SPDG+3+(2007-2012)

State Personnel Developement Grant 3
(transition from SIG to SPDG ) __**MODIFIED ABSTRACT **__ The Vermont Department of Education (VT DOE) seeks to to reform and improve the Vermont state system for personnel preparation and professional development in early intervention and educational services. The goal is to target the professional development needs of general and special educators, administrators, related service personnel, paraprofessionals and early intervention personnel.

Three major areas have been identified as being critical for improved systematic, statewide professional development that will improve outcomes for students with disabilities. These projects are designed to be inclusive of families and are designed on the premise of sustainability. This project proposal is aligned with Vermont’s State Performance Plan.

1) __Vermont Integrated Instruction Model:__ 1) Enhance the capacity of general and special education to provide differentiated instruction across age, disability and academic content areas. Increase the access to participation in the general education curriculum to impact student academic outcomes and social- behavioral interactions. 2) Establish a network of regional and building-based personnel with expertise in the areas of Responsiveness to Intervention; Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports; and Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment models. Vermont Parent Information Center (PTI) will recruit and train regional parent leaders to ensure access and understanding for parents and families around the Integrated Instruction model: Responsiveness to Intervention, assessment and positive behavioral intervention and supports.

__2) Early Education__: Build the capacity of the Vermont Part C - Family Infant and Toddler Program, the Early Essential Education Program (Section 619 Program), the Vermont Parent Information Center (parent leaders) and Early Childhood Education providers to support the pre-, emergent and early literacy needs of infants, toddlers and preschoolers using a trainer of trainers model with technical assistance from the Center for Early Language & Literacy (CELL).

3) __Speech Language Pathology__: Recruit Vermont based students for admittance to a Master’s level Speech Language Pathology program to fill personnel gaps in rural areas of Vermont by creating a distance education graduate program using a hybrid instructional approach of on-line, video web-streaming and community based interaction.