Webcast and Recorded Sessions of the 2014 PDE Conference
The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education are pleased to announce that seven presentations, which took place during the 2014 conference - Making a Difference: Educational Practices That Work!, are now available for on-demand viewing.
Wed, February 5, 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Perry Zirkel, Ph.D., J.D.
Key Issues in Special Education Law: Present and Future
This session will provide an analysis for various current and emerging issues under the IDEA and interrelated laws. The issues include response to intervention (RtI), “child find”/eligibility (e.g., misidentification), autism, FAPE litigation (e.g., bullying), Section 504 overlay (e.g., retaliation), and congressional action or inaction (e.g., seclusion/restraint). Dr. Zirkel will identify specific examples in the present and will speculate about possible examples for the future.
Thu, February 6, 10:15 AM to 12:15 PM
Bradley Witzel, Ph.D.
Arithmetic to Algebra Gap Interventions
Algebra is considered a gateway to formal mathematics, quantitative work skills, and graduation. However, the abstractness of algebra makes learning difficult, especially for students who have not mastered elementary level mathematics. To exacerbate this difficulty, formal instruction of algebra has crept into early middle school. In this session, Dr. Witzel will demonstrate both instruction and intervention means for improving algebra preparation skills, such as rational numbers and equations.
Thu, February 6, 1:15 PM to 3:15 PM
Mark Shinn, Ph.D.
Frequent Basic Skills Progress Monitoring for IEP goals with Students at the Secondary Level
Frequent formative assessment of basic skills is one of the most powerful tools in the teacher’s toolbox, especially for those students who have significant achievement discrepancies. The most scientifically sound way of doing this is with Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). Dr. Shinn will demonstrate how to craft IEPs focusing on a Criterion for Acceptable Performance.
