PR Award #: H323A230008
Name: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Public School System (CNMI PSS)
Title: Project Higai
City, State: CK Saipan, MP
Project Director: Donna Flores
Project Director Email: donna.flores@cnmipss.org
Purpose:
the Project Higai improves educational results of children with disabilities through: (a) establishing a stakeholder-responsive professional development (PD) system that engages special education, general education, and families to ensure PD translates to improved practice; (b) expanding current PD by increasing the use of technology to deliver PD designed to improve high-quality educational programming through the development of high-quality IEPs; (c) preparing and supporting a cadre of implementation support practitioners (ISPs) to model and coach their peers in the use of the PD delivery system; and (d) developing a collaborative, responsive PD system that recognizes the learning needs throughout the system.
Method:
With dedicated project personnel, PSS establishes local, regional, and national partnerships to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of project goals: CNMI PTI program will bring in family voices for improving system and student outcomes; UOG CEDDERS, regional IHE and TA provider, will support the implementation and evaluation processes; NASDSE, national organization for special education leaders, will incorporate the Leading by Convening framework for developing a stakeholder-responsive system; and AIR through its OSEP-funded PROGRESS Center and NCII will make available relevant resources specific to special education evidence-based practices for incorporation into the PSS virtual PD system and development of ISPs.