General Information
The Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Project is a state-wide focus on professional development designed to support staff to increase inclusion for students with disabilities. The project is funded by OSPI and open to all educators and community members in Washington state (including education support professionals, administration, paraeducators, parents, special education personnel, and general education personnel.)
WEA’s Inclusionary Practices Project (IPP) is providing professional development asynchronous courses on the Canvas learning management system (LMS) (WEA Canvas URL: washingtonea.instructure.com). Clock Hours are available at no charge. Register for each course using the link listed next to the course name. You will receive an email confirmation from WEA as well as a registration email from Instructure/Canvas. Once you complete the course including the evaluation, you will receive a clock hour verification form within 7-10 business days.
These courses were created with flexibility in mind, hence there are no due dates for discussions or assignments, except for the final deadlines each year. You will move through the course at your own pace. Think of the course like a book with some interaction. While there are no due dates, there are some important deadlines listed below.
For questions, please contact WEA Canvas Administrator Kendru Dimalanta at kdimalanta@washingtonea.org.
Important Deadlines
Monday, May 29th, 2023
- Last day to register for a course
Monday, June 5th, 2023
- Last day to complete course and submit assignments
Monday, June 19th, 2023
- Last day to complete the Evaluation and Completion Confirmation for clock hours
Friday, June 30th, 2023
- Last day to record clock hours in OSPI eCertification for certificates expiring June 30th, 2023
For certificates expiring this year, the last day to submit an application through OSPI eCertification for certificate renewal is June 30th, 2023. However, WEA needs time to process your clock hours and time to address any issues that may occur, which is why the last date to complete the course is June 5th.
Course List
Behavior Intervention Strategies to Support Students through Inclusive Practices (20 hours) | Registration
Participants will be cultivating a growth mindset when working with students with social, emotional, and behavioral needs. They will learn about the different lens of behavior and high leverage practices for supporting students with social, emotional, and behavioral needs in inclusive classrooms. They will identify the root causes and different functions of behavior.
Coaching and Mentoring for Equitable Educational Outcomes (15 hours) | Registration
This course focuses on principles and techniques for coaching educators as they navigate the intersectionality of special education and equity in schools. Critically examining beliefs and bias is necessary for system-wide change for overcoming barriers to educational access, participation, learning processes and outcomes, and to ensure that all learners are valued and engaged equally. This course will guide participants in exploring their own beliefs and biases and provide tools for coaching other educators in self-reflection on these concepts.
Coaching and Mentoring for Specially Designed Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms (12 hours) | Registration
This course is designed for coaches, mentors and teacher leaders who support educators in inclusive settings. These leaders will learn how to guide educators through the process to develop and implement Specially Designed Instruction (SDI). Through the use of High Leverage Practices (HLP) and other methods, leaders will be able to support educators through courageous conversations to ensure the success of all students.
Coaching and Mentoring for the Successful Inclusion of Students with Significant Disabilities (15 hours) | Registration
This course is designed for coaches and mentors who support teachers and other staff members working with students that have significant disabilities. Coaches and mentors will examine the steps to system change around inclusion, and gain access to tools and strategies to increase inclusionary practices for all students using effective coaching techniques.
Coaching and Mentoring of Inclusionary Behavioral Strategies (15 hours) | Registration
Educational Leaders will evaluate the lenses of themselves and their colleagues that limit student behavioral change as well as reinforce systemic and historically exclusionary practices. They will identify frameworks that will help to cultivate alternative lenses from which to view behavioral approaches. They will look at ways to coach teachers for lasting and equitable change by applying high leverage practices and other research-based methodology.
Coaching and Mentoring Universal Design for Learning (15 hours) | Registration
Universal Design for Learning coaches and mentors provide in-depth understanding of the UDL principles. Participants will explore strategies to support their teachers/mentees with designing UDL lessons that include goals, assessments, methods, and materials. We will explore a mindset shift while addressing variability and reducing barriers in next generation students that are provided inclusive opportunities for all. Participants will leave with an experience of UDL lesson planning and resources to use in a coaching cycle.
Data Collection in the Inclusive Classroom (20 hours) | Registration
The main purpose of this course is to improve data collection methods in the general and special education settings. This course introduces the steps to the data collection process, provides an overview of preparing for gathering data, and discusses different strategies for collecting data in various scenarios. Participants will learn strategies to use technology to streamline data collection and create efficient practices. This course includes demonstrations and practice opportunities using common data collection methods and allows participants to analyze data into useful information for monitoring student progress. Participants will also learn how high leverage practices improve data collection strategies to demonstrate equity and inclusionary practices.
Data Driven Instruction for Coaches and Mentors (12 hours) | Registration
This course will provide an in-depth look at instruction that is data-driven incorporating the Data-Based Instruction cycle from the coaching and mentoring lens. Coaches and mentors will learn how to support teachers through all steps of Data-Based Instruction in a data collection cycle, from goal setting and writing to analysis and making instructional decisions based on the data collected. Participants will explore different ways to collect both academic and behavior data in action and will have a chance to practice and discuss the different methods. Throughout the course, coaches and mentors will discuss different resources to use to support data-driven instruction and data collection with their mentees and during a coaching cycle and will leave the training with tangible artifacts and resources to immediately put into practice.
De-Escalation and Behavior Modifications (4 hours) | Registration
Designed to empower paraeducators and school staff to address student agitation and escalating behavior and to calm and refocus the behavior back to student learning and time on task. Teaches educators to understand that behavior is a form of communication and as a result, identify the aspects of escalating behavior, address the escalation, and select the correct response options. Provides practical strategies, ideas, resources, and tools to better engage with students during times of escalation. It is specifically designed for both education support personnel and certificated staff, basically anyone that works with students in a school setting.
Effective Co-teaching Strategies for Inclusion (15 hours) | Registration
This course focuses on implementation of co-teaching as a component of high leverage inclusionary practices. Participants will learn and develop high quality co-teaching practices from foundational aspects through implementation, including an understanding of how the six models of co-teaching and Universal Design for Learning can benefit students and educators alike. Co-teachers are highly encouraged to attend together.
Empowering Educators - Using Explicit Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom (15 hours) | Registration
In this course participants will be introduced to the 13 elements of Explicit Instruction. Participants will learn how to design different types of lessons using Explicit Instruction and different strategies for delivering instruction. Participants will be able to apply their knowledge and understanding of the elements in designing a lesson plan that maximizes student engagement and learning.
Facilitating Co-Teaching: Supporting Mentors and Coaches w/Inclusive Practices (12 hours) | Registration
Course is designed for coaches and mentors with a wide range of experience in co-teaching. Participants will explore and apply their knowledge of the models, roles and responsibilities, co-planning, and data collection as related to co-teaching. Coaches and mentors will practice and increase their skills and knowledge of facilitating the development of strong co-teaching teams. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of co-teaching and acquire resources and tools to further support co-teachers. Coaches and mentors will gain knowledge and skills for immediate implementation in their current roles of supporting co-teaching teams.
Facilitating Explicit Instruction for Coaches and Mentors (15 hours) | Registration
Participants will be guided through the principles of Explicit Instruction and will learn how to support teachers who are incorporating these principles into their practice. Coaches will understand the importance of helping teachers identify and unpack standards to lighten the cognitive load placed on students while maintaining expectations of the standards. Participants will understand the explicit instruction lesson building process, the connections between explicit instruction and UDL, and will learn to use checklists provided to guide teachers in their building of lessons using explicit instruction methods.
Foundations for Equitable Inclusive Education (15 hours) | Registration
This course focuses on the intersectionality of special education and equity in schools. Examining beliefs and bias is necessary for system-wide change for overcoming barriers to educational access, participation, learning processes and outcomes, and to ensure that all learners are valued and engaged equally.
High Leverage Practices for Inclusive Classrooms (15 hours) | Registration
The purpose of this course is to provide participants with a greater understanding and ability to utilize High Leverage Practices in their teaching. It is also our hope that each participant truly understands how to be a culturally responsive teacher and be able to develop rich, authentic, relationships with each student. Participants will understand the value of professional collaboration among educational support staff, educators, administrators, parents, and community members to utilize effective communication toward developing and implementing meaningful, inclusive educational programs. Participants will learn strategies to use assessment data to inform, guide, evaluate, and adjust instruction. Participants will develop skills to support social-emotional/behavioral student success by establishing a consistent, organized, and respectful learning environment, providing feedback to guide students’ behavior; explicitly teaching appropriate social skills; conducting functional behavior assessments, and developing behavior intervention plans as needed. Participants will familiarize themselves with specific content and equitable pedagogical knowledge to design, deliver, reflect, and evaluate their instructional bias and effectiveness.
Intelligent Lives: An Inclusionary Practices Journey (6 hours) | Registration
The documentary film, Intelligent Lives, stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities –Micah, Naieer, and Naomie –who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce, “People with intellectual disabilities are the most segregated of all Americans,” filmmaker Dan Habib says: “Only 17 percent of students with intellectual disabilities are included in regular education. Just 40 percent will graduate from high school. And of the 6.5 million Americans with intellectual disability, barely 15 percent are employed.”
During this course, participants will watch the documentary in segments, participate in discussions and reflections, and explore connections to educational practices that support the inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities.
Programming for Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) in Inclusive Classrooms (12 hours) | Registration
Participants will learn the history of special education as it relates to specially designed instruction for students with disabilities. Attendees will learn what specially designed instruction is, and how our current IEP process supports collaborative opportunities for implementing SDI. Participants will have the opportunity to work with curriculum materials to outline SDI opportunities in an inclusive classroom. This course is intended for special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators and paraeducators working with students with disabilities attending general education inclusive classrooms.
Standards-Based Grading that Promotes Equity and Inclusion (10 hours) | Registration
Have you ever thought about why we grade? Are we celebrating success and punishing failure? Are we communicating about learning with students, parents, and administrators? Are we training students that work hard leads to rewards? And do your grades mean the same thing as your colleague across the hall or across the state? Grades are a central part of teaching and learning in most classrooms. But we teachers rarely have time to reflect on why we grade or what our grades truly mean. This collection of resources will help you examine the purpose of grades in your classroom and transform your grading practices from points into passion for learning. In this 10-hour module, teachers will learn how standards-based grading can foster equitable learning environments that celebrate student growth and respond to student needs. With the support of research and classroom artifacts, teachers will articulate their own grading philosophy before creating a plan to integrate content-area standards into rubrics, learning targets, and gradebooks. Because standards-based grading is a significant shift for many teachers, students, and parents, teachers will also take time to draft a plan for communicating this shift with stakeholders impacted by their grading practices.
STEM for Primary (K-6) Educators (15 hours) | Registration
Scientific studies have shown that children learn faster than adults. Most of that early learning is focused on developing language skills and communications skills. There is little to no emphasis on STEM learning. As it turns out, there are a lot of benefits of introducing STEM at an early age. This training, geared towards K-6 teachers, will provide strategies, ideas, and examples of how to introduce STEM in early educator classrooms and include connections to inclusionary practices. You will be submitting work as assignments, taking surveys and quizzes, and participating in discussion boards for this class. The ultimate goal is that you can walk away with an integrated STEM lesson plan that will be important and usable in your classroom.
This training meets the STEM certificate renewal requirement (RCW 28A.10.2212).
STEM for Secondary (6-12) Educators (15 hours) | Registration
This course aims to teach participants about science, engineering, math, and inclusionary practices with a little dose of technology. The participant will then reflect on their current practice, identify areas of growth, and fully incorporate these ideas into an integrated science, engineering, math lesson, project, or unit plan with a focus on Universal Design for Learning inclusionary practices.
This training meets the STEM certificate renewal requirement (RCW 28A.10.2212).
STEM Integration and Inclusionary Practices (15 hours) | Registration
The application of STEM in the classroom can transcend beyond learning science and math facts. STEM integration provides students the opportunities to learn 21st century skills such as questioning the world around them, processing what they learned, collaborating well with others, and communicating with peers and adults alike. Additionally, a focus on Inclusionary Practices, where all students are afforded the chance of a dynamic, important education, are intrinsically linked with STEM in the classroom.
This training meets the STEM certificate renewal requirement (RCW 28A.10.2212).
STEMizing your Instruction (15 hours) | Registration
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Standards as they learn how to STEMize a classroom. Participants will create a personal resource bank of ideas, activities and materials and learn how to take an existing unit of instruction in any content area and STEMize the unit to include STEM models and computational thinking.
This training meets the STEM certificate renewal requirement (RCW 28A.10.2212).
Successful Inclusion of Students with Significant Disabilities (15 hours) | Registration
Participants will learn why and how to include students with significant disabilities. Participants will examine research around the benefits of including students with significant disabilities in the general education classroom and learn implementation strategies for evidenced based inclusive practices. Participants will be given tools and examples and are highly encouraged to bring their general curriculum or general education unit plans, school schedules, and student schedules to plan for current or future students whom they want to or are currently including, though bringing these items are not required. This course is most beneficial for special education teachers, general education teachers, administrators, ESPs (paraeducators) and ESAs (counselors, SLPs, OTs). Participants are highly encouraged to come with their Multi-Disciplinary teams, if possible.
Universal Design for Learning (15 hours) | Registration
Universal Design for Learning is an introductory course for Universal Design for Learning. Universal Design for Learning is a framework that eliminates barriers to core knowledge and skill development for all students. Participants will understand the importance of eliminating barriers for all students, understand key components of UDL lesson planning, and reflect on a UDL learning experience.
If you have questions, please contact WEA Canvas Administrator Kendru Dimalanta at kdimalanta@washingtonea.org
For WEA Members
NEW! Writing Student Growth Goals (3 Hours) | Registration
Learn about changes in TPEP Student Growth Goals in Washington state. Examine the shifts, including an increased focus on educator reflection, and the role of educator knowledge of students' assets in developing student growth goals. Learn more about the role that student growth plays in a TPEP evaluation. You will have the opportunity to explore tools and resources for your own student growth goal-setting process.
TPEP 101 (4 Hours) | Registration
Participants will review the main components of the TPEP 4-tiered evaluation process and learn about the updates of the system to enhance their professional growth and improve student learning. Areas of emphasis will include the state eight criteria, the three OSPI approved instructional frameworks, rubrics, student growth rubrics, comprehensive and focused evaluation comparisons, probation, and the scoring methodologies for evaluation.
Note: This course is for WEA members
TPEP Evidence and Artifacts (8 Hours) | Registration
Participants deepen their understanding of the certificated TPEP 4-tiered evaluation system to enhance effective teaching practice and student learning. There will be an emphasis on exploring evidence and artifacts from multiple origins including observations, student growth, reflective and professional practice, and through conversations. Participants will also start aligning evidence with their instructional framework using a component alignment tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are these courses free?
- Yes, these courses are funded by the Inclusionary Practices Professional Development Project.
- Can I take part of a course for partial clock hours?
- No, you will have to complete the entire course and will recieve the number of clock hours listed.
- Do these courses count towards Fundamental Course of Study (FCS) for paraeducators?
- No, FCS is a specific curriculum. These courses do count towards the 70 additonal clock hours. For more information, you can visit OSPI for details about paraeducator requirements or WEA's Paraeducator Certificate Program to see our current offerings.
- Do these courses count to the new Cultural competency, diversity, equity, and inclusion (CCDEI) standards or Equity-based school practices requirement?
- Depends. WEA is currently developing a process to identify courses as meeting the equity-based school practices requirement. Educators themselves confirm they have met a specific certificate renewal requirement when they record the hours in OSPI eCertification. OSPI may audit educator records. For more information, you can visit the PESB for details about the new requirement.
- Why can I only see my school courses but not the WEA courses I registered for?
- Each school/institution uses their own instance of Canvas. While your school/institution and WEA may both use Canvas, the websites are not the same or connected. WEA’s Canvas URL is https://washingtonea.instructure.com/. You will experience difficulties logging in you enter the incorrect login credentials for the incorrect Canvas instance.
- Who can I contact if I have questions?
- WEA Canvas Administrator Kendru Dimalanta at kdimalanta@washingtonea.org