Videos

Special education laws and regulations ensure that parents are given opportunities to participate meaningfully in their child’s special education experiences. The NOREP/PWN: Lessons Learned in the Field webinar will provide an opportunity for participants to gain a better understanding of the legal requirements and implications of the NOREP/PWN, as well as how legal concerns may transpire when parents are not provided their procedural rights from the perspective of a hearing officer.

Each year, parents of school-aged students with disabilities in approximately one-fifth of Pennsylvania's Local Education Agencies (LEAs) are surveyed to determine the extent to which they feel their child’s school facilitated parent involvement. The results of the annual survey are reported to the Federal Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and to the public as part of Pennsylvania’s Annual Performance Report. Parent involvement is a federally required indicator of compliance and performance (Indicator #8) that is part of all State Performance Plans. This video, Parent Involvement Survey: Your Participation Matters, is a family-friendly overview of the parent survey that Pennsylvania uses to address Indicator 8. Presented by a parent for parents of children with disabilities, this video highlights the following: the intent of Indicator 8; how the parent survey is administered; what the parent survey looks like; and why parents receiving the parent survey are encouraged to respond to the request for information. Districts are encouraged to share this video with the parent of children with disabilities prior to their LEAs involvement in the survey cycle for Indicator 8.

Family member support is integral to a youth transitioning from high school to adult life. Matters such as customized employment, entitlement vs eligibility, and exploring the option of a two or four year college, are just a few of the topics that may be explored during the transition process. During this webinar, PaTTAN consultants will introduce available resources such as the Family 1-Pager Guides and Planning for the Future Checklist to LEAs and discuss strategies for sharing them with parents and family members in supporting youth in preparing for post-secondary education, employment, and independent living.

The testimonials in this video are from family network members who want to build awareness and empower other families to lead change in Pennsylvania for students who receive special education services. Hear firsthand how the principles of presuming competence, fostering high expectations, and collaborating on school teams has made an impact for families and professionals.

This one-hour webinar features a walkthrough of the Act 158 PA Graduation Requirements.

Effective two-way communication with families is essential for strong family-school partnerships. During this webinar, members of an LEA along with PaTTAN educational consultants will share practices and strategies they have found successful in sharing information, setting realistic goals for students, and ensuring families are well-informed, actively engaged partners in education.

Families and school staff must engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication to foster positive, collaborative partnerships between home and school. Effective communication can lead to increased student academic achievement and build positive social experiences. This webinar focuses on the communication skills at one school, as a school leader presents the efforts and outcomes of developing positive communication systems with families.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on developing capacity for effective home and school partnerships focused on student academic success. This presentation will help educators and families make a mindset transition from parent involvement to family engagement. Our PD offers an inclusive and dynamic learning space for educators to learn and discuss research and best practices, it also provides practical information, tools and strategies needed for application in the field. The aim of this day of learning is to support systems change and reorganization of school family engagement efforts to connect specific student learning goals with family supported learning.

This two-part series for administrators will present a deep dive into Family Engagement from multiple perspectives. We will examine family engagement research, strategies, and best practices that can be implemented in a variety of different settings. Practical experiences from family members will be shared. Action steps for developing the capacity of schools and families to form meaningful and productive partnerships for improving student outcomes will be discussed. Day 1 Description Part one of this training series will explore the definition of family engagement, the impact of communication with families and establishing effective strategies for enhancing family engagement practices.

This two-part series for administrators will present a deep dive into Family Engagement from multiple perspectives. We will examine family engagement research, strategies, and best practices that can be implemented in a variety of different settings. Practical experiences from family members will be shared. Action steps for developing the capacity of schools and families to form meaningful and productive partnerships for improving student outcomes will be discussed. Day 2 Description Part two of this training series will examine approaches to identify family engagement stakeholders, emphasize the centrality of family and youth voices in the family engagement process and review virtual tools to maximize family engagement practices.