State Directed Projects with the

Training/Technical Assistance Centers (T/TACs) 2010-11

These statewide projects with T/TACs provide professional development for implementing effective practices.  Each project addresses one or more factors that are associated with building capacity of instructional settings including schools, classrooms, and the community for students with disabilities, to access and make progress in the general education curriculum in the least restrictive environment.

Project

Academic Review Follow-Up: Special Assistance for Schools in Improvement

Patricia Abrams
Special Education Instructional Services Office &

Kathleen Smith
School Improvement Office

Coordinate participation and follow-up technical assistance for specific schools addressing the needs of students with disabilities.

Web site: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/
school_improvement/index.shtml

Assistive Technology

John Eisenberg
Instruction Support & Related Services Office &

Mary Wilds, T/TAC at Old Dominion University

Provide training and technical assistance on assistive technology with a focus on access to the general curriculum and support for including students with disabilities in general classrooms and community settings.

Web sites:

http://www.ttaconline.org/ select region from map then OnlineTraining tab

Online training tab:

Information on accessible instructional materials is available at Virginia’s accessible instructional materials Center (VA-AIM) http://kihd.gmu.edu/aim

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Samantha Marsh
Special Education Instructional Services Office

Coordinate information and training for personnel in schools serving children with autism spectrum disorders. Provide support for, and participate on VA’s interagency autism council to improve services for individuals with autism from birth through adulthood.

Web site:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/disabilities/autism/index.shtml

http://www.ttaconline.org/

http://www.autismtrainingva.org/

http://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu

Behavior Assessment and Intervention &

Effective School-wide Discipline

Irene Walker-Bolton
Special Education Instructional Services Office

Provide training and information on conducting functional behavior assessment and developing behavior intervention plans. Provide training and technical assistance to schools on the positive behavior support model to address a systematic approach to practices that decrease inappropriate student behavior.

Web sites:

www.ttac.odu.edu/esd

Special Education and Student Services Site Index, select Functional Behavior Assessment

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/
tech_asst_prof_dev/index.shtml

Early Childhood

Transition and Preschool

Phyllis Mondak
Special Education Instructional Services Office

Provide training and technical assistance for personnel working with toddlers who transition from early intervention services to special education programs to use effective practices in early childhood education. Professional development addresses practices that foster students with disabilities' interaction with their non-disabled peers and early learning standards, including pre-literacy.

Collect, analyze, disseminate data on the State Performance Plan indicator addressing preschool students’ outcomes.

Websites:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/
early_childhood/index.shtml

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

Jeff Phenicie

Special education instructional services

Teresa Lee

Special education Instructional Services Office

Provide training and technical assistance for developing IEPs for students with disabilities using a curriculum approach to develop a standards-based IEP. Sample IEP form as available.

Website:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/iep_instruct_svcs/index.shtml

Literacy for Middle and High Schools: Strategic Instruction Model & Content Literacy Continuum

Tom Manthey
Special Education Instructional Services Office &

Diane Gillam
University of Kansas

Establish coordinated, statewide professional development to improve literacy for students with disabilities that will enable them to be successful in learning the Standards of Learning (SOL) content, using the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) and Content Literacy Continuum (CLC) from the University of Kansas’ Center on Research and Learning. Professional development is targeted to teachers in middle and high schools.

Websites:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/content_
literacy_continuum/index.shtml

University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning http://www.ku-crl.org/

Standards of Learning (SOL) Enhanced Scope & Sequence Plus+

Jeff Phenicie
Special Education Instructional Services Office

Debbie Pfeiffer
Instruction Support and Related Services Office

Provide resources to elementary, middle, and high school teachers in the delivery of Standards of Learning (SOL) content (English, mathematics, science, history/social science) at all grade levels to students using differentiated instructional techniques and technology. Resources for use with assessment collections of evidence are included.

Web site:

http://www.ttaconline.org/ select region from map then SOL Enhanced tab

Secondary Transition Activities

Marianne Moore
Special Education Instructional Services Office

Provide leadership, support, resources, training, and technical assistance for various projects. Collect, analyze, disseminate data on State Performance Plan indicators addressing transition and postsecondary outcomes. Provide coordination, training and technical assistance to local school personnel in assessing their IEP process to meet federal and state requirements. Assists divisions in identifying programs and activities that will help youth reach their post school goals.

“I’m Determined”

Improves self determination skills (self advocacy, problem solving, leadership skills) in youth with disabilities. Develops resources for elementary through high school educators.

Regional/Local Projects

Support regional and/or local activity including: transition councils, college orientation events, workforce partnerships, employment & postsecondary opportunities for students with low-incidence disabilities.

Transition Matrix/College Guide

Develop and maintain information that maps transition resources for students, families, and service providers with information about searching for, and attending college, as well as being successful in college. Includes links to Virginia colleges and universities.

Transition Events

Facilitate events for enhancing awareness and knowledge about secondary transition including the Virginia Transition Forum.

Web sites:

http://www.ttaconline.org/

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/
transition_svcs/index.shtml

Instructional Consultation Teams

Wayne Barry
Student Services Office

Establish and maintain instructional consultation and support team process in elementary and middle schools to serve as model sites and provide support and training to the sites. The process embellishes pre-referral activities and facilitates professional development toward improving student performance.

Website:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/instructional_
consultation_team/index.shtml

Intellectual Disabilities Priority Project

Samantha Marsh
Instruction Support & Related Services Office

Provide instructional resources, training, and technical assistance for teachers of students with cognitive disabilities, and implement training and technical on the state’s alternate assessment based on Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL).

Web sites: http://www.ttaconline.org/ select region from map then Assessment tab

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/disabilities/
intellectual_disability/index.shtml

Literacy Academic Instruction for Special Educators

Teresa Lee
Special Education Instructional Services

This informal network of technical assistance providers, in collaboration with Department general instruction offices’ staff to disseminate information and assist school personnel in accessing professional development in reading, mathematics and other academic areas for students with disabilities.

Website:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/index.shtml