PDT-TchSP-29 - Understanding the Special Education Process and IEP

Course Description

Note: This multi-day workshop will be hybrid in format combining a blend of in-person and online programming

This workshop will provide all teachers new to the profession and paraprofessionals with a better understanding of the special education process. Participants will be guided through the process from suspicion of a disability - referral, evaluation, determination of eligibility, and development of the individual education program (IEP) - to on-going monitoring. A practical approach of using IEPs for which educators will actually be responsible will be used to deepen participants’ understanding of their role and responsibility relative to their students with disabilities.

As a result of taking this workshop, participants will:

• Articulate how to implement relevant goals and accommodations for each of their students with disabilities;
• Describe the steps in the special education process and components of the Individual Education Program (IEP);
• Describe present levels of academic and functional performance, special factors, and the transition plan for each of their students with disabilities;
• Describe the annual goals/objectives/benchmarks, dates of implementation, and determination of progress for each of their students with disabilities;
• Describe the special education services/related services/supplemental aids for each of their students with disabilities; and
• Describe the explanation of non-participation, stated and district assessment accommodations, consideration of extended day/year, and accommodations for each of their students with disabilities.

This workshop will be a combination of in-person and asynchronous learning and participation

• Two (2) in-person sessions will take place on Saturday, August 13 (9:00 am-12:00 pm) and Saturday, September 10 (9:00am to 12:00pm) at the Pittsfield Middle/High School Media Center, 23 Oneida Street, Pittsfield, NH.
• Four (4) weeks of online discussion forum assignments using Google Documents will take place the weeks of August 15, August 22, August 29 & September 6. Forums will be succinct and respectful of time constraints for teachers at the beginning of the school year.
• Participants who complete the program will earn a total of 1.6 CEUs (16 hours) from 6 in-person hours and 10 asynchronous online hours.

Funded in part by the US Department of Education Teacher Quality Partnership Grant #U336S160019.