Special Education Administrators,

Special Education Learning Experiences for Competency in Teaching (SELECT) is a federally funded program sponsored by the Arizona Department of Education/Exceptional Student Services and is offered through the Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University. SELECT courses are recommended for special and general education teachers, administrators, related service personnel, paraeducators, and other interested individuals.

Certified school personnel can take SELECT classes for certificate renewal hours. SELECT classes can be taken for university credit for those teachers or administrators who are required by their school districts to have official transcripts and for those who may need to transfer hours out of state (tuition and associated fees apply). The classes can also be taken for professional growth contact hours for free.

To continually improve the SELECT course offerings, please take the Needs Assessment Survey to provide information about where you work, what you do, and what training you think would be the most valuable to the professional growth of special education and general education personnel who work with students with disabilities. Please share this survey with your colleagues and staff.

For more information, please email the SELECT inbox.

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following math professional learning opportunities with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

The following virtual sessions are being offered via Zoom and are free to attend.  Click the session link to view the session description and to pre-register.

Take a D.I.P. (Daily Inclusive Practices) into Desmos’ Polygraphs for Grades 4–12 

Wednesday, August 31 from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Creating Culturally Linguistic and Inclusive Math Spaces: Using Interactive Read-Alouds for Grades K–12 

Tuesday, September 13 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Splat! for Grades K–6 

Wednesday, September 21st from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Desmos’ Marbleslides for Grades 7–12 

Wednesday, October 26th from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Putting the L in S.T.E.M. for Grades K–12 

Tuesday, November 29 from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Take a D.I.P. into Three-Act Tasks for Grades K–5 

Wednesday, November 30th from 4:00–5:00 p.m. 

Take a D.I.P. into Three-Act Tasks for Grades 6–12 

Thursday, December 1st from 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers (Grades K–6)

Wednesday, December 14th from 3:30–5:00 p.m.

Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

 In collaboration with the Paraprofessional Resource & Research Center and the CEEDAR Center, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has developed Effective and High-Leverage Practices for Paraeducators, a free, on-demand, eLearning program for paraeducators.

 Paraeducator participants engage with interactive learning activities, watch videos, and explore resources to support their effective implementation of the high-leverage practices in special education. Participants have access to the program for one full year from the date of their registration through June 1, 2024. PD certificates are available for each phase or the entire completed program. Membership in CEC is not required for program participation.

 Visit the CEC website for more information and to register for the eLearning program.

 Also, be sure to check out the Core Competencies for Special Education Paraeducators, recently updated paraeducator competencies released by CEC based on the four areas of the high-leverage practices in special education.

Special Education Administrators,

Project EASEL, in partnership with ADE, would like to invite you to tune into the Exploring Strategies for Social Emotional Learning fall and spring professional learning series. We plan to share a variety of information and strategies that will support your understanding and implementation of assertiveness, self-efficacy, and self-regulation. 

Registration is required for each session. Please view the this flyer with details of upcoming sessions and registration links. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays at 3:00 p.m.

Topics include:

Middle School Students Can Self-Regulate: Strategies for Supporting Self-Regulation

• September 20, 2022

Teaching Middle School Students to Persist Through Challenging Tasks Using Self-Efficacy

• October 11, 2022

Preparing for Postsecondary Success: Teaching High School Students to Self-Regulate

• November 8, 2022

Strengthening Confidence and Persistence: Strategies to Increase Self-Efficacy in High School Students

• January 10, 2023

Teaching Students Respectful Communication: Understanding Assertiveness

• February 21, 2023

Empowering Arizona with Social Emotional Learning

• April 4, 2023

On behalf of Project EASEL, we want to say, “welcome back to a new and exciting school year,” and we look forward to seeing you virtually this fall semester.

For more information or if you have any questions, please email Pattie Noonan.

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following professional development opportunity jointly offered by ADE/ESS teams:

The Heart, Art, Craft, and Sciences of Reading/Writing for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities

The Exceptional Student Services Professional Learning and Sustainability, Special Populations, and Assistive Technology teams are partnering to offer a professional learning opportunity focused on a literacy strengths-based teaching and learning approach for students with low-incidence disabilities in grades K–12.

This day-and-a-half, in-person training will focus on the sciences of reading and writing, adapted to meet the complex needs of all students at Tier 1. The Assistive Technology team will also share tips, tricks, and tools on using technology to enhance reading and writing for all students. Educators will walk away with skills and strategies that can be implemented the next day. This literacy training is for all educators! Participants can earn 10.75 professional development credits for attending the training.

September 23, 2022

• 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (lunch provided)

September 24, 2022

• 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Materials

Participants will receive the book, Fundamentals of Literacy Instruction and Assessment, Second Edition.

Cost

The fee for the class is $40 (includes textbook and Friday lunch).

Location

Arizona Department of Education

100 N. 15th Avenue, Suite #300

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Please email Sandra Figueroa or email Christy Hegebush with any questions.  

Register today!

Special Education Directors,

Please see the following information regarding an external professional development opportunity made available by the Arizona Deafblind Project:

Do you or someone you know work with a student with combined vision and hearing loss?

We are pleased to announce registration is now open for the Arizona Deafblind Project's Intervener Training Program. This training addresses the need for high-quality, evidence-based practices for anyone who serves children and youth with combined vision and hearing loss. 

Our flyer describes this training in more depth and includes a syllabus for this year’s Cohort. If you would like more information on the Open Hands, Open Access (OHOA) learning modules we utilize, check out this Introductory Video.

Thank you in advance for considering this training for yourself, your colleagues, and/or those you supervise. Please consider forwarding this information to others who may be interested. Here is the link for ONLINE REGISTRATION, which closes on August 26th. Our work begins together in September.  

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to any one of the Arizona Deafblind Project Staff. 

Megan Mogan, Deafblind Specialist 

Amy Trollop, Deafblind Specialist

Pat Jung, Deafblind Specialist

Lisa Yencarelli, Project Director

Special Education Directors,

Please see information about a external professional development opportunity:

Are you interested in improving individualized education programs (IEPs)? Are you looking for resources and strategies to help prepare educators to promote progress for students with disabilities? Join the PROGRESS Center for a free two-day virtual learning event, Prepping for PROGRESS! Adding New Tools to Your Backpack (Toolbox) for the Start of School on August 3-4, 2022. The event will focus on sharing information, resources, and lessons learned to support the development and implementation of high-quality educational programming for students with disabilities. ​Learn more about the event and register for sessions on the PROGRESS website!  

Special Education Administrators,

Starting in August 2022, the National Resource Center for Paraeducators (NRCP) and the Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) have organized a year of monthly, low-cost, professional development webinars for paraeducators, teachers, administrators, etc.

Saturday Mornings with the NRCP!

Registration is open and ongoing for 12 webinars! One year of professional development!

Join us on the second Saturday of each month for exciting topics and presenters. The first six months will cover topics such as:

• Working Effectively with Students with Challenging and Severe Behaviors
• Teachers and Paraeducators Team-Teaching in the Classroom and On a Tight Schedule: Enhancing Communication Between Paraeducators and General Education Teachers
• Autism/Non-Verbal Trainings/Strategies
• IEPs, IDEA, Behavior Management Plans, and Transition Plans: What Are My Roles and Responsibilities?
• Dispelling the Myths of Unreachable, Unteachable, and Uncaring Students
• Ten Ways to Help the Non-Worker: Jumpstarting Work Completion Behavior

These webinar topics were selected based on feedback collected during the 2021–22 NRCP Regional conferences. The topics were then prioritized based on responses from a participant survey shared with conference participants and across social media outlets. As an administrator or district and state leader, if you have other topics you feel would be pertinent, please feel free to email us.

Each webinar will cost $25 per person. Session bundles are available. Six webinars can be purchased for $125, or all 12 can be purchased for $250. Each webinar will also be recorded and made available to all registrants for a limited time. Group discounts of 20% are available for groups of five or more participants (not limited to specific sessions or bundles). Email Laura Lema for more information and discount codes.

Please review the Save the Date(s) flyer. Each 2-hour webinar will be held from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (please be mindful of your specific time zone).  

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following virtual math professional learning opportunities with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms (Grades K-5)

Special Guest Speaker: Andrew Gael 

Tuesday, June 21, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms.

Count Me In! Integers Series

Attendance at both Count Me In! Integers Series sessions is not required but recommended. A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session.

Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers 

Thursday, July 7, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Adding and Subtracting Integers. 

Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers

Friday, July 8, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Count Me In! Exploring Multiplying and Dividing Integers.

 Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers 

Monday, July 11, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Introduction to Fluency with Whole Numbers

Count Me In! Algebra Tiles Series 

Attendance at both Count Me In! Algebra Tiles sessions is recommended but not required. These sessions will not be recorded. A computer or tablet with the ability to access Google slides is not required but is strongly recommended to enable full participation in the session.

Algebra Tiles Part 1: Exploration of Algebraic Expressions

Tuesday, July 12, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 1.

 Algebra Tiles Part 2: Exploration of Substitution and Solving Equations

Wednesday, July 13, 2022 from 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

Register in advance for Algebra Tiles Part 2.

 Note: Accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of each webinar. 

 Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Special Education Directors,

Please share the following virtual math professional learning opportunity with general and special education teachers who teach mathematics.

Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms (Grades K–5)

Register in advance for Creating Accessible Mathematics Classrooms.

Presenter:                 Andrew Gael

Date/Time:                Tuesday, June 21, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Format:                      Virtual (Zoom Meeting)

Fee:                            Free

Participants:             Educators in Grades K–5

Description:

This workshop aims to provide a foundation for mathematics teachers to work successfully with all students in grades K–5. Participants will critique and construct their understanding of ability and disability and how this understanding applies to the mathematics classroom. They will activate prior knowledge of Universal Design for Learning and reflect on best practices for working with students with disabilities. A major focus of the workshop is the design and implementation of instructional routines and activities as a way to increase student access to mathematical content.

About Our Speaker:

Andrew Gael is a national speaker who is the Curriculum Director of Mathematics, grades K–12, at the Cooke School and Institute, a school for students with disabilities in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City. He also has worked with pre-service teachers at The City College of New York (CCNY). Additionally, he has consulted with Illustrative Mathematics and Desmos on the development of their middle school curricula. He has also developed and facilitated professional development courses for Mathematics in the City at CCNY and Mount Holyoke College.

He has been a member of NCTM’s Publishing Committee, where he was instrumental in the publication of Humanizing Disability in Mathematics Education: Forging New Paths. He has also contributed to publications such as: NCTM’s Math Tasks to Talk About blog, Becoming the Math Teacher You Wish You’d Had, Motivated, and the Global Math Department newsletter.

Please email Jenifer Fernandez or email Rob Hilliker with any questions.

Note: Accommodations must be requested at least one week in advance of the webinar.