Children with autism spectrum disorder often display some form of challenging behavior and have complex communication needs. Functional communication training is an evidence-based practice that (a) decreases challenging behavior and (b) increases appropriate communicative behavior. Recent research has demonstrated how using augmentative and…

Virtual Instructor-Led Training combines the structure, accountability, and social learning benefits of classroom training with speed, agility, and significant cost savings. With VILTs, you can train more people in less time while realizing a much higher return on training investments than physical classroom training. It also has a significantly…

As school buildings plan to fully reopen according to decisions made in collaboration with local public health departments, education agency leaders and safety planning partners are implementing protocols for preventing or mitigating infectious disease transmission. Federal agencies have created a variety of resources and tools to help…

This document was developed by Section IX (Assessment) of Division 12 (Clinical Psychology) of the American Psychological Association. Assessment education and training have been directly and significantly impacted by COVID-19. The decisions regarding how to proceed with assessment training during the COVID-19 era rely on many factors and must be…

From embracing diversity and inclusion to calling for an end to decision-making in the men's room, companies and organizations can take practical and systemic steps to increase women's leadership and further their advancement. "Filling the Pipeline: Advancing More Women into the C-Suite and on Corporate Boards" offers the following…

In this book the authors explain how to build, and over time improve, the elements of an observation system that equips all observers to identify and develop effective teaching. It is based on the collective knowledge of key partners in the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project--which carried out one of the largest-ever studies of classroom…

Classroom physical activity is implemented at the classroom level and depends on the support that teachers receive from school administrators, as well as their own buy-in and comfort level. Each classroom is unique, and one prescribed plan for classroom physical activity will not work in all classrooms. Therefore, "Integrate Classroom…

Many students rely on school meals to meet their nutritional needs. Additionally, the economic impact of COVID-19 has resulted in more families needing assistance. The intent and purpose of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Child Nutrition Programs is to ensure access to meals for students in need. Meal service is expected to continue whether…

Across the South, many states and school districts provide basic training for evaluators. But this basic training does not assure that evaluators will be prepared to provide teachers with classroom observations that are rigorous, reliable and personally relevant. High-quality evaluator training leads to improved instructional practice, both…

In spring 2020, the Office of Educational Technology (OET) hosted a series of listening sessions with state leaders--from state educational agencies (SEAs), state broadband offices, state libraries, and state economic development agencies--to identify what digital equity issues were magnified as a result of school closings, what immediate actions…

The goal of safely and sustainably reopening K-12 school buildings for in-person learning is widely recognized as critical to minimizing the impact of academic, social, emotional, and mental strains brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic. In order for in-person learning to succeed on an ongoing basis, schools must be able to offer safe…

The purpose of this paper is to provide states and school districts with processes they can use to help ensure high-quality data collection during teacher observations. Educational Testing Service's (ETS's) goal in writing it is to share the knowledge and expertise they gained: (1) from designing and implementing scoring processes for the Measures…

This publication provides non-statutory guidance from the Department for Education in England. It provides operational level advice and guidance to the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector in England on how to meet the requirements referred to as the Prevent Statutory Duty. It focuses in particular on those organisations that provide learning…

Individuals who serve as surrogate parents fulfill an important role in the life of a child with a disability. Surrogates have become increasingly important in special education because a growing number of children are living outside their family for some period of their lives. Like parents, surrogates of children with disabilities are granted a…

These guidelines describe considerations relevant to the assessment of test takers in or across countries or regions that are linguistically or culturally diverse. The guidelines were developed by a committee of experts to help inform test developers, psychometricians, test users, and test administrators about fairness issues in support of the…