Application Open! Itinerant Early Childhood Special Education Service Delivery Model Community of Learning for Teachers (Fall 2023)

Description:

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is pleased to offer two Itinerant Early Childhood Special Education Service Delivery Model Communities of Learning beginning in September 2023. The purpose of each Community of Learning (CoL) is to deliver targeted technical assistance and professional development to teachers endorsed in early childhood special education (ECSE) who provide special education services using the itinerant model. The CoL will focus on building the necessary competencies to implement high-quality itinerant services to ensure the active and meaningful participation of young children with disabilities within the general education environment and will include:

• research behind the itinerant model and rationale for its use in early childhood;
• the roles of the itinerant ECSE and general education early childhood teachers;
• strategies and tools to develop a collaborative partnership;
• the components of the itinerant model;
• distributed instruction versus massed instruction;
• identifying target skills and IEP goals;
• providing intentional and planned instruction embedded into the daily classroom routines and activities;
• improving teacher-child interactions as defined by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS); and
• monitoring the progress of children with Individualized Education Programs.

Dates: The CoLs will be virtual. Teachers will be assigned to a regional cohort with sessions scheduled on Monday or Tuesday afternoons from 3:00 until 4:30 pm. The six-session series will meet weekly beginning on September 25 or 26, 2023 and end on October 31 or November 6, 2023. An implementation support session led by regional TTAC coordinators will follow at a time to be announced.

Requirements: The participant is to attend all sessions and must currently be providing services using the itinerant model. The participating itinerant teacher will need internet access and a computer with a camera and microphone to access Zoom. Throughout the CoL, participants will be expected to complete practice and preparation activities designed to enhance understanding and implementation of the model. This will include posting assignments on the CoL website and participating in discussions during sessions reflecting on their experiences.

To Apply: Complete and submit the application by September 8, 2023. Consideration for acceptance will be based on meeting all requirements, date of application submission, and representation across the state.

Recertification: Points for educators working towards licensure renewal (recertification) may be awarded for participation. A Certificate of Completion providing documentation of the activity and clock/contact hours will be provided for the online CoL and for completion of specified assignments.

Questions: Questions regarding CoL content and participation should be emailed to Dr. Jaye Harvey, CoL Leader, at Jhwellons@vcu.edu.

Questions regarding the online application process should be emailed to Jackie Kilkeary, Early Childhood Coordinator at the VDOE’s Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at George Mason University, at Jkilkear@gmu.edu.