Joseph Paolo Jr, Director
Through the Special Education Department of RESA 6, numerous technical assistance and professional development opportunities are available to the RESA 6 (Hancock, Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel Counties) schools and staff. Supports for Personalized Learning (SPL) are the umbrella under which all of the technical assistance and professional development is aligned. SPL is a framework, which includes all of the policy items that schools are addressing across the state. Counties are looking at the SPL Practice Profiles to determine areas where supports would be beneficial. Those supports can be requested from the RESA 6.
Those technical assistance supports can include the following: SPL (Supports for Personalized Learning) PD and Leadership team discussions for School/Program Improvement Planning, Policy 4373 - Student Expectations and Communication supports, Tongue Fu! Take the Bully by the Horns® training, Pre-K Universal Pre-School Collaborative Teams supports and CSEFEL (Center for Social Emotional Foundations of Early Learning) teams training and TACSEI (Technical Assistance Center for Social Emotional Interventions, PBS (Positive Behavioral Supports), Special Education Monitoring and IEP Training Needs, CPI Non-violent Crisis Intervention Training and CPI for Autism Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training, "All Things Autism" training for teachers new to having students with autism in their classrooms, CCEE (Common Core Essential Elements) training for teachers who have students who will be using the APTA alternate assessments, SLD (Specific Learning Disabilities) determination training, IEP meetings training, working with parents, community partners, transitions, Nxt Generation Common Core Standards, Differentiated Instruction, Co-Teaching Classrooms for Inclusive Settings Universal Design for Learning, Speech Therapists training for Autism, ECERS-R for Preschools, Math Sense, ODD/ADHD, Gifted and Talented Education and other customized supports and professional development as identified by SPL Leadership teams at the classroom, school, and district levels.
The RESA 6 Director of Special Education/School Improvement also serves as a liaison and voice from the County SpEd Directors and Pre-K Directors in linking with the WVDE (West Virginia Department of Education) OSP (Office of Special Programs), Office of Instruction, and Office of Early Learning. The RESA 6 Director of Special Education and Instruction/School Improvement works with Parent Education and Information Centers, community agencies, organizations, and Institutions on fulfillment of grant submissions and follow-up, supports, and task forces, and works collaboratively at times in projects with the RESA 6 SPL TAS (Technical Assistance Specialist) and the Director of Programs and Instruction in support Universal Design and School Improvement supports to area schools.
The RESA 6 Itinerant Special Education Teacher Program continues to respond to the needs of our member counties by providing high quality, cost effective, direct service to students. Teachers work in the areas of hearing, vision, autism mentor, audiology, physical and occupational therapy, sign language, parent training, Visual Phonics, COTA (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants), PTA - Physical Therapy Assistants, Braille Specialists, Sign Language Specialists, School Nurse, Work Study Coordinator, Homebound Teacher, and a Medicaid Specialist. These services are shared services supported by the RESA 6 area school districts which benefit from the shared costs for funding of these valuable positions/services provided to the many schools.