ESU 4 Special Education
Vision: Courageously leading a dynamic revolution in Education!
Vision: Courageously leading a dynamic revolution in Education!
The mission of ESU 4 is to improve student learning through a commitment to communication, accountability and leadership.
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What's Happening at ESU 4?
Wow... Spring has just sprung and once again, I'm found wondering... where did the time go? It's a question I seem to ask myself more and more. Each fall, I begin the school year with very ambitious goals and the enthusiasm that I will be able to meet each one with little or no difficulty. As a special educator, I really struggle at writing goals that are achievable within one school year.
As part of ESU 4's School Improvement Process, we completed the external AdvancEd visit in September of 2010. As part of the process, the external team provided recommendations for us as we continue our improvement process. One of those recommendations was to develop and share our vision for the future. It was shortly after the September visit that the statement "Courageously leading a dynamic revolution in education" was created. Several times during the past year, the ESU 4 Special Education staff has met to determine exactly what our dynamic revolution might be and how we would courageously lead it. As we look toward the future, we recognize that there might be the need to provide additional staffing to meet the needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing and students with behavior and mental health issues. We might need to expand roles so that there is new expertise to support students with ASD, Down Syndrome, or mental health concerns. Maintaining and upgrading technology and educational materials is and will continue to be a challenge; however, it's importance in helping us to lead that dynamic revolution in education is crucial.
As we look 5 years down the road, our vision is that everyone involved in each of the districts of ESU 4 is completely aware of all the services and programs that ESU 4 has to offer teachers, parents, students and communities. Our dream is that people know the faces behind the name of ESU 4, recognizing who we are and what we do. Our goal is to support our districts by creating programs that will meet future needs. Our vision is that ESU 4 is considered to be a collaborative member of the Southeast Nebraska Community. As we look at the calendar, it seems that 5 years is a long way down the road. We all know the reality that time flies. But the time to work on our 5-year plan is now.
To that end, I've posted two surveys at the top of this blog. One is a survey asking for your input on the staff development needs of teachers concerning special education. Staff development in the areas of behavior, ILCD and special education updates continue to top the list. What will top the list for 2012-2013? The second survey is an evaluation of the services provided by the ESU 4 Special Education department. Both of these surveys are annual events... the information is taken and analyzed as an important part of our data. While there isn't a direct link to student performance, there is a clear link to school improvement. Without that evaluation, we won't be able to measure our progress in fulfilling our vision. How will we lead a dynamic revolution in education? What will we look like in 5 years? We're not completely sure, but we do know this... we will be working hard to get there. Join us now... before time gets too far away from us! Have a terrific Spring!
As part of ESU 4's School Improvement Process, we completed the external AdvancEd visit in September of 2010. As part of the process, the external team provided recommendations for us as we continue our improvement process. One of those recommendations was to develop and share our vision for the future. It was shortly after the September visit that the statement "Courageously leading a dynamic revolution in education" was created. Several times during the past year, the ESU 4 Special Education staff has met to determine exactly what our dynamic revolution might be and how we would courageously lead it. As we look toward the future, we recognize that there might be the need to provide additional staffing to meet the needs of students who are deaf or hard of hearing and students with behavior and mental health issues. We might need to expand roles so that there is new expertise to support students with ASD, Down Syndrome, or mental health concerns. Maintaining and upgrading technology and educational materials is and will continue to be a challenge; however, it's importance in helping us to lead that dynamic revolution in education is crucial.
As we look 5 years down the road, our vision is that everyone involved in each of the districts of ESU 4 is completely aware of all the services and programs that ESU 4 has to offer teachers, parents, students and communities. Our dream is that people know the faces behind the name of ESU 4, recognizing who we are and what we do. Our goal is to support our districts by creating programs that will meet future needs. Our vision is that ESU 4 is considered to be a collaborative member of the Southeast Nebraska Community. As we look at the calendar, it seems that 5 years is a long way down the road. We all know the reality that time flies. But the time to work on our 5-year plan is now.
To that end, I've posted two surveys at the top of this blog. One is a survey asking for your input on the staff development needs of teachers concerning special education. Staff development in the areas of behavior, ILCD and special education updates continue to top the list. What will top the list for 2012-2013? The second survey is an evaluation of the services provided by the ESU 4 Special Education department. Both of these surveys are annual events... the information is taken and analyzed as an important part of our data. While there isn't a direct link to student performance, there is a clear link to school improvement. Without that evaluation, we won't be able to measure our progress in fulfilling our vision. How will we lead a dynamic revolution in education? What will we look like in 5 years? We're not completely sure, but we do know this... we will be working hard to get there. Join us now... before time gets too far away from us! Have a terrific Spring!
2011-2012 Webinars:
The links to the webinar recordings are below as are the links for the handouts for each of the webinars. The handouts are hosted by DropBox. If you have any questions about accessing either the webinar recordings or the handouts, please let me know. The SAT webinar was not recorded, however, there may be an opportunity to participate in a 2nd SAT webinar, which will (hopefully!) be recorded!
Special Education File Review Webinar:
Getting our Files in Shape! (12/8/2011)
Handouts available at... http://dl.dropbox.com/u/242094/Top%20Five%20Relationship%20Strategies%20-%20Webinar%20for%20ESU%20456.pptx
Early Childhood Cadre Webinar – (2/10/2012)
Topic: The Transition Relay Model: Preparing Preschoolers for Kindergarten Transitions.
Early Childhood Cadre Webinar Recording
Handouts: Kindergarten Survey, Parent Survey, Preschool Survey, Profile spreadsheet, Transition Relay Model Webinar Powerpoint, Transition Relay Model Rationale
Legal Webinar Series
Webinar #1 - The Year in Review (1/25/2012)
Year In Review Webinar Link
Handout available at... Year In Review Powerpoint
Webinar #2 - Procedural Safeguards (2/8/2012)
webinar link: http://esu4.adobeconnect.com/spedlaw/
Procedural Safeguards Webinar Recording (2/8/12)
Handout available at... ProceduralSafeguards-Webinar2.pptx
Early Childhood Cadre Webinar – (2/10/2012)
Topic: The Transition Relay Model: Preparing Preschoolers for Kindergarten Transitions.
Early Childhood Cadre Webinar Recording
Handouts: Kindergarten Survey, Parent Survey, Preschool Survey, Profile spreadsheet, Transition Relay Model Webinar Powerpoint, Transition Relay Model Rationale
Legal Webinar Series
Webinar #1 - The Year in Review (1/25/2012)
Year In Review Webinar Link
Handout available at... Year In Review Powerpoint
Webinar #2 - Procedural Safeguards (2/8/2012)
webinar link: http://esu4.adobeconnect.com/spedlaw/
Procedural Safeguards Webinar Recording (2/8/12)
Handout available at... ProceduralSafeguards-Webinar2.pptx
Webinar #3 - Predetermination (2/29/2012)
Handout available at... Predetermination Webinar
Webinar #4 - Documentation, Documentation, Documentation (3/28/2012)
Documentation X 3! Webinar Recording
Handouts available at... Documentation Webinar Powerpoint
Webinar #4 - Documentation, Documentation, Documentation (3/28/2012)
Documentation X 3! Webinar Recording
Handouts available at... Documentation Webinar Powerpoint
Webinar #5 - Extra-Curricular Activities and The IEP (4/4/2012)
Extra-Curricular Activities and the IEP
Handouts available at... #5 Extra-Curricular Activities and the IEP
Webinar #6 - Discipline, including Restraint/Seclusion (5/9/2012)
Extra-Curricular Activities and the IEP
Handouts available at... #5 Extra-Curricular Activities and the IEP
Webinar #6 - Discipline, including Restraint/Seclusion (5/9/2012)
Webinar Link: http://esu4.adobeconnect.com/spedlaw/
Winter/Spring Special Education Training Opportunities:
Ø Special Education Law Webinar Series – Co-hosted by ESU 4 and ESU 6. All webinars will begin at 3:30 and conclude by 4:45 p.m. Register via the ESU 4 Registration website. Dates and Topics:
§ May 9 – Discipline/Restraint and Seclusion (Ellen)
Webinar address: http://esu4.adobeconnect.com/spedlaw/
Ø Annual ASD Conference, April 12-13, 2012 in Lincoln @ the Cornhusker.
Ø CPI Re-Certification training @ ESU 4 – April 23rd. Registration via ESU 4 website.
Ø ESU 4-5-6 Behavior Institute, featuring Karen Haase, Matt McNiff, and Jolene Palmer; July 30-31, 2012 @ Sheridan Lutheran Church, Lincoln.
HUSKER NATION:
The correct answer is... ALWAYS!!!
Never stop playing the game!
