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.
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.
Explore Cohort Projects
2023 Alaska
The GREAT Alaska project will increase the number of special education teachers that are local to rural districts and less likely to leave the district and increase all teachers’ capacity to better provide reading intervention and instruction to Native Alaska students with disabilities.
2023 Connecticut
The purpose of this project is to build the capacity of educators through robust professional learning activities to foster high quality progress monitoring, data collection, and data based decisions to develop IEP goals, and adjust the student’s educational program when needed.
2023 Virginia
This proposal expands upon MTSS work in Virginia be embedding practices that are intentionally inclusive of students with disabilities, focusing on increasing knowledge of pre and in-service Pre-K to 12 special and general education teachers who support students with disabilities in the areas of