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Volume 16, No. 1, Winter 2008

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Announcing the 14th Annual Inclusion Conference

Designing Environments for Successful Learning
Thursday, May 8, 2008
8:00 am - 3:15 pm
Sheraton Dover Hotel & Conference Center
Dover, Delaware

Keynote Address: Designing Environments for Successful Learning

Participants will become familiar with the characteristics of inclusionary schools, rationales for change, organizational and instructional strategies to support inclusionary schooling, and successful examples from elementary, middle and high school.

Richard A. Villa, Ph.D., has worked with thousands of teachers and administrators to develop and implement organizational and instructional support systems for educating all students within general education settings. His expertise arises from his work as a classroom teacher and an administrator. As the author of 100+ publications and a presenter at national and international conferences, he has gained a reputation for his informed, insightful, and humorous style of information exchange.

Full-day Workshops (10:15-3:15, one-hour lunch on site)

1) Differentiating Instruction for All in Mixed- Ability Classrooms, Richard Villa, Ph.D.

Participants will learn and apply both a retrofit and universal design for learning (UDL) approach to differentiating instruction (DI). Specific strategies for enhancing the success of diverse learners will be provided which are not only research-based but are also practical and teacher-tested. Techniques for integrating DI with collaborative planning and coteaching will also be provided.

2) Effective Behavior and Instructional Supports, Carol Sadler, Ph.D.

This presentation focuses on an innovative, districtwide model that combines Positive Behavior Support (aka Effective Behavior Support–EBS), research-based academic support (with an emphasis on reading), and special education evaluation using Response to Intervention (RTI). The model was partially supported by a grant in 2000 received in Tigard-Tualatin School District in Oregon from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, developed and directed by the presenter, Dr. Carol Sadler. The model, called Effective Behavior & Instructional Support (EBIS), has received considerable national attention over the past seven years, and is currently being used as the model process taught to other districts via the Oregon RTI initiative. Over the years, implementation of the model in the Tigard-Tualatin School District has deepened at the elementary school level and scaled upward to all grade levels, inspiring more effective reading instruction, progress monitoring, and support for literacy in the district's middle and high schools. The presentation will describe the district's implementation of EBIS, and its components (EBS and RTI), highlighting outcomes as well as specific procedures and implementation challenges. Ample opportunities for questions and discussion will be incorporated into the presentation.

3) AIMing for Achievement! Accessible Instructional Materials for Students with Print Disabilities, Joy Zabala, CAST; Karen Jones, DOE; Beth Mineo, Dan Fendler, and Marvin Williams, DATI

Federal law emphasizes access to the general curriculum for all students, but this can be challenging for students with print disabilities because so many assessment and instructional materials are printbased. IDEA 2004 mandates that students with print disabilities be provided with core curricular content in specialized formats, and this has farreaching implications for schools as well as students. Joy Zabala, Ed.D., who leads a national effort focused on accessible instructional materials, will: 1) review the legal mandate for print access and its implications; 2) discuss specialized formats for the delivery of print-based content; and 3) emphasize the role of the IEP team in addressing and accommodating students' print access needs. Print access initiatives underway in Delaware will also be discussed.

4) Sharing Books with ALL Children Ages Birth to Five, Patsy Pierce

Current evidence points to the necessity of interactive book reading and sharing with young children in order to develop essential early oral and written language abilities. Participants will learn about the importance of interactive shared reading and strategies to help children with and without disabilities to participate in conversations related to books.

Registration is required. The cost is $25 per person; $12.50 for full-time students. A limited number of stipends are available for parents and child care providers who need this support in order to participate. Registration and payment must be completed by April 21, 2008. Register early, as space is limited. Go to http://www.dati.org/events to register online or download a complete brochure. Only check or credit card payments will be accepted. For more information, call (302) 856-1081.

Continuing Education Units: Conference attendees may earn up to 5.0 professional growth hours with the Department of Education. Application has also been made to the Office of Child Care Licensing Board, and to Delaware's Professional Boards of Regulation for Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Registered Nurses for continuing education credits.

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