Archived Information

Educator Services Teaching & Learning Curriculum Resources
2010 Professional Development Institutes

Special Education

Effective Evaluation of Special Education Programs

Course Description:

This institute is designed for Massachusetts special education administrators from public school districts, educational collaboratives, or approved private special education schools. It is strongly suggested school/district teams of two to three apply. Participants will learn to design and conduct practical formative evaluation of a component or portion of their special education programs, Structure: 3 days in August, one 4-hour webinar session online in November, and two follow-up days in early December. Some of the topics addressed include:

• Forming a collaborative evaluation team
• Developing clear evaluation questions
• Selecting appropriate evaluation methods
• Designing questionnaires and protocols for interviews, focus groups, and observations
• Conducting interviews and focus groups
• Analyzing qualitative and quantitative data
• Presenting and facilitating discussions of evaluation findings
• Using evaluation data to improve programs
• Cost evaluation

Improving Spoken and Written Language: From Research to Practice

Course Description:

This Institute focuses on enhancing language skill development--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--to improve academic performance. Participants will learn about typical and atypical language skill acquisition, the foundation language skills necessary to engage in effective expository discourse, and research-recommended best practices for fostering success in the classroom. The summer portion of the Institute will provide the foundation for implementing classroom strategies in the fall; the follow-up portions of the Institute will focus on developing a collegial community to discuss the successes, challenges and efficacy of implementing the strategies in the classroom.

Managing Behavior in an Inclusive Classroom - Central

Course Description:

This course provides an overview of the research and best practices for assessing, planning, and implementing individual, classroom and school-wide positive behavior support. Students will examine evidence-based strategies for establishing effective learning communities in their classroom. We will focus on universal support, targeted group interventions and individualized supports. Students will become more proficient in utilizing the results of a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA), implementing an effective Positive Behavior Support Plan and in using data for decision making. Students will become more skillful in working as a Team to problem solve and enhancing partnerships with families. We will look at effective models of school change and patterns of problem behavior and examine it through a systems approach and explore ways to design and implement classroom and school-wide supports in an inclusive setting. Federal and state legislation and regulations on discipline are examined with particular attention to their impact on the design and implementation of educational supports for students with disabilities. A final group project is required along with several shorter assignments.

Managing Behavior in an Inclusive Classroom - East

Course Description:

The institute will focus on providing information on how to effectively manage behavior in an inclusive elementary/secondary classroom. Introduced in this course are: State/federal regulations related to manifestation determination, Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavior Intervention Plans. Understanding the effects of a positive classroom environment including: Physical space, facilitating positive interactions, classroom management and responding to challenging behaviors will be incorporated into designing a Behavior Intervention Plan. This course will provide information on effective instructional, curricular and assessment methodologies (UDL, cooperative Learning) along with models of school change (responsive classroom, PBIS). Participants will be required to submit a Functional Behavior Assessment and corresponding Behavior Intervention Plan.

Meeting the Academic and Non-Academic Needs of Students with Asperger Syndrome (AS)
for General Educators, Special Educators, and Administrators at all Grade Levels

Course Description:

Throughout this summer institute, two experienced educators from the staff of the Asperger's Association of New England will use a variety of instructional methods to give educators a "view from within" of what make students with Asperger Syndrome tick. Institute participants will then learn a variety of practical strategies for meeting students' needs. Topics will include emotional regulation, executive functioning, homework and writing, and social skills. Participants will read selected books and articles. Participants will also complete and present a final project. Presenters: Robin Lurie-Meyerkopf, M.Ed. and Jean Stern, M.Ed.
4 full days 8/9/10-8/12/10; follow-up 2 full days 9/25/10 and 10/16/10.
Graduate/undergraduate credits may be available; please contact Meghan.O'Malley@aane.org.

30 spaces available, for general educators, special educators, and administrators at all grade levels. Priority given to teams of 2 or more educators from the same school system. Registrants will be emailed a link to online articles to read in preparation for the first day of the summer session.

Accommodations are available in the dorms at Assumption College for $41-$72 per night during the summer session. Please contact Cheryl at 508 767-7122. Registrants will also receive information about nearby hotels.

Mentoring Beginning Special Education Teachers

Course Description:

Multiple research studies indicate high levels of attrition in the field of special education and point to the need for well constructed mentoring programs as an effective strategy to support the retention of new special education professionals. This Institute will provide a framework for developing effective mentoring programs for beginning special education staff. The skills essential to effective mentoring and the specific needs of new special educators will be addressed, including models of mentoring programs; the skills required to be an effective mentor; how to address the needs of new special educators through the use of a calendar of predictable issues; .a curriculum framework for developing an full year mentoring program for new special educators; and the use of technologies to model an on-line mentor community.

Occupational Therapy in the Public School Setting

Course Description:

This institute will address the competencies critical for providing effective occupational therapy services in school settings. Participants will be empowered to provide educationally relevant services consistent with policies governing school practice. Content includes the role of OT, laws and regulations, workload management, the assessment process, effective documentation, planning and implementation of services, and team collaboration. Participants will learn to utilize on-line resources to inform their practice. There will be ongoing opportunities for collaborating with therapists from other districts.

This institute includes 6 days of on-site instruction, eight or more hours of on-line learning, and completion of a project in the fall.

Strategies for Students with Sensory Processing Disorders in Inclusive School Settings

Course Description:

This institute will provide an overview of sensory integration and sensory processing disorders. Participants will learn about the different senses, including the vestibular and proprioceptive senses, and how sensory integration plays an important role in student learning. In addition, participants will learn how to identify and implement classroom strategies for students with sensory processing disorders to facilitate successful school participation. Participants will be empowered to provide educationally relevant services consistent with policies governing school practice. Participants will learn to access on-line resources to inform their practice. There will be ongoing opportunities for collaborating with participants from other districts.

This institute includes 6 days of on-site instruction, eight or more hours of on-line learning, and completion of a project in the fall.

Technology for Children with Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities

Course Description:

This course will assist in understanding how technology can provide access to communication and to the curriculum for children who are visually impaired with significant and multiple disabilities including deafblindness. Students will explore a spectrum of assistive technology from simple technology to high tech and develop a framework to identify features to meet the educational needs of this population. Methods of using assistive technology to support curriculum will be explored and demonstrated through the creation of customized computer activities using current multimedia authoring programs. Strategies for integrating assistive technology into the classroom in both self-contained and inclusive settings will be discussed.

Mathematics and Science Content Vocabulary for Educators of the Deaf:
Grades K-12. American Signed Language (ASL) and Other Signed Systems

Course Description:

Institute Description: Highly qualified and experienced Deaf professionals and master interpreters will conduct an institute focused on ASL vocabulary in science and math. They will conduct an institute that will provide language modeling, background knowledge as well as feedback and constructive suggestions to the participants. This approach establishes an innovative partnership with professionals who are both consumers and providers working together to create accessible and sophisticated language models. Daily instruction will include specific ASL vocabulary for math and science and will present concepts presented in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks Content Standards.

Promoting Access to Learning - East

Course Description:

The Hampshire Educational Collaborative in partnership with The Education Cooperative and Lesley University will provide this 45-hour summer institute on the topics of assistive technology, accessible instructional materials, and universal design. The institute is designed to help school personnel take advantage of technologies and resources that will enable students, especially those with disabilities, to access the curriculum and to enhance their learning. The institute will include four full days in the summer, ten hours of online collaboration, and one day in the fall. Universally designed toolkits will be disseminated to participants accepted into the institute for use in their schools.

Promoting Access to Learning - West

Course Description:

The Hampshire Educational Collaborative in partnership with The Education Cooperative and Lesley University will provide this 45-hour summer institute on the topics of assistive technology, accessible instructional materials, and universal design. The institute is designed to help school personnel take advantage of technologies and resources that will enable students, especially those with disabilities, to access the curriculum and to enhance their learning. The institute will include four full days in the summer, ten hours of online collaboration, and one day in the fall. Universally designed toolkits will be disseminated to participants accepted into the institute for use in their schools.

Assessment of English Language Learners with Disabilities

Course Description:

Institute Description: Assessing English Language Learners With Disabilities is a five-day summer institute with three follow-up fall/winter seminars that will provide professional development for 30 Massachusetts educators who are involved with the special education evaluation process. Participants will learn how to better identify and implement sound, research-based evaluation procedures and assessment measures for students with disabilities who are English Language Learners. Three graduate credits will be available (at a special rate*) from Lesley University.

The goals of this institute are: (1) to reduce misidentification of linguistic minorities in Special Education; (2) to increase the number of assessment professionals who are better qualified to improve the assessment practices used with ELL students; and (3) to focus on a Response-to-Intervention, data-gathering process to improve identification and pre-referral practices.

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