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Social Emotional Learning Standards | Anchorage School District

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Smarter Balanced Reporting System (New Features)

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(Sept 18, 2017): The Smarter Balanced Reporting System is an interactive, online reporting platform that provides clear, easy-to-understand data on student achievement. The system delivers intuitive and timely reports for teachers, parents, and administrators to track student progress toward college and career readiness. Learn more at https://reporting.smarterbalanced.org

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Exploration

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The Hexagon Tool - Exploring Context | AI HUB

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Related Items: -The Hexagon Tool -Lesson 1: The Hexagon Tool - Exploring Context (2 min. 57 sec.)-NEW: The " Hexagon Discussion and Analysis Tool" is designed to be used by Implementation Teams to guide a deeper discussion of each of the six broad components in the Hexagon Tool.

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Summative Assessment Videos and Archived Webcasts

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Training videos and other resources for administration of computer-based CAASPP assessments.

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The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning is helping make evidence-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education from preschool through high school.

Learn about the Fundamentals of SEL Learn more about SEL

Getting started with systemic implementation

Our platform is made possible by:

This site uses cookies to improve your experience and help CASEL understand how our site is being used. By continuing to use our site, you consent to the use of cookies. Review our Privacy Policy for more information.

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Advancing Social and Emotional Learning - CASEL

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The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning is helping make evidence-based social and emotional learning an integral part of education from preschool through high school. Learn about the Fundamentals of SEL Learn more about SEL Getting started with systemic implementation Our platform is made possible by: This site uses cookies to improve your experience and help CASEL understand how our site is being used.

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Understood - For Learning and Thinking Differences

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Understood.org is the resource that helps the 70 million people with learning and thinking differences anticipate the challenges, barriers, or opportunities in life and confidently reach their potential.

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A SMARTER SYSTEM > SMARTER ACCESSIBILITY Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners Assessments help teachers and parents know if students are on the path to success. The Smarter Balanced assessment system provides accurate measures of achievement and growth while challenging students to think critically and solve real-world problems. A core principle of the Smarter Balanced...

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Gavin Newsom and Quinn Bradlee Talk Dyslexia

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Quinn Bradlee interviews Lt. Governor of California Gavin Newsom about his experience growing up with dyslexia. They discuss how dyslexia affected Newsom's young life, how he learned how to cope and his life as a politician who has a learning disability.

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Entire Neighborhood Learns Sign Language

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Entire Neighborhood Learns Sign Language

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Entire Neighbourhood Secretly Learns Sign Language To Surprise Deaf Neighbor

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Muharrem, a deaf man living in Istanbul, just received a huge surprise when, one morning, everyone he bumped into in his neighborhood responded to him with sign language! A team of people from Samsung and the Leo Burnett ad agency spent a month setting up cameras and teaching people throughout his neighborhood sign language.

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California Alternate Assessments - California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System (CA Dept of Education)

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California's statewide alternate assessments for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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Novak Educational Consulting is the premier organization for designing and delivering high-quality, evidence-based professional development on multi-tiered systems of support, evidence-based tiered interventions, evidence-based literacy models, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and effective leadership practices. Our presenters are completely flexible and can design any type of presentation to meet your needs.

Without the proper supports, professional development, and resources, it can be difficult - if not impossible - to improve your teaching game. And even when professional development is available, it sometimes falls short. Our response is to provide universally designed online courses to help you better understand UDL, MTSS, and inclusive practice. Courses will provide you with the theory you need but will focus on practical methods for improving daily practice.

Novak Educational Consulting has a team of consultants who can help to introduce and scale the implementation of inclusive practices and Universal Design for Learning in your school or district. We have consultants who have spent their careers in urban, rural, and suburban districts, PreK-12 and higher ed. We offer in person and virtual professional learning, instructional coaching, and technical assistance.

How we are changing education across the USA and the world by providing engaging and inspiring professional development opportunities

Novak Educational Consulting is the premier organization for designing and delivering high-quality, evidence-based professional development on multi-tiered systems of support, evidence-based tiered interventions, evidence-based literacy models, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and effective leadership practices.

Deeper Learning seeks to empower students to think deeper, collaborate better, and problem-solve meaningfully. As employers turn their focus to "skills" like dependability, self-motivation, and problem-solving, teachers, schools, and districts must do the same.

Debunking the common myths and misconceptions about Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Let's be honest. Our vision statements, that strive for success for all, are out of reach if we continue to design systems and instruction the way we have always designed them.

In the past few months, we have had to unlearn many of our favorite routines and habits. Unlearning means that we have to consciously think about and put forth the effort to change.

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Novak Educational Consulting is the premier organization for designing and delivering high-quality, evidence-based professional development on multi-tiered systems of support, evidence-based tiered interventions, evidence-based literacy models, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and effective leadership practices. Our presenters are completely flexible and can design any type of presentation to meet your needs.

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PreK-12: Instructor-Led Course

In this introductory online course for preK-12 educators, participants learn the research basis for UDL, practical applications of UDL to lesson design, and helpful technology tools that support flexible, inclusive instruction.

Monday, September 11 - Monday, December 11, 2023

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Find out more about CAST. We're busting barriers to learning, until learning has no limits®.

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Find out more about CAST. We’re busting barriers to learning, until learning has no limits®.

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A mom wrote a letter to the NYC Ballet about her daughter's disability. They responded gracefully.

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A mom writes a letter to the NYC Ballet and gets a very happy and surprising response.

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Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs A Champion

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Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs A Champion

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Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

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Active Implementation charts a course for the journey of improving outcomes.

Welcome to the new and improved Active Implementation Hub.
Feel free to move around the site and familiarize yourself with the new format. Please note that this site is still under some remodeling, and you will find some information incomplete.

We are open to your feedback! Can't find something? See an error? Don't like the layout? Feel free to email us.

Don't know where to start?
Use this interactive tool to help you find the resources you need to get started.
Where should I start? IN COLLABORATION WITH

Implementation Practice

Based on research and field learning, NIRN has developed five overarching frameworks referred to as the Active Implementation Frameworks to support agencies and organizations with implementation.

Select links below to explore the Active Implementation Frameworks.
Socially Significant Outcomes

Implementation Support Practitioner (ISP) Core Competencies

Do you support an implementation team or coordinate implementation activities? Explore activities and resources that are specific to the work of leading and coordinating your agency's implementation efforts.

Select links below to explore each competency.

Updates and New Resources

Join the NIRN Community today and become an Honorary NIRNian! Benefits include early access to new products, participation in usability testing, co-designing resources, and more!

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Active Implementation charts a course for the journey of improving outcomes. Welcome to the new and improved Active Implementation Hub. Feel free to move around the site and familiarize yourself with the new format. Please note that this site is still under some remodeling, and you will find some information incomplete.

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CCSS Apllication for Students with Disabilities

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CCSS Apllication for Students with Disabilities

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Essential Elements for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities with Core Content Content Connectors Highlighted

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Essential Elements for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities with Core Content Content Connectors Highlighted

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Student Accessibility Resources - California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System (CA Dept of Education)

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Supports ensure that the assessments meet the needs of students with disabilities and English learners.

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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

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WHAT IS PBIS?

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based three-tiered framework to improve and integrate all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day. PBIS creates schools where all students succeed.

TIER 1

Tier 1 practices and systems establish a foundation of regular, proactive support while preventing unwanted behaviors. Schools provide these universal supports to all students, school-wide.

TIER 2

Tier 2 practices and systems support students who are at risk for developing more serious problem behaviors before those behaviors start. These supports help students develop the skills they need to benefit from core programs at the school.

TIER 3

At Tier 3, students receive more intensive, individualized support to improve their behavioral and academic outcomes. At this level, schools rely on formal assessments to determine a student's need.

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The home of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). FInd more information on PBIS, how to implement PBIS, get resources and materials, and how to get support. Funded by the U.S.

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National Implementation Research Network (NIRN)

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National Implementation Research Network (NIRN)

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NIRN - The National Implementation Research Network | NIRN Project site

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The National Implementation Research Network is a center of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. All NIRN materials are disseminated through the NIRN UNC website with appropriate attribution and copyright notices. NIRN materials retrieved from other websites may have incorrect attribution or copyright notices.

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Definition of MTSS - Multi-Tiered System of Supports (CA Dept of Education)

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The California Department of Education's definition of Multi-Tiered System of Support and a comparison between it and Response to Instruction and Intervention.

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Florida's Multi-Tiered System of Supports

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Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Guidance is a document entitled MTSS Implementation Components: Ensuring Common Language and Understanding. IT was jointly developed by the FLPBS and FL PS/RtI Projects in order to help support alignment of common language and common understanding regarding MTSS and the use of RtI data.

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Accessibility Guidelines for the Classroom Activity

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Accessibility Guidelines for the Classroom Activity

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Sue Austin:  Deep Sea Diving in a Wheelchair

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Sue Austin:  Deep Sea Diving in a Wheelchair

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Sue Austin: Deep sea diving ... in a wheelchair

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When Sue Austin got a power wheelchair, she felt a tremendous sense of freedom -- yet others looked at her as though she had lost something. In her art, she conveys the spirit of wonder she feels wheeling through the world.

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New restaurant staffed with deaf waiters

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Read Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice for Free in Clusive! - CAST

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Our flagship publication is now available at no cost on our flexible and customizable digital reading tool.

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/ CBS News

(CBS News) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Sunday is Father's Day, which celebrates the special bond between a father and his son. We went "On the Road" to meet a father who couldn't be prouder, and a son who couldn't be more thankful.

When Keith Harris' son Tim was born, a half-hearted smile was all he could muster.

"Our pediatrician asked me if I knew what down syndrome was, and the world turned black at that moment," he told CBS News.

What a difference 26 years makes. Today, in sunny Albuquerque, you'd be hard pressed to find a more glowing father than Keith. Or a more shining example of what truly great parenting can accomplish.

Keith and wife Jeannie, who also have three typical boys, have raised them all with the same high-expectations. As a result, they're all successful. But, none are more successful than Tim, who not only lives on his own but owns his own restaurant.

"He works for me," Tim said, pointing at his brother.

In fact, as far as we know, Tim is the only person with Down syndrome in the country who owns a restaurant.

"Hi! Welcome to my place," he said enthusiastically as he greeted customers.

"All of us who are dads want our kids to wind up independent, happy, secure," Keith explained.

Tim's dad -- a small business owner himself -- provided the initial investment. Other people do the managing and cooking, but Tim is the front man and the genius behind it.

Tim realized that what people really want from a family restaurant is a family feel. That's why here, love isn't just in the air: It's a menu item. You can actually order a free hug from Tim. And even if you don't order it, chances are you'll still get one. Hugs are simply his measure of success: He's given out almost 19,000 hugs. He keeps track of them all on a hug counter.

Of course, profits are adding up too. Tim even has expansion plans. Yet no matter how big he gets, Tim says he will always be indebted to the man gave him his first hug.

"He's my super hero and my inspiration," he said about his father.

"We're happy for you," Keith told his son.

"Thank you Dad," Tim replied.

I don't think any one of us can imagine the time and tears that went into this moment right here -- that made it possible for Keith and Jeannie to walk away from their son and know that he will be alright with or without them. Only Tim knows that, which is why this Father's Day no father in America will be any more appreciated than his.

"I love my dad so much," Tim said.
To contact On the Road, or to send us a story idea, e-mail us.
Trending News

Steve Hartman

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Tim's Place restaurant takes unique approach thanks to special owner

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Tim Harris, who has Down syndrome, owns and operates an Albuquerque restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and thousands of hugs

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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National Center on Universal Design for Learning

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The center supports the effective and widescale implementation of UDL through a variety of activities.

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Angela Lee Duckworth: Grit: The power of passion and perseverance

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Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of "grit" as a predictor of success.

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The Power of belief -- mindset and success | Eduardo Briceno | TEDxManhattanBeach

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the best way to teach all students effectively and break down barriers to learning-but how can busy teachers get started with UDL right now? Find the answers in the second edition of this bestselling, teacher-trusted primer, created by internationally recognized UDL expert Loui Lord Nelson.

Thoroughly updated to reflect new research and developments in the field of UDL, this book gives K-12 teachers a reader-friendly UDL introduction and a practical framework for implementation, with guidelines and checkpoints for designing effective, barrier-free lesson plans and learning environments. You'll learn how to use the three core principles of UDL-Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression-to present information in multiple ways and ensure access for all learners. Throughout the book, detailed examples, stories, illustrations, teacher reflections, and activities reinforce UDL principles and help you put them into practice in both virtual and in-person settings.

Written in first person, like a face-to-face talk with a passionate educator, this research-based book will guide you in designing equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning environments that meet the needs of diverse learners. An essential UDL introduction for both preservice and inservice educators!

Key insights from the latest neuroscience research

Useful stories and practical tips from teachers implementing UDL

Technology bytes: timely tips and ideas on how to enhance online learning with UDL

Expert guidance on current topics, including culturally responsive teaching, urban education, and a focus on the expert learner

"Ponder this" prompts throughout the book to help readers consider new ideas and discover additional resources

End-of-chapter "check-ins" that help readers apply what they've learned

ONLINE MATERIALS: Designing instruction with UDL is easier than ever with these online resources, available as printable downloads: CAST UDL Guidelines; an Identifying Your Resources chart; a UDL design cycle graphic; a UDL lesson plan flowchart; and classroom resource mapping charts for elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

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udl; inclusion; students with disabilities; curriculum design; individualized instruction; inclusive education; executive function; self-regulation; self-assessment; engagement

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is the best way to teach all students effectively and break down barriers to learning-but how can busy teachers get started with UDL right now? Find the answers in the second edition of this bestselling, teacher-trusted primer, created by internationally recognized UDL expert Loui Lord Nelson.

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Why Employability Skills? Successful careers are built on solid personal and interpersonal skills. Defining, measuring, and building these skills- even naming them- can be challenging. In an effort to leverage and connect the efforts of policy makers, educators, and employers, the U.S. Department of Education compiled the Employability Skills Framework and developed related tools, media and resources.
Click on the framework to learn more
Applied knowledge is the thoughtful integration of academic knowledge and technical skills, put to practical use in the workplace.
Applied knowledge falls into two main areas:

Developing effective relationships in the workplace requires a combination of interpersonal skills and personal qualities.

Workplace skills are the abilities employees need to successfully accomplish work tasks. Workplace skills include:

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Why Employability Skills? Successful careers are built on solid personal and interpersonal skills. Defining, measuring, and building these skills- even naming them- can be challenging. In an effort to leverage and connect the efforts of policy makers, educators, and employers, the U.S. Department of Education compiled the Employability Skills Framework and developed related tools, media and resources.

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Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD

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It is important to plan for how you will pay for things in the future. Learn about benefits available from the government.

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We understand self-determination to refer to a characteristic of a person that leads them to make choices and decisions based on their own preferences and interests, to monitor and regulate their own actions and to be goal-oriented and self-directing.

The DD Act definition of self-determined actions, as noted below, suggests that both the abilities of the person and the opportunities presented by the environment contribute to the degree of self-determination that can be expressed.

DD Act Self-Determined Actions:

An individual with developmental disabilities, with assistance:

has the ability and opportunity to make choices and decisions;

has the ability and opportunity to exercise control over services, supports, and other assistance;

has the authority to control resources and obtain needed services;

has the opportunity to participate in and contribute to their communities;

has the support, including financial, to advocate, develop leadership skills, become trained as a self-advocate, and participate in coalitions and policy-making.

In line with this social approach, we have adopted a social-ecological approach by which we consider self-determination to reflect the interaction of factors in both the personal and environmental domains.

What is Self-Determination and Why is It Important to People with Developmental Disabilities?

Written and Presented by Michael Wehmeyer

Section 1: Expectations

Section 2: Defining Self-Determination

In Section One Dr. Wehmeyer discusses the expectations that are held for people with developmental disabilities as well as setting expectations for self-determination in their lives.

In Section Two, Dr. Wehmeyer discusses the definition of self-determination--"just another word for a life filled with rising expectations, dignity, respect, and opportunities."

Section 3: Self-Caused Action

Section 4: Enhancing Personal Capacity

In Section Three, Dr. Wehmeyer discusses how self-determination is not about being in control but rather is about causing things to happen in one's own life.

In Section Four, Dr. Wehmeyer demonstrates how self-determination enhances the personal capacity of people with developmental disabilities.

Section 5: Ray's Story Questions

In Section Five, Dr. Wehmeyer answers the question, "What is self-determination and why is it important?" using the life story of Ray Gagne. Dr. Wehmeyer's lecture concludes with a question and answer session.

What Self-Determination Means to Self-Advocates

We asked self-advocates what self-determination means to them; this is what they told us! Featuring Tia Nelis, Mitch Levitz, Mia Peterson, and Bill Krebs.

Self-advocates tell in their own words, "What is Self-Determination and Why is it Important" -- the first in a series of topic-related videos for the National Gateway to Self-Determination.

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We understand self-determination to refer to a characteristic of a person that leads them to make choices and decisions based on their own preferences and interests , to monitor and regulate their own actions and to be goal-oriented and self-directing .

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National Center for Learning Disabilities

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National Center for Learning Disabilities

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NCLD - National Center for Learning Disabilities

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National Center for Learning Disabilities

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Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things.

Some people describe executive function as "the management system of the brain." That's because the skills involved let us set goals, plan, and get things done. When people struggle with executive function, it impacts them at home, in school, and in life.

There are three main areas of executive function. They are:

Executive function is responsible for many skills, including:

Paying attention

Organizing, planning, and prioritizing

Starting tasks and staying focused on them to completion

Understanding different points of view

Regulating emotions

Self-monitoring (keeping track of what you're doing)

Executive functioning skills usually develop quickly in early childhood and into the teen years. But they keep developing into the mid-20s. When kids are younger, some may lag behind peers for a while. As they get older, though, they may have fewer challenges as teens and young adults.

People struggling with executive skills may:

Avoid COVID Slide with tips and tools designed to help your child return to the classroom.

Have trouble starting and/or completing tasks

Have difficulty prioritizing tasks

Forget what they just heard or read

Have trouble following directions or a sequence of steps

Panic when rules or routines change

Have trouble switching focus from one task to another

Get overly emotional and fixate on things

Have trouble organizing their thoughts

Have trouble keeping track of their belongings

Have trouble managing their time

Trouble with executive function isn't a diagnosis or a learning disability. But it's common in people who learn and think differently. Everyone with ADHD has trouble with it. And lots of people with learning challenges struggle with executive function, too.

These difficulties can cause trouble with learning. But they don't mean that people are lazy or not intelligent. People who struggle with executive function are just as smart and work just as hard as other people.

There's been a lot of research into what causes trouble with executive function and ADHD. Here are two main factors.

Also, trouble with executive function often occurs with learning challenges.

Learning disabilities don't always involve a problem with executive function. But it's not uncommon for kids with dyslexia or dyscalculia , for example, to also have trouble with executive skills. Learn how problems with executive function can impact reading and math.

Slow processing speed isn't a problem with executive function. But it can cause trouble with it. Learn more about slow processing speed.

Testing should be done as part of a full evaluation that looks at many areas of learning and thinking. These evaluations, which schools do for free, are often done by psychologists. But there are other types of professionals who do this type of testing.

Some of these same professionals offer treatments and approaches like:

Behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Behavior therapy helps people replace negative behaviors with positive ones. CBT helps kids deal with thoughts and feelings and manage behavior.

Medications. There are no medications just for executive function, but there are medications for ADHD.

Organizational coaching. These are consultants you can hire. They're not tutors who help build academic skills. Instead, they work on building organization and time management skills. They can also work on study skills. Learn more about organizational coaches.

For educators: Learn about strategy instruction as a teaching practice that can help these students.

You can think of executive function as "the management system of the brain."

It includes skills like self-control, organization, and flexible thinking.

People with ADHD struggle with executive function.

About the Author

About the Author

The Understood Team is made up of passionate writers, editors, and community moderators. Many of them learn and think differently, or have kids who do.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Philip D. Zelazo, PhD is the Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota.

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Executive function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. We use these skills every day to learn, work, and manage daily life. Trouble with executive function can make it hard to focus, follow directions, and handle emotions, among other things.

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Common Core Resources for Special Education - Special Education (CA Dept of Education)

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Resources and guidelines on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for the Special Education Community.

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Educational Benefit Chart w/Family & Guardian Questions

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Educational Benefit Chart w/Family & Guardian Questions