This training was developed to promote the recommendation and implementation of quality special education services for all students with disabilities. The modules contained within this training are intended to provide CPSE and CSE chairpersons with a best practices approach to the CPSE/CSE process and their role as a chairperson that is consistent with State law and regulation.

Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) conducts the State Performance Plan (SPP) 13: Secondary Transition compliance review in the Fall of the school year a district is scheduled for monitoring of SPP Indicator 13 (in accordance with the six-year monitoring cycle). The purpose of this training is to review key concepts of the compliance review to ensure districts are developing individualized education programs (IEPs) for students aged 15 and over that meet SPP Indicator 13 compliance requirements. Districts are required to complete this Secondary Transition training in the school year prior to undergoing the compliance review. 

In this session, participants will explore current instructional practices in reading and the impact it has on reading proficiency scores, as well as the context for the importance of equity in reading instruction. It is impossible to ignore the disproportionate impact on black and brown children and it is our responsibility as educators to effectively address this through equitable, research-based practices. In order to overcome equity barriers, educators need to focus on systemic, explicit instruction to teach the skills supported by the science of reading. We will take a look at some ineffective current practices and why those may not be working, in order to realign our thinking and pedagogy to what is research-based and effective.

Participants will learn the parallels and differences between the second language acquisition process and indicators of learning disabilities. This module also examines disproportionality, how to separate difference from disability, and the identification processes for English language learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities.

The purpose of this training is to help participants gain a greater understanding of the Science of Reading; specifically, what phonological awareness is and how crucial this skillset is to the foundation of reading success. Participants will explore what skills to teach when, and how to teach these skills for students to master phonological awareness. The training will also provide context for the importance of using assessments to improve the effectiveness of phonological instruction for students. To overcome equity barriers, educators need to focus on systemic, explicit instruction to teach the skills supported by the science of reading.

The purpose of this training is to help participants gain a greater understanding of the Science of Reading; specifically, what phonics and word recognition is and how crucial this skill set is to the foundation of reading success. Participants will explore what skills to teach when, and how to teach these skills for students to master phonics and word recognition. The training will also provide context for the importance of using assessments to improve the effectiveness of phonics instruction for students. To overcome equity barriers, educators need to focus on systemic, explicit instruction to teach the skills supported by the science of reading.

This PD will focus on fostering vocabulary development in the classroom using explicit instruction. Participants will\be able to explain the importance of robust vocabulary instruction for students in the elementary grades, understand how explicit instruction can be applied to vocabulary instruction, describe key features of vocabulary instruction, and identify ways to incorporate vocabulary instruction into different parts of the school day.