UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The College of Education's Workforce Education program, in conjunction with the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition (NTACT) and the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), will hold a series of webinars this fall on career and technical education (CTE) for students with disabilities.
This five-part webinar series will explore programs, practices and partnerships among CTE and special education practitioners that support students with disabilities in CTE. Each webinar will last 90 minutes, including Q&A, and will be available for later viewing at https://transitionta.org/events-details online.
The series is intended to support professionals in the field working with students with disabilities; special education; career and technical education; college and career readiness (secondary counselor education and educational leadership); vocational rehabilitation; and workforce development.
Michael Harvey, professor of education (workforce education and development) in Penn State's College of Education, worked with NTACT and ACTE to develop this webinar series specific to students with disabilities participating in secondary career and technical education.
"The series addresses several critical areas: legislation and a framework for understanding, effective partnerships with CTE, classroom supports and universal design for learning (UDL), classroom management, and programs working toward best practice," Harvey said.
Secondary CTE has long been a viable pathway for developing the skills of students with disabilities and preparing them for the future. The passage in 2018 of Perkins V legislation, which went into effect this past July, provides expanded opportunities for special populations, including individuals with disabilities.
"In addition, Perkins V provides more funding to support workforce development programs and cooperative/collaborative partnerships with vocational rehabilitation, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity ACT (2014), and state and local interagency to support improvements in the workforce development system," Harvey said.
Perkins V strengthens CTE and enables more flexibility for states to meet the unique needs of their learners, educators and employers. That legislation, combined with an increasing emphasis on college and career readiness for all students, is bringing the needs of students with disabilities to the forefront of the CTE conversation.
Webinar session presenters are national experts and noted professionals in their fields. The webinar series is provided at no cost but participants must register. To register for the full series, visit the ACTE website. Information about individual sessions, with links to register for specific sessions, follows:
Webinar 1: CTE for Students with Disabilities: A Framework for Understanding, Aug. 29. Session participants will learn about the numerous pieces of legislation that impact students with disabilities, including Perkins V; and learn strategies to support students with disabilities in secondary CTE through appropriate CTE program placement. Register here.
Webinar 2: Effective Partnerships: Communication, Collaboration and Professional Practice, Sept. 19. Session participants will learn strategies for building relationships between special education and CTE professionals; and learn about collaboration, communication approaches and needed professional development to support CTE for students with disabilities. Register here.
Webinar 3: Classroom Supports: Universal Design for Learning, Differentiated Instruction, Oct. 16. Session participants will learn about the Center for Applied Special Technologies framework of UDL and how one school district incorporates UDL into CTE; and learn the fundamentals of differentiated instruction with approaches to support effective teaching, individuate learning and maximize student engagement. Register here.
Webinar 4: Classroom Management: Behavioral Supports, Motivation, Reflective Teaching, Nov. 21. Session participants will learn about the importance of reflective teaching practice to support students with disabilities engagement and achievement; and learn about behavior management and classroom climate as part of effective teaching. Register here.
Webinar 5: Toward Best Practices: Programs that Work, Models Toward Success, Dec. 19. Session participants will learn about effective programs and partnerships in Pennsylvania and Ohio; learn about the importance of collaborative partnerships with multiple agencies and stakeholders in supporting positive post-school outcomes for students with disabilities in CTE; and learn strategies and approaches that work and practical insight from Ohio on building a "systems approach" to support students with disabilities in secondary CTE settings. Register here.