FREE Beyond the Score Professional Development
Using C-SEP to Conduct Your Dyslexia Evaluation
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens
Thinking of using the C-SEP model for your Dyslexia assessments? This session will focus on building a defensible FIE that uses the C-SEP Model to include the additional steps required in code to diagnose Dyslexia. This webinar will provide a basic overview of C-SEP; highlighting the components of C-SEP and processes associated with its use and test selection. If you are curious about using the C-SEP model with a Dyslexia referral, be sure to join me for this basic overview.
Date of Webinar: 9-13-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6rcMSxrBRvWdlNHeVE304A
Parent Consultation: Getting the Most from Your Parent Interview
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens & Georgene Moon, M.Ed.
This session will focus on getting the most from your parent information form, as we conduct an interview to add to or clarify information from the parent form. The parent information form is often our first point of contact with our students’ parents. This session will highlight how to find time to schedule an interview with a parent (initial contact, in person, by phone), how to build rapport with the parent & to stress the importance & the value of the information they share. Make them see that their information is part of the foundation of their child’s assessment. No one knows the student better…..
Date of Webinar: 9-19-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DFJw9vowQ2aYd_QwSJJs4g
Resource Highlights: What’s Out There to Use for Free?
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens & Georgene Moon, M.Ed.
Learn how to use free resources available to enhance your assessments as well as your IEPs. This data can help you build the foundations of your report as you look at data gathering documents as well as on-line programs that are available to provide you with recommendations and the data to support them. Resources will be shared that you may or may not be familiar with and a “tour” of programs available for use in our work will be highlights as well. You will even have an opportunity to share other tips & resources you use through the chat. So come prepared!
Date of webinar: 9-26-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mqqMSIqWQl6byiwqHD1NdA
The Many Uses of the ECAD
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens
Join us to learn about the WJ IV Tests of Early Cognitive and Academic Development (ECAD). These tests are specifically designed for all students ages 2:6 to 7:11, and for students suspected of having cognitive developmental delays through age 9:11. This 10-test battery measures general intellectual ability, early academic skills, and expressive language skills. We will highlight the features and discuss possible uses as we are testing younger and younger students.
Date of webinar: 10-04-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NAQ6IUpjQcqCHeWQBhAubg
Using the ECAD for Your Dyslexia Assessment
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens
This session will feature the WJ IV Tests of Early Cognitive and Academic Development (ECAD) and will highlight the features specific to building an FIE to include a Dyslexia assessment. As younger and younger students are being referred for Dyslexia, we can explore using these tests which are specially designed to meet the needs of these younger students.
Date of webinar: 10-11-2024 (12-1pm CST)Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_I6P2cqoDS9yonhSn-lLk6Q
Finally! Developmental Delay Eligibility in Texas!
April Crutcher, M.Ed.
As of August 2024, the Texas Administrative Code introduced the eligibility category of Developmental Delay to include ages 3-9. School districts are not required to use the new Developmental Delay disability designation but may, beginning with the 2024-2025
school year. Noncategorical Early Childhood (NCEC) must no longer be used beginning
with the 2025-2026 school year.
This webinar will provide an overview of IDEA Policy on Developmental Delay as an eligibility category for special education services as well as an overview of the new
Texas Policy on Developmental Delay. Participants will gain an understanding of policy
in other states that have been using this disability category before Texas and how some
of this guidance may help evaluators as they begin to implement this disability category
in their districts. Practices for determining eligibility will be discussed, including
selecting appropriate norm-referenced measures and collecting additional evidence that
supports the eligibility determination.
Date of webinar: 10-16-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_KMOeIQcsRnaH04pIvB-FQA
Stress Management & the Evaluator
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens & Georgene Moon, M.Ed.
What do you do when you leave school? Go to the gym, take a bubble bath, share the details of your day with a friend, finish that report? If you opted for the last choice you are not alone! This session is a refresher/reminder about the importance of stress management in our lives. Working all day and coming home to more work or other types of stress can lead to burnout and even to stepping away from the profession. Take time out of your busy schedule today and spend some time eating your lunch without interruptions while you gain some new insight or are just reminded of ways to destress. Also, be prepared to share any tips you may have for managing stress in your day.
Date of webinar: 10-25-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Novl0sTNSL-CpkSuCn5AXg
Delivering Uncomfortable News: How to Talk with Parents & Teachers
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens & Georgene Moon, M.Ed.
This session will focus on how and when to talk to parents, teachers and other stakeholders about test results, as well as what to stress when reviewing our assessments. Too often there is not time to talk to a parent and to sit with faculty in a “pre-ARD” setting. No one at the table likes surprises; everyone wants to hear the results they expected to hear; and parents and teachers want to know what their child/student can do….. not what they can’t. Building on a child’s abilities and strengths is what they come to hear and we will show you how to find and stress the “strengths” and not the “negatives” as you share FIE results.
Date of webinar: 11-01-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_dbat2pduTRu3ng8Adkfo2A
What to Do With a DNQ???
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens & Georgene Moon, M.Ed.Not everyone qualifies for Special Education services and often these are the students that appear to need the most help. In this session, you will have a quick review of how and when to schedule time to share results of your FIE. As you focus on the sources of data you used as your foundation, you may need to have a serious discussion about such things as attendance, frequent school changes, language and cultural differences, and the possibility that the child needs more time in RTI to develop needed skills that are age and grade appropriate. We will look at recommendations and accommodations that have not been implemented as the student returns to Tier/Level 3 for continued monitoring.
Date of webinar: 11-08-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qTFiGI9cQfCUmg5w90lCRA
Report Writing: Organizing Your Data
Dr. Tammy L. Stephens & Georgene Moon, M.Ed.
You’ve gathered all your data, asked for more data, observed your student in two classes, interviewed parent(s), teacher(s), student, and assessed. Now what? Most of us use district report writing programs that may or may not be what we would like to have. In this session, you will learn/review how to organize and use all the data to write a comprehensive integrated report that tells the “story” of the student.
Date of webinar: 11-15-2024 (12-1pm CST)
Link to Registration: https://riversideinsights.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_vz_hQ3fUQqiExKbh69KdEQ
June Professional Development Opportunities
Recordings of Previous Lunch and Learn Sessions
June 26, 2024
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Understanding Exclusionary Factors: All Things Considered
Presenter: Georgene Moon, NCED
This session covers the role of Exclusionary Factors and their impact on SLD identification, while also considering the continued impact from Covid-19 on education and the importance of documentation in our reports. Included in the presentation is a brief review of the Exclusionary Factors required by federal and state law and the impact of societal changes: social, economic, cultural and technology related. The updated Exclusionary Factors Checklist is presented, as well as additional forms that can be used as documentation during your data gathering and evaluation process. In addition, the possible impact of Covid-19, both short and long term, on our students’ education and the ethical implications of disregarding Exclusionary Factors is reviewed.
Recording can be viewed here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1paEtnwpZBXIG9sHujACn0N8GHVVX3bML/view
Re
You
June 18, 2024
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Navigating Support for d/Deaf Students: Insights and Strategies for the ARD/IEP Committee
Dr. J. Lindsey Kennon
As we have progressed toward inclusive education for diverse learners, it is essential for IEP committee to equip themselves with the knowledge and tools necessary to support students with diverse needs. One such group is students who are d/Deaf, whose educational journey can be significantly enhanced when their team is prepared to support their unique needs as a micro-population within Special Education. This session aims to empower educators with the knowledge and resources needed to effectively support d/Deaf students in their classrooms. Join us for a lunch-and-learn discussion, outlining the challenges educators may encounter when working with d/Deaf students. The focus of this session will be to share knowledge related to language acquisition and development in students who are d/Deaf or hard-of-hearing and their unique and varied linguistic landscape, including variations in signed languages, communication preferences, and the impact of hearing loss on language acquisition. We will also discuss assessment considerations, as well as actionable strategies for effective support related to LRE, accommodations, modifications, and support services.
Recording available here:
May Lunch and Learn Series
May 29, 2024
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Best Practices in Evaluating Emergent Bilinguals for Special Education
Presenter: Dr. Cristina Rodríguez Chen, RPED, NCED
Emergent Bilinguals (EBs) represent one of the fastest-growing groups of school-age students in the United States, having increased by 60% in the last decade and now encompassing over 400 languages, with approximately 80% speaking Spanish. Public schools are more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse than ever before, a trend expected to persist. By the year 2030, it is estimated that second language learners will make up approximately 40% of the school-age population. This increasing diversity underscores the urgent need to address the longstanding issue of appropriately identifying and providing educational services for diverse students. However, the future for students identified as EBs is uncertain. They exhibit some of the highest dropout and retention rates among all youth, influenced by societal factors that affect their educational experiences. These include the availability of adequate language supports and limited understanding among educators and evaluation staff regarding how to differentiate cultural/language differences from true disabilities.
Norm-Referenced Test Interpretations: Ensuring Ecological Validity
Presenter(s): Dr. Edward Schultz, NCED
Norm-referenced tests are a helpful tool in identifying learning disabilities. However, evaluators often rely too much on standard score interpretation. To ensure that the tests accurately describe classroom performance, they must be analyzed beyond the standard score level. This session will focus on three other types of analysis to make your tests more generalizable – task demand analysis, contextual analysis, and integrated data analysis.
Recording Available Here. Enter the following passcode to view recording: jkmS6&EZ
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElc-mhrzovEt2UuibD8lLFRdp_E63sPPPq
April Lunch and Learn Series
Assistive Technology Assessment: Running Each Student’s Race Before Passing the Baton
Presenter(s): Dr. Kathleen Sheriff
Imagine running a race in your mind before you ever even get to the track. What can we do to support students in their individual races toward successful school participation? Suppose we plan from the locker room to the finish line for each student in need of assistive technology (AT)? Let’s talk, walk and then run through some steps necessary from supporting foundational skills to carrying a baton across successful barrier lines. Bring your imaginations along with your lunch for our AT Lunch & Learn Time Together!
Recording Available Here. Enter the following passcode to view recording: *&hD$db0 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcldeGqrT8rE9ZFLWpEUlvqlC9Zf1kFSzMr
Integrative Training for Educational Diagnosticians: Determining PSW for SLD or Educational Diagnostician Detective
Presenter(s): Dr. Marjason
Training for educational diagnosticians aiming to determine a Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) involves a comprehensive understanding of assessment tools, data interpretation, and collaborative decision-making. The primary goal of this training is to equip educational diagnosticians with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively assess students for Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) by identifying their Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses. The theoretical frameworks, practical assessment techniques, and collaborative problem-solving strategies to guide diagnosticians in determining PSW for SLD. Participants will engage in being a ” detective” and working though a case study for determining SLD using PSW.
Recording Available Here. Enter the following passcode to view recording :
Disclaimers
NCED does not promote any one company, methodology, assessment tool/battery, or theory. We are simply providing an opportunity for professional growth which may be of interest to you. Please note NCED does not take responsibility for the material presented or the presenters. We only share the information to you as a resource.
If you are viewing PD opportunities that have been recorded and do not receive an email confirmation denoting your attendance, you will be responsible for emailing the presenter to obtain confirmation of your attendance.
If you are unsure of whether or not the topic is applicable for PD hours, please contact the Professional Growth Chair at: profgrowth@ncedonline.org