BSE Bulletin for Educators

Welcome to the first issue of the BSE Bulletin! Each issue contains valuable information from the BSE, timely notices on professional development opportunities, and tools and strategies used by schools in the commonwealth. We hope this information will support your work with all students, including those who receive special education and related services.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time. To be sure that you continue to receive all future updates and information directly to your email address, subscribe to the BSE Bulletin mailing list by clicking “Follow BSE Bulletin” to the right or clicking the button below.

With appreciation for all you do for Pennsylvania’s children,

The Pennsylvania BSE and PaTTAN Staff

bsebulletin@pattankop.net

Addressing the critical issues surrounding special educator shortages in Pennsylvania is a priority of the Bureau of Special Education. Strategic efforts of the new APR (Attract – Prepare – Retain) initiative focus on:

• Attracting the next generation of skilled, compassionate, and diverse individuals to the field.
• Building capacity through both targeted and long-term professional development, technical assistance, and supports of those already in the field, ultimately leading to long-term retention.

Current highlights of the APR work include:

• The Developing Future Special Educators Grant Opportunity – Up to $25,000 is available to Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) interested in developing or expanding focused efforts and experiences to engage secondary/postsecondary students in working with students with disabilities as a means to inspire the next generation of special educators.
• Grant applications are due by 3:00 PM on Friday, April 22, 2022.
• The two-year grant will run from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2024.
• The request for application (RFA), grant overview webinar videos, and the application can be accessed from the APR Repository Webpage.

• APR Steering Committee – The APR Steering Committee was convened to inform and influence the work of the BSE and PaTTAN to address the shortages that exist within special education. The Steering Committee held their first meeting on February 3, 2022. The committee currently has 31 members representing varied roles within Institutes of Higher Education, state education organizations, state special education organizations, and local education agencies including approved private schools, charter schools, intermediate units and school districts. Click here to see the members and the organizations they represent.

• Attract – Prepare – Retain (APR) Repository – A newly created Google site houses Pennsylvania’s APR resources and announcements. Visitors can find state and national resources, available grant opportunities, marketing and survey campaigns, and an APR High School Toolkit. There is a suggestion box on the home page where suggestions, recommendations, and ideas on APR can be submitted. This fluid site is updated frequently, so check back often.

The 2021-22 Pennsylvania Alternate System of Assessment (PASA) window runs from March 14 - May 5, 2022.

In order for a student to be tested, the following six requirements must be met:

1. The state window must be open.
2. The Security Agreement must be read and agreed to.
3. Required Test Administrator Training (RTAT) must be complete.
4. Students must be rostered to the teacher in the correct grades and subjects.
5. The Frist Contact Survey (FCS) must be completed and submitted.
6. Student Portal 8.0 must be installed.

PASA Assessment Coordinators are reminded to contact alternateassessment@pattankop.net for assistance if they are having difficulty with the student upload/rostering process.

UDL is a framework by which educators can assure EVERY learner receives equitable, accessible learning opportunities. By establishing clear learning goals, embracing learner variability, and removing barriers, UDL offers learners voice and choice.

Consider following PaTTAN’s UDL social media campaign on Twitter @pattanupdates, #PaTTANUDL. Each week, a new post highlights resources and strategies to infuse the principles of UDL into all learning environments.

For more information, contact your regional PaTTAN office.

Transition planning is a multistep process that guides a youth from high school into adult living after they leave school. Planning begins at age 14, or younger if determined appropriately by the IEP team, and continues through high school as academic instruction and community experiences help clarify and support students’ goals.

The PA Secondary Transition website is continually updated with the latest transition events and resources for youth, young adults, parents, and professionals to assist in facilitating a young person’s progress towards post-secondary goals related to education, employment, and community living.

The 4th annual AAC Talks web conference is designed to provide practical ideas, strategies, and resources for making connections and engaging students with complex communication needs.

This year’s theme, The Power of Language, is meant to inspire participants to consider creative solutions and new ways of thinking about AT implementation that promote the development of language and literacy for empowering our students who use augmentative-alternative communication systems.

Topics include:

• Ways to engage learners with complex communication needs
• Starting points for collecting data on students’ progress
• Specific strategies to go beyond requesting
• Techniques to incorporate into everyday communicative contexts
• How to customize displays to support the student’s AAC use and their access to the device

Our powerful lineup of nationally and locally recognized speakers includes:

• Richard and Tom Ellenson
• Gail Van Tatenhov
• Karen Kangas
• Lauren Enders, and more!

The annual Pennsylvania Department of Education Conference, Making a Difference: Educational Practices That Work, was held March 2-4, 2022.

• Over 1200 individuals attended the hybrid conference – 700+ in person and 400+ virtually.
• Over 30 nationally renowned speakers presented on a wide variety of topics – from practical strategies that can be used in the classroom, to how to attract personnel to the field of special education in order to address staffing shortages.
• An exhibit hall featured over 50 vendors, and a poster session included over 30 presentations by LEA personnel.

Next year's hybrid PDE Conference will be held March 1-3, 2023 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center and virtually.

Register now for access to FREE professional development content and activities used with PA Dyslexia Pilot schools!

This three-day, 18-hour asynchronous training will provide in-depth knowledge and practice related to the science of reading in relation to the prevention of reading difficulties and intervention for students who may present with dyslexia.

Join educational consultants from PaTTAN's Learning Environment and Engagement Initiative (LEEI) for a quick “byte” of timely, behavior-related conversations!

Here are just a few of the topics currently available:

• Integrating PBIS in the Math Classroom
• Preventive Classroom Management: Positive Behavior Support in the Classroom
• Embedding Equity into MTSS Behavior
• Supporting Children and Adolescents Who Experience Anxiety
• Media Literacy Education: Improving Learning and Health of K-12 Students
• Addressing Behavior as an Administrator
• Supports for Classroom Management

Additional resources for Behavior Bytes are available in their newsletter here.

Attendance Works and their national partners are proud to launch the 10th annual Attendance Awareness Campaign webinar series for 2022!

This free, four-part series will emphasize the enormous power of using chronic absence data to recover from challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.

Webinar Dates: April 6, May 25, August 3, and November 28. Each webinar will be held 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM.

Every April, World Autism Awareness Month begins with World Autism Awareness Day on April 2. This year marks the 15th annual World Autism Awareness Day. Check out the link for more information!

We are looking for quick tips and tangible tools that teachers can begin using in their classrooms right away. If you are using a strategy or tool that you would like to share with others, we’d love to hear from you! Send an email to bsebulletin@pattankop.net to submit your story.