Sample State Initiatives and Resources

For information about national initiatives and projects please visit the Strategies, Partnerships and Needs Assessment sections of the SigNetwork site.

Quick Index:

• Behavior
• Certification and Licensure, Recruitment and Retention
• Highly Qualified Teachers
• Literacy
• Mentoring
• Online/Distance Learning innovative professional development programs
• Partnerships and Collaboration
• Professional Development, Training and Technical Assistance

Behavior

Project ACHIEVE is Arkansas's statewide behavior and acedemic achievement initiative.

Georgia Effective Behavioral and Instructional Supports Center (EBIS) Expanding school-wide EBIS technical assistance to allow large-scale implementation within the state of Georgia with an emphasis on building capacity. This initiative supports Goal 3 of Georgia's SIG.

School-Based Problem-Solving: Working Toward Response to Intervention (RtI) in Illinois: The Illinois’ Flexible Service Delivery (FSD) System.
FSD Definition: The sharing of general and special education resources and the ongoing development of educational environments that are receptive and responsive to all students.
This system focuses on functional assessment of student needs, the provision of more usable information to classroom teachers, and the development of interventions by a collaborative problem solving team.

Target population: Students at risk of academic failure due to learning and/or behavioral difficulties; classroom performance is below expected levels.

“Response to Intervention & School-based Problem Solving: Statewide Approaches in Illinois” which was presented on the Wednesday agenda from 10:30 – 12:00.

Maryland has a statewide PBIS initiative. Their website provides data, training reports, publications and a MS PowerPoint presentation on Going to Scale in Maryland's Local Schools Systems (2005).

Nebraska (NSIG) has invested in a comprehensive approach to preventing behavior problems in schools. This link to their site offers a graphic of the approach as well as connections to SIG evaluation, impact and school selection criteria.

New Mexico SIG initiative in Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) This website provides description of the implementation and impact of PBIS in New Mexico, along with publications, resources and contacts for the initiative. A link to the more extensive PBIS in New Mexico website is also available.

North Carolina Positive Behavior Support Initiative The North Carolina State Improvement Grant was written to include seven reading centers, one mathematics center and one behavioral support center. The primary purposes of the grant were personnel development and systems change.

California's Los Angeles Unified School district has developed an alternative route to credentialing. Participants in the District Intern Program enroll in the Professional Development Plan leading to the Preliminary California Credential and a Professional Clear California Credential. Internship programs are available in a variety of subject areas. In March 2000, the District Intern Program was evaluated and received full accreditation as a teacher training institution and as a licensing recommending agency by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC).

California SIG IHE report (.pdf) - June 30, 2002
This report summarizes key findings from the research on foundational recruitment efforts, the activities and recommendations of the Special Education IHE Task Force within the scope of the State Improvement Grant, and the research-based development and production of the Draft California Strategic Plan for the Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention of Special Education Teachers. The report concludes with educational implications and recommendations for next steps of action. (17 pages .pdf)

The University of Oregon's Sapsil'wala Program provides scholarships and training to American Indian teachers who will work in schools with large Indian populations.

Arkansas HOUSSE information package supplies a copy of the amended Rules, revised forms teachers will use to establish HQT status, list of courses for which a teacher must be Highly Qualified to teach, (FAQ&A) about Rules and processes, and a draft of the proposed AR Multi-Subject HOUSSE survey. (August 2005)

What Constitutes a Highly Qualified Special Education Teacher in Wisconsin? (.doc) Wisconsin state flow chart for Highly Qualified Teachers. Link to Wisconsin's licensing standards

Related conversations from the SigServe list:

• Does any state have a good mechanism for LEAs reporting to SEAs that their special education teachers are highly qualified? (June 2005)
• In order to be highly qualified during that reading segment [highschool student at elementary reading level], can the teacher pass your state test at the early childhood or middle school levels rather than the high school levels? (May 2005)
• Are any states using a multi-subject state licensing (certification) exam in order to help middle school and high school special education teachers become highly qualified in multiple content areas? (March 2005)

Just Read, Florida The Florida Department of Education in consultation with the Florida Board of Education is implementing a comprehensive, coordinated statewide effort that includes: early-reading instruction strategies and reading screenings or assessments for K-2 students; reading intervention strategies for students who read below grade level; reading course requirements for middle school and high school students who are not reading at grade level; reading activities in teacher preparation and professional development programs; and more with links to the Florida Center for Reading research.

Arizona SIG Goal 3 Literacy website This site provides an opportunity to ask questions about literacy related issues and concerns (Ask the Expert); offers information for parents and educators (Parent Pages/Professional Pages); and links to literacy-related resources (Related Links). The Newsletter (Literacy News and Views) contains articles related to family involvement in reading, resources for professionals and other SIG activities. The site also links to Arizona's Reading Instruction resource collection, a section of The Gateway to Research-Based  Educational Topics.

Scientifically-based Reading Research, collected and organized by the Tennessee SIG, to support literacy and pre-literacy skills, in accordance with their SIG project goals.

Read Oregon Oregon educational agencies/associations have joined to create a single website to centralize information on reading/literacy resources in Oregon, including literacy training for K-12 teachers.

Utah Mentor Academy is a statewide program which started in 1986 and is coordinated through the Utah Personnel Development Center. The purpose of the UMTA is to refine and enhance the leadership skills and knowledge of highly qualified educators through training focused on interpersonal and communication skills, effective school practices, modeling, effective presentations, coaching, collaboration, and facilitation techniques.

The Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) Induction Mentoring and Peer Assistance KNEA reviewed websites to produce a list of resource that contain information and ideas that will help the reader consider and/or initiate an induction, mentoring, and/or peer assistance program. Includes links to district guidelines, the KNEA rubric and Kansas State Department of Education Mentoring Program Standards and Criteria.

California has an Online Learning Center that offers online conferences, teleconferences and self paced on-line activities. Current titles of self-paced trainings include:

• Classroom Management
• Writing Measurable Goals and Short Term Objectives Tied to General Education Standards: Goals and Objectives that Reach
• The Reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Significant Judicial Decisions Training (originally presented April 21-22, 2005)

Florida's Virtual ESE Distance Learning Program was developed to address the increasing need for special education teachers, particularly in rural areas.

Alaska has developed several web-based interactive training modules for educators and paraprofessionals who work with students with disabilities. See E-Learning Brochure.pdf

The Idaho Training Clearinghouse (ITC) is designed to link professionals and parents with training opportunities across the state.

Alabama's Collaborative Teacher Program is in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Huntsville. The Collaborative Teacher Program is designed to prepare teachers to better meet the diverse needs of all children, including those who have been determined to be exceptional and who receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The Arizona SIG website provides an interface that allows SIG partners to report their activities online. Reports are organized according to the SIG goals and can be accessed and read on the web. The website also provides information and resources related to each of the three major SIG goals

Building Capacity for Family Involvement: An Information and Resource Guide for Schools developed by the Idaho Department of Education to help Idaho’s educators, particularly those involved in Title I programs, enhance their parent and family involvement work. The full document, divided into individual chapters, is available for download in PDF.

New York Module on Engaging Families The New York SIG has developed a series of training powerpoint presentations entitled "Engaging Families: Home-School Connections." The series includes 6 modules as follows: Orientation to Family Engagement, Strategies for Engaging Families, No Child Left Behind: Parents as Consumers, Family Involvement for Learning/Literacy (parts 1 and 2), Families Supporting Children's Achievement in Mathematics.

The purpose of the North Carolina State Improvement Project is to establish and implement, in alignment with the comprehensive system of personnel development, program support services to significantly improve the performance and success of students with disabilities in North Carolina. Their website explains the various partnerships created to support the range of activities in the project.

The Wisconsin SIG website provides a wealth of information about state activities, products and partnerships focused on the areas of Early Childhood, Early Ongoing Collaboration and Assistance (EOCA) and Transition. Further information about collaboration can be found at the following linked site:

• collaboratingpartners.com an online community for parents, administrators and staff of early education programs throughout Wisconsin. In addition to other resources this website provides examples of state and local interagency agreements

Professional Development, Training and Technical Assistance

Missouri's SIG funds are being used for efforts such as tuition reimbursement, mentorship, and grants to local education agencies for targeted professional development, particularly in the area of PBIS. Their state Division of Teacher Quality and Urban Education web page includes standards for professional development programs; a link to the professional development centers; performance based evaluation guidelines for school staff; subject specific competencies and categorical competencies for special education and links to leadership academy and the Transition to Teaching Project

CalSTAT (California Services for Technical Assistance and Training) is a special project of the California Department of Education, Special Education Division and is part of the California Institute on Human Services located at Sonoma State University. It is funded through the Special Education Division and the California State Improvement Grant (SIG). The SIG, a federal grant, supports and develops partnerships with schools and families by providing training, technical assistance and resources to both special education and general education. CalSTAT is involved in training, technical Assistance, family partnerships, and a variety of other state improvement efforts.

Idaho Training Clearinghouse is designed to link professionals and parents with training opportunities across the state and to create an online training community among trainers and participants. The site provides connection to the Results Based Model(RBM) initiative funded through Idaho SIG.

Delaware SIG products include Universal Design for Learning and Inclusive Schools Initiative Training Modules