Education Equity Matters / Schedule

Friday, August 1, 2014Education-Equity-Matters-St-Louis-Logo
University of Missouri-St. Louis.
St. Louis, Missouri

Back to Event Description

Education Equity Matters is a one-day TASH regional conference with a specific focus on evidence-based practices in educating students with significant disabilities in inclusive classrooms and school communities.

YOU CAN STILL REGISTER AT THE DOOR

Download a registration form to save time and bring it to the registration desk Friday, August 1. 

Sponsors

The JC Penney Conference Center Details:

Event Schedule

7:30 a.m.
Registration & Badge Pick Up

Join fellow conference-goers for a networking hour. Coffee and breakfast will be served.

8:30 a.m.
Welcome

8:45 a.m.
General Session
Is Presumed Competence the Best We Can Do? Moving Beyond a PC State of Mind

Jessica Dunn

9:25 – 11:05 a.m.
It Works! Best Practices Overview

Presenters will each provide a basic overview of the following topics and suggest ways other stakeholders (parents, self advocates, educators and education leaders) can work together to advance inclusive school communities:

  • Excellence, Equity, and All Means All: Understanding the SWIFT Framework
  • Capacity Building for Sustainable Family-Community-School Partnerships
  • Leadership for Inclusive Education
  • Positive Behavior Support in the Classroom

11:05 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch

12:50 – 2:25 p.m. & 2:30 – 4 p.m.
How-To Workshops

The design of the workshops is to provide an opportunity for participants to gain insights and develop skills they can apply immediately. Participants will select one workshop during the 1-2:30 p.m. time block, and another during the 2:30-4 p.m. time block. You can view additional details for each session below.

4:10 p.m.
Closing Session

At the end of the day, participants and presenters will come together and discuss what they’ve learned, and how they can commit toward a more equitable future.

Workshops

Excellence, Equity, and All Means All: Understanding the SWIFT Framework
Jessica Dunn and Grace Francis

The Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) is a national K-8 technical assistance center based out of the University of Kansas. SWIFT is funded by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The SWIFT Center’s manifesto is excellence, equity, and all means all. The SWIFT Center capitalizes on school, district, and state strengths to build a strong foundation for transformation. SWIFT works in partnership with 5 states – Oregon, Mississippi, Maryland, and Vermont/New Hampshire – to provide technical assistance in five domains and features.

This workshop will identify the domains and features of the SWIFT Framework. It will highlight the importance of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) in providing evidence-based instructional practices and student-focused planning. The workshop will include a Q&A portion led by a LEA Facilitator and Co-Direct of the Family and Community Engagement team.

At the end of this presentation participants will be able to:

  • Identify the domains and features of the Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT).
  • Explain how the SWIFT domains and features promote success for ALL students.
  • Summarize the components of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
  • Explore possibilities of how to work with SWIFT.

Capacity Building for Sustainable Family-Community-School Partnerships
Martha Blue-Banning and Cokethea Hill

Research has shown that improving the delivery of education to meet the demands of the 21st century requires the collective power of schools, educators, parents, and the community.

The most effective partnerships are based on trust and extend beyond what is often thought of as traditional “parent involvement.” Trusting family-school partnerships are collaborative, committed, and friendly.  These partnerships result in increased feelings of membership, respect, unity, and belonging and set the tone for the school.

This workshop will provide a unique blend of research and experience-based knowledge gained from six SWIFT Center knowledge development schools and national research on family-community-school partnerships. Presenters will discuss (a) current research on family-school partnerships, (b) principles for building trusting partnerships and innovative strategies for building these partnerships and (c) strategies for building meaningful opportunities of engagement for families and the local community. They will also highlight examples evidenced by the six exemplary inclusive schools in leveraging the collective power of family and community.

At the end of this presentation participants will be able to:

  • Identify best practices in exemplary family-community-school partnerships
  • Design strategies to build sustainable family-community-school trusting partnerships in the participants’ own schools
  • Create strategies for building meaningful opportunities of engagement in their schools for families and local community members.

Leadership for Inclusive Education
Michael Remus

People often think that special education has to make changes to support students, when in  essence, the entire district is what must change to support all students. Schools are part of a huge system. One needs to understand systems change to make the appropriate cultural shift. Advocacy and system changes must include all players, and ensure their involvement is  meaningful. Also, data must be used to make decisions rather than emotion or what we think will work for students.

This session will discuss systems change that must take place to provide inclusive practices within a school or a district. The focus will be how to we get better student achievement rather than where a students is located. The presenter will discuss how to get the school board, administration, teachers and support staff to make the change to provide inclusive practices to students with all abilities. He will also discuss how to get other district departments to change their roles to support all students.

At the end of this presentation participants will be able to:

  • Define and explain systems change
  • Target specific audiences to start the change process
  • Utilize strategies and tools for each audience or department to promote change in favor of inclusive practices
  • Critique and summarize data for decision making

Positive Behavior Support in the Classroom
Tim Lewis

Educational and other habilitative services must employ instructional and support strategies which are consistent with the right of each individual with severe disabilities to effective support without compromising their equally important right to freedom from harm. Access to strategies that humanely assure physical safety is an important part of this right. Individuals with severe disabilities have the right to equal access to medication, emergency, and safety procedures available to individuals no labeled with a disability, according to legal, regulatory, personal, family, and community standards.

This session will focus on essential management strategies to maximize appropriate engagement while reducing challenging behavior within the classroom. The presenter will share information on mapping effective classroom supports to school-wide positive behavior support. The presenter will discuss systemic strategies including performance feedback coaching and “classroom problem solving teams.”

At the end of this presentation participants will be able to:

  • Identify the 8 essential features of instructional/classroom management
  • Explain the critical features of performance feedback peer coaching and classroom problem solving teams
  • Locate assessment tools and supporting information to implement effective classroom practices

You can download a registration form or register online.