Publications

At PaTTAN, our goal is to provide educators with a breadth of publications that are grounded in proven best practices and a deep research base, reflecting a commitment to school improvement. PaTTAN offers publications on a variety of topics, all focused on improving educational results for students with and without disabilities.
Whether you are just starting out in the field of education, or you want to improve upon the work you and your team are already doing, let PaTTAN support you with the expertise of our educational consultants. Pennsylvania educators, school administrators, and families can view, download, and order PaTTAN publications mailed to their school or home.
Handouts Instructional Materials Other Resources
June 6, 2022
School leaders should periodically examine the practices and procedures related to special education paraprofessionals to determine areas of strength and those in need of improvement, so the educational needs of students with disabilities are met in the most effective and efficient ways. This issue of the Special Education Leader provides a tool that school leaders may use as a guide for evaluating a system's current practices.
May 5, 2022
This issue of Teachers' Desk Reference provides an overview of assistive technology and how it can benefit students both in school and in their everyday lives. Spanish version.
Also available in English.
May 4, 2022
Challenging behavior and intense emotional responses can cause distress for children and adolescents, as well as their families. This tip sheet lists ways to understand children's behavior in order to better support them in the classroom and beyond. Also available in Spanish.
April 1, 2022
School success is the act of completing high school with the skills necessary to be college- or career-ready. This publication lists a variety of supports available at your child’s school that can help them stay on-track for success, both in school and beyond.
January 18, 2022
The purpose of this document is to support the participation, development, and implementation of an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each section provides questions to help guide discussion. Utilize the IEP Planning Notes column to support your planning and participation for an upcoming IEP meeting.
July 22, 2024
Presuming competence in students is an important step in helping them to become independent. This publication lists ways to help job coaches keep this in mind as they are on-the-job with students.
November 3, 2021
PaTTANpod is a thought-provoking discussion program that enables educators to access professional development directly from their classroom, office, or home. PaTTANpod currently offers episodes on a variety of topics, with additional episodes being added regularly.
October 28, 2021
For a student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP), the positive behavior support plan is integrated within the IEP document. However, while focusing on behavioral interventions, the team may find it helpful to develop all components of the plan at one time. For this reason, the annotated positive behavior support plan includes relevant components of Section VI of the IEP document: program modifications and specifically designed instruction, related services, and supports for school personnel provided for the child. These may serve as reminders for the IEP team to consider in designing the positive behavior support plan. Spanish version.
Also available in English.
October 28, 2021
Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) is a process of gathering information to understand the function (purpose) of behavior in order to write an effective Positive Behavior Support Plan. This publication explains the FBA process and includes a worksheet, which walks IEP teams through the steps of the process. Spanish version.
Also available in English.
October 25, 2021
This report provides a description of the activities, discussions, and recommendations of the Pennsylvania Special Education Advisory Panel (SEAP) for the 2020-2021 meeting year.