Please begin by choosing your registration type. For districts who wish to register their own group choose the first option below.
Sessions are not required to choose today and your team needs to register for them at a later date. At the end of the registration process you will be asked to create an account. Your team will need that log in information to update their sessions.
Session are required to register today
Use this option to register multiple individuals from your district. You will be allowed to register as many individuals as needed. You must have a group of 3 or more to obtain this pricing.Register and complete payment by December 18th to receive this reduced rate.
You must have your CEC Membership ID# to use this rate.
You must have received confirmation email from Doug Doty of MAEP.
You must be approved by Region I to use this registration option.
You must be approved and have received an email indicating such.
1.1 Welcome Session
Welcome - Getting the Most out of the ConferenceKeynote- Together to Tomorrow: Collaboration to Meet Unique Learning Needs- Matt BurnsResearch has repeatedly tried to find ways in which children with special needs differ from typically achieving students, but the search has yet to find meaningful distinctions. This session will discuss effective ways to identify unique learning needs for students with and without disabilities, research-based instructional approaches to address them, and collaborative processes to implement them. Announcements/ Getting the Most out of the Conference - Grand Ballroom
2.1 Strand: Leadership
1. Linking Learning through Leading Well- Luann Purcell----------------------------------------------------------This presentation will outline steps great educational leaders take to move from the frequent valleys of the job to the true mountain top experiences that keep leaders coming back year after year! To not only lead but lead well takes a leadership that goes beyond textbook assumptions! All educators are not leaders and not all leaders—no matter what their title is, lead well. It is through leading well that we are able to link learning—always the bottom line—to the leadership we provide. The truly great leader is resilient and ready for whatever the new year brings, are you? Seeing beyond the many “requirements” of the job that cause so many of us to whine and yet take advantage of these “opportunities” to be the catalyst for improvement is a goal we must be striving to achieve. Do we have the skills? Can we “get” the skills? We don’t want to survive, we must thrive if our students are going to achieve!
2.2 Strand: MTSS
2. Research-Based Practices that Align with the Montana Dyslexia Law- Matt Burns --------------------------------------------------------------------------------In 2019, the Montana Dyslexia Screening and Intervention Act was signed into law. Many states across the country have implemented similar laws, which have spent school personnel scrambling to try to meet the new requirements. This session will review the law and discuss practical ways to implement it. The focus will be on screening and intervention to enhance screening decisions.
2.3 Strand: Autism
3. Practical Strategies to Reduce Anxiety and Challenging Behavior in Students-- Dr. Jessica Minahan-------------------------------------------------------------------With up to one in three children struggling with anxiety in this country, overwhelmed adults are in need of a new approach as well as an effective and easy-to-implement toolkit of strategies that work.Through the use of case studies, humorous stories, and examples of common challenging situations, participants will learn easy to implement preventive tools, strategies, and interventions for reducing anxiety, increasing self-regulation, accurate thinking, and self-monitoring in students.
2.4 Strand: Math
4. Number Sense- Dorie Phillips, Broadus---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number Sense includes basic skills that children need to learn to work fluently with numbers. Good number sense allows students to compare and order numbers, understand symbols that represent numbers, differentiate between more and less, and understand quantities. When students do not have good number sense, the struggle begins! Come play games and complete activities that will build better number sense in our primary grades. Better number sense today results in mathematical learning tomorrow!
2.5 Strand: Behavior
5. Be the Behavioral Detective- Louisa Libertelli Dunn - Peace Place, Inc------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The behaviors detective is a method of looking at behaviors in different components to ANAYLISIS the main function an underlining function of behaviors in individuals. This can be used by parents and professionals of all levels. This is an easy to follow an implement system, designed to give the provider confidents and decrease anxiety in the individuals. All so the outcome is one of building and maintain a positive relationship. In addition, decreasing anxiety and increasing regulatory behavioral abilities in all types of individuals.In this workshop, we introduce a review the concepts of MEATS and how this relates to function of behaviors. Real life and time suggestions to increase positive behavioral patterns in all.
2.6 Strand: Behavior
6. Using Children’s Books to Build Understanding of Homelessness- Mel Sullivan-Walker, MSU-B ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Presenters will share the experience of teaching pre-service teachers about homelessness through the use of children's literature. We will describe the pedagogical approaches we used, briefly share results of a pre-post assessment and class discussion, and provide a bibliography of the children's books used in the course. We will then discuss how this is applicable to special education and how special and general educators may use a similar strategy to teach difficult topics.
2.7 Special Ed Processes
7. Multi State Alternative Assessment (MSAA)- John Gorton, OPI------------------------------------------------------------The Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) has adopted alternate academic achievement standards for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities and measures the achievement of those standards with an alternate assessment aligned with alternate academic achievement standards (AA-AAAS). Guidance will be provided concerning the MSAA, eligibility determination, and appropriate documentation for students eligible for the MSAA.
3.1 Strand: Leadership
1. Hot Topics in Special Education and Section 504: How to Avoid Litigation - Elizabeth Kaleva, Kaleva Law Offices --------------------------------------------------------------------------------This session will address relevant legal issues in special education and Section 504, including new cases, and provide practical guidance to practitioners to help them follow the law and avoid due process.
3.2 Strand: MTSS
2. MTSS Problem Solving for Tier 2: In the Middle Lies Opportunity- Matt Burns------------------------------------------------------------------------------------An effective tier 2 is critically important to a successful MTSS implementation. This session will demonstrate how to use data for reading and math to analyze problems and select interventions with a high likelihood for success.
3.3 Autism
3. Kids who Challenge Us: Increasing Work Engagement and Reducing Oppositional Behavior in Students: Jessica Minahan ------------------------------------------------------------Among the many reasons new teachers leave the field within their first five years, disruptive students are on the top of the list. Without intervention, these children are at risk for poor performance, diminished learning, and social/behavior problems in school. Overwhelming, negative, and inaccurate thoughts can contribute to student disengagement. When this is the case, traditional suggestions such as incentives, offering breaks, graphic organizers, or even checklists will not help the student initiate an activity. As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to easily implement preventive tools, strategies, and interventions for reducing oppositional behavior, increasing work engagement, initiation, persistence, and self-monitoring.
3.4 Strand: Math
4. Fraction Sense: Dorie Philips, Broadus----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fraction sense allows children to work fluently with fractions. Good fraction sense allows students to name fractions, compose and decompose fractions (operations with fractions), compare and order fractions, and more. Come join this hands-on session for games and activities to build your fraction sense.
3.5 Strand: Behavior
5. What Effect Does Trauma Have on Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow- Amy Terry, Big Sandy Schools ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------We will learn how trauma affects brain development and how many of our students are dealing with trauma, whether in their past or present. We will discuss how many behaviors we assume are disabilities are really a student's reaction to the trauma they have faced. Then we will get into the good stuff - some strategies to improve the quality of our students' lives, and help them build skills they can take with them in the short amount of time that they are in our classrooms.
3.6 Strand: Transition
6. Transition Planning 2.0- Desiree Johnson, OPI----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Discover how to select and administer age-appropriate assessments and how to use the results to drive age-appropriate transition planning.
3.7 Strand: Spec Ed Services
7. MSDB Services - MSDB Outreach Team---------------------------------------------------------------------------------MSDB Outreach Team members will go over services and resources available through the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind.
4:00-5:00 Special Ed Co-op Directors Meeting
Location to Be Announced
4:00-4:30 pm University Credit Meeting
If you will attending conference to obtain University Credit this meeting is required.Location to Be Announced
5:15-7:15 pm MCASE Meeting
5.1 KEYNOTE:
KEYNOTE: School staff are concerned with providing supportive learning environments for their students. Individuals who attend the conference may have effective strategies for creating schools and classrooms to support all students. However, it may be challenging to encourage their colleagues to change their practices. Additionally, staff may be overwhelmed with the number of approaches they are asked to implement. The good news is that many strategies across different learning domains (e.g., academic, behavioral, whole child) have similar themes. This presentation includes a Sound of Music approach to creating effective learning environments for all students. The presenter will provide a list of "his favorite things" for creating supportive learning environments. This presentation is based on over 28 years of research and practice related to supporting students and staff in PK-12 settings. Participants will build a range of skills for explaining effective practices to their colleagues in simple terms that everyone can understand.
5.1 Strand: Leadership/MTSS
1. Developing Buy-in For Schoolwide Interventions in Secondary Settings: Hank Bohanan---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Schools will be under more pressure than ever to address students' learning gaps due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As a result, schools may be more open to trying new approaches in response to the increased challenges for students who are most at risk of failure. Unfortunately, many interventions that could help students may fail for no fault of the quality of the approach. Teachers, administration, families, and coaches may become frustrated that their initiatives do not see the light of day. There are, however, approaches to prevent some of these barriers to staff buy-in. The purpose of this presentation is to help educators establish buy-in and install effective implementation systems for MTSS. Participants will learn strategies for buy-in that correspond with stages of implementation.
5.2 Strand: Autism
2. Communication Keeps Us Together- Carolyn Long ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This presentation will teach a critical thinking approach to social communication that helps educators observe and use the nuances of adolescent and adult communication to improve interactions with students. Similarities and differences in neurotypical and neurodivergent communication styles will be discussed including the impact of trauma on communication. A short demo of the Social Optics web based curriculum will be given for educators to learn how this critical thinking approach can be included in middle and high school classes for credit without adding more stress in their lives. Really. I mean it.
5.3 Strand: MTSS
3. Using RTI for SLD Eligibility Determination within Schoolwide MTSS- Tessie Rose-Bailey ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Despite the inclusion of the process of response to intervention (RTI) in the most recent reauthorization of IDEA, the use of RTI for evaluating learning disabilities is not widespread. Many educators continue to be unsure of the process or worry about the legal implications of ‘doing it wrong’. This interactive session will share examples of how to use to evaluate students for specific learning disabilities (SLD) within the context of a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and provide supporting special education law for those practices. "
5.4 Strand: Inclusive Strategies/ Paraprofessionals
4. Stop Behavior Before It Starts: Dr. Jennifer Schoffer Closson UM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Antecedent Intervention is a way to structure your environment to reduce behavior. Learn how to support your learner(s) in a way that teaches expectations while reducing confusing situations that could lead to disruptive behavior.
5.5 Strand: Spec Ed Processes/ Autism
5. A Refresher of OPI’s Criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder - Doug Doty, OPI, Co-Presenter - Katie Mattingley ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This training will include: 1. Why and how the OPI created a new educational autism criteria in 2019;2. A review of the OPI autism characteristics; including examples for specific characteristics by gender, age and use/non-use of spoken language.3. Time for questions and answers.
CANCELLED Please choose another session
This workshop has been cancelled.
5.7 Strand: Spec Ed Processes
Going Forward with Dyslexia as a Specific Learning Disability- Pam Pettigrew, Prairie View Special Services ------------------------------------------------------------------This presentation would provide most current information on the disability of dyslexia and best practices in working with students with this disability.
AWARDS LUNCHEON
Keynote: Luann PurcellCelebrating award winners and acknowledging the encouragement and team workers and family members of the winners. AWARDS: Yes I CanCSPD Paraeducator of YearParaeducator-Teacher Team Location: Convention Center
7.1 Strand: Leadership
1. Addressing Mental Health in Schools - Roundtable Discussion-Sara Novak & Jenny Malloy ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This round-table discussion will focus on programs & options in place to address mental health issues in schools. Including but not limited to University Partnerships with emphasis on rural schools, Non-Profit Organizations and In-House Programs. Please come prepared to share what is happening in your school community. Discussion facilitated by MCASE Board Members, Sara Novak & Jenny Malloy
7.2 Strand: Secondary/ MTSS
2. Adapting Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for Secondary Schools- Hank Bohanan ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Some educators may feel that schoolwide strategies such as MTSS are only effective in elementary school settings. This misperception may be a barrier to effectively implementing MTSS in secondary schools. This session will provide participants with a rationale for how schoolwide supports can support their work more efficiently, improve their collaboration with colleagues, and offer an engaging instructional environment for all learners. The presenter also will connect MTSS with school improvement and strategies associated with effective secondary schools. Further, we will discuss specific approaches school staff can use to create a positive, supporting, and engaging learning environment for all students.
7.3 Strand: Instructional Strategies
3. CANCELLED
7.4 Strand: Inclusive Strategies/ Paraprofessionals
4. Meeting IDEA Requirements through MTSS Implementation: Lessons Learned from 15 Years of Implementation- Tessie Rose-Bailey ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Since 2007, the Center on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) has been supporting local administrators in the development and implementation of schoolwide tiered systems. Over the past 15 years, the Center has collaborated with state, district, and school administrators to identify validated approaches to addressing state and federal special education requirements through MTSS implementation. This session will share lessons learned, examples of implementation, and impact data to guide special education administrators as they build or refine their existing MTSS implementation to ensure that educators can effectively and efficiently design and implement high quality programming for students with disabilities.
7.5 Strand: Autism
5. Girls with Autism: Dr. Jennifer Schoffer Closson , UM------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Girls with autism present differently and experience unique challenges. Learn about girls with autism and what their supports can look like.
Cancelled.
7.7 Strand: Spec Ed Processes
Identifying and special education eligibility determination of twice-exceptional learners- Alicia Herman, OPI ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Gifted students with disabilities are at-risk because their educational and social/emotional needs often go undetected. This frequently results in inconsistent academic performance, disengagement in the classroom, deflated self-esteem, and behavioral concerns. This presentation will provide educators with information on indicators of dual exceptionality, the necessity of individualized education programs for these students, procedures for determining special education eligibility, and interventions that can be implemented to support this at-risk population.
4.0 Poster Sessions
You'll have 1 hour to browse a variety of subjects and speak one on one to presenters. You'll only make one choice for registration but there will be a variety of presenters which will be outlined on our website.1. Montana Families’ Experiences of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy- Dr Kalli Decker- Montana State University 2. Montana's OPI special education endorsement project- Susan Gregory, MSU-B 3. Behavioral Strategies for grades 6-12: Engaging students in the classroom- Michael Grizzaffi, Stillwater/ Sweetgrass Special Education Cooperative 4. Things learned on the street...Sesame Street in Communities, that is!- Deanna Mydland- Montana PBS KUSM-Bozeman 5. Social Optics - Social Communication Curriculum for Teens- Carolyn Long 6. Using Data to Move Forward: Data-Based Decision Making to Improve Student Behavior Problem in Schools- Shu-Chen Tsai- MSU-B 7. 75 Year History of the Montana Center Serving the Disability Community - Thomas Manthey, MSU-B 8. Special Olympics Continuum of Services- Jeannette Gray, Special Olympics Montana 9. The History of Parent Centers and Montana Empowerment Center, Inc
Thursday 5 - 6:00 pm Awards Social (No Host) MCEC & MCASE Distinguished Service Awards
Share in the presentation of MCEC & MCASE Distinguised Service Awards and enjoy a no host cocktail bar with hors d'oeuvres
9.1 Strand: Leadership
1. 8:00 MCASE Membership 2. 8:30 Roundtable Discussion for Special Education Administrators: Changes in Montana Special Education- JP Williams & OPI Special Ed Division The OPI staff will provide updates on current issues in special education, recent legal issues that apply to Montana, recent guidance from OSEP and other topics of interest to the participants.
9.2 Strand: MTSS
2. PBIS Reboot- Joe Moriarty------------------------------------------------------------------------------------School-wide PBIS is a multi-tiered framework to make schools more effective places. It establishes a social culture and the behavior supports needed to improve social, emotional, behavioral, and academic outcomes for all students.This session will include strategies to address locally-meaningful and culturally-relevant outcomes, empirically supported practices, systems to support implementation and data to monitor effective decision making.To reboot PBIS, the following strategies will be addressed:1. Universal Expectations2. Procedures and Routines3. School-wide Reinforcement System4. System for Error Correction5. Building a Strong Team6. Utilize Classroom Best Practices7. Data-Based Decision Making8. Celebrating Climate9. Utilizing Student Voice10. Building RelationshipsThis workshop will also take from the work of educator and neuroscientist Dr. Eric Jensen, exploring 14 Core Brain Based Principles and how ""Effective Classroom Practices fit into those principles.
9.3 Strand: Behavior
3. Together Tomorrow: Reaching and Teaching Behavioral Strategies to our Students with Neurodiverse Abilities- Shawna Heiser, Special Learning 1-ON-1 LLC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A thorough presentation of positive behavioral interventions for neurodiverse students in a variety of school environments will be presented to conference attendees. Discussion will center around types of behaviors; task avoidance, escape motivated, attention seeking, behaviors that produce sensory consequences, and the role motivation plays in behavioral success in many settings. The audience will be able to apply the information presented through videos, activities, and examples of how to set up positive plans for the children in a variety of environmental settings immediately in their respective situations. The training will also contain discussions about setting limits that work and the application of positive interventions in the regular education setting. We will examine the common pitfalls that sabotage behavioral intervention plans and what to avoid when wanting to make significant behavioral changes. Discussions of how to implement 504 accommodations in a regular education setting, how to conduct data collection for a variety of specially designed treatment strategies in the classroom.
9.4 Strand: Reading
4. Literacy for All: From the Science of Reading to Daily Instructional Impact-Danielle Thompson------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In this session you'll learn about what it takes to be literate and how you can change, even save, lives because of informed instruction. This session will have three segments, 1) Building the Language Foundations of Reading and Writing 2) Assessment, difference and disabilities in language and reading, and3) Leveraging the Science of Reading to teach most students to read.
9.5 Strand: Autism
5. Social Communication and Social Identity in Adolescents- Carolyn Long ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This program will give an overview of social communication and social identity theory, as well as the developmental expectations of identity and self in adolescents. We will take a look at popular intervention strategies compared to these theories and adolescent identity. Participants will leave with a broader understanding of social pragmatic competency development and interventions that align with development of self. A demo of the Social Optics web based curriculum will be given for educators to learn how this critical thinking approach can be included in middle and high school classes for credit without adding more stress in their lives or student's lives. No more stress.
9.6 CANCELLED
CANCELLED
10.7 Strand: Literacy/Disability
7. Hands on ASL - MSDB Deaf Mentors-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hands on ALS with MSDB Deaf Mentors
Earn up to 14 OPI Credit Renewal HoursCertificates will be handed out when you check out at the conference.
Provide documentation of your attendance, up to 14 hours. Certificates will be handed out when you check out at the conference.
The State Licensing Board informed us that they are no longer pre-approving Credit. If choosing this Credit Type, please be aware that we will provide documentation of the hours only . Hours available are up to 14.
To obtain 1 Semester University Credit you will need to attend the meeting and complete extra work as well as attend a session from each track. There is an additional University Fee collected by the U of M. You must attend the meeting on Wednesday at 4 pm.
To obtain ECE credit you must attend sessions that are identified as ECE approved. You will obtain your certificate following at the end of each session.
Check this box if you do not need any of the above items.
If registering for the early bird rate, payment must be received by December 19, 2022 or a purchase order must be received in order to retain that decreased rate. Email a scanned copy of the purchase order to: [email protected]. If payment or a purchase order is not received by December 19, the rate will be increased to the standard rate.
Substitution Policy: Substitutions are allowed. Please send the name of the original registrant and the name of the person substituting to [email protected] by February, 18 2023. Please include “MCEC Conference Substitution” in the subject line. Substitutions can also be made on-site at the conference registration desk with a copy of the PO or proof of payment for an original registrant.
