Training

Hello All.....

I'm back again, with info on the upcoming training for the continuously improving, continuous improvement process: QPVI Public Schools... this email also describes some changes in the process. Please read on and think about coming to the two days of training on Thursday & Friday, January 27 & 28, 2011 @ the ALL NEW TSBVI Outreach building on the ALL NEW campus of TSBVI.

The QPVI process continues to morph as the requirements of state and federal laws increase the need for us to meet requirements for data based decision-making, research based practice and the like. This year's training has some additional features that will allow facilitators to collect and track data that reflect quality programming.

I recommend the training for new facilitators or those considering implementing QP for the first time. For experienced facilitators, my plan is to address these changes with each of you individually as I meet with you this year.

A Sampling of Changes to QPVI

1. The analysis of the Master List of Students is used immediately as a starting point for making improvements. Since a major purpose of Key Component #1: Master List is to determine if the information required to be in student folders is current, complete and accessible, our analysis of the Master List ends with percentages for each required field. For example, how many/what percentage of students are missing or have out of date FVE/LMAs? If the percentage is not acceptable (is anything short of 100% acceptable?) Then a target percentage is agreed upon and strategies to achieve that percentage developed, with a timeline for implementation.

   Since out of date or nonexistent FVE/LMAs is a statewide (nationwide) issue, addressing this alone will have a positive impact on VI programs. In one site, where only one teacher had been doing all the evals, the teachers decided to get some training, then do them as a team until there was a feeling of competency among those who had not done them. Looking at all the info on the Master List provides a baseline of data for the program. Action plans are developed to improve the data. That is revisited by the district at the start of every year, noting improved numbers and percentages to track their improvement efforts. In many sites, VI staff has decided to update all disability specific information by the student???s IEP date of the current year, which is a challenging undertaking, with exciting outcomes.

   In addition to tracking the timeliness if this disability specific information, we model the use of each assessment piece to inform our IEPs and instruction through the use of our sample students (a sample of students selected to represent the student population as a whole).

2. Facilitators being trained this year will receive a couple of powerful tools that are useful in illustrating and tracking VI Program practice and progress. One is a graphic format for expressing this information, and tracking progress over several years??? time. Another is an instrument developed that allows us to screen all our students in all nine areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum in a way that is effective, but not time prohibitive.

3. We support VI staff in using research based and evidence based practice in all areas of instruction in areas of Unique Needs. Along those lines, we also address the assessment to IEP to instruction to performance outcome cycle and look at effective teaching practices.

4. We are absolutely thrilled to be adding the "Essential Assessments Rubric" which was rolled out last summer at AER in Little Rock by Karen Blankenship and Mary Ann Siller to our arsenal of tools promoting the establishment of standards of practice in the assessments TVIs and COMS conduct. (FVA, LMA, ECC)

5. And last, but definitely not least, is the redeveloped QPVI website, which not features Implementation Sites to support QPVI Facilitators and Participants in completing their QPVI process more efficiently and, at the same time, sharing their valuable documents and resources with others. Participant portfolios, with artifacts representing their best work and a list of their own professional development efforts is also an option.

I hope some or all of this has piqued your curiosity. Please contact me if you would like to come.

As usual, we have an interesting group participating from other states ..... they are always welcome and can be counted on to spice up our meetings with tales of their own experiences. As many of you know, January is the very best time to enjoy a "cool" Austin experience... so plan to come on down. I hope to see you or hear from you soon.

Please see the agenda for both days.

Thanks, Nancy

* difficulty with start-up
* getting bogged down in the process
* philosophical disagreements within the work group
* absent supervisor
* approval of documents by administrator
* lost, missing, never materializing documents
* Complete Action Plan forms (copy for participants).

Description of QPVI Key Components 3, 4, & 5 (October 2010)

QUALITY PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS TRAINING Key Components: #3 Unique Needs of Students, including the Expanded Core Curriculum, #4 Roles and Responsibilities, and #5 Type and Amount of Service Dates: October 21 & 22, 2010 (Thursday and Friday) 9am-3pm Training Site: Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Austin, Tx (exact site undetermined as we may have moved into our new Outreach building by the training dates) Training conducted by: Nancy Toelle, QPVI Developer

Note: each participant will receive updated QPVI Guide materials for the cost of printing • Key Component #3 Unique Needs of Students: We will review all the work completed in KC #2 and will build on that knowledge of students as we move into the Expanded Core Curriculum. Using the Iowa resource guide for the ECC, participants will learn to revise and conduct a student needs assessment, with the student’s instructional team, covering all 9 areas of the ECC. From there, priorities for intervention will be identified by the team, assessment of those priority areas conducted using a variety of resources, from which will flow IEP goals, instruction, and progress monitoring. The topic of effective instruction is included in this KC.

• Key Component #4 Roles and Responsibilities: With teacher time at a premium, we must assure that TVI time is spent as effectively as possible, but also provides service addressing the student’s critical needs relating to their visual impairment. This KC guides staff through a process to identify critical roles and responsibilities.

• Key Component #5 Type and Amount of Service: Once a student’s needs are accurately identified we must be cognizant of our roles in either meeting those needs or working with others to see they are met. We consider the student’s assessed needs, and, if instruction is needed, the frequency and intensity necessary to produce the desired outcomes.

File: 

This is a description of the 2-day session content for KC #3,4,5

Contact Info

Tools FAQ

Asking a question about using the site is simple, simply send an email to nancy, and it will get passed on to the site's maintainer. ;)

Wikispaces

POSTING YOUR WORK TO THE WIKI SPACE

Uploading files

-Select Manage Wiki.
-Under Content, select Files.
-Click Upload Files.
-Select the file you would like to upload. Hold down the Ctrl key (Shift on a Mac) to select multiple files.

The size of the files you can upload will depend on your wiki’s plan. You can see the differences on our pricing page.

Finding files

-Select Manage Wiki.
-Under Content, select Files.
-Sort your files by name, type, who uploaded them, and when they were uploaded.

Putting files on a page

-Navigate to your wiki.
-Hit the Edit button.
-Place the cursor where you would like the link to your file to appear.
-Select the File icon from the editor toolbar.
-If you haven't already uploaded the file to your wiki, use the button to Upload Files.
-Page through your files, search by file name, or sort by tag.
-Click on the file to place it on the page. Images, videos, and audio clips can be embedded directly into the page. For other file types — including PDFs, Word docs, Excel spreadsheets, and PowerPoint presentations the Embed File option will place a link to the file on the page.
-Save the wiki page.

Deleting files

-Select Manage Wiki.
-Under Content, select Files.
-Check the files you would like to delete and hit the Delete button.

Renaming files

-Select Manage Wiki.
-Under Content, select Files.
-Move your mouse to the file you would like to rename, and click the Rename link when it appears.
-Type in the New File Name.
-Hit the Rename File button.

Tagging files

-Select Manage Wiki.
-Under Content, select Files.
-Check the box that says, Show Tags, History, and Size.
-Next to the file you would like to tag, click Edit.
-Type in your tags, pressing comma or enter between tags.
-Click the Save button to save your tags.

This details how to post your documents to your page on wikispaces. Please post all work on the appropriate wikispace.

TIPS:

1. First go to the Wikispaces site: Look in the navigation list on the left and find your name. click on it
2. When the page opens, look for the “edit” tab in the upper right hand corner of the page and click on it. In the page that comes up, you will see a menu bar right above your name click on “file”
3. In the box that opens, click the “+ Upload Files” to find the file you want to upload (from your hard drive) click on the file to enter it into the box. The file you upload will be at the top of the list in the dialog box on the left. Double click on that to upload to the Wiki page. Your file will be loaded to the page and the title will appear in a blue rectangular box
4. You can either preview, then save, using those commands in the menu bar at the top right of the page, or you can just save.
5. You will be taken back to the page with your document posted there…. Success! If you don’t like where it is located on the page, go back to “edit” and use your cursor/pointer to move the file where you want it.

The QP Facilitators will be notified when you post. They will review, edit and repost.

Any questions? Please post to the discussion on the home page of the wiki.

To return to the wiki, select from the list of wikis here.

File: 

How to Post Files to the Wikispace