GHA is pleased to announce a partnership with McGraw Hill’s School Education Group (SEG) and Center for Comprehensive School Improvement (CCSI) to provide professional development products and trainings, including onsite institutes for intensive topic-specific training and support. Information regarding the CCSI and GHA institutes for 2011-2012 will be posted on both websites by January 2011.

DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION: GUIDELINES FOR IMPLEMENTATION with Vicki Gibson, Ph.D.

Differentiating instruction means teaching differently to address increasingly diverse student needs. Teachers report they need help with managing whole class and small group instruction so that teaching specific to student needs can occur. This session provides research and evidence-based routines that increase opportunities for student interaction, collaborative and independent practice, and small group lessons that include skills-focused teaching and guided practice. This procedural model applies to any grade level or content area.

Content for this session is based on two books, Differentiated Instruction: Grouping for Success (2008), and Differentiating Instruction: Guidelines for Implementation (2009), both authored by Vicki Gibson, Ph.D. and Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D., available at www.gha-pd.com.

Participant Outcomes: Participants attending this session will learn:

1. Updated information about research
2. Routines and procedures for managing classrooms, whole class and small group lessons
3. Teaching methods that increase student interaction, guided and independent practice opportunities and teaching to improve instructional effectiveness and student outcomes.

Audience: Administrators, Teachers, and Paraprofessionals

MANAGING BEHAVIOR TO SUPPORT DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION

Differentiating instruction can present a management challenge if expectations are not clear, have not been modeled and taught, and there is no consistent follow through. Students need guidance to learn how to self-regulate, make choices and manage their behavior during interactive, collaborative activities. This session presents Two Choice Discipline (TCD), a proactive communication system that helps teachers and parents offer choices and consequences within preset boundaries to teach students about self-regulation and responsible decision-making.

Content for this session is based on materials authored by Dr. Gibson, Managing Behavior to Support Differentiating Instruction (2010), and Parenting Responsible Children (2010), all available at www.gha-pd.com.

Participant Outcomes: Participants attending this session will learn:

1. How to listen actively and communicate proactively
2. How to offer preset choices and consequences as safe boundaries for participation
3. How to teach responsible, accountable decision-making and develop self-regulation
4. How to clarify expectations for students when a teacher is working with another small group
5. How to communicate respectfully and become accountable for choices or consequences.

Audience: Administrators, Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Parents

MANAGING BEHAVIORS WITH CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES with Vicki Gibson, Ph.D.

Communicating with young children and managing their behaviors differs significantly from traditional practices used with older students. Communication systems, performance expectations, and activity choices must be explained clearly, modeled and practiced before and implementing in classrooms. This session provides evidence-based routines and procedures that help teachers and paraprofessionals clarify their expectations for cooperative social behaviors so that high quality instruction and practice can occur with less interruptions.

The content for this training has been developed and used successfully for 25 years in preschools owned and directed by Dr. Vicki Gibson. Dr. Gibson has authored numerous professional development materials including resources used in this session: Managing Young Children’s Behaviors with Two Choice Discipline (2010) and Parenting Responsible Children (2010), authored by Vicki Gibson, Ph.D. and Julie Wilson, MA., available at www.gha-pd.com.

Participant Outcomes: Participants attending this session will learn:

1. Understand the research and rationale for creating environments that develop self-management
2. Develop proactive, positive ways to communicate expectations clearly
3. Create reasonable choices and consequences that you can live with
4. Model and teach acceptable responses that encourage cooperation and collaboration
5. Practice decision-making and accepting responsibility for choices.

Audience: Administrators, Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and Parents

PARENTING RESPONSIBLE CHILDREN with Vicki Gibson, Ph.D.

Learning to exercise responsible decision-making and become accountable for one's attitudes and actions involves hard work, modeling, instruction and practice. This session presents Two Choice Discipline, a communication system that helps parents model and teach personal responsibility and accountability. TCD helps parents offer choices and consequences within present boundaries. Children learn how to listen actively, think about options and apply good judgment to make decisions when participating at home and school.

Content for this session is based on materials authored by Dr. Gibson, Managing Behavior to Support Differentiating Instruction (2010), and Parenting Responsible Children (2010), available at www.gha-pd.com.

Participant Outcomes: Participants attending this session will learn:

1. How to communicate proactively and offer preset choices and consequences
2. How to teach responsible, accountable decision-making and develop self-regulation
3. How to help students work cooperatively or independently while the teacher works with another small group
4. How to communicate respectfully and be accountable for choices or consequences.

Audience: Parents, Guardians, or any adult responsible for communicating with children and young adults

RTI FOR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS with Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D.

In this age of mounting educational accountability and RTI framework implementation, educators are being asked to administer increasing numbers of reading assessments. All this testing consumes time and requires considerable paperwork. Many educators are becoming frustrated and wondering if all this testing is really helping students.

Similar to physicians, educators must use assessment tools to inform and guide professional decisions regarding students’ academic “health and wellness.” However, because it is instruction—not testing—that represents schools’ most important task, we must select and use reading assessments efficiently and effectively.

Participant Outcomes: Participants attending this session will learn:

1. Understanding why assessments are necessary for professional decision-making in Response to Intervention (RTI) models
2. Determining which reading assessments provide the most essential information
3. Analyzing how educators can effectively and efficiently collect and use assessment data to improve student outcomes

STUDENT-FOCUSED COACHING with Dr. Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D.

Coaching has become a popular school model to provide professional development and support that improves teachers’ instructional skills and students’ reading/literacy skills. Unfortunately, few teachers assigned to “coach” are receiving sufficient training or support to adequately perform the role. This situation is complicated by the fact that few administrators understand this new role or how to provide necessary support.

This seminar will benefit both novice and veteran coaches (in reading or other content areas), as well as administrators who support coaches. Various models of coaching are presented along with an overview of Student-Focused Coaching (SFC; Hasbrouck & Denton, 2005 & 2009). The bulk of the seminar explores key strategies to ensure coaching success.

Participant Outcomes: Participants attending this session will learn:

1. Identifying tools to make coaching and collaboration successful
2. Understanding how to partner effectively with the principal
3. Discovering how to work with ALL teachers (whether open or reserved)
4. Using systematic problem-solving strategies to promote collaborative success