The Colorado Department of Education

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Preschool Special Education Services ~ Training and Events

Preschool Teaching Pyramid Implementation Grant

Request for Proposal

The Colorado Department of Education (CDE) has received a State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to support professional development activities that target multi-tiered systems of support through an integrated Response to Intervention (RtI) and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) framework.

Purpose.- This mini-grant is intended to support data-based problem-solving in the context of Teaching Pyramid implementation through systemic change. Consultation, professional development, and funding are provided to develop systems that support sustainable Teaching Pyramid implementation.

For additional information, please contact Penny Dell at dell_p@cde.state.co.us

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Online Courses

All of our online courses are offered through the CDE-BlackBoard system.

 

- Developing Functional IEP Goals for Preschool 

 

Course Description: This is a 5-week course offered to professionals working with preschoolers with disabilities or developmental delays and their families. A significant amount of time is spent developing the Individual Education Program (IEP), yet IEP’s can sometimes be less than helpful for the classroom teams that support these children. The challenge to professionals then, is to write functional IEP goals that will guide the team in supporting a child within his/her everyday routines, activities and environment, engaging in ongoing monitoring of the child's progress and amending the IEP when necessary. We highly recommend that this course be taken by teams, but individuals are welcome.

 

Download flyer

 

* A certificate of participation for 15 contact hours will be issued upon successful completion of online course.

  • February 9, 2013 – March 17, 2013

  • March 29, 2013 – May 12, 2013

 

Click here for online registration
 

 

- Practices for Preschool Inclusion

 

Course Description: This 10 week course is divided into two 5 week sections for your convenience and is offered to professionals working with preschool-aged children with disabilities or developmental delays and their families. It will benefit participants by sharing learning strategies that will assist them in including those children into the general education curriculum. Participants will increase their understanding of and comfort with various aspects of inclusion. Family-centered practices with respect for cultural diversity are a given throughout the training units. 

 

Download flyers:  Part 1 - Part 2

 

* A certificate of participation for 15 contact hours will be issued upon successful completion of online course section.

  • Part 2 – January 19, 2013 – February 24, 2013

Click here for online registration

 

 

Please direct questions about these courses to Jane Miyahara

 

 

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Conferences

 

- 2012 State Child Find Coordinators Meeting

March 1, 2012

Session A

The Culture of Family presentation.- Susan M. Moore & Clara Pérez-Méndez

State Updates:

March 2, 2012

Session A

Multi-Tiered System of Supports in Early Childhood: Response to Intervention and the Teaching Pyramid.- Gail Neubert, Adena Miller, Kelly Wilson and Sandi Link

Session B

Meaningful Outcomes: Results Matter and the Preschool Special Education Connection.- Nick Ortiz, Mary Jo DePriest, and Deb Schell-Frank

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Regional Workshops

 

- Dual Language Learners

 

Workshop purpose: Learn more about patterns of first and second language acquisition, early bilingual behaviors, and implications for assessment by Child Find Teams as well as implications for progress monitoring, classroom teaching and/or intervention.

 

Topics:

  • Child Find Assessment Processes: Distinguishing Second Language Acquisition Processes from Language Impairments: Forming & Documenting Your Clinical Opinion Using Multiple Sources.

  • Communication with families who speak a language other than English is critical for establishing parent-school partnerships.

  • What Every Provider Needs to Know About Culturally-Responsive Teaching.

This workshop provides perspective through a cultural lens that views each child in the context of their home and culture. Strategies for teachers foster the leaning of ALL students in their classrooms with a focus on children from culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse backgrounds. Download flyer

 

 

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- Coaching to Support Professional Development of Early Childhood Staff in Inclusive Classrooms

 

This training for early childhood education staff working with children with disabilities in inclusive settings use evidence-based practices to help early childhood coaches develop and improve their coaching skills to support participation and access of young children with disabilities. Coaching knowledge can be used in a variety of capacities and with a variety of programs including inclusion strategies, The Teaching Pyramid, Multi-Tiered System of Supports, and on-going assessments to track child outcomes. These trainings promote effective coaching strategies and opportunities to practice new skills applicable to all coaches in the early childhood field of special education and are non-specific to any single model.

 

-Sustaining Coaching in Early Childhood

 

This workshop is a follow up workshop for those who have previously attended a Two Day Skills Building workshop for Early Childhood Coaches. This is being held in regional locations across the state, to support early childhood coaches to continue to improve their practices and skills. Download flyer

 

- Partners in Coaching


This workshop is designed to support educational staff who work with children with disabilities participate in the coaching process in order to improve outcomes in inclusive settings. Designed for teachers, teacher assistants, specialized support staff, and supervisory staff who work with children with disabilities understand the coaching process and contribute ideas toward making coach-coachee interactions more efficient and successful.

 

Please direct questions about these workshops to Heidi McCaslin.
 

 

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- Using Assessment Data for Effective Teaching

 

Workshop purpose: This workshop assists teachers working with preschool aged children who have disabilities, to collect data more efficiently and use data in meaningful and manageable ways to inform curriculum planning. Teachers will learn to individualize their teaching and become more intentional in their instruction. Download flyer


After completing this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Identify purposes for child assessment

  • Utilize an on-going process of Assess, Reflect, Plan and Individualize

  • Design a systematic method for collecting assessment/progress monitoring data

  • Integrate data collection into everyday classroom activities and routines

  • Concisely summarize children’s interests, strengths, developmental gaps and next steps for instruction

  • Link assessment to curriculum planning and intentional teaching

Trainings will be held on:

  • February 1, 2013 in Colorado Springs

  • February 8, 2013 in Pueblo

Click here for online registration


 

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Child Find Regional Meetings

 

This meeting is designed for the designated Child Find Coordinators of each Special Education Administrative Unit. Pertinent special education and/or preschool administrators are also welcome to attend.

 

Please direct questions about these workshops to Heidi McCaslin.

 

 

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- Conference phone calls

 

Audio Call for June 12, 2012 Part C Technical Assistance Call for CCBs and Child Find

On June 12th, 2012 CDE Preschool Special Education/Child Find conducted a joint teleconference with Division for Developmental Disabilities Early Intervention Colorado staff to present information to local Special Education Administrative Units and Community Centered Board Early Intervention programs about changes in the Part C regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that will impact your local transition and child identification practices for birth to three year olds starting July 1, 2012.

The presentation was recorded in a MP3 file format; you will need Windows Media Player or any other mp3 player such as Apple Quick Time or VLC Media Player to open and listen to the call:

- Audio File from CDE-DDD Call on IFSP Form and Process, February 2011


Access the audio file of the technical assistance call hosted by Early Intervention Colorado, in which CDE and EI staff presented information and answered questions, that was held on Tuesday, February 15th, 2011. The purpose of the call was to review the recent revisions to the IFSP form and instructions manual. The following topics were covered and questions and answers from the field are incorporated: Responsibilities, Collaboration, and Interagency Operating Agreements between CCB’s and AU’s; IFSP form changes; Evaluation/Assessment process for Part C; Initial IFSP Meeting, Additional Resources

It will be helpful for you if you are able to review the materials prior to the call. Presentation slides and handouts that accompany the presentation can be downloaded from the following location on the EI Colorado website: http://www.eicolorado.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Professionals.content&linkid=713


We recommend having the following materials available while listening to the call: presentation slides, IFSP form changes, IFSP form, and IFSP instruction manual; other docs at this site are for future reference and as resources.

 

* You need Windows Media Player or any other mp3 player such as Apple Quick Time or VLC Media Player to open and listen to the call:

 

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- Webinars

 

Recorded Webinar on Colorado Early Childhood Hearing Screening Guidelines


This 33 minute webinar provides an overview of the guidelines for providing hearing screening for young children.
 

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