SLD Professional Learning Opportunities

Current SLD Learning Opportunities

Webinar: What about Maths? Providing assessment and promoting engagement for students with disabilities in 2020.

Two 45 minute live webinars that will address instructional practices and tools to increase engagement for elementary and secondary students with math difficulties and disabilities learning in remote, in-person and hybrid models.

View What about Maths? Elementary Focus

View What about Maths? Secondary Focus

Strategies to Write Informational Text (Online Course)

Strategies to Write Informational Text for Secondary Students is an 8-week self-paced course with 11 modules that provide resources to support the writing process. It follows the book by Jill Jackson, How to Teach Students to Write Informational Text. You will not need the book to complete the course, but will receive a copy if you do.

Learn more about this opportunity on the Strategies to Write Informational Text CDE Professional Development Page.

Registration is currently closed for this course! 

Course Start/End Dates:  September 28 - November 20, 2020 (Registration closes September 26th)

Strategies to Write Informational Text Flyer [PDF]

Assessing, Preventing and Overcoming Reading Difficulties - Fall 2020

September 7 - December 13, 2020 

Assessing, Preventing and Overcoming Reading Difficulties 

Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties is an on-demand eLearning series that was developed by David Kilpatrick, Ph.D., in collaboration with the Specific Learning Disability Specialist in the Exceptional Student Services Unit of the Colorado Department of Education.

Content of the webinar series was originally included in the book Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties (Wiley, 2015).

This on-demand eLearning series is designed for use in multiple ways:

1. Complete all 13 modules: Participants who engage in all thirteen modules will be provided a comprehensive learning experience encompassing research, impact, and critical elements of assessing, preventing, and overcoming reading difficulties.
2. Complete individual modules: Participants may view a session/s for specific information and guidance on topics related to assessing, preventing and overcoming reading difficulties. This format is ideal for short professional development opportunities, e.g., during an Impact Team meeting or Professional Learning Community.
3. Complete as a book or chapter study: Participants may view all or part or the series as a tandem companion or supplemental resource for supporting a study of the book: The Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties (Kilpatrick, 2015)

At this time, this series is NOT set up for participants to receive any CDE credit hours. 

Click on the green computer icon above to be directed to the professional development platform. You may enter as a guest. Once you have successfully completed all modules, you will have an opportunity to offer feedback. 

Determining SLD Eligibility: An Overview

This 40-minute video will discuss:

• the differences between MTSS and RtI and how they are interrelated.
• how to to build a body of evidence through an RtI process in order to determine eligibility for Specific Learning Disability.
• review considerations for English Learners during the eligibility process for special education services.

View the video on the CDE Professional Development Portal.

Archived SLD Learning Opportunities/Trainings

• Archived SLD Professional Learning/Presentations

Other Training Opportunities

Visit the Colorado Department of Education's Professional Development Training Portal for a full list of professional development opportunities offered by the Colorado Department of Education.

• CDE Professional Development Training Portal

For more information, please contact: