Here are some staff development ideas to assist staff in understanding and addressing the unique needs of such special populations as Special Education, Talented and Gifted, and English as a Second Language (ESOL) relative to success on the State high school assessments.

 

Provide staff development to ensure that staff is able to make IEP modifications consistent with both students' learning disabilities and the Core Learning Goals/High School Assessments.
Provide professional development involving cross-functional groups or teams involving Special Educators and content teachers, ensuring that instructors can differentiate instruction to accommodate all Special Education students' needs and strengths.
Train staff in the process of curriculum compacting, particularly for use with Talented and Gifted Students. This process involves ongoing diagnosis of students' strengths and needs relative to identified curriculum standards. Next, staff is able to allow students who have already demonstrated mastery of core knowledge and skills to accelerate the pace of their learning and apply their knowledge and skills in independent ways. Ideally, students can be encouraged to participate in student-generated independent projects that allow them to apply higher-order thinking skills and processes.
Provide action research and study group opportunities to staff working with TAG, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate Programs, ensuring continuity and alignment between and across program areas as well as ensuring consistency with Core Learning Goals and the State High School Assessments.
In schools with high incidence of English as a Second Language populations, invite central office personnel from the ESOL office to provide staff development related to differentiated instruction related to ESOL students and the Core Learning Goals/State High School Assessments.
Create a professional development program that will reinforce the use of peer and cognitive coaching involving both content-area instructors and instructors representing special populations, including TAG, Special Education, and ESOL.

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This site was developed by the Department of Staff Development, in collaboration with the Division of Instruction. Questions, comments, and other inquiries may be addressed to Allene Chriest (achriest@pgcps.org) or Jeff Maher  (jmaher@pgcps.org).