Professional Development Workshop Series

B.E.T.A. offers a full range of dynamic workshops and seminars for educators, parents, and community organizations. The following are our featured workshops (click each title to show or hide the details for each workshop):

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Effective Appropriate Inclusion of Students with Disabilites
This course will cover the philosophical, legal and ethical issues associated with providing educational services in the least restrictive environment. Teachers will discuss the challenges and changing professional requirements for inclusion of students in general education placements. In addition, teachers will learn how to provide instructional modification and curriculum adaptations for students in special education. The following court cases: Brown, PARC v. Pennsylvania, 1972; Mills v. Board of Education, 1972 and Tokarcik v. Forest Hills School District will be reviewed.
Developing, Writing and Implementing a Functional Individualized Education Plan
This training module will focus on the “process” areas in the IEP. According to IDEA97, IEP's must contain measurable long-term goals with benchmarks or short-term objectives. This course will help teachers develop functional IEP Goals, which instill skills that enhance the students' ability in the general curriculum. Regular and Special education teachers will learn how the Free and Appropriate Public Education mandate relates to the IEP. In addition, teachers will review the Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School v. Rowley (1992), where the Supreme Court dealt for the first time with question of what constitutes an appropriate education.
Developing Functional Behavioral Assessment and Analysis
Students that exhibit behaviors that impede their learning and the learning of others are required by law to have an FBA. Although these students typically represent a small portion of school enrollment, they account for more then 50% of the behavioral incident handled by the office and consume significant amount of time. The purpose of this workshop is to introduce teachers to individualized comprehensive behavioral support that involve family, school, and community participation. In addition, this workshop will include data collection, understanding efficient methods of supporting education team members and technical skills.
Techniques to Improve Test Scores
Teachers will learn about standard-based reforms, Goals 2000, Title 1 and IDEA 97 and there impact on providing students with disabilities proper accommodations by completing a review of the school accommodation policy, the concept of accommodations, and the operationalization of accommodations. Strategies for testing accommodations in reading and mathematics will be reviewed.
Understanding the Dynamics of Information Process
There are 13 educational disability categories recognized in individuals with the Disabilities Educational Act (1997, 1999). Slightly over half of all students with disabilities are classified as LD. Although the process deficit model was dominant when LD was introduced in the 1960’s, research shows that training cognitive processes such as planning can improve education achievement. Teachers will be introduced to the history of learning disabilities, definition of specific learning disabilities, achievement testing, the “wait to fail” phenomenon, evidence-based strategies, and minority and gender representation.
The Special Education Process from A to Z
The purpose of this workshop is to introduce regular education and special education teachers to the Special Education Process. The course will cover their legal responsibility, educational accountability, confidentiality, the individuals with Disabilities Act 1997, terminology the Child Find Process, Section 504, and the Special Education Process from Identification to Services. In order to leave teachers with practical and relevant information, this session will include question and answer sessions with regards to the best practices in teaching students with disabilities.
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder and Other Health Impairments
The purpose of this workshop is to inform and sensitize teachers to the fact that reportedly one in five children and adolescents experience a significant mental health problem during the school year. More then 70% of those who need treatment will not receive appropriate mental health services. This workshop will include understanding the signs and the appropriate support. Obsessive, compulsive-disorder (OCD), impulse disorders, depression, oppositional deficient disorder, conduct disorder and ADHD will be discussed.
Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities
Teachers will learn how to define and identify dyslexia and understand its history. Cases and best practices in teaching the students will be reviewed. Teachers will be given handouts on dyslexia. In addition, levels of development and the dyslexic child's learning pattern will be discussed. Acquiring basic skills in decoding and spelling, understanding the meaning of both oral and written communications, mathematics, writing, reading, understanding the alphabets, and word discrimination will be covered to minimize the potential disadvantages of students with difficulties.
Stress Management
We all have stress. The inability to manage our stress impacts our health, performance at work and relationships. This workshop will expose teachers and parents to ways of recognizing stress, the psychological and physiological impact of stress, and effective ways to create balance and relieve stress and anxiety, which may include lifestyle changes.
Instructional Strategies and Remediation Techniques
Today classrooms are filled with students with varying skills levels and needs. To maximize the potential of all students teachers need evidence-based strategies so all student can experience success. Participants will learn about the dynamic stages involved in processing information. Areas that will be covered include reading disability, mathematic disability, word retrieval disability and “slow learners”. Teachers will leave with information that will improve their classroom environment, teaching style and test scores. The purpose of this two-part workshop is to provide cognitive based instructional strategies in teaching new and unfamiliar information.
Parent Training Modules
This is an ongoing series of dynamic and engaging workshops that will provide parents with information as well as skills to effect positive behavioral changes in their child.
  1. Academic Motivations
  2. Understanding Test Scores
  3. Study Skills
  4. Special Education Law
  5. Behavioral and Emotional Problems
  6. Anger Management
  7. Depression
  8. Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
  9. Home-School Connection
  10. Dyslexia-Learning Disabilities

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