Professional Resources
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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. If you are interested in becoming a demonstration site, please contact: Dwana Cooper, Coordinator, Specially Designed Instruction, Virginia Department of Education,...
Description: Each self-paced professional learning session is offered at no cost to Virginia public school educators and provides 3-5 hours of professional learning. These sessions guide educators in learning about specific HLPs through videos that model exemplar teacher behaviors. Educators may enroll in any of the following professional learning sessions described below: Enroll in School Leaders, Administrators, and Instructional Coaches: Strategies for Teacher Retention & Support...
Description: VDOE's Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) webpage - 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: Collaboration HLP Pillars: HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 1: Collaborate with Professionals to Increase Student Success, HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 3: Collaborate with Families to Support Student Learning and Secure Needed Services Embedded HLPs HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 2: Organize and Facilitate Effective Meetings with Professionals and Families Data-Driven Planning HLP Pillar: HLP Highlight Tool - HLP 6: Use Student Assessment Data, Analyze Instructional Practices, and Make Necessary Adjustments that...
Description: The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has released the following Guidance Documents: The Federal Inclusive Practices Guide discusses how the requirements of the IDEA and ESEA align with inclusive educational practices. The 2024 Guide for Inclusion and Belonging outlines guidance on belonging with Belonging Checklists and Planning. The 2024 Guide for Inclusion and Belonging Communities outlines tips for creating a welcoming place and guides for communities....
Description: The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) sponsored a 3-Part Turn-Around Training Series on Specially Designed Instruction by Anne M. Beninghof, Education Consultant & Trainer. In this series, Virginia educators learn to adapt the content, methodology, and/or delivery of the instruction to address the individual student’s disability-related needs. This series was designed to provide information, strategies and materials to enable professionals to provide their own training...
Description: This is an opportunity for families to visit PEATC staff in-person! PEATC is working on bringing office hours to each and every region. For current hours and locations visit the Regional Community Office Hours page. Current Regional Community Office Hours include: Abingdon (Washington County) Damascus (Washington County) Dinwiddie Hopewell Norfolk Prince George Roanoke Tappahannock (Essex County) If your city is not listed, subscribe to our newsletter here to be...
Description: Every child grows and learns at their own pace, but developmental milestones provide a helpful guide to what most children (75%) can do by a certain age. As a parent or caregiver, you know your child best! If you have concerns about their development, talking to your child’s doctor about a developmental screening is a great first step.PEATC has created two valuable resource documents to help families understand and track early childhood development: Your Child's Development Milestones:...
Description: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (DEA) provides for a free appropriate public education (FAPE) for eligible students with disabilities. Special education and related services are provided under an Individualized Education Program (IEP) that is based on each student’s unique needs. Some students with disabilities may require services beyond the normal school year, during the summer or other school breaks in order to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). These...
Description: PEATC is Virginia’s federally mandated Parent Training and Information Center (PTI). PEATC has staff in your region of the state, ready to provide free and confidential assistance to Virginia’s families of students receiving special education services. Read the Special Education Family Support Centers one-pager to learn more. Additional languages: Amharic Arabic Spanish Urdu Vietnamese
Description: During the ORTIi 2024 Virtual Literacy Symposium, Yvette Mann explored how to facilitate differentiated small-group instruction in a Tier I setting. She covers how to form skill-based groups using data from universal screeners and diagnostic assessments to group students with similar areas of growth and/or reinforcement to meet their learning needs. She also discusses strategies for engaging students in targeted instruction and tips for managing student activities while working collaboratively...
Description: During the ORTIi 2024 Virtual Literacy Symposium, Dale Webster introduces and provides the rationale for each step of CORE’s explicit phonics lesson sequence. The importance of this explicit phonics lesson sequence to multilingual learners’ successful reading acquisition will be the focus of this presentation. Multilingual learners learning to read in English may need additional language support during phonics instruction to understand the words that they are learning to decode....
Description: Many students learn to read one-syllable words with relatively little difficulty, but they find it much harder to read polysyllabic words (with more than one syllable). During the ORTIi 2024 Virtual Literacy Symposium, David Kearns discusses how to support students with reading “long words”. This presentation includes (a) an explanation why polysyllabic word reading is difficult based on reading science and (b) easy-to-implement research-based strategies to help students read those...
Description: During the ORTIi 2024 Virtual Literacy Symposium, Pam Kastner highlights the importance of spelling to literacy development and how student spelling can be analyzed to inform core instruction and differentiated small group skills intervention. The language lenses of phonology, orthography, and morphology will be used to analyze student spelling inventory results.
Description: The I'm Determined Project provides 12 Self-Determination Checklists on various topics for educators and families. The checklists include: Self-Determination Educator Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Educator Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Parent Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Student Checklist Self-Determination Parent Checklist Self-Determination Student Checklist Self-Determination Elementary Parent Checklist - Spanish Exit Survey Parent Exit Survey Student Exit...
Description: Video: Ensuring Specially Designed Instruction in Secondary Settings - This concurrent session from Prepping for PROGRESS 2023 highlighted common challenges with service delivery in middle and high schools, shares practical solutions for addressing these challenges, and highlights resources and strategies that schools can use to support implementation in secondary settings.
Description: Iowa Department of Education SDI Framework for Secondary Transition provides a structure for IEP teams to identify skills that students need to achieve post-secondary transition goals. IEP teams use this information to develop IEP goals for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI).
Description: Secondary Transition: Helping Students with Disabilities Plan for Postsecondary Settings focuses on helping students with disabilities successfully transition from high school to postsecondary settings. Among other topics, it discusses the various components of transition planning and the importance of engaging students in this process (est. completion time: 1.5 hours).
Description: Predictors of Post School Success shares the latest research on evidence-based practices for SDI in transition skills, activities, and experiences to achieve post-secondary success.
Description: This ADA, Disability Disclosure, and Self-Advocacy webcast will provide an understanding to participants of how to ensure that their students are treated in an ethical, valued, and courteous way when disclosing their disability and the need for accommodation. Presented by Barry Whaley, the Co-Principal Investigator and Project Director of the Southeast ADA Center and Pam Williamson, the Assistant Director of the Southeast ADA Center.
Description: Instruction in Behavior & Academic Domain Checklist - Elementary (Pillar HLPs 7 & 16) and Instruction in Behavior & Academic Domain Checklist - Secondary (Pillar HLPs 7 & 16) were designed to help teachers grow in their classroom management and instruction skills. GMU TTAC task analyzed skills in HLPs 7 (classroom management & PBIS) and 16 (explicit instruction) to identify key HLP components and skills. The elementary and secondary checklists can be used to...
Description: A series of WEGO (Writing Efficiently with Graphic Organizers) projects have involved the development and effective integration of a technology-based writing intervention package including technology tools for students as well as instructional resources and professional development for teachers. WEGO tools for students feature technology-based graphic organizers with embedded evidence-based self-regulated learning strategies, mnemonics, video models, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)...
Description: AT Team Development Resources: AT Tools in Schools, 2nd Edition - This guide is designed to support professionals and families in understanding assistive technology (AT) and identifying possible AT tools for students from preschool through high school. Education Tech Points, Profile of AT Services in Schools - A free, downloadable self assessment for IEP teams to use to evaluate their AT services. Ocali Assistive Technology Internet Modules - Assistive Technology Internet Modules...
Description: Essential Components for Math Instruction: Considerations for Students With Extensive Support Needs focuses on pairing instructional approaches with a strong evidence base in math with evidence-based practices for students with extensive support needs. To do so we draw on two sources. We use the 2021 Practice Guide from the Institution for Education Sciences (Fuchs et al., 2021). In addition, we use identified evidence-based practices specific for teaching mathematics to students with...
Description: TTAC ODU Mathematics VESOL Resources includes: Vertical Articulation Document (3rd-HS) VESOL Curriculum Framework Documents Grade 3 Lessons Grade 4 Lessons Grade 5 Lessons Grade 6 Lessons Grade 7 Lessons Grade 8 Lessons High School Lessons
Description: TTAC Virginia Tech Math VESOL Resources inlcudes: Sample Instruction Videos for Math VESOL Resources to support instruction Additional Resources
Description: This resource includes Free VESOL Literacy Instruction Materials: Reading Comprehension Files Core, Fringe and Robust AAC Vocabulary Alternatives Pencils/Manual Boards with Alphabet Math Social Emotional Learning, Social Stories & Visual Supports Cooking Files Art and Music Files Talker Power Files
Description: This collection of VESOL-referenced lesson plans created by TTAC ODU offers a range of engaging, hands-on instructional activities that can be used with students of all ages. Each lesson plan references multiple content areas and includes standards for multiple grade levels. Printable resources are included.
Description: Visionary Teaching resources for pinch cards, gestural responses, choice boards and other materials to increase opportunities to respond during VESOL instruction
Description: Your Life Your Voice provides ways for pre-teens, teens, and young adults to get help via call, text and email. Their trained counselors are able to offer advice for real life situations and they can be reached 24/7 via phone at (800) 448-3000 or by texting VOICE to 20121. They also provide tips and tools on their website for a number of issues such as coping skills, transitioning to adulthood, anxiety, abuse, identity, depression and more. It includes information on a Your Life Your Voice...
Description: Adaptive Toys for Children with Disabilities and General Toy Safety Inclusive Gifts for Kids with Disabilities and Their Families What Are Switch-Adapted and Switch-Activated Toys and Games?
Description: The English Learners with Disabilities Toolkit (2024) is designed to provide states and IEP teams with tools they can use to better understand their students who are English learners with disabilities and to determine in which state assessment (general or alternate) they should participate and whether accessibility features or accommodations are needed for their participation in any assessment. This toolkit does not address the development of complete IEPs for English learners...
Description: Creating an Autism-Friendly Holiday: Strategies for a Joyful Season - The holiday season can be overwhelming for many. Disrupted routines, travel, increased social gatherings and expectations, can contribute to stress and dysregulation. This article shares ideas on how to reduce stressors to contribute to a more joyful season for the entire family.
Description: This Microlearning Training provides small bites of learning on hot topics focused around foundational knowledge and easy-to-implement skills and strategies. Microlearning is always available and take just 10-15 minutes to review. This Microlearning series includes: Social-Emotional Learning Early Childhood Toolkit Classroom Essentials: Schedules Strategies to Support Autistic Learners Strategies to Support Everyday Transitions Foundational Five for Families
Description: Basic Psychological Processing Checklist: Teacher Interview Questionnaire - The Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals created a checklist for teachers to gather their perspectives on students’ cognitive and functional skills in the classroom.
Description: Cognitive Functioning Guide with HLPs - This resource serves as a guide to better understand how a student’s disability affects their learning and behavior. This guide provides an overview of types of cognitive and psychological processing, their effect on academics and behavior, recommended strategies, modifications, and accommodations with linked High Leverage Practices (HLPs). Every student is different, so it’s important to thoroughly understand all evaluations and reports for...
Description: Decision Tree: How to Assist and Support Students through Interventions - When a parent, teacher, another person, or a school-based team thinks a student has a health condition, learning difficulty, or other challenges that are affecting the student’s ability to learn, the school should take a proactive approach to determine the type of support and/or services that will help meet the student’s needs. This could be a range of informal and/or formal services provided by one or more of...
Description: Recorded Webinar: From Data to Action: Supporting Students With Behavioral and Mental Health Challenges - Data-based decision making is a critical part of a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), but what does problem solving look like in the context of youth behavior and mental health? In this webinar, Dr. Elizabeth Talbott, Professor and Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Development at William and Mary School of Education; Dr. Allison Bruhn, Professor of Special Education and Executive...
Description: Video- Play in Early Childhood: The Role of Play in Any Setting - When children play, they can reduce sources of stress, strengthen core life skills, and build responsive relationships with caring adults—all of which are core principles of early childhood development. This video highlights the importance of play.
Description: Text and Online Acronyms Parents Need to Know - When it comes to texting, parents and children don’t speak the same language. Texting often includes acronyms. An acronym is an abbreviation, that consists of the initial letters of the other words and is pronounced as a single word. When you look at your child’s text messages or online chats, you likely won’t understand these acronyms. But they are popular on the internet and found mostly on social media platforms because they...
Description: Virginia's students, families, and educators have long deserved a system that prioritizes high expectations for every child and provides clarity on how each school is preparing students for success. Virginia’s new accountability system, the School Performance and Support Framework, builds trust among schools, parents, and communities through transparent, easy-to-understand reporting on a school’s performance. The Framework shows how students are mastering grade level content,...
Description: Recorded Videos: Dr. Brad Witzel – Rational Number Acquisition (8:48 minutes) Dr. Brad Witzel – Building Computational Fluency Webinar (61 minutes) Dr. Brad Witzel CRA with Explicit Instruction in Fractions (4:25 minutes)
Description: TTAC Online Flyer- Please share! TTAC Online User Guide Includes: Introduction to the Home Page, How to Register/Create an Account, How to Log in, When you are Logged in, What is My TTAC Online?, How to Search the Entire Site, How to Search Particular Topic, Refine Your Search, Search Tips, Events Calendar. The TTAC Online Site Map includes links to each section of the website. (It is also located at the bottom of each page of the website.)
Description: Evidence-Based Reading Instruction for Grades K-5 - This paper features an innovation configuration (IC) matrix that can guide teacher preparation professionals in the development of appropriate use of evidence-based reading instruction for grades K-5. Evidence-Based Reading Instruction for Grades 6-12 - This paper features an innovation configuration (IC) matrix that can guide teacher preparation professionals in the development of appropriate use of evidence-based reading instruction...
Description: The Virginia Department of Education has launched a new online tool, the VQB5 Portal, to help families learn about early childhood programs across the state. With information on over 3,000 publicly funded early childhood sites, the portal makes it easy to check the quality, curriculum, and safety of programs for children from birth to age five. Families can search by location and review important details to choose the best option for their children. This tool is designed to help families make...
Description: TTAC Online is designed for teachers, administrators, paraeducators, related service providers, and families looking for resources and information to support the education of children and youth with disabilities (birth to 22). The TTAC Online Flyer provides an overview of each section of the website: Resources, VA Assessments, Disability Info, Online Training, Events, VA Projects, Fast Facts and My TTAC Online. Please share!
Description: Growth mindset printables for STEM - A growth mindset is a way of viewing challenges and setbacks. People who have a growth mindset believe that with hard work, their skills can improve over time. Having a growth mindset is important for students. It helps them face challenges and learn from mistakes. It’s essential for students who learn and think differently to have opportunities to practice a growth mindset. And is the perfect place to practice this. This includes printable resources:...
Description: Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) includes; Adapting Content Adapting Methodoloy Adapting Delivery This site includes descriptions of these components and short videos on SDI.
Description: High Impact Co-teaching Approaches for Secondary Math.docx - Research provides guidance on when to use specific co-teaching approaches in the secondary mathematics classroom. High-impact co-teaching approaches lower the teacher to student ratio, providing time for intensive instruction and SDI with frequent teacher feedback. To select the most effective co-teaching approach, co-teachers examine a lesson’s learning goal, students’ IEP goals, learner characteristics, and data about...
Description: Cell Phone-Free Education Final Guidance & Resources - After listening to and reviewing the thousands of comments and suggestions from Virginians on how to bring cell phone-free education to our children’s schools, VDOE has published final guidance for school divisions on policies and procedures to be implemented to establish cell phone-free education and remove cell phones from Virginia’s public school classrooms. The final guidance defines cell phone-free education in...