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Virginia Department of Education
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Upcoming Events

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2011 Summer Institutes for Inclusion Leadership Teams and Professionals in Regions 2 & 3

  

Location:

William & Mary

School of Education

Williamsburg, VA

 

August 9, 2011

Structure Your Reading  

 

August 10, 2011

Differentiating by Design: Using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Framework to Build Flexible Instruction and Assessment 

 

August 11, 2011

Inclusive Practices: Effective Co-Teaching and Co-Planning

Say Yes to College

May 24-26, 2011

Location:

Old Dominion University, Norfolk

 

Read more and register

Save The Date!

 

2011 William & Mary

Symposium on Professional Collaboration and Inclusive Education

 

October 27-28, 2011 

Location:

William & Mary

School of Education

Williamsburg, VA

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2010-2011 Special Education Parent Involvement Survey

All parents of school-aged children and youth who receive special education services in Virginia's schools are encouraged to complete the Department of Education's annual Parent Involvement Survey.

VDOE Updates

 

The VCU Autism Center for Excellence (ACE),

funded by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHS), has launched its comprehensive website. Click here to sign up for webcasts, access a wide range of print and online resources, and learn more about the training and technical assistance available.

Click here to access comprehensive resources from the Virginia Department of Education regarding the Standards-Based Individualized Education Program (IEP).  

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May/June 2011                                                           Facebook        

Pay It Forward: Preparing Students for the Future
By Denyse Doerries, Ph.D.

     In the movie Pay It Forward (2000), a somewhat cynical social studies teacher played by Kevin Spacey assigns his class the tasks of thinking of an idea that will change the world and then putting the idea into action. Thoughtful teachers "pay it forward" all the time by accepting the challenge to teach academic and behavior strategies that facilitate and enhance student success in the next grade level. This issue of Link Lines is focused on strategies that students can use now and in the future. Read more

Packing Mathematical Strategy Suitcases
for the Next Grade Level 

By Cathy Buyrn, M.Ed.

 

     Send your students to the next grade with strategy suitcases packed full of skills to support them as mathematical thinkers and capable problem solvers.  This article will help you send them on their way with deeper conceptual strategies to complement isolated procedural supports for mathematics. Read more

Moving Students With Disabilities Forward to Graduation 

By Mary Murray Stowe, M.Ed.

 

   A nation-wide effort is underway to improve the graduation rate of students with disabilities.  Four areas of focus have been found to help move students with disabilities forward to graduation: Standards-based Individualized Education Programs, comprehension strategies embedded within the Virginia English Standards of Learning, metacognitive competencies, and effective instruction in comprehension and metacognitive strategies.  Read more

 Fulfilling the Purpose of IDEA through Academic and Functional Skill Development

By Dale Pennell, C.A.S. 

 

   This article describes how the requirement to address academic achievement and functional performance achieves the first purpose of IDEA. The author describes areas of academic achievement and functional performance that IEP teams must assess and address, and then explores how academic and functional skills work together to prepare students with disabilities for further education, employment, and independent living. Annual goals that illustrate the symbiotic relationship between academic and functional skill development are provided. Read more

Planning Ahead for Success: Goal Setting for Students
With Emotional and Behavioral Challenges

By Elaine Gould, M.Ed.

 

     Students with emotional and behavioral challenges require additional support from educators to be engaged in school and persist to graduation. Such support is especially important during the challenging transition from eighth to ninth grade. Click here to learn about a strategy that will help students make smooth transitions from middle to high school and to remain engaged in their plans for the future.

 Leading the Way to Effective Schools

By Sue Land, M.Ed.

 

     As the school year winds down, building administrators are encouraged to evaluate the year in light of the work of Kouzes and Posner. What were our successes? What were our struggles? What did we learn from an initiative? What can we do better? In this issue of Link Lines, "inspiring a shared vision" and "challenging the process" is explored. An example is given for improving inclusive practices through the lens of the five practices of exemplary leadership. Read more

Check it Out!   
The following materials are available to individuals in Superintendents Regions 2 and 3 on loan from the T/TAC College of William and Mary lending library. These resources are companions to the articles in this issue of Link Lines, providing more in-depth coverage on the topics in the newsletter. Click here and read more on page 17
  
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Empowering Students With Technology
By Alan November

Words Their Way With Struggling Readers: Word Study for Reading, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction, Grades 4-12
By Kevin Flanigan

Practical Solutions for Serious Problems in Standards-Based Grading
By Thomas R. Guskey

The Strategic Teacher: Selecting the Right Research-Based
Strategy for Every Lesson
By Harvey F. Silver, Richard W. Strong, and Mathew J. Perini

School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results
By Robert Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian McNulty

Guidebook for Virginia Parent Resource Centers
Promoting Collaborative Partnerships
Among Families, Schools, and Community