CTE Alignment and pathways: Making subtle changes at the middle school. Admin is finding ways to gather feedback from the staff on how to structure changes. Otis led them through data to determine needs (career pathways). No action after the discussion. Want to create collaborative action plans. New Career Academy Coordinator reach out to Schuyler MS/HS. Admin as soon as they are on contract.
Implementing Science of Reading: Know they need to be doing science of reading k,1,2. Started phonemic awareness. Need to know teachers are all on the same page, especially at the lowest grade levels.~ Implement common practices~ Beefing up current materials (Wonders).
Math Curriculum Writing
Determining priority standards, writing scales. They will be using Envisions K-12 and need support. Otis will be assisting with math support next year. Set 2 full days and need to supplement with some early out Fridays.
MTSS
Rurals needs assistance with student success meeting.Also wants assistance on PD days for paras on what good reading intervention looks like for kids. Elem~ focusing on having a set list of interventions. Focus on each tier. Rural principal will email a date to Kendra in September. Middle School and High School wants to merge CIP and MTSS team. Mark and Kendra will work together to support coherence. Dates have not been set yet for next year for the CIP team. MS wants to implement Tier 1 with fidelity to reduce Tier 2.
Tech needs: Want to keep meeting the needs of staff. Talked about the connection between Canvas and Savaas.
Workshops, consultation or direct work with school districts to assist with the continuous improvement process ‘CIP’. Examples: steering committee meeting, mission/ vision work, data support, data dashboard, comprehensive needs assessment, CIP goal selection, action plans, program evaluation, preparing for the CIP external visit; support for Comprehensive Support and Improvement ‘CSI’, and Targeted Support and Improvement ‘TSI’ and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement ‘ATSI’ student designations.
Workshops, consultation or direct work with school districts to establish Multi-tiered System of Support processes and practices, including Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports ‘PBIS’ and Social Emotional and Behavioral Learning ‘SEBL’. Examples: regional meetings, team meeting, data analysis, action plans, creating process/protocols, on-site coaching, Targeted Improvement Plan ‘TIP’, Results Driven Accountability ‘RDA’, Performance Enhancement and Knowledge ‘PEaK’ Project, NeMTSS.
ESU 7 Principals have the opportunity to meet 5 times each year for opportunities to collaborate. Additionally, principal trainings are scheduled as needs are identified.
Superintendent networking meetings on ESU campus throughout the year. Visits by ESU Administrator to school district Superintendents to discuss, plan and problem solve services provided to the districts. KSB training series. Perry Law Firm policy updates. Other topics for superintendents.
Assisting schools in developing, revising, and aligning curriculum based on current content standards through a three-phase process. This process includes understanding instructional shifts, unpacking and prioritizing standards, and creating pacing guides. The final phase of this process could include building proficiency scales, program evaluation, and building assessments.
Training specific to reading, phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and writing instruction and strategies.
Trainings and support for content areas not tested through NSCAS. Such trainings as for guidance counselors, special education staff, and para educators.
Professional learning and direct support for districts and teachers in digital learning. This includes: remote learning, hybrid learning, blended learning, and the tools and resources used to facilitate digital learning.
Study and implementation of research-based, best practices designed to support beginning teachers. Includes a clear focus on career-long excellence in the classroom and the legacy we create. Topics could include: lesson design, classroom management, student engagement, high yield strategies, technology integration, SPED, parent-teacher conferences
English Learners Instructional Support--providing guidance, materials, scheduling, placement, and assessment to schools. Not related to Title III grant consortium facilitation services
Act as liason between school districts and post secondary for the purpose of coordinating early college, career academy development, academic plans of study. Will work closely with school district leadership and counselors as well as early college personnel in higher ed institutions.
Provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative services for students. Provide services for Birth-21 years of age in many areas, including receptive language, expressive language, articulation, voice, fluency, literacy, and social communication. Individual plans and service delivery made for each student to ensure FAPE. Participate on transition teams.
The ESU7 Vision Team provides resources, services, and support in preparing children/youth, ages birth to 21, who have a visual impairment for success in life through collaboration with schools, families, and community agencies. Vision services are available for students experiencing vision problems. Certified vision personnel provide evaluation, consultation, and intervention for these children. This assistance may include the use of adaptive equipment, assistive technology, instruction in Braille, orientation and mobility, and other skills for accessing the general curriculum, and acquire Adapted Core Curriculum skills specific to individuals with vision impairments.
Early Childhood Special Education services includes managing referrals and conducting evaluations of children birth to 5 years old. If children are in need of special education services; it also includes evidence based service delivery of comprehensive services in homes, childcare and preschool settings that adhere to IDEA Part C and Part B (619) rules and regulations.
The teams also works to smoothly transition verified children to their elementary schools as they move on to kindergarten. Schools can utilize coordinators to help manage their Teaching Strategies GOLD requirements.
The ESU7 Resource Coach focus is working with teachers, other district staff, and families to assist, provide guidance, training, resources, and strategies for working with students by utilizing programming and materials to improve learning through meeting each individual student's needs (ages 0-21). Training Topics: Functions of Behavior and Behavior Strategies, Classroom Management Strategies, Stages of Behavior Escalation, Least Restrictive Environment, Functional Behavior Assessment/Behavior Intervention Plan, Paraprofessional Roles & Responsibilities, Writing Measurable IEP goals, General/Special Education Teacher Responsibilities, Disability Awareness, Social Skills, and Verbal Behavior
Available Services:
Implement verbal behavior program, IEP development-how to write measurable goals, District IEP meeting facilitation, Direct teaching to assist IEP implementation, Para, Parent & Teacher training-Behavior strategies, role modeling, coaching, & data collection, Model, instruct and collect data for social skills & functional life skills, Develop data collection systems, Direct student services in the home, Differentiate instruction, Provide resources (web sites, trainings, and curriculum materials, evidence based research )
Provision of supports and services, including technology and self-advocacy, for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Examples: Regional programs, direct services, consultation, DHH Teacher, DHH Interpreter
A transition specialists primary focus is preparing students with disabilities to transition from high school to life after graduation. The specialist supports districts through training opportunities, linkages to agencies and specialists, and providing student workshops on transition-related topics.
Behavior and mental health support includes conducting Functional Behavior Assessments to determine why a behavior is occurring and then develop a Behavior Intervention Plan to address the challenging behaviors. Individuals providing support works closely with school administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals, and school psychologists. Services can be minimal, such as conducting an observation and helping with classroom strategies, or much more extensive. Some students may require intensive behavior interventions, social skills training and/or emotional behavioral health support. Training for districts to discuss the basics of behavior, classroom strategies to help manage challenging behaviors, de-escalation strategies, and various other topics that the school district specifies are also provided.
The Northeast Regional ASD Network is available to provide Resources and Training to local school districts in the areas of:
Assessment and verification of ASD
?Program planning, including identification and implementations of appropriate strategies and interventions for students with ASD
The Northeast region has a lending library consisting of books, videos, and other resources that is available to school districts and parents upon request. These may be checked out from the ESU7 Media Department.
Provides grant facilitation, management, professional development, and networking for Career and Technical Education teachers through the Carl D Perkins Grant Consortium.
A transition specialists primary focus is preparing students with disabilities to transition from high school to life after graduation. The specialist supports districts through training opportunities, linkages to agencies and specialists, and providing student workshops on transition-related topics.
PEaK, formerly known as ILCD stands for Improving Learning for Children with Disabilities, a Nebraska Department of Education Initiative designed to enhance program improvement that will result in better outcomes for children with disabilities. The ESU7 PEaK Coordinator assists school districts with their improvement activities for students with disabilities. The Facilitator partners with districts to gather and analyze data in collaboration with the Continuous School Improvement Process and to assist in the development of Targeted Improvement Plans. Each Nebraska school district will develop a Targeted Improvement Plan that will lead to better child and student performance and report annually to NDE on the Plan's progress.
Nebraska ESUCC Cooperative Purchasing provides compliant, competitive, aggregated bidding and purchasing to control and reduce costs to its members by maximizing efficiency of resources and processes in Nebraska and Nationally. Cooperative Purchasing is authorized to coordinate purchases for public school districts, nonpublic school systems, other ESUs, and other public agencies, including any county, city, village, school district, or agency of the state government, any drainage district, sanitary and improvement district, or other municipal corporation or political subdivision of the State of Nebraska.