Workshops

Student & Family Support

Promote General Student & Family Support

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Students receiving special education services have needs that differ from the general student population and among themselves. With an increased number of students with special needs in general education settings, teachers must be equipped with the tools to support their individual needs. In this session, educators will explore the common attributes of various disabilities and learn how to provide instructional support in general education classrooms. Workshop participants will:

  • Understand common attributes of various disabilities
  • Identify specific learning needs of individual students
  • Explore strategies for a multi tiered process of providing instructional support in the general education setting
  • Create and use tools to support the continuous progress monitoring of students

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
For many students with learning differences, the key to success lies in having appropriate accommodations for instruction and other classroom activities. These changes help a student access the general education curriculum in a way that makes the most sense for his or her individual needs. During this session, educators will learn practical instructional and assessment strategies to create an inclusive classroom setting. Participants will:

  • Understand the difference between modifications and accommodations
  • Explore accommodation strategies to support students with various needs
  • Learn how to create a classroom environment that is conducive to teaching students with special needs
  • Implement strategies in the general education setting

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based educational framework that can guide the development of flexible learning environments designed to accommodate individual learning differences. UDL supports an approach to teaching aimed at meeting the needs of every student in a classroom. In this workshop, participants explore three principles of UDL: providing learners various ways of acquiring information and knowledge, encouraging multiple alternatives for demonstrating what students know, and tapping into learners’ interests, offering appropriate challenges, and increasing motivation by varying methods of engagement. These principles of UDL can be leveraged to support the unique needs of students with special needs, while at the same time motivating and engaging all students within the classroom. Participants will:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of Universal Design for Learning(UDL), including multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement
  • Examine examples of the UDL principles in practice
  • Plan learning experiences that integrate UDL principles

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
The provision of educational services for students with disabilities is mandated by two central pieces of federal law: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. During this workshop, participants explore the foundational elements of each, including how they ensure that all students with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The notion of “Least Restrictive Environment” as a function of the continuum of services will also be explored. Participants will:

  • Describe the federal laws that affect the provision of special education services and the delivery of a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)
  • Identify the roles of general and special educators in providing FAPE forstudents with disabilities
  • Examine the notion of “Least Restrictive Environment” as it relates to the continuum of services.

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
IDEA, the federal law that guides special education, requires that a general education teacher familiar with the child be involved as a member of the individualized education plan (IEP) team. The general education classroom teacher plays an important role in the development of the IEP and is the curriculum expert on the multidisciplinary team. In this workshop, we define and discuss the IEP and its components, focusing on the role of the general education classroom teacher as it relates to each element. We also explore what to do before, during, and after an IEP meeting.

  • Describe what the individualized education plan(IEP) is and its components as an instructional roadmap
  • Identify the important contributions general educators make in the development and implementation of the IEP
  • Apply processes general educators can engage in before, during, and after IEP development

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
For students to receive a high-quality, specialized education and learning experience as mandated by the provision of FAPE in IDEA, special educators must know how to develop, implement, and monitor an individualized education plan (IEP). In this session, participants will learn how to determine students’ present level of academic achievement and functional performance and set IEP goals and objectives aligned to present levels. Participants will also explore tools and resources for implementing and monitoring progress on the IEP.

  • Describe the essential components of an IEP and why they are important
  • Develop supports and strategies to implement the IEP
  • Use techniques and strategies to monitor teaching and learning based on the goals and objectives of the IEP

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Specially designed instruction means adapting as appropriate the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to the needs of an eligible child. In this session, participants will explore the steps and strategies for designing and delivering explicit instruction in reading for students with an individualized education plan (IEP). Participants will also examine progress-monitoring practices at their school to determine ways to improve the process of monitoring and adjusting instruction so that all students can learn. Participants will:

  • Identify the similarities and differences between specially designed instruction(SDI), core instruction, supplemental intervention, and intensive intervention
  • Design learning opportunities for students with disabilities that incorporate adapted content, suitable methodology, and delivery of SDI
  • Apply a variety of high-leverage practices designed to help students with disabilities achieve learning goals
  • Determine whether interventions are producing the desired results through progress monitoring

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Specially designed instruction means adapting as appropriate the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to the needs of an eligible child. In this session, participants will explore the steps and strategies for designing and delivering explicit instruction in math for students with an individualized education plan (IEP). Participants will also examine progress-monitoring practices at their school to determine ways to improve the process of monitoring and adjusting instruction so that all students can learn. Participants will:

  • Identify the similarities and differences between specially designed instruction(SDI), core instruction, supplemental intervention, and intensive intervention
  • Design learning opportunities for students with disabilities that incorporate adapted content, suitable methodology, and delivery of SDI
  • Apply a variety of high-leverage practices designed to help students with disabilities achieve learning goals
  • Determine whether interventions are producing the desired results through progress monitoring

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
There is remarkable power in partnerships. To best support the needs of students most at-risk in general education settings, both regular education and special education teachers need to be armed with tools and strategies to improve the quality of instruction to meet the needs of diverse populations. Co-planning and co-teaching refers to the practice of two teachers planning lessons, delivering instruction, and sharing the responsibility for student learning. Participants will:

  • Understand the rationale for co-planning and co-teaching
  • Identify key principles of co-planning and co-teaching
  • Utilize the planning pyramid as a framework for designing differentiated instruction
  • Apply the models of co-teaching strategically in various instructional contexts

Length: 1 hour Webinar
Students receiving special education services have needs that differ from the general student population and among themselves. With an increased number of students with special needs in general education settings, teachers must be equipped with the tools to support their individual needs. In this session, educators will explore the common attributes of various disabilities and begin to explore how to provide instructional support in general education classrooms and virtual learning environments. Participants will:

  • Understand common attributes of various disabilities
  • Identify specific learning needs of individual students
  • Explore strategies for providing support in virtual learning settings

Length: 3 hours
This session highlights the importance of designing data-informed accelerated learning opportunities to advance student learning that aligns with grade-level standards. Participants will explore strategies that move students rapidly in the right direction by addressing skill and knowledge gaps within the context of new learning. Participants will:

  • Apply accelerated learning strategies to get students moving in the right direction
  • Describe the benefits of making standards and learning goals explicit to students
  • Develop solutions for addressing skill gaps in the context of new learning

Length: 3 hours
Accelerated learning models can be a valuable strategy for reinforcing pre-requisite skills that ensure student success during core instruction. In this session, participants will be introduced to Catapult Learning Acceleration Maps, a valuable tool to guide lesson planning and set the foundation for accelerated learning. In an accelerated learning model, teachers preview new learning before the main lesson takes place and then utilize data they collect to inform the need for remediation. To do this well, teachers must be able to identify what standards to prioritize in crafting learning objectives and planning for learning. These prioritized standards help determine what scaffolds should be provided to promote successful learning in the core. Participants will examine exemplars of accelerated learning and plan to accelerate learning in their classrooms.
Catapult Learning Acceleration Maps are organized based on the prioritized standards for each grade level. Each prioritized standard is paired with the prerequisite skills needed to access grade-level content and growth standards to provide context to the next grade level. Understanding the prerequisite skills needed to access grade-level content is essential to planning proactive support and deploying a variety of strategies to accelerate learning. Acceleration Maps are introduced during this introductory workshop – Prioritizing Standards to Accelerate Learning – and then may be used during follow-up coaching opportunities to provide teachers with direct support to plan instruction. Participants will:

  • Define prioritized standards and describe how Catapult’s Acceleration Maps help unpack these standards
  • Analyze the use of prioritized standards in grade- level exemplars of accelerated learning
  • Develop and implement an action plan using accelerated models for learning that are informed by the
    prioritized standards from Catapult’s Acceleration Maps

Length: 3 hours
Teachers can partner with caregivers to support instruction at home. In this session, participants will learn strategies and tips to promote partnerships with caregivers and better equip them in motivating students to engage in learning outside the classroom. Participants will create a plan that help caregivers with goal setting, organization of the learning environment, time management and socialization. Participants will:

  • Examine the role of caregivers as partners in learning at home
  • Explore ways to create a fun and supportive learning environment at home
  • Engage with caregivers and students in ongoing communication that builds relationships and extends learning

Length: 3 hours
When teachers and paraprofessionals engage as instructional partners, opportunities to support student success increase. Working as a team is particularly important when working in a blended or virtual learning environment. In this session, designed for teachers and paraprofessionals to learn together, participants will develop a plan to guide team communication, instructional roles and responsibilities, and managing behaviors in both in-person and virtual learning environments. Participants will:

  • Examine the role of the paraprofessional and role of the teacher
  • Explore methods of communication between teacher and paraprofessional in person and virtual settings for instructional planning and classroom structure
  • Develop instructional and behavioral strategies for paraprofessionals to support student learning in person and virtual settings

Design School-wide Tiered Systems for Student Success

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a resource allocation framework that focuses on achievement for all students. It is a systematic process of connecting assessment and instruction to support the needs of every type of learner. In this session, educators will explore the what, why, and how of RTI and plan to implement an RTI process in their schools. Participants will also:

  • Understand the components of a tiered intervention system
  • Explore various assessments and the role they play in the RTl framework
  • Coordinate support and resources to prepare for tiered interventions
  • Practice the problem-solving process

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Once schools have laid the foundation for an RTI framework, they can work toward re ning their systems and practices to better support the growth and success of all students. Participants in this session will take a deeper dive into the components of an RTI process, including potential assessments, a process for analyzing various sources of data to inform instruction, and classroom strategies for effective Tier I and Tier II literacy and numeracy instruction. Participants will also:

  • Understand how mindset can affect the success of a school’s RTI efforts
  • Explore various types of assessments used to inform decision making
  • Learn literacy and numeracy strategies for effective Tier I and Tier II instruction
  • Practice a process for data-based decision making

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Schools can take a systematic approach to promoting pro-social and pro-academic behaviors by implementing Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support in a systematic and schoolwide way. School teams will examine their existing structures and systems and explore various strategies to strengthen their schoolwide approach to behavioral management and intervention, with a particular emphasis on putting in place supports and structures to organize intervention and respond to misbehavior at the Tier I or primary level. Participants will:

  • Assess their school’s current level of behavioral intervention support
  • Identify Tier I intervention and reinforcement strategies and organize supports and structures to implement interventions at Tier I
  • Develop school wide behavioral expectations and measure whether the PBIS system is meeting the needs of most students

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders | Also available as a 6-hour workshop
To meet the needs of all students, a school’s core instructional program must incorporate a high-quality curriculum and evidence-based interventions. An important goal of a tiered intervention system is to create an instructional model for all students. Educators will be introduced to a framework for constructing a tiered intervention system and will work cooperatively to develop this type of system for their schools. Workshop participants will:

  • Assess school’s current level of RTI implementation
  • Understand how a strong core curriculum is a prerequisite to a tiered intervention system
  • Learn a framework for constructing a tiered intervention system
  • Differentiate the core instruction at the school to meet the needs of students in all three tiers
  • Develop a tiered intervention system

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
High-quality instruction prevents many behavior problems from occurring; however, there are times when teachers must use targeted Tier II interventions with students who require additional support. This session revisits the idea that a strong PBIS system is a prerequisite to building a comprehensive tiered intervention system designed to meet the needs of students most at risk. Educators explore interventions and strategies for promoting positive behavior and collaborate with colleagues to implement Tier II behavioral support and intervention. Participants will:

  • Identify the characteristics of students needing Tier II interventions
  • Develop a process for responding to the needs of Tier II students
  • Examine examples of Tier II behavioral interventions and generate strategies for promoting and reinforcing positive behaviors

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Data-based individualization procedures can maximize student learning and social-behavioral development in a multi-tiered system. In this session, participants will explore data-based interventions for Tier III learners who require personalized instructional experiences to achieve functional performance levels. Participants will examine the DBI process and acquire strategies and resources for progress monitoring, diagnostic assessments, and intervention adaptations.

  • Describe data-based procedures to create individualized academic and social-behavioral programming within a tiered system of interventions
  • Identify reliable, multi-phase, and proactive data-based interventions targeting identified IEP goals and outcomes
  • Create an action plan to address specific students’ learning profile requirements

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
The National Center for Intensive Intervention (NCII) identified Four Categories of Practice essential in planning and implementing effective instructional practices. These practices have a great impact on student outcomes. Instruction needs to be intentional and explicit. This session explores overarching concepts of high-leverage practices (HLPs) and the Core Practices for Intensive Intervention. These include: Selecting Critical Content; Verifying Students Have Prerequisite Skills and Background Knowledge; Providing Students a Clear Statement of Goals and Expectations; Sequencing Skills Logically; Presenting a Wide Range of Examples and Non-examples. Participants will:

  • Define and understand the core practices and principles of intensive academic interventions
  • Identify the impact of core practices and high leverage practices on student outcomes
  • Utilize core practices and high leverage practices to determine what, why, and how to deliver intensive academic interventions

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
This is a follow-up to Introduction to Intensive Academic Interventions. The session explores additional high-leverage practices and more specific strategies for designing and delivering intensive intervention. These include: segmenting complex skills; drawing attention to important features of the content through modeling/think alouds; promoting successful engagement using systematically faded supports/prompts; presenting information in ways that help students organize knowledge; creating purposeful practice opportunities; and providing opportunities for students to respond and receive feedback. Participants will:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of intensive academic interventions
  • Determine specific strategies to use when designing and delivering intensive academic instruction
  • Design and implement high leverage practices that support students’ academic learning

Provide Responsive Social-Emotional And Behavior Support

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
The FBA-BIP (Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavioral Intervention Planning) process is a helpful tool when supporting students in need of Tier II or Tier III behavioral interventions. In this workshop, participants explore this valuable two-phase process, first by gaining an understanding of maladaptive behavior, defining it, and identifying the function behind it through careful analysis. Participants then learn about antecedent and consequence strategies to decrease problem behavior. Participants also will:

  • Identify intensive behavioral interventions in a tiered system of antecedent-based management strategies
  • Examine and select diagnostic assessment protocols to validate behavioral interventions’ effectiveness
  • Apply class room management interventions

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
In this session, teachers serving students with the most significant behavior support needs will explore a set of strategies for building appropriate rapport, maintaining boundaries, and establishing positive classroom norms. Participants will examine the value of empathy in daily interactions with students with the most significant behavior support needs. Participants will review importance of classroom structure, avoiding power struggles, maintaining consistency, setting limits, reinforcing appropriate choices, and motivating behavioral change. Participants also will:

  • Identify the connections between intensive interventions and
    Tier I supports for creating and maintaining a safe learning environment
  • Describe how preventative interventions can be used to increase the likelihood of pro-social behavior and establish positive relationships with students
  • Apply the antecedent-behavior-consequence(ABC) framework for behavior change to support students with challenging behaviors in the classroom

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Participants will gain strategies for creating and maintaining a classroom supportive of all students by learning the crisis cycle and understanding its impact on students. Tools for identifying students’ triggers and escalation patterns will be reviewed. The workshop will review strategies for intervening and promoting pro-social student behavior. Participants will:

  • Identify proactive and positive behavioral management strategies to prevent the escalation of problem behavior
  • Describe the acting-out cycle and identify when and how to respond in each stage
  • Plan interventions that reinforce pro-social student behavior

Improve Teaching and Learning for Your English Learners

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Understanding how English Learners acquire language is critical in responding to language and learning needs so that students can access content successfully. To guide this growth, educators must organize quality instructional experiences that meet the needs of students while increasing academic language proficiency. In this workshop, participants will identify the characteristics of English Learners, learn how they acquire language, and begin to determine the best instructional context for their academic growth. Participants will:

  • Identify the characteristics of English Learners and how they use language
  • Describe how language is acquired
  • Organize instructional experiences for English Learners in a general education setting
  • Execute a well-informed action plan

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
This is a 6-hour workshop
Language acquisition is most effective when teachers integrate language objectives with content objectives to enhance students’ access to content. When students understand the What (content) and the How (language) of each lesson, they become more engaged, and productive output increases. In this workshop, educators will learn how to write language objectives based on the content objects, as well as develop both listening and oral language strategies to enhance students’ language pro ciency. Participants will:

  • Apply language acquisition principles
  • Develop language objectives
  • Design experiences to promote active listening and or a language
  • Execute a well-informed action plan

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
Engaging English Learners in a general education setting requires a language-rich and culturally responsive classroom. To be successful, educators need to be able to build language bridges and design English Language development lessons for active student participation. In this workshop, participants will identify strategies to create a welcoming environment for English Learners and develop regular content-area lessons that provide language clarification and acquisition support. Participants will:

  • Develop strategies to enhance cultural relevance for students
  • Reflect on strategies that build a language-rich community
  • Analyze an English Language development lesson
  • Create engaging experiences that build student active participation

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How do we move English Learners’ language proficiency by building academic vocabulary in the general education setting? During this session, participants will examine the similarities and differences between tiered vocabulary models presented by Beck & McKeown (2013) and Calderón, et. al. (2005), the latter focusing on vocabulary development for English Learners. Participants will practice identifying and classifying vocabulary words to teach English Learners in their classroom and learn a six-step process for vocabulary instruction. Participants will also plan a vocabulary mini-lesson that incorporates instructional strategies they have encountered throughout the session and set some SMART goals for teaching vocabulary to English Learners in their classroom. Participants will:

  • Describe various tiers of vocabulary and key principles of vocabulary development for English Learners based on research
  • Identify key vocabulary to incorporate into instruction
  • Employ strategies that promote academic language usage by English Learners in the classroom

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How does readers’ workshop develop English Language proficiency in the general education setting? In this session, participants will learn the elements of teaching reading to English Learners with a focus on phonics, phonemic awareness, and reading comprehension. Participants will examine the reading workshop approach as a method for delivering instruction to diverse learners and explore strategies for small-group learning. By the end of the session, participants will develop a reading lesson aligned to college- and career-readiness standards that addresses the needs of English Learners in their classroom. Participants will:

  • Describe a readers’ workshop approach to support differentiated instruction for diverse learners
  • Identify a repertoire of instructional strategies that enhance language proficiency through reading
  • Develop reading lessons that incorporate language objectives and collaborative conversations that meet college- and career-readiness standards

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How does writers’ workshop develop English Language pro ciency across content areas in the general education setting? In this session, participants will examine how a writers’ workshop approach can move English Learners toward uency by teaching authentic writing and writing from sources. Participants will explore what it means to create a learning environment that supports English Learners in writing and learn and practice strategies for more effective conferences with English Learners. Participants will:

  • Identify the components of a writers’ workshop
  • Describe the writing process for authentic writing and writing from sources with English Learners
  • Create a learning environment that supports English Learners in writing
  • Develop strategies for effective conferring with English Learners

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How can we foster collaborative partnerships between general education and the English Learner teachers to support language pro ciency growth? When teachers collaborate and form high-functioning teams, their collective ef cacy is greatly increased. Participants will explore how to build professional partnerships that maintain the shared belief that together they can achieve success with English Learners. Participants will:

  • Define the framework for co-teaching English Learners
  • Develop strategies that build relationships between general education and English Learner teachers in the classroom
  • Set expectations between school and co-teaching partners
  • Reflect on the importance of planning

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How can we design English Language Development (ELD) lessons that serve as a bridge between learning content and language? In this session, participants will examine standards-aligned ELD lessons and explore interactive strategies that support the building of content knowledge and language development for all students. Participants will:

  • Analyze designated and integrated ELD lessons and determine how these might apply to their schools/context
  • Develop ideas for ELD lessons around grammar, vocabulary, reading, and writing
  • Design a designated or integrated ELD lesson for an upcoming unit

For: 4-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How do we support grade 4–12 English Learners in a general education setting? In this session, participants will learn about the different types of English Learners and strategies for teaching background knowledge, close reading, and text- dependent questions. Participants will:

  • Describe how to maintain rigor when students need to learn the basics in reading and vocabulary
  • Develop strategies for social-emotional support and honoring language and experiences of students
  • Identify and address how they will support grade 4–12 English Learners in their class rooms and schools

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How do we help English Learners become successful in learning content and English language skills at the same time? During this session, participants will review what effective instruction for English Learners looks like in math, science, and social studies classrooms and practice identifying what language is needed for content learning. Participants will also learn how to select and teach a complex, content-area text to English Learners. Participants will:

  • Identify ways to increase language production in various content areas
  • Describe the importance of teaching academic vocabulary
  • Apply strategies for teaching content while supporting English language skills

For: K-12 Teachers, Instructional Leaders
How can our assessments be central to linguistically responsive instruction that recognizes individual students’ backgrounds, abilities, and needs? In this session, participants will learn how to develop a linguistically responsive approach to improve and enrich instruction delivered to English Learners. Using the WIDA assessment data and the WIDA tools will provide students opportunities to grow linguistically in all four language domains: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Participants will:

  • Evaluate assessments that drive instruction and promote language proficiency growth
  • Analyze language demands inherent in academic tasks as aligned to the WIDA standards
  • Describe and apply WIDA tools that inform and support classroom instructional practices with ELs
  • Create portraits to collaborate with colleagues, students, and families that analyze assessment results and goal setting opportunities