Virginia Department of Education's Training and Technical Assistance Center at Virginia Commonwealth University

Creating change in the co-taught classroom can be challenging. Using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method allows co-teachers to make data-informed decisions about areas needing improvement, adjust those areas, and analyze the results to consider the following steps to improve student outcomes. The PDSA model was first developed to monitor quality control in the scientific community, and […]

Creating a high-quality early childhood setting is key to improving long-term outcomes for students with disabilities. Utilizing assistive technology (AT) ensures equitable access that supports children receiving services outlined in an individualized family service plan (IFSP) or an individualized education program (IEP) while serving as a bridge to enhance a child’s opportunities for meaningful participation […]

Take a minute to think about how an adult helps a child learn to ride a bike. He doesn’t put her on the bike and say, “There you go! Ride the bike!” Instead, he scaffolds the support in order to help her learn to ride her bike independently: The adult knew a gap existed between […]

For the United States to maintain its status as a global leader in innovation, it is projected that over one million more professionals from the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) sectors will be needed over the next ten years (Athanasia & Cota, 2022). With the rapidly growing need in these fields, educators must consider […]

In today’s advanced world, people with communication challenges have more opportunities than ever to express themselves. We all communicate in different ways, whether through speech, sign language, pictures, gestalts, speech-generating devices, eye gaze, or keyboards. Aided Language Input (ALI) is a powerful, proven, effective strategy. ALI is also referred to as Aided Language Stimulation or […]

Teachers often notice severely delayed or underdeveloped functioning skills in students diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These students almost always present with what is referred to as “executive dysfunction” (i.e., weaknesses in the cognitive processes that organize thoughts and activities, prioritize tasks, manage time efficiently and make decisions). The six areas of executive […]

Sometimes, preschool teachers can be so focused on the “what” of learning that they overlook the “how” of learning. As the school year begins and teachers are diving into newly-adopted curriculums, Virginia’s Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS), and Kindergarten readiness assessments and instructional resources, it is important for teachers to refresh their knowledge of […]

In her TED Talk Every kid needs a champion, Rita Pierson asserted, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” The importance of relationships and school connectedness is supported by research that shows belonging is an important protective factor. School connectedness can reduce risky behaviors, increase positive health behaviors, elevate grades and test scores, improve […]

Administrators play a vital role in fostering and sustaining excellence in transition IEPs and it has become essential that they provide guidance, support, and coaching to maintain compliance. The Council of Administrators of Special Education Essential (CASE) provides a guide to help administrators support transition within the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. By creating an […]

The science of reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. This research has been conducted over the last five decades and is derived from thousands of studies conducted in multiple languages. The science of reading has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to […]