NICHCY eNews Foundations:

Effective Practices and Resources
in Staff Development

NICHCY is pleased to offer you eNews, a news service that brings you resources and information that are relevant to your interests and concerns. All are welcome to sign up for eNews and tell us what type of info they'd like to receive. Because we sift through mountains of resources daily at NICHCY, we are in an excellent position to let our users know when we run across something of interest to them. (Don't know what we're talking about here? Visit our eNews sign-up page, and read all about it.)

This eNews Foundations page offers the same starting point to everyone who signed up on eNews to receive information about Effective Practices and Resources in Staff Development. It doesn't matter if you signed up to receive this info on Day 1 or Day 366 of our service. You'll begin to receive this info through our periodic eNews mailings on the subject---AND, in the meantime, this page will connect you with the resources and info we've already shared with others.

This page of resources focuses primarily upon staff development for teachers (both general and special educators) and the paraprofessionals who may assist them in the classroom. Whether you're a teacher or a paraprofessional looking after your own professional development, or a school administrator responsible for the professional development of others, we hope you'll find information here that's helpful to your local concerns and needs.

• Staff development models: What kinds are there?
  www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/braysd.html
  Read about different models that exemplify high-quality staff development.
  
  
• What makes professional development effective?
  www.edgateway.net/cs/wrel/view/lib/25
  The author of this article collected and analyzed 13 recent lists of characteristics of "effective" professional development and came to three conclusions. Read the abstract at the link above and learn what he found. Surprised?
  
  
• And a national sample of teachers said...
  www.edgateway.net/cs/wrel/view/lib/24
  Researchers asked teachers to describe each professional development activity (e.g., mentoring, coaching), its type (e.g., workshop, teacher study group) and duration, the level of collective participation (e.g., entire faculty, single department), and the degree to which they felt their knowledge and skills were advanced. Here's an abstract of what went on and what was revealed.
  
  
• Consider how adults learn.
  http://interact.uoregon.edu/wrrc/IEP/AdultLearning.htm
  Much is known about how adults learn and how to improve adult learning experiences. Yet, we tend to fall back on the standard lecture with little or no audience participation as our major training approach. This discussion of Adult Learning and Trainer Skills will help you design workshops and training sessions with adult learning principles in mind. The link above presents a general discussion and, from there via links at the top of the page, to Training Methods for Adult Learners and an annotated list of Training Resources.
  
  
• Are you a principal? An online instructional module on your role in teacher development.
  www.edutopia.org/modules/TSD/index.php
  Teacher development is a common theme in any school leadership training program. This online instructional module offers examples of how to build on that foundation in a variety of settings, illustrated by master school leaders. These "professors of practice" are meeting the challenges of teacher development and supervision each day in their schools.
  
  
• The big picture, the long story, and a close look.
  www.financeprojectinfo.org/Publications/prof%20dev%2011-2-03.pdf
  Read this useful primer on changes, debates, and delivery of professional development (both pre-service and in-service), courtesy of The Finance Project (TFP).



• The National Standards.
  www.nbpts.org/index.cfm
  This NICHCY resource page isn't intended to delve into the precise details of what makes for a qualified teacher, a highly qualified teacher, or a teacher that has passed the National Board Certification. But all this is nonetheless very relevant to any staff development program intended to increase the qualifications and readiness of teachers in the classroom. Find out what's what in this regard, including the national standards, at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.



• And standards for ONLINE professional development.
  www.sreb.org/programs/EdTech/pubs/PDF/StandardsOnlineProfDev.asp
  Online instruction gives teachers “anytime, anywhere” access to the professional development courses and workshops they need. This publication outlines specific guidelines to help schools and states plan and evaluate online programs.
  
  
• Standards and more standards.
  www.monarchcenter.org/resources/standardsprofessional.html
  Depending on how, professionally, a person is involved in the education of children with disabilities, the standards for practicing that profession well are different. And when it comes to planning and providing for staff development, it's important to consider those standards. Come to the Monarch Center and connect with a long list of the various groups responsible for establishing professional standards in a range of disciplines working with children with disabilities: early childhood educators, special educators, math teachers, reading instructors, OTs, PTs, speech-language, school counselors, you name it.
  
  

Back to top

• The National Staff Development Council.
  http://nsdc.org/index.cfm
  Of course an area as important as staff development would have a council to organize, synthesize, recommend, shape, and distill the body of knowledge about the subject. If you want to know about staff development, NSCD is an absolute must. What types of info will you find here? To name just the tips of two icebergs:
  
  
• Standards for Staff Development.
  According to NSCD, Staff development standards provide direction for designing a professional development experience that ensures educators acquire the necessary knowledge and skills. Staff development must be results-driven, standards-based, and job-embedded.
  
  
• Staff Development Library.
  Everything from staff development basics and FAQs to...well, you'll have to see for yourself.
  
  


• The Regional Labs.
  www.relnetwork.org/
  The network of 10 Regional Educational Laboratories, serving geographic regions that span the nation, works to ensure that those involved in educational improvement at the local, state, and regional levels have access to the best available information from research and practice. The link above only begins the journey of finding the right help for your training needs. Here are a few resources and types of assistance you can find within the network:
  
  
• Search their products database.
  www.relnetwork.org/pubs/pubs.asp
  You'll be amazed at the breadth and depth of the info the labs make available.
  
  
• Hook up with their National Leadership areas.
  www.relnetwork.org/specialty.html
  In addition to serving a geographic region of the nation, each of the 10 Regional Educational Laboratories has a designated specialty area where it takes national leadership. Assessment. Curriculum and Instruction Related to Reading and Language Mastery. Educational Leadership. Expanded Learning Opportunities. Family and Community Connections with Schools. Re-Engineering Schools for Improvement. Standards-Based Instructional Practice. Teaching Diverse Learners. Technology. Do any of these ring a bell of interest?
  
  
• A study guide for effective professional development.
  www.mcrel.org/topics/productDetail.asp?topicsID=10&productID=135
  This document is meant to be a study guide with a series of questions to use as you examine your professional development plan.
  
  
• Professional development: A toolkit for schools and districts.
  www.ncrel.org/pd/toolkit.htm
  Oh sweet! How to "do" professional development, served to you on a platter. Download the entire toolkit or just the sections you want.
  
  
• Notes & Reflections, a newsletter for professional development providers.
  www.ncrel.org/info/notes/
  Notes & Reflections is a free electronic newsletter that offers practical information—ideas, strategies, tools, and resources—about topics of special interest to professional developers who are working to improve school performance.
  
  
• Professional development for special (and general!) educators.
  www.cec.sped.org/index.html
  You'll definitely want to visit the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which offers many, many resources specific to special education, children with disabilities, and the education staff who work with them. While most of CEC's materials and videos are very appropriate for learning how to address the educational needs of children with disabilities, CEC also offers an entire service devoted to professional development, which includes, for example:
  
• Online courses for continuing education.
  www.cec.sped.org/pd/webcourses/index.html
  How do you adapt language arts, social studies, or science materials for the inclusive classroom? How 'bout reading and math materials? What if you're a regular ed teacher, and you suddenly have a blind student in class? Or a student with .... CEC offers online courses on the most critical topics affecting special educators today--all of which can be taken from the convenience of your school, home, or office at your own pace. The link above takes you to CEC's list of current course offerings, with side menus going to FAQs, prices, and what courses are coming up.
  
  
• Web seminars.
  www.cec.sped.org/pd/webseminar/index.html
  CEC also offers a three-part series of Web Seminars designed for teachers of science and special education.
  
  
• Online workshops.
  www.cec.sped.org/pd/reading.html
  CEC's first online workshop focuses on beginning reading instruction, research-based strategies to strengthen students' phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, word recognition, and comprehension skills.
  
  
• INTASC, Interstate New Teacher Assessment And Support Consortium.
  www.ccsso.org/projects/Interstate_New_Teacher_Assessment_and_Support_Consortium/
  Projects/Center_for_Improving_Teacher_Quality/
  The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), a project of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), is a national center working with states on developing models for improving the preparation, licensing, and professional development of both GENERAL and SPECIAL education teachers of students with disabilities. INTASC’s Model Standards for Licensing General and Special Education Teachers of Students with Disabilities: A Resource for State Dialogue (2001) articulate for the first time what all GENERAL EDUCATION teachers, as well as special education teachers, should know and be able to do to effectively teach students with disabilities.
  
  
  
• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD).
  www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd
  ASCD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members. It addresses all aspects of effective teaching and learning—such as professional development, educational leadership, and capacity building. ASCD offers a wealth of publications, has trainers and consultants from the field of education ready to design workshops and more on the subject of your choice, and offers a variety of online training courses ($89.95 each). Beginning teachers, experienced teachers, administrators... the range of opportunities, insights, and concrete materials at ASCD calls out to be investigated.
  
  And specific to professional development, you'll be glad you found ASCD's Design Your Professional Development Program: Where to Start? If you're not sure where to begin your school or district's professional development plan, take the online survey and it'll help you ID what your school or district needs. Find this resource at:
  http://webserver3.ascd.org/ossd/planning.html
  
  
  
• What do AFT and NEA have to say?
  The two largest teacher membership groups, the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, surely have much to contribute on the subject of staff development. What are some of the resources they offer? Let's see.
  
• Professional development for teachers, a la AFT.
  www.aft.org/topics/teacher-quality/prodev.htm
  This jump page is where you enter the "library" of AFT offerings on professional development. The 8-page Principles of Professional Development outlines AFT's guidelines for creating professional development programs that "make a difference." And you can find your way into AFT's Educational Research & Dissemination (ER&D) Program, a union-sponsored, research-based professional development program that includes summer institutes for teachers.
  
  
• And a la NEA.
  www.ncrel.org/pd/toolkit.htm
  Lots of tidbits and targeted discussions, including links to online professional development opportunities.
  
  
• And the NEA Foundation for the Improvement of Education.
  www.nfie.org/
  The NEA Foundation provides $2,000 and $5,000 grants to public school teachers, public school education support professionals, and faculty and staff in public higher education institutions for the purpose of engaging in high-quality professional development or implementing project-based learning and break-the-mold innovations that raise student achievement.
  
  
• Edutopia.
  www.edutopia.org/php/keyword.php?id=238
  The George Lucas Educational Foundation brings us, among other things, Edutopia, where you'll find all sorts of connections to help in staff development, including online instructional modules. The link above takes you into GLEF's Ongoing Professional Development pages.
  
  
• Teacher to Teacher Workshops.
  www.paec.org/teacher2teacher/
  The U.S. Department of Education brought together some of the nation's most effective teachers and education experts to share with their colleagues research-based practices and proven methods of using data-to-inform instruction. The Teacher-to-Teacher Summer Workshops have now morphed into video courses at the link above, to help teachers increase their knowledge and skills for improving student achievement. Subjects? English/Language Arts, Math/Science, NCLB Basics, Turning Data into Information, Differentiated Instruction...and more.
  
  
• The Knowledge Loom.
  http://knowledgeloom.org/index.jsp
  The Knowledge Loom is an online support resource for educators to present principles of best practices in various subject areas. The Loom presents topic-based, spotlight collections of best practices in teaching and learning. It’s a place for educators worldwide to: review research that identifies best practices related to various themes; view stories about the practice in real schools/districts; discover supporting organizations and resources; learn to replicate the success of these practices in their own organizations; add their own stories, knowledge, and questions to the collections; and participate in online events and discussions. And guess what? There's a "Spotlight" collection on professional development!
  
  
• Are you in one of these southern-ish states? And even if you're not...
  www.sreb.org/
  Ya'll come, Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. The work of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a rich resource for you (and for the rest of us, too). Staff development is only one of the themes on which the SREB offers a lot of information. But on that theme, you'll find resources such as:
  
  
• Professional development that makes a difference: A guide for school leaders.
  www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/professionalDev/planandconductprofdev.asp
  
  
• The Teacher Center.
  www.electroniccampus.org/TeacherCenter/
  SREB's Teacher Center is designed as a "one-stop shop" of online resources designed to help teachers find information relevant to the teaching profession and to aid them in meeting the continuing education requirements of their state or district.
  
  
• State resources for staff development, listed further below, under What's Happening in Your State?
  
  
• Creating a plan for professional development.
  www.enc.org/professional/guide/index.shtm
  This online guidance leads the reader through the planning process for creating a professional development plan, either individual or system-wide. An broad range of elements are to be considered, including applying what's known about creating change, selecting learning strategies, time issues, funding issues, analyzing student data as a starting point for identifying areas for professional development, public engagement, and administrative support. No wonder this step-by-step is called "By Your Own Design."
  
  
• NICI Virtual Library and much more.
  www.thinkclick.org/thinkclick/default.jsp
  The National Institute for Community Innovations (NICI) offers the virtual library we've all been waiting for. Schools can use this library for much more than professional development, but that is certainly one function for which library membership can be used. You'll be surprised how inexpensive a library card per person is (special discounts for NY and VT teachers and students and for faculty and staff of Native American schools). For a list of prices, visit:
  www.thinkclick.org/thinkclick/tools/library_order.jsp
  
  You may also be interested in the other services described at the first link given above (www.thinkclick.org/thinkclick/default.jsp). These include: (1) the online Campus, which can provide your team or group with tools and spaces for maximizing group learning and knowledge development in an e-learning environment; (2) the Portfolio, a collaboration and personal organizational tool that allows your leaders, advisors, and teachers to help learners meet goals for learning and build an e-portfolio that demonstrates what they know and can do; (3) Portals, which offer FREE access to special collections of resources needed for educational improvement AND the power to build your own publishing house and catalog store; and (4) Survey, which will give you an efficient way to collect, represent and interpret a rich array of data for educational decision-making.
  
  
• Finding and keeping quality teachers: What's effective?
  www.personnelcenter.org/
  The Personnel Center can tell you. The Center is working to increase the capacity of states, local school districts, early intervention programs, and personnel preparation programs to recruit, prepare, and retain well-qualified, diverse special educators, early intervention, and related service providers. To this end, the Center provides information on successful recruitment, preparation and retention strategies for increasing the quantity and quality of practicing professionals, paraprofessionals, and assistants who serve the needs of infants, young children and youth with disabilities and their families. Visit the Personnel Center's Web site and find such resources as, particularly its section called Resources for Best Practice in Recruiting, Preparing, and Retaining Personnel, at:
  www.personnelcenter.org/resources.cfm
  
  
• National Teacher Recruitment Clearinghouse.
  www.recruitingteachers.org./channels/clearinghouse/index.asp
  Recruiting New Teachers has been around since 1986 and promotes strategies for effective teacher recruitment, development, and retention. You'll find all kinds of good stuff on their Web site, such as the section called "Successful Teaching" which speaks directly to practicing teachers, with its individual sections on Beginning Teaching, Classroom Tips and Resources, Staying Motivated, Growing Professionally, and Resources and References. Another section is obviously meant for school administrators; it's called "Find and Keep Teachers," and includes its own subsections of Expand the Pool, Increase Your Outreach, Improve Recruitment, Respond to Changing Demographics, and Keep Successful Teachers.
  
  
  

Back to top

• What are they, and why are they important?
  www.sedl.org/pubs/catalog/items/cha35.html
  This publication will tell you.
  
  
• Getting started.
  www.sedl.org/pubs/index.cgi?l=item&id=cha39
  "Launching Professional Learning Communities: Beginning Actions" focuses on the actions taken at schools to develop professional learning communities. It's part of the Southwest Educational Development Lab's Issues About Change series.
  
  
• FAQs on PLCs and much more.
  www.serve.org/EdQuality/ProfLearnCom/
  SERVE, one of the regional labs, has developed and piloted a successful Professional Learning Team process. Take advantage of this expertise in their materials on the subject: Professional Learning Team FAQs; the practical "how-to" Facilitator's Guide to Professional Learning Teams: Creating On-the-Job Opportunities for Teachers to Continually Learn and Grow; and Professional Learning Team Tools and Resources, where SERVE continually updates tips, tools, and information for the facilitator's guide.
  
  

Back to top

• Coaching as a strategy for improving instructional capacity.
  www.annenberginstitute.org/images/Coaching.pdf
  This paper argues for the potential of coaching to develop strong learning communities and improve student achievement. The authors discuss two distinct types of coaches – "change coaches" and "content coaches." Change coaches work with principals and teachers to improve leadership skills and help schools more effectively use their resources, time, money and personnel. Content coaches focus on improving teacher instructional strategies and generally work directly with teachers, either one on one or in small groups. 2003, 46 pages.
  
  
• Edutopia on mentoring.
  www.edutopia.org/php/keyword.php?id=228
  The George Lucas Educational Foundation brings us, among other things, Edutopia, where you'll find all sorts of connections to help in staff development, including online instructional modules. The link above takes you into GLEF's Mentoring pages.
  
  
• Mentoring tips from NEA.
  
  
• The Portable Mentor: Quick ABCs for the New Elementary Teacher
  www.nea.org/mentoring/brovaz050325e.html
  
  
• 13 Tips for Building a Mentoring Program Supporting New Teachers
  www.nea.org/mentoring/prog020813.html
  
  
• Best practices resources on mentoring.
  http://teachermentors.com/index.html
  This site concentrates almost exclusively on teacher mentoring. There are toolkits and lots of "how-to's" about setting up programs---most of the info is for sale but not too expensive.
  
  
• Mentoring and induction principles.
  www.cec.sped.org/spotlight/udl/mip_g_manual_11pt.pdf
  CEC offers "Mentoring Induction Principles and Guidelines," which is designed primarily for local school districts interested in establishing or strengthening their mentoring program for special education teachers.
  
  
• And while we're talking mentoring...
  www.nwrel.org/mentoring/curriculum.html
  The National Mentoring Center (NMC) actually focuses upon the mentoring of youth, but you may find NMC's 10-module training curriculum offers useful and generic guidance on how to create a mentoring system that works.
  
  

Back to top

• National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals.
  www.nrcpara.org/
  Oh, tailor-made! If paraprofessionals are your training concern, or you ARE a paraprofessional, the NRC for Paras is for you. Here are just some of the resources you'll find:
  
  
• The Para Community: This is the place to discuss anything under the sun related to paraprofessionals. There are topics on training, legislation, and even a place to introduce yourself. Paraprofessionals, teachers, administrators, and anyone else who cares to join are welcome!
  
• The State of the Art Report, which provides an overview of how federal, state and local education agencies have addressed issues that influence the roles, preparation, and supervision of paraeducators.
  
  
• A Message Board for paraprofessionals.
  
  
• Paraprofessional Bibliography: Materials on and for paraeducators.
  
  
• Last but not least, a very nice list of links to Other Paraprofessional Websites!
  
  
• Project EVOLVE.
  www.uvm.edu/~cdci/evolve/
  Project EVOLVE is an OSEP-funded project that's generated a wealth of resources, including:
  
  
• Paraprofessional Literature 1990-2006
  
  
• Professional articles about using paraprofessionals in schools
  www.uvm.edu/~cdci/evolve/products.html
  
  
• Guidelines for selecting alternatives to overreliance on paraprofessionals
  www.uvm.edu/~cdci/evolve/gsa.html
  
  
• A Guide to Schoolwide Planning for Paraeducator Supports
  www.uvm.edu/~cdci/parasupport/index.html
  
  
• Paraeducator Resource and Learning Center (PRLC).
  www.uvm.edu/~cdci/prlc/
  The PRLC provides information for paraeducators about six important topics: Collaborative Teamwork, Inclusive Education, Families and Cultural Sensitivity, Characteristics of Children and Youth with Various Disabilities, Roles and Responsibilities of Paraeducators and Other Team Members, and Implementing Teacher-planned Instruction.
  
  
• CEC's standards for paraprofessionals.
  www.cec.sped.org/bk/catalog2/careers.html#P5691
  CEC is the Council for Exceptional Children. Their Parability: The CEC Paraeducator Standards Workbook includes CEC Standards for Paraeducators, a Code of Ethics of Paraeducators, and two tools that can be used by district personnel, principals, trainers, and paraeducators to ensure that paraeducators meet the CEC Standards. The product number is #P5691 , cost is $9.95. To place orders by phone, call toll-free 1-888-232-7733. FAX orders to 703-264-9494. Or e-mail your orders to service@cec.sped.org.
  
  
• Paraeducator Institute Training Curriculum.
  www.nwrac.org/para/index.html
  From the Northwest Regional Lab's Comprehensive Center for Region X. The purpose of the Paraeducator Institute Training Curriculum is to prepare Title I paraeducators for Title I professional qualifications. The curriculum will be made available in 2005 to SEAs and LEAs interested in using it to meet Title I requirements for paraeducators.
  
  
• What are other states doing?
  www.nasdse.org/publications.cfm
  State Level Initiatives Related to Training and Supervision of Paraeducators reports the results of Project FORUM's survey of several states about their policies and activities in this regard. It's available for download or purchase at the link above.
  
  
• Paraeducators and professional development.
  www.nwrac.org/para/index.html
  The Region X Comprehensive Center (CC) at NWREL also offers a number of publications featuring the roles and training of paraeducators. By Request...Working Together for Successful Paraeducator Services focuses on their roles on the instructional team. Designing State and Local Policies for the Professional Development of Instructional Paraeducators explores how to appropriately train paraeducators. Questions about the qualification requirements for paraeducators under NCLB, Title I, section 1119 (c)? The Oregon Resource Guide to Paraeducator Issues is for you.
  
  
• Paraeducators into teachers.
  www.recruitingteachers.org./channels/clearinghouse/
  aboutrnt/1564_pubparaedutoteacher.htm
  Paraeducator-to-teacher programs can help to build a more qualified and diverse teaching force. Find out how to set up such a program in the resource A Guide to Developing Paraeducator-to-Teacher Programs, described and available for purchase at the link above.
  
  

Back to top

• National Board Certification info, state by state.
  www.nbpts.org/about/state.cfm
  The effectiveness of National Board Certification rests on the collaborative efforts of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and the nation's states and localities. What's your state doing?
  
  
• Are you in one of these southern-ish states?
  www.sreb.org/
  Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia. The work of the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) was mentioned above. State-specific info of all kinds is available at SREB's site, including such resources as:
  
  
• Professional development opportunities in your area.
  www.sreb.org/programs/hstw/professionalDev/profdevindex.asp
  Visit the Professional Development Index to find upcoming institutes and conferences and to access videos of past conferences.
  
  
• How does your state define a "highly qualified" teacher?
  www.ecinitiatives.org/teachercenter/
  Pick an SREB state at the link above—or more than one state—and get state requirements, obtain information, and learn about options available to you. You can also search for subject-matter competency information for any grade level.
  
  
• SREB Multi-State Online Professional Development.
  www.sreb.org/programs/EdTech/toolkit/onlineindex.asp
  All 16 SREB states' departments of education are working together to use and promote the Web to provide needed quality professional development for teachers regardless of where they live or work. Each state participating in the Multi-State Online Professional Development initiative has access to online professional development workshops, training and mentoring programs for online instructors and online course designers, a repository of course content contributed by all participating states, and resources designed to guide districts and states in implementing successful online professional development.
  
  
• Health educators: What each state requires for their professional development.
  www.nasbe.org/HealthySchools/States/Professional%20Development.html
  State-by-state professional development policies for health educators...courtesy of the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE).
  
  
• California, for math and science.
  www.k12alliance.net/index.html
  The K-12 Alliance, focusing its efforts in California, unites three professional development networks--CSIN, SPAN and SS&C--to provide regional services that include standards-based content (science and mathematics), instructional strategies (including technology and literacy) and development of teacher leadership.
  
  
• Texas, on technology.
  www.txstargate.net/
  Texas STARgate provides the courses and tools to assist in meeting TX districts' specific technology integration staff development requirements.
  
  
  

Back to top

• Assessment accommodations.
  www.cec.sped.org/bk/catalog2/assessment.html
  Making Assessment Accommodations: A Toolkit For Educators [and Videotape] is available from CEC, the Council for Exceptional Children. It features an extensive staff development guide, resources for both practitioners and administrators, and staff development activities. It also includes reproducible masters for use in training. The product number is #P5376. The cost is $103.95 ($72.95 for CEC members). To place orders by phone, call toll-free 1-888-232-7733. FAX orders to 703-264-9494. Or e-mail your orders to service@cec.sped.org.
  
  
• Assistive technology.
  www.fctd.info/resources/search.php
  Visit the Family Center on Disability and Technology for a wealth of info on AT. The link above takes you to FCDT's search page, where you will find hundreds of reviews of AT resources such as books, newsletters, training manuals (hey! training manuals), software, and Web sites. As a useful resource for staff training on AT, ask for ACDT's primer on AT. It's new, as of 2005, and it's very, very good.
  
  
• Assistive technology.
  www.sreb.org/programs/EdTech/pubs/PDF/AccessibleInformationTechnologyResources.asp
  Information on the Web abounds and is increasingly a part of students' lives, in and out of the classroom. But what about the students who cannot see the information, hear the audio or move the mouse? Accessible Information Technology Resources: A Quick Reference Guide for Educators provides valuable information about products, services, and guidelines to help educators improve access to information technology resources for students with disabilities.
  
  
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD).
  www.cec.sped.org/bk/catalog2/attention.html
  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Knowledge and Skills: Training Program for Educators offers training materials that can be used in both preservice and inservice education to expand knowledge of the needs of students with ADHD. Each of the five modules presents basic information and skills about a specific topic area, along with training tools to support students with AD/HD. The product number is S5363. The cost is $49.00. To place orders by phone, call toll-free 1-888-232-7733. FAX orders to 703-264-9494. Or e-mail your orders to service@cec.sped.org.
  
  
• Behavior: FBAs and BIPs.
  www.cec.sped.org/bk/catalog2/behavior.html
  Two training resources from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) address training with respect to the behavior issues of conducting a functional behavior assessments (FBA) and writing a behavior intervention plan (BIP). To place orders by phone, call toll-free 1-888-232-7733. Or e-mail your orders to service@cec.sped.org.
  
• Functional Behavioral Assessment: An Interactive Training Module is a CD-ROM interactive training module designed to teach educators who work with students with problem behaviors the basic steps in conducting a functional behavioral assessment. This step-by-step training module includes video examples, reproducible forms, case studies, self tests, and more. The product number is S5355. The cost is $89.00 ($80.00 for CEC members).



• Behavior Intervention Planning: Using the Functional Behavioral Assessment Data is also an interactive CD-ROM that walks you through the process of writing an effective plan based on the function of a student’s problem behavior, with audio narrative and video clips of real students. The package ncludes a 43-page user’s manual.
  
  
• Cultural proficiency.
  www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/products.htm
  This implementation guide for school leaders provides the practical strategies, tools, and resources needed to successfully implement cultural proficiency in the school setting.
  
  
• Deaf-Blindness.
  www.tr.wou.edu/ntac/training.htm
  NTAC (National Technical Assistance Consortium for Children and Young Adults Who Are Deaf-Blind) offers a number of training resources online, including a Training Database (trainings conducted by state deaf-blind projects for educators, service personnel, families or students) and the fact sheet Thoughts on Effective Training, found at: www.tr.wou.edu/ntac/tom.htm.
  
  
• Learning disabilities.
  Oh la la, if you're considering professional development activities to improve your teachers' skills for working with students who have LD, there are many, many, many resources available. We are going to just point you to a few sources to get you started. Landing on the home pages of any of these sites will be just the first step in hitting the mother lode of info on this subject.
  
• Teaching LD.
  www.teachingld.org/default.cfm
  TeachingLD is a service of the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children. The purpose of TeachingLD is to provide trustworthy and up-to-date resources about teaching students with learning disabilities.



• LDonline.
  www.ldonline.org/
  
  
• Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA).
  www.ldaamerica.org/aboutld/teachers/index.asp
  
  
• Schwab Learning.
  www.schwablearning.org
  
  
• Literacy, in the secondary school.
  www.wested.org/cs/we/view/serv/11
  The Secondary Literacy Support Network (SLSN) offers a professional development series to help schools build a comprehensive literacy plan across all content areas. Read about it at the link above.
  
  
• Reading.
  www.nasbe.org/Educational_Issues/Reports/Reading_Prof_Develop.pdf
  Every Child Reading: A Professional Development Guide is a publication made available online by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE).
  
  
• Science.
  www.cec.sped.org/pd/webseminar/index.html
  CEC (the Council for Exceptional Children) offers a three-part series of Web seminars designed for teachers of science and special education.
  
  
• Social-emotional competence.
  http://csefel.uiuc.edu/modules.html
  The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is a five-year project designed to strengthen the capacity of Head Start and child care programs to improve the social and emotional outcomes of young children. The link above will take you to training modules (including powerpoint presentations, presentator's guides, scripts, and handouts) in these areas: Classroom Preventive Practices: Promoting Children’s Success; Social-Emotional Teaching Strategies; Individualized Intensive Interventions: Determining the Meaning of Challenging Behavior; Developing a Behavior Support Plan; and Leadership Strategies for Supporting Children’s Social and Emotional Development and Addressing Challenging Behavior.
  
  
• Social skills instruction.
  www.cec.sped.org/bk/catalog2/social.html
  Collaborative Approach to Social Skills Instruction - Companion Video Training Program is available from CEC, the Council for Exceptional Children. This complete training package is designed for a facilitator in workshop settings, for groups to use in planning sessions, or for individual teachers to enhance their skills. A notebook gives background information on teaching social skills, ways to collaborate, suggestions for leading workshops, activity handout masters, and overheads. The videotape includes seven segments, 4-8 minutes long, which show the program in action.The product number is #S5177. The cost is $44.50. To place orders by phone, call toll-free 1-888-232-7733. Or e-mail your orders to service@cec.sped.org.
  
  
• Technology: What do teachers need to know?
  www.sreb.org/programs/EdTech/pubs/NewDirections/NewDirections.asp
  As students increasingly are expected to use technology skillfully, teachers also must be able to meet certain expectations and to keep up with trends and developments. This report focuses on technology standards for teachers and describes how several states have implemented standards to ensure that teachers are prepared to use technology in the classroom.
  
  
• Technology in the classroom.
  www.ncrtec.org/pd/llwt/
  Leadership and Learning with Technology modules support educators in their journey toward effective technology integration. Districts can use the six modules to create meaningful workshops designed for specific needs.
  
  
• Technology in the classroom.
  www.rtec.org/
  The Regional Technology in Education Consortia (R*TEC) program was established to help states, local educational agencies, teachers, school library and media personnel, administrators, and other education entities successfully integrate technologies into kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) classrooms, library media centers, and other educational settings. Find out who serves your region and access a host of help and resources. Specific to professional development are such materials as these two: Profiler, a technology skills assessment that schools can use to help individuals in a group measure their strengths and weaknesses, then collaborate to help each other build expertise; and The Active Learning with Technology (ALT) portfolio, a set of materials and activities designed for educators who provide professional development to K-12 teachers.
  
  
• Technology: Training teachers to use it.
  www.techlearning.com/outlook/columns/profdev.jhtml
  techLEARNING.com is produced by Technology & Learning Magazine, with contributions from hundreds of K-12 teachers, administrators & other experts in the field. On their site, you'll find a wealth of articles and insights on how to bring the horses to the technology waters and have them WANT to drink. The link above takes you to the Professional Development resources page.
  
  
  

Back to top