive Instruction Intensifying Literacy Instruction: Essential Practices &...
Description: The AEM Takeaway series is a collection of short and engaging learning modules on topics related to providing and using accessible materials and technology. Each module includes a brief video featuring an AEM Center team member explaining a term, concept, or practice, followed by a professional from the field who provides a practical perspective. With each module you’ll also find additional resources related to the topic. Use these to extend the video for training and professional learning...
Description: Addressing Challenging Behaviors (Part 1, Secondary): Understanding the Acting-Out Cycle Developed specifically with middle and high school students in mind, this module—the first in a two-part series—discusses challenging behavior in terms of the phases of the acting-out cycle and offers strategies and tips for responding to students in each phase (est. completion time: 2.5 hours). Addressing Challenging Behaviors (Part 2, Secondary): Behavioral Strategies The second in a two-part...
Description: The ultimate goal of teaching a student to use their AAC device is to achieve communication competence. This resource, The 5 Areas of AAC Competence is a reminder to target all of these areas to promote independent use of a system.
Description: This poster is an example of how to teach using the Descriptive Teaching Model.
Description: Curated in conjunction with Mary Anne Prater, the author or co-author of seven books and dozens of academic journal articles on teaching students with developmental difficulties as well as special and general education topics, this search tool contains information and synopses of children’s and young adult literature about or having to do with people with disabilities. This information includes the name of the author and illustrator, year of publication, publisher, appropriate grade...
Description: Early Childhood Recommended Practice Modules are developed for early care and education, early intervention, and early childhood special education faculty and professional development providers to use within their coursework and trainings. These modules are designed to support the implementation of the Division of Early Childhood Recommended Practices. Specifically, there are modules to support the use of 7 of the DEC Recommended Practice topic areas. The modules support your learners in:...
Description: This module offers a general overview of the concepts that principals should consider when creating inclusive schools (est. completion time: 2 hours).
Description: Everyone deserves to experience intimate relationships if they would like to. However, parents and educators need to teach individuals with autisms the skills to keep themselves and others safe. These skills can help to reduce the likelihood of behaviors that can lead to negative consequences including social isolation, misinterpretation of social cues, and victimization. We must consider the need for age- and developmentally-appropriate instruction and support to address these skills.
Description: To support efforts to rectify learning loss in early elementary literacy and secondary math, Hanover Research (Hanover) created this benchmarking report to provide examples of how peer and spotlight districts are implementing accelerated learning strategies. When possible, Hanover also discusses the effect accelerated learning strategies have had on student academic outcomes.
Description: The goal of the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Division of Education is to provide quality instruction to meet a student’s academic and career-related goals to enhance their re-entry into the home community. The Commonwealth of Virginia ensures that educational services are not suspended during the student’s involvement with DJJ through provisions in the Code of Virginia, including the transfer of scholastic records. Between entry and discharge, students receive...
Description: Strategies for Increasing Student Engagement - Hanover Research reviews best practices for increasing student engagement at both the classroom and school levels. This research is intended to support a member district in identifying program models and best practices to ensure engagement and access to core instruction for all students. This report includes the following sections: Section I provides an overview of student engagement, including definitions of student engagementand research on...