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OSSE and American University invite applications to the 2020 Leadership Institute in Secondary Special Education, formerly the Secondary Special Education Master Teacher Cadre. The program runs from December 2019 to June 2020 and aims to support innovative, highly effective teachers who work with secondary special education populations to use evidence-based practices to integrate the Common Core State Standards and individualized education program (IEP) goals within the curriculum for secondary students with disabilities.

More specifically, this select group of DC teacher leaders will:

1. Conduct an analysis of student data to determine the areas of greatest need among students with disabilities in his/her school;
2. Develop a plan (including instructional strategies, assessments, and an evaluation) to instruct colleagues regarding the implementation of the chosen evidence-based practice;
3. Present the plan for professional development (PD) at an American University-sponsored institute; and
4. Evaluate the quality of the content of the PD plan, prepare to implement it in the fall of 2020, and gain the skills to evaluate its intended outcomes.

Sessions for the Leadership Institute in Secondary Special Education program are on Saturdays and will take place on the American University campus in Northwest DC. Participants who complete the program will receive a stipend of $2,000 and are eligible for up to 30 OSSE Professional Learning Units.

Ideal candidates are general and special educators serving grades 7-12 who support students with disabilities. Interested educators should complete this online application no later than Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019, at 5:00 pm. Applicants will be notified of their selection by Friday, Nov. 8, 2019. All selected participants must have the support and recommendation of their administrator.

For questions, please contact Annie Karabel at karabell@american.edu.

The URL for the application is: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/applyLISSE20

Program Schedule

• December 7, 2019, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Orientation Session
• January 11, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Intensive PD Session 1
• February 1, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Intensive PD Session 2
• March 7, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Intensive PD Session 3
• April 4, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Intensive PD Session 4
• May 2, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - American University Institute

Description of Professional Development (PD) Sessions

• December 7, 2018, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Orientation: Introduction to Evidence-Based Practices

This orientation provides you with an overview of the LISSE program and introduces you to key resources that evaluate evidence-based practices. You will reflect on the pressing needs at your school and select strategies to engage your colleagues and school leaders in selecting a need to address.

• January 11, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Session 1: Evidence-Based Practices in Content Areas

The first intensive session will provide you with an overview of evidence-based practices in all four of these content areas: reading, writing, mathematics, and behavior. As you gain knowledge regarding evidence-based practices across these content areas, you will be better equipped to both evaluate existing interventions at your school and to determine the area in which your leadership can have the greatest impact.

• February 1, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Session 2: Implementation Science and Interpreting Data

In this second session, with your identified student need and evidence-based practice in mind, you will learn the basics of implementation fidelity so that you can plan your professional development session most effectively. You will begin planning your professional development session in collaboration with school- and content-area colleagues.

• March 7, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Session 3: Leadership & Collaboration

This third session will include strategies and examples of professional collaboration, in addition to adult learning theory, in order to prepare you to facilitate professional development with your colleagues most effectively. You will learn concrete strategies and gain confidence to deal with difficult colleagues. Additionally, you will continue to plan your session with fellow participants by anticipating challenges in the delivery and implementation phases.

• April 4, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Session 4: Practice & Evaluation

During this final intensive session, you will continue to revise your professional development plan during practice sessions with your fellow participants. You will also design evaluation materials for your professional development session. Finally, you will reflect on your growth over the program and anticipate how you might foster similar growth in your school-based colleagues. 

• May 2, 2019, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - AU Institute

The American University Institute will be an opportunity to showcase your evidence-based professional development plan with your colleagues, invited guests, program staff from AU, OSSE, representative LEAs, and additional stakeholders. 

Read about the 2019 LISSE Cohort.