2009 DoDEA Site Promos
Special Education Initiative
In an effort to enhance existing services and programs, DoDEA conducted a system-wide review of its special education services in 2002. The review focused on four major components of quality services: resources, curricula, related services, and facilities. The review provided valuable feedback and identified a need for additional resources in order to provide services for students with moderate to severe disabilities.
Through a joint agreement among all of the armed services, additional funding was allocated to support the special education initiative beginning in school year 2003-2004 and continuing through school year 2008-2009.
The DoDEA Special Education Initiative is a comprehensive plan designed to bring special education services to new levels of excellence by providing additional resources and materials, and professional development.
Vision Statement
Enhance academic and personal outcomes for students with disabilities
Mission Statement
The Special Education Initiative (SEI) provides high quality professional development, research-based curricular materials, and state-of-the-art technology to support exemplary programs that prepare all students with disabilities for successful participation in a global environment.
SEI 2005 Survey Results (pdf 112KB) - DoDEA Special Education Initiative (SEI), 2004-2005 SEI Survey Report
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why did we need a special education initiative?
DoDEA saw an opportunity to better prepare all special education students to fulfill their academic potential by further enhancing its special education offerings with additional staffing, training, materials, and equipment. - How are educational opportunities for children with disabilities being enhanced?
The initiative is designed to enhance the classroom environment by providing the special education teacher with more time for instruction of students within his or her weekly schedule and for collaboration with general education teachers, related service providers and paraprofessionals. - How might the special education classroom look different after school year 2003-2004?
During the first year of the initiative, DoDEA purchased new furniture and appliances for students with moderate to severe disabilities and new furniture and equipment for preschool-aged children with disabilities. - Will the initiative provide specific additional resources?
Yes! The initiative ensured that each district has a lending library of current assistive technology devices/software/materials. The lending libraries provide assistive technology devices for students with special needs to enable them to better access the curriculum. - Will there be training for parents of children with disabilities?
Yes! Training for parents of children with disabilities will be offered in a variety of ways, such as group training, on-line training, and self-paced CD-ROMs. - Is other training planned in conjunction with the initiative?
Throughout the six-year period of the initiative, appropriate professional development will be delivered to:- Special Educators, Assessors, Paraprofessionals, General Educators
- Administrators
- District, Area and Headquarters Coordinators
- How will the special education curriculum be enhanced as a result of this initiative?
The special education curriculum will be enhanced in two specific ways:- specialized curriculum in community-based instruction, life
skills and functional academics for students with moderate
to severe disabilities; and - supplemental instructional programs and materials for
students with mild to moderate disabilities to support their
performance in the general education curriculum--teacher
training will accompany the implementation of new
curriculum and programs.
- specialized curriculum in community-based instruction, life
- What additional staffing will be provided to districts?
Beginning SY 03-04, each district was staffed with educational assessors, speech-language assessors and clerical assessor assistants. The number of assessors and assistants provided to a district was based on student population and unique needs of the district. These allocations will be reviewed periodically as student populations may shift and needs may change. - How will roles and responsibilities change with the new staffing?
The addition of the assessor positions enables special educators and speech-language pathologists to focus less on assessment responsibilities and more on instruction and collaborative activities, thereby enhancing instruction and promoting greater student achievement.
Key Features of the Special Education Initiative
Staffing:- Hiring assessment personnel to lead assessment process
- Hiring clerical support to assist assessors
- Extending paraprofessional's work schedule for instructional planning
- Literacy materials for students with mild to moderate disabilities to support DoDEA Reads initiative
- Life skills materials for students with moderate to severe disabilities
- Age-appropriate materials for preschool children with disabilities
- Special Educators, Assessors, Paraprofessionals, General Educators
- Parents of children with disabilities
- Administrators
- District, Area, and Headquarters Coordinators
- Age-appropriate furniture for preschool special education classrooms
- Appropriate furniture for classrooms serving students with moderate to severe disabilities
- Appliances necessary to support life skills curriculum
- Specialized equipment for students with physical disabilities
- Establishment and upgrading of district-level lending libraries to support a student's assistive technology needs
- Purchase assistive technology software, devices and materials for preschool classrooms and programs for students with moderate to severe disabilities
SEI Accomplishments
SY 2003-2004 (Year One)
The first year of the SEI brought the following:- Staffing of district level assessment personnel
- Professional development for assessors (special education and speech/language)
- Professional development for teachers of the moderate to severely impaired students
- Purchase of assessment instruments and technology to support assessors
- Purchase of furniture and materials for preschool special education classrooms
- Purchase of furniture and materials for classrooms serving students with moderate to severe disabilities
- Establishment and upgrading of Assistive Technology District Lending Libraries
- Purchase of remedial reading program
- Design of the Special Education webpage
SY 2004-2005 (Year Two)
The second year of the SEI brought the following:- Initial evaluations of SEI was conducted online for all special educators (see report above).
- Professional development/training was conducted for:
- Special Education Coordinators;
- Teachers, Learning Impaired M/M (Stage A READ 180 follow up);
- Teachers, Learning Impaired M/M (Stage B READ 180 follow up);
- Teachers, Learning Impaired M/M (Stage C READ 180 follow up);
- Teachers, Learning Impaired M/M (K-3)-Early Literacy;
- Teachers, Learning Impaired M/S (follow up); and
- Assessors (follow up).
- Design for professional development modules were initiated for paraprofessionals and general education teachers.
- Professional Development scheduled for Summer 2005:
- Speech/Language Pathologists; and
- Teachers, Preschool Services for Children with Disabilities (PSCD).
SY 2005-2006 (Year Three)
The third year of the SEI brought the following:- The SEI continued to support the assessor positions and the extended paraprofessionals' work schedule.
- Professional Development ‘face-to-face' training was provided for the following:
- Parents in twenty-one communities (by Specialized Training of Military Parents-STOMP);
- *Teachers, Elementary LI MM- follow up training;
- *Teachers, Middle/High School LI/MM;
- *Assessors (special education and speech/language)-follow up training;
- Preschool (PSCD) Teachers;
- Speech/Language Pathologists;
- *Teachers, Moderate/Severe (LI MS)- follow up training; and
- Special Education and Area Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Coordinators.
- *Administrators (Summer 06 Workshop)
- *Elementary Special Educators (Summer 06 Workshop)
- Scholastic Red online courses were provided to special educators, general educators and teachers, English-as-a-Second Language.
- Continued LRP E-connection subscriptions were provided for Area Special Education Coordinators.
- A Middle/High School LI MM workgroup was conducted that made recommendations on programs and services for secondary special education students.
SY 2006-2007 (Year Four)
The fourth year of the SEI brought the following:
- The SEI continued to support the assessor positions and the extended paraprofessionals' work schedule.
- Professional Development 'face-to-face' training was provided for the following:
- *Specialists in the areas of hearing impaired, visually impaired, autism, assistive technology, occupational and physical therapist (DDESS only)
- *Assessors (special education and speech/language) follow up training
- *Follow-up training for elementary LI M/M teachers and SLPs
- Moderate-to-severe program site visits were conducted by consultants at several schools in DoDDS-Europe, DDESS, and DoDDS-Pacific
- *Training was conducted in the three Areas for secondary LI M/M teachers (who did not attend the summer 2006 workshop)
- Plans began for parent training materials to be used independently (by parents) or in a blended format with small groups
- *A synopsis of this professional development activity is posted on the DoDEA Special Education Blackboard site
- In addition to the above staff development opportunities, several other activities took place this year;
- The special education parent handbook and ten brochures were revised, updated, and sent to all DoDEA Schools. These publications are also available electronically on this webpage, under tab "Publications for Parents and Administrators"
- A handbook on special education practices/polices was developed for administrators
What is expected for SY 2007-2008?
During the fifth year of the SEI, providing staff development opportunities will continue to be a focus. Various professional models will be used to include;
- Face to face,
- Site visitations,
- Blackboard postings,
- Guided practice with consultants,
- Online modules, and
- Study groups.
Professional development activities will be provided for the following groups:
- Teachers, Learning Impaired mild-to-moderate (Elementary and secondary);
- Teachers, Learning Impaired moderate-to-serve (Elementary and secondary);
- Preschool (PSCD) Teachers;
- Assessors; and
- Autism Consultants.
In addition to the above staff development opportunities, several other activities will be conducted this year, to include:
- Assessor competencies and an updated handbook will be released as well as training on a variety of assessment instruments;
- There will be a world-wide training for school psychologists in the spring (2008) focusing on their role in providing mental health services and "in class" assistance for students presenting challenging behaviors;
- Plans continue for parent training materials;
- Online course is being developed for educators working with students with special needs;
- An online survey will be conducted to look at the educational impact on student performance and instructional practices as a result of the SEI; and
- Follow-up video training.
Special Education
DoDEA Headquarters Contact Information:DoDEA Special Education Coordinator
4040 North Fairfax Drive
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 588-3147
