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Family Engagement
Building Partnerships with Families & Communities Feb 2022
Families and schools working together, because our students are worth it!
It takes effort and purposeful planning to build effective and meaningful family engagement with the families of our students and within the community. Often, it means new ways of thinking, responding, approaching, and including families, across the daily spectrum of activities, decisions, and information sharing that our school promotes. It can be doing something in a different way, or several methods, or changing a bias, or thinking outside the box. But, it is always worth it! Engaging families in our school system promotes real benefits for students in academics, behavior, transition, and their futures. It also can help staff and faculty gain better results, have a sense of partnership, and enjoy their jobs more, while building a sense of community - both inside and outside the walls of the school.
SAVE THE DATE!
Supporting Students with Disabilities in Virtual Environments: SSDVE
Save the Date!:
On February 10, 2022, SSDVE is focusing on Considerations and Strategies for Effective Partnerships with Parents and Caregivers. You can register here and on the PaTTAN training calendar (by clicking on the event on Feb 10th).
SSDVE Presents | Monthly Webinars
The "SSDVE Presents:" series offers educators, service providers, and families resources and supports for navigating education in virtual environments. Please see below under "Events" for links to register for upcoming SSDVE events being offered by PaTTAN.
Monthly "SSDVE Presents" webinars are held on the 2nd (second) Thursday of each month from 3:00PM - 4:00PM; registration is required.
SSDVE Schoology
Join the SSDVE Schoology course to access recordings and materials from SSDVE events, open discussion forums, and announcements of relevant news and opportunities.
To join: feel free to share the access code (3PT2-2TM9-F4X84) and instructions (accessible PDF) with others.
For support: access quick how-to videos or contact bestpracticesonline@pattan.net.
2021-22 Archived Topics:
Considerations and Strategies for Success in 2021-22
Considerations and Strategies for Effective Progress Monitoring
Considerations and Strategies for Accessible Virtual Learning Environments
Considerations and Strategies for Providing Special Education and Related Services
Delivery Models: Options and Outcomes
02/10/22: Considerations and Strategies for Effective Partnerships with Parents and Caregivers
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
One Event, Two Experiences March 2-4, 2022
The 2022 PDE Conference will be offered in a hybrid format - in person at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center or online through ChimeLive.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s Bureau of Special Education is excited to kick-off the Attract, Prepare, and Retain (APR) initiative at this year’s annual conference to bring forward the BSE’s commitment to increase and diversify qualified special education professionals in the field. The conference will highlight state and national initiatives to address the critical issues facing Local Education Agencies regarding the attraction, preparation, and retainment of special education personnel.
Come prepared to engage in conversations about the innovative strategies and supports that will be available for the 2022-2023 school year, along with long-term initiatives and statewide plans to address this crisis. Featured sessions will include:
Lunchtime Keynote with Carole Clancy, BSE Director and Laurie VanderPloeg, Former OSEP Director and Current CEC Associate Executive Director of Professional Affairs
Frontline Perspectives: Attracting, Preparing, and Retaining Special Education Personnel - A panel discussion
Unified Champion Schools: Bringing School Communities Together Through Meaningful Inclusion - Including the rollout of an LEA APR Toolkit
A Family Engagement Strand at the Conference
Danny Brassell, Ph.D.
- Parents as Partners
Batya Elbaum, Ph.D.
- Lessons Learned from PA's 2021 Survey of Parents of Students Receiving Special Education
- Two Stories: How an IU Team Overcame Barriers and Opened Doors for Collaboration with Families (with Christopher Wolfel, Ed.D.
Elizabeth Harry, Ph.D.
- Meeting Families Where They are: Cultural Reciprocity in Action
- What Bothers Me About This Parent and Why? Cultural Self-Awareness in Working with Families
AND MORE!
Additional Information:
Why You Should Attend -
What You Need to Know -
New Publications from PaTTAN
The Annotated IEP Companion Checklist is now available.
15 Ways for Job Coaches to Presume Competence in Students
Presuming competence in students is an important step in helping them to become independent. This publication lists ways to help job coaches keep this in mind as they are on the job with students.
Transition Tuesdays Series - Engaging Families in Transition Planning: Before, During, and After the IEP
This series will provide families, students, and educators with information and insights to enhance youth and family members’ participation in the secondary transition process of the IEP. Interviews with families and students, sharing their experiences with transition planning, will be used to guide discussions and learning. Participants will experience how to be active members in transition planning - before the IEP, during the IEP, and after the IEP. The last session is April 26, 2022 from 2-3 pm. Register here.