The Center for Technical Assistance for Excellence in Special Education (TAESE) staff and contractors are available to collaborate with local education agencies (LEAs) and charter school leaders to develop and deliver professional development (PD) to groups of professionals working with children and students with disabilities.

TAESE can address the following professional topics, among others:

• Research-based strategies to strengthen students’ reading and math skills
• Multi-tiered systems of support for behavior and academics
• Developing quality IEPs aligned with the Common Core
• Secondary transition and post-school outcomes
• Discipline, the manifestation determination, and alternative educational placements
• Understanding disabilities and providing effective accommodations in the general education classroom
• Data-based instruction and intervention
• Extended school year services for students with disabilities
• Implementation assessments and supports for program/intervention practices
• Culturally sensitive evaluation, curriculum adoption, and instructional practices
• Dealing with dangerous students
• Disability harassment and bullying
• Promoting self-advocacy and student-led IEP meetings
• Understanding the distinctions between IDEA and Section 504

TAESE staff also has experience working with LEA and charter school leaders to construct PD systems. Such construction activities may include:

• Co-identifying PD priorities through data reviews and stakeholder interviews and surveys.
• Co-development of face-to-face and web-based PD addressing operationally defined PD objectives.
• Co-development of assessments to determine progress and achievement of PD objectives.
• Co-development of evidence-based PD standards supporting relevant outcomes for students with disabilities.
• Co-development of PD and coaching for PD providers, ensuring that in-house providers can develop and deliver relevant and effective PD.
• Co-development of face-to-face and web-based coaching, supporting the transfer of acquired knowledge, skills, and dispositions to relevant educational settings.
• Co-development of implementation plans founded on implementation science.
• Co-development of internal and external evaluations of a PD system to ensure that system processes are effective and efficient and targeted outcomes are achieved.

TAESE staff has experience working, alongside LEA and charter school leaders, in the earliest stages of PD development (i.e., concept of a PD system), in addition to later stages (i.e., strengthening an existing PD system). TAESE staffs’ skills and expertise support great flexibility. We can confidently join you at any point in your PD system development or operation.

David Forbush, has over twenty years of experience developing and delivering professional development to school-based professionals. Dr. Forbush has served as a local education agency director in Idaho and Utah, and has been significantly involved in pre-service training and supervision of special education teachers. Dr. Forbush has years of experience in multiple states, developing and delivering PD to teachers, school psychologists, paraeducators, and others. Collectively, TAESE staff has countless years of experience developing and providing PD across many states and in a broad number of topical areas.