PVFP Cohort 11- Session Content Response Board by Tracy Ficca https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb After viewing the full recording for the PVFP session you missed, create a post for every topic that was presented during your absence. Be sure that your first and last name is written at the TOP in the title section of each content post that you create. For each topic area - reflect on at least one key point that resonated with you and explain how you either do currently apply the information or will implement/reflect the new information that was provided. Feel free to include any documents or resource links that you utilize or want to include or share. NOTE: The most current session content will be listed to the left. Remember to scroll, if necessary. All recordings must be viewed, and posts completed prior to the next scheduled PVFP session. When you have completed all necessary posts, email Paul Quinn at pquinn@pattanpgh.net to let her know. en-us 2020-11-18 14:53:56 UTC 2024-02-13 14:48:47 UTC hello@padlet.com It was interesting to learn that PA was a pioneer to meaningful educational benefit analysis! I thought the suggestion of keeping a side-by-side of federal laws governing special education and Chapter 14 regulations was a great suggestion. I currently use several PATTAN and PDE publications to refer to when considering legality but I think use of a side-by-side comparison will help me stay better organized and help when educating staff/ parents about current regulations, rights, etc. (Denelle Diehl, Director of Education- Tussey Mountain School District---1 year administrative experience) https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952496058 2020-11-23 14:37:40 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952496058 I really liked the suggestion of sharing the State Performance Plan Indicators with other administrators. I have found in my short time as a special education administrator that not all are informed about what we track in special education and why. Having an informed administrative team will help re-focus the efforts of busy administrators toward a long-range vision for the district, as well as create systematic programing not only in special education but in the general and regular education curriculum. I think this kind of continuity would not only make everyone's job easier...but ultimately be of benefit to all students, ensuring equity in education. (Denelle Diehl, Director of Education-Tussey Mountain School District---1 year administrative experience) https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952677754 2020-11-23 15:17:28 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952677754 504 Service Agreements are an area where I did not have as much experience, prior to taking my current position. The information presenting IDEA eligibility vs additional services/ 504 processes was consistent with what I had learned elsewhere. (Ironically, the homework video was one I stumbled across in my own research prior to this fellowship.) This is an area where I want to continue to build capacity. Earlier this year, I developed a brochure for parents regarding some of the special services available in my district. I am going to share that, as any feedback regarding the 504 process and parent education is welcome. I am also curious if anyone has a similar resource for parents. Thanks! -Denelle Diehl, Director of Education (Tussey Mountain School District)--1 year administrative experience https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952807807 2020-11-23 15:45:36 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952807807 Appropriately reporting special education requirements was an area that gave me the most anxiety, prior to taking an administrative position! I was very nervous that I would miss reporting a requirement! This was a good overview of some of the items we are required to report (such as December 1st Child Count, RISC restraint reporting etc.) The checklist provided by my BSE and featured in the presentation is helpful. I would also encourage other new administrators to utilize opportunities within their IU. Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 provides regional coordination meetings for special education administrators (about every month). These have been invaluable in meeting reporting requirements in special edcuation! https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952948747 -Denelle Diehl (Tussey Mountain School District/ Director of Education)--1 year administrative experience]]> 2020-11-23 16:16:28 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/952948747 Rob Compton https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/992416695 I enjoyed the case law review. Being new to PA, I found the synchronicity of PA and Federal regulation interesting. Similarly to Denelle, I find PaTTAN to be a wonderful resource.

]]> 2020-12-07 00:40:01 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/992416695 Rob Compton, Supervisor of SPED Erie RIse https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/992426890 I Just re read the directions! I only missed Day 2. In MD the 504 process is very different than in PA. I do appreciate the diligence that goes into a 504 in PA.]]> 2020-12-07 00:45:42 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/992426890 Rob Compton, Supervisor of SPED Erie Rise https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/992434181 Special Education reporting was new to me. I greatly appreciate all the help from the IU and BSE. I found the BSE check list invaluable. If not me reporting then I wanted to know who reported the information.]]> 2020-12-07 00:50:03 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/992434181 Autumn Reely https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995447023 I love reviewing special education law. I find it so interesting to analyze cases and read the outcome and decisions. I enjoyed listening to the groups present on each case. I think it is very important at Special Education administrators to know the "landmark" cases and to keep apprised of ongoing case law that impacts us, especially when it comes to service delivery. I remember attending various trainings when the Endrew F. decision was released and working with administrators to determine exactly what that meant for each of us. The legality of our jobs can be very intense. I also liked that it was shared about the IDEA/Ch 14 Side By Side. I have that document and keep it on hand. I even have a copy at my house! I gave a copy to each of my supervisors when they started to work under me. This is something I refer to when I'm not certain about an answer. It comes in handy and has definitely saved me in some situations. I've learned to NOT just take someone's word for something - learn to research and check it out for yourself. 

]]> 2020-12-07 18:41:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995447023 Autumn Reely https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995479797 I thought the State Performance Plan Indicators was a good share. I was aware of most of them but thee were a few that I did not know. I have paid much more attention to Indicator 13 as our district recently went through a great deal of training in relation to post secondary transition. Our district has also been a part of the SSIP. We have worked for a few years, collecting student data. Since I've just taken over as director last October, I've been much more involved. This has been very beneficial for our district. Because of this, and the training and support we received, we had several students who graduated high school who were not on track to graduate and did not have any interest in graduating. This was a great motivator to our staff as they saw the benefit of all the hard work they put into this initiative. ]]> 2020-12-07 18:48:16 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995479797 Autumn Reely https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995510936 I appreciated the information on the 504 Process. I feel that I've been involved in the 504 process since I've been an administrator. Although the special education department does not oversee 504 Plans in our district, I have answered various questions from parents, staff, etc. I think the biggest difference for a 504 Plan v. an IEP is the need for specially designed instruction. This is the "key" that I tell my staff. If the child has a disability, but does not require specially designed instruction in order to be successful and access the general education curriculum. I think it is important to know that a 504 Plan is a federal document and not a state document like an IEP. I liked the scenarios that we worked through because it was helpful to "talk through" situations. As we all know, every situation is different.

]]> 2020-12-07 18:54:26 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995510936 Autumn Reely https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995518401 As a new director (taking over last October), this has been the most time-consuming learning process of my job. Last year we were going through Cyclical Monitoring. Our monitoring period was right after the shut down in March. We were the first district to go through CMCI virtually. Our chairs were magnificent and extremely helpful, but it was a lot of work. This was my first experience looking at various data resources regarding district-wide special education data. I have also been going through all of the reporting for special education. I will say, it is extremely time-consuming and it causes me a great deal of anxiety with all of the deadlines, but I love looking at data. I love seeing the information and being able to use this data to drive district-wide programming decisions to make sure we are doing what is best for students and optimizing our resources. This has been one of the most eye-opening learning experiences I've had as an administrator. ]]> 2020-12-07 18:55:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/995518401 Marisa Federici, Sped Director Union Area SD https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1000060171 I was unaware of all of the reporting requirements when I first started in the 19-20 school year. At my first LEA contact meeting, our SPOC pointed out districts who had not yet submitted reports. I had no idea what she was talking about! Our SPOC was kind enough to have a one on one meeting with me to go through all of the required reporting. This was a good overview of all of the reporting requirements. It would be great if this could be available to all new Sped administrators, as they could be unaware as I was!]]> 2020-12-08 20:50:37 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1000060171 Kate Jacovino, Wissahickon SD https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049140009 Meaningful benefit means that a student's program affords the student the opportunity for "significant learning"... - At my district, I always tell my teachers that development of an IEP is like a funnel: The team first analyzes all current data (academic, functional, transition), input, and how disability affects participation in the general ed curriculum and determine strengths and needs. This then drives the development of SAS, SDI, related services, supports, etc. without the consideration of where this is occurring - all based on what the student requires to be successful. Then the discussion turns to the placement questions for consideration by the IEP team.

Programming and services were found to be able to be provided within the neighborhood school. Nothing outlined in the IEP that required services delivered in LSS. IEP indicates the student did not require any other special considerations, including an indication that the student did not exhibit bx that implemented the student's learning or the learning of others." AND "Student has independent skills in some regards and requires assistance in others..." Student seems to have skills that would enable "meaningful benefit" in a learning support environment as outlined in the IEP (heavily academic vs functional). This case widened my understanding of how we are documenting supports in our students' IEPs, especially when we are discussing and documenting the need for additional supports outside of the general education classroom or neighborhood school.]]> 2021-01-02 21:32:27 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049140009 Kate Jacovino, Wissahickon SD https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049160961 2021-01-02 22:14:28 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049160961 Kate Jacovino, Wissahickon SD https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049161274 Out of district placements have a reputation with families and there service delivery does not match that reputation. This input really stuck out to me. In my experience this is so true and it is important that placement decisions are data driven and like Christine shared, it is so important to determine why the parents are asking for a placement outside of district and then discussing what the provision of services could look like in district.

Districts need a mission statement that also requires the work to support buy-in from staff relating to provision of LRE and inclusion. In my district, we have been doing a lot of district level training, having small group and individual conversations, and providing in the moment guidance during IEP meetings to support placement discussions and answering the questions in the placement section of the IEP.]]> 2021-01-02 22:15:15 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049161274 Kate Jacovino, Wissahickon SD https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049161313 2021-01-02 22:15:22 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1049161313 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1056377884 So this one was a topic that really hit home for me. We came back fully in person in the fall. We focused all in-services prior to school and then during the fall on google training and helping facilitate moving classes and curriculums to an online format. The admin team created 3 pillars of expectations for our google classroom platform to follow. We created a STEM position to offer a class for K-6 students to learn how to navigate and use their Chromebooks. We had some teachers that were certified Google Classroom Instructors we had sent to trainings last year to be available to assist. We also had some teachers that on their own became google bitmoji classroom experts. We facilitated and gave opportunities every time they arose. We had the Vision, Skills, Resources and Action Plan pieces of the Change Chart covered. But there was no buy in. (Not everyone) the high school teachers were more accepting because of the nature of the kids and curriculums but a majority of the elementary teachers could not get behind this. They basically rioted. However, a short 10 weeks into school we did our first 14 day virtual shut down. This is what allowed us to collect the "Incentives" piece. The teachers saw what the benefit aka incentives were for not only them but their students. Over the course of this 14 day closure, we heard from nearly every one of the elementary teachers stating that they now understood. And it wasn't nearly as bad as they had it pictured to be. What it taught me, was almost what I have learned as a mother, sometimes the piece that makes the difference is the actual experiencing it piece. You essentially have to fail to succeed! We gave everyone ever resource, opportunity, training, skill set, ect the needed. They needed a real life experience to see and embrace the change. ]]> 2021-01-05 16:50:59 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1056377884 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1056493041 When I first became an special ed administrator 6 years ago, our business manager subscribed to a special ed law newsletter. It became so overwhelming for me! Ha! I couldn't even keep my head above water let alone keep up with all these cases and law discussion, ect. I have gotten to the point where I actually enjoy it now and I love learning about the background cases they contributed to special ed today. I was not aware that PA was a pioneer for ed benefit. I have been through the education benefit review process twice now. And I wish I was able to incorporate all of my teachers in this process. It is so insightful to see the IEP's across the board. 
One of the first things my mentor gave me when I got hired was a printed copy of the side-by-side. I keep it on my desk and refer to it often. One of my goals every year has consistently been to spend some solid time reading and comparing. I am hopeful it will happen in 2021. I also ordered several different of the PDE Pattan handout/folder things to have on hand to give to all new teachers. ]]> 2021-01-05 17:13:42 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1056493041 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1056554987 I always appreciate
 anything about 504 plans. I am also in charge of those and I feel like I struggle big time with them. I have had to begin to have the special ed teacher of each grade manage the 504's for that grade level. I usually do the same as Autumn, I try to explain the difference is a need for specially designed instruction and/or direct instruction. ]]> 2021-01-05 17:25:39 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1056554987 Shana Bailor I would never say I have anything down pat but I feel way more comfortable with this than I did 6 years ago. We have put a pretty good system into place. My secretary, myself and our PIMS coordinator. We serve as a check and balance system for each other. I also utalize our shared google calendar. I keep the zero restraint window date opening, certifying staff pools/calendars for access, ect on there as reminders. We also set a goal each fall to have the fall IEP's done on a certain date so we have time to finalize everything and get the December 1 child count done and through before we leave for Thanksgiving break, as we are in rural PA we have the following Monday and Tuesday off for deer season. That typically runs into December 1st. I think communication is the key to meeting deadlines. Also, our state monitor has provided a timeline graph I have printed out and hung as a reminder. One of the other key pieces for me was I took over for my mentor who moved on to a different district, she left with with a notebook aka "my bible" which had all the important deadlines, websites and login information in. https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1057362617

]]> 2021-01-05 20:23:20 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1057362617 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1057381220 I love the idea of sharing the state indicators with the other administrators. I have went through each indicator at least twice now. One of the things I realized was even special education teachers sometimes don't realize what the indicators are and the outcome because they don't work in the specific area they are looking at. One of the things we did prior after analyzing data from Indicator 13 data was to create a spreadsheet tracking credits and classes ect for each student that travels in their "folders" each year. We were able to "catch things" before they became graduation issues. I am fortunate to work in a small district, we are a close administrative team so I am able to share these things with them personally. ]]> 2021-01-05 20:28:54 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1057381220 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060247269 Turned in.]]> 2021-01-06 17:16:53 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060247269 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060266068 Ableism is devaluing disability. I feel fairly fortunate to be in the district I am in. There is a general acceptance, however one of the things I have noticed within the school with certain teachers is if a student looks like they have a disability, then they are more accepting of the classwork expectation. However, if a student has some trauma background, mental health or a less severe learning disability they tend to have trouble accepting that the standards may not be able to be the same as a student without disabilities. There is a meme I found that is so perfectly fitting and I often find myself utilizing it, especially at the beginning of the year when it seems I have to do reminders of adaptations again. (attached at the end)

So another thing we have done is we have a unified bocce ball team. It is really cool, the team is made up of students with and without disabilities. And we play several other schools. It is treated like a PIAA event with the announcer and spectators. ]]> 2021-01-06 17:20:52 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060266068 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060435812 I had trouble with the video after the managing complex change, (1:19 mark) You were breaking until 2:40 and then it goes right to the ableism section.]]> 2021-01-06 17:57:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060435812 Janean Ciancia https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060915592 Within our program I notice we struggle the most with the part of our action plan that includes follow up. We spend a lot of time and planning on the front end creating a vision, including all stakeholders, gaining a consensus, providing training and professional development, and gathering and providing resources. We have a successful roll out and first 0-6 months of a project, but the follow through and cosistency is lacking. Moving forward we need to visit the group for feedback and provide additional training and resources to keep the project going. Evaluation and relfection of the project is key as well as making the necessary changes. I most enjoyed the grahic with the x's that shows the result of the missing componet. ]]> 2021-01-06 19:47:54 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060915592 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060926341 To ensure that a child receives FAPE, the IEP must reasonably be written to gain meaningful benefit. Meaningful benefit allows for significant learning. In addition to the law the student must be placed in the LRE. I always stress that the importance of the present levels because those show the strengths and needs, which drive the rest of the IEP. While I do think the IEP seems to have done a appropriate job of the students strengths and needs they did not consider an option other than the out of district life skills classroom he had been attending. The Finding of Facts for me was that was most important to this case was #23, after reading about the progress he had made on his prior IEP. Also, the nature of his IEP goals. I think the final paragraph for me was the one that cemented everything. I also appreciated that the hearing officer acknowledged what the district was doing. ]]> 2021-01-06 19:50:51 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060926341 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060981357 LRE is something that needs to be reviewed often, I agree with Kate. I have to remind my teachers often not to get caught up in names, they are all special ed teachers. They want to say, "she's the life skills teacher." No, she is a special education teacher that provides life skills but she can also provide other supports as well. ]]> 2021-01-06 20:06:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060981357 Janean Ciancia https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060992255 I am unsure what the activity was as the recording did not mention that portion. I read the documents on the drive in the 12/9-12/10 folder labeled LRE. The calculation practices were helpful as well as the scenarios. The scenarios are similar to what I have experienced as a building principal and special education supervisor.]]> 2021-01-06 20:09:46 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1060992255 Janean Ciancia https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061025786 Question posed in the video: How can you support this culture in your LEA? As new hires and yearly we hold professional development for all staff related to presuming competence. It also includes topics such as people first language. In conjuction with this PD we have times throughout the year and weekly where we celebrate the successes of students weekly and throughout the year. I am grateful to work in a school and organization that helps students learn without making them feel different. I most like the strategies for presuming periodical. ]]> 2021-01-06 20:20:48 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061025786 Janean Ciancia https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061102296 If I were the hearing office I would ask the following questions. - What in district places were considered during this student's educational program from K through now? Can what is being offered in his current placement be offered in his neighborhood school. Is the change for additional one to one support needed for pushing into general educational setting? What interventions were specifically tried and what are the components of the in district special education programs? How does the term meaningful benefit play into this specific case?  I think it refers to the IEP (goals, services, etc.) leading to the student making meaningful progress and maximum benefit to the student. Can he attend his neighorhood school with his peers? Fact findings that were most relevant to me were the student had a one to one. This is significant because that support can help the student in another program/setting. The statement that cements the idea that a student's strengths and needs must be considered is "meaning benefit" statement from paragraph one.]]> 2021-01-06 20:46:11 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061102296 Janean Ciancia https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061439387 LRE scenario 1. I would talk to the parent and see what they want in the new program or what they like about it. Discuss how the current program is working and discuss ways we can incorporate parts of the new program in the current program. Use data to drive decision making - present data. Make sure parent needs and concerns are heard. ]]> 2021-01-06 23:57:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061439387 Janean Ciancia https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061550640  I read the documents on the drive in the 12/9-12/10 folder labeled LRE. The calculation practices were helpful as well as the scenarios. The scenarios are similar to what I have experienced as a building principal and special education supervisor. Our staff could use PD in the area of LRE calculation. ]]> 2021-01-07 01:01:02 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061550640 Janean Ciancia https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061616931 I completed the survey and have started working on my graphic organizer. I haven't gotten an email about my topic. ]]> 2021-01-07 01:33:03 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1061616931 Shana Bailor https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1062809325 LRE Scenario #7. I would look at his specially designed instruction, goals and progress reports to see what kind of progress is being made in the current placement. I would gather as much data as I could about his current progress but also the neighborhood school. 
I have run into this several times, we have a psych in our area that has started to make educational placement decisions for students. He will write a statement that says due to mental health needs the student needs to go to x school. ]]> 2021-01-07 12:11:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1062809325 ESY dana_blair https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1155479150 It was interesting to hear the conversation around ESY.  I feel like we have a pretty tight process in our district but the challenging part, I find, is helping families to understand that ESY is built around maintenance of skills.  It's not designed to "catch a student up."

]]> 2021-02-02 19:02:56 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1155479150 EI Transition dana_blair https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1155490607 As I've worked with our transitioning families I've come to realize that the conceot of what's the same and different from EI to school age is challenging.  One of my goals is to revise some of the parent training sessions to better help fill this knowledge gap.

]]> 2021-02-02 19:05:00 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1155490607 Elizabeth Masson https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1548472791 I am in charge of Extended School Year in my district. Last year was my first year as a supervisor. Due to the pandemic, we provided ESY virtually. It was not ideal, but we were able to pilot what live instruction could like in preparation for this school year. Teachers ran individual or small groups with an instructional assistant present on Zoom. We had about half of the learners participate. Many parents declined services since they felt their child need a break from virtual instruction.  This year, we are not 100% sure what instruction will look like. We did confirm ESY dates, so one step is accomplished. 
 
I really appreciated all the sources uploaded to the Google drive. I have several new special education teachers I am supervising this year. I am meeting with them next week to discuss learner’s progress. I plan to share with them the data collection documents, as well as the resources provided by PaTTAN. I also loved the idea of an ESY training page for parents (mentioned during the recording by another fellow). It would be great to create an ESY 1 - pager to share with parents at IEP meetings. I know many parents question why their child is not eligible for “extra” support. Or they wonder why their child does not qualify due to the fact they have an IEP. If we would be able to provide them a written document they could take with them regarding ESY, it would provide additional points for clarification. 
]]> 2021-05-21 16:53:47 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1548472791 Elizabeth Mason https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1548474789 This week we are having our first set of virtual EI Transition meetings with parents. Last year, I was more of an observer in this process, so I am very excited to be able to take more of a lead role. Transition from EI to SA is a challenging, yet exciting time for parents. After reflecting on our meetings today, parents asked more questions than last year, primarily because of the uncertainty of next school year. Many parents were grateful for our time and appreciated the opportunity to ask questions. My district has been able to offer 5 days of brick and mortar instruction since the beginning of the school year, and parents were pleased to know the brick and mortar option would not likely change. Parents were happy to know they have the option to send their child to school full-time, as many day cares/preschool programs are either virtual or hybrid. One take away I have after today is how we can best get to know the learner before they come to kindergarten. This poses some challenges due to day care/preschool restrictions, but it is something my fellow administrators need to discuss. ]]> 2021-05-21 16:54:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1548474789 Julie Harris harrisjulie1 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1570555388 The Special Education Consult Line was new to me; not new that I didn't know it existed, new that I didn't quite understand it's full function.  I think this is a brilliant idea and resource for parents.  I like that it offers answers to questions for Chapters 14, 15, & 16.  I like that it gives parents an objective answer to their questions or concerns when they are struggling to understand.  I think this is a great resource to point parents toward to help offset due process claims that really could have been avoided if parents found answers to their questions in another manner than seeking an attorney.
To the same note, the mediation process is one that I am in total support of.  I believe a lot of due process is a lack of understanding, on both sides, that if an objective third party were involved, could easily be cleaned up and a solution found.  I believe a lot of times parents have a hard time expressing what their true concerns are, and sometimes, we as school districts, don't always take the time to really hear what the parents are saying.  Mediation provides that time and clarity for all parties to work together as a team to arrive at a solution that is beneficial to everyone.  As for attorneys being involved in mediation, I'm neutral.  I don't see the need, but if it makes a parent more comfortable, ok.

]]> 2021-05-29 15:10:42 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1570555388 Julie Harris harrisjulie1 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1596730713 I enjoyed the AEDY presentation; however I wish these presentations would take us through Leader Services.  As a brand new director, it has been difficult to determine what needs to be done.  I am going to join the Schoology course in order to help direct me on what needs to be done.  With all of that said, I have completed some things by just surfing around Leader and figuring it out.  

I was a former emotional support teacher, so I was already familiar with most of the content delivered.  What was new to me was the settlement agreement between the Department of Justice and PDE.  This made it clear to me why there are so many steps in this process as well as the reports, action plans, etc. that need to be completed.  I do like that students participating in an EL program will follow them.  I believe we often "forget" about these students.  

]]> 2021-06-09 19:42:42 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1596730713 Becky Lieb https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618222546 I find the ABCs resource for supporting students to graduate extremely helpful!  I will be sharing a copy of this with our staff as I have not come across this previously.  We have been identified as an ATSI school for special education students and attendance, so this is particularly helpful to us.  Thanks for sharing it! ]]> 2021-06-21 19:19:25 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618222546 Becky Lieb https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618226706 We currently implement Option 5, by combining Option 1, Option 2, and Option 4. This year we're also hoping to expand upon this further at the high school level, but we need a few things to pan out prior to making this financial commitment. Currently, we have 2 MH therapists, 3 SWs, and contract w/ 1 Psychiatrist to assist our students in our TES programs and those with MH needs. Although we do have a plethora of supports available to these students, we're looking to expand upon the supports available to all students to help intervene earlier and lessen those needing identified.]]> 2021-06-21 19:22:48 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618226706 Becky Lieb https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618234830 The image of The Giving Tree book with the boys picking apples to visually show inequality, equality, equity, and justice is fantastic! I wish I was able to be present during this part of the sessions for the Equity piece as I find everyone needs further and continually educated.]]> 2021-06-21 19:29:33 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618234830 Becky Lieb https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618243307 My coordinator is retiring this year and he completed this each year, so this was particularly helpful to me in educating me a bit more about the process for the restraint reporting. We do have an in-house CPI trainer to continually educate our staff on de-escalation and the laws with restraints, as described in the Penn Link, so this information was familiar, but the reporting part for me was not.]]> 2021-06-21 19:36:52 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1618243307 cjohnston95 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1623737099 The Teacher's Desk Guide to UDL will be exceptionally helpful as we move into beginning of the year in-service discussions about how we will think about moving students forward in each of our grade levels. It promotes teachers to think about how to reach all levels of student learning within their classroom. ]]> 2021-06-24 14:52:58 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1623737099 cjohnston95 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1623741754 I very much appreciate the "rating scale" for Instructional Practices for Behavior Management! I think it provides teachers the ability to reflect and self-rate whether their classrooms demonstrate evidence toward a classroom with effective instructional practices including the area of behavior management. ]]> 2021-06-24 14:55:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1623741754 cjohnston95 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1623852529 These resources will be effective when having discussions with educators regarding the use of High Leverage Practices across all curricular areas and the ability to use these types of practices to reach ALL students, not just special education students!]]> 2021-06-24 16:01:49 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1623852529 Cassandra Doggrell https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1625865847 I found the supplemental document Key Questions to Consider When Planning Lessons to be a great springboard to support discussion with teachers. I can see the benefits of reflecting and discussion as a group.  I think this resource would be great in a beginning of the year meeting or as a follow up in a PLC cohort. It connected UDL to the planning process and rationale for teachers. 


]]> 2021-06-25 20:11:13 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1625865847 Cassandra Doggrell https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1625874913 USC SD
I really enjoyed this topic and presentation by Mathieson. It was helpful to hear his discussion about how the domains are connected and the HLP presented build upon each other.  The professional development tools and resources are very beneficial for planning PD and teacher support.  The ending question of "how will I help staff to better understand and implement HLP?" is the magic question. Mathieson's walk through of the resources and his thinking was critical to taking HLP into action for teachers.  I also want to spend more time exploring the Leadership Guide for HLP.  This looks like a rich and helpful framework. ]]> 2021-06-25 20:22:34 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1625874913 Cassandra Doggrell https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1625887244 USC SD
It was beneficial to hear about and read about the collective research and comprehensiveness of visible learning and Hattie's work. In addition to learning about the big idea of Hattie's work, I found the resource of Influences of Student Achievement to be really interesting. It helped me pause and reflect upon practices across domains and consider the effectiveness level of each.  It also highlighted to me the importance of the school's role in supporting student well being given many of the influence indicators in these areas had a likely negative impact (ex: depression, anxiety, disliked, illness, bullying). Breaking this document down into focus group conversations with teachers would be a great way to build understanding and perspective. ]]> 2021-06-25 20:34:01 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1625887244 Natalya Adelizzi https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348076 I found the needs assessment crucial. I think that ensuring input from all teachers and support staff is critical. ]]> 2021-07-17 14:07:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348076 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348442 Natalya Adelizzi]]> 2021-07-17 14:08:38 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348442 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348518 Natalya Adelizzi]]> 2021-07-17 14:08:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348518 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348563 Natalya Adelizzi]]> 2021-07-17 14:08:59 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348563 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348594 Natalya Adelizzi]]> 2021-07-17 14:09:04 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348594 https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348703 Natalya Adelizzi]]> 2021-07-17 14:09:21 UTC https://padlet.com/tficca/kqimfrc6b9djnvtb/wish/1653348703