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Inside this issue
  • CAREI Membership
  • We interrupt state testing for these announcements
  • ASL Courses Persevere!
  • GCED's Jump Start PD: August 13, 14, 15
  • CPI Training Registration Info/Links
  • Region 10 Registered Behavior Technician Workshop
  • Regions 9 & 10 STAR & Links Training
  • I learned! Highlights from the All County Board Meeting
  • ​​​​In the Spotlight: Shelly Angell
Important Upcoming Events/Meetings

April 1                   April's Fool Day
April 2                   Read 180 Universal PD
April 2                   FAST User Call
April 2                   Children's Book Day
April 4                   EBD Cohort
April 4                   School Librarian Day
April 9                   ASD/DCD Cohort
April 12                 School Psych Cohort
April ​15                 Leadership Team
April 16                 National Stress Awareness Day
April ​17                 Superintendent Council
April 21                 Kindergarten Day
April 22                 Earth Day
April 24                 CAREI Problem Solving PD - Session 3 of 4
​April 24                 Administrative Assistant Day
April 26                 Speech Cohort
April 27                 Tell a Story Day
April 28                 Great Poetry Reading Day
April 28                 International Astronomy Day 
April 29                 ADSIS Spring Conference
April 30                Work Skills Challenge Day in Northfield
The Progress, April 2019:
​Volume 4, Issue 8

The Progress archive
Click here to view past issues from the current school year.
Comments? Suggestions for new articles?
Contact Jillynne Raymond, jraymond@gced.k12.mn.us
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April is Stress Awareness Month. 
   Take care of yourselves this month and always.

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April is also...
  • National Humor Month 
    Humor is an effective instructional strategy.
  • International Guitar Month
    Music has calming effects and increases cognitive connections with the learning process.
  • Keep America Beautiful Month*
  • Lawn and Garden Month*
  • National Kite Month*
    *All 3 provide learning opportunities for inside and outside. Nature has evidence based benefits for children.
  • National Poetry Month
    Word work is at its most precise with poetry, a wonderful opportunity to increase vocabulary.
  • National Welding Month
    CTE is always on our minds. Introduce right fit students to the career of welding.
  • Records and Information Management Month
    State and federal programs require much record keeping. Thank you for our staff members that effectively keep up with due process. It is an ongoing challenge; thank you!
  • Sexual Assault Awareness Month 
    Health class learning opportunity


CAREI Membership

The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvements' (CAREI) mission is to improve the quality of education for all learners.  Remember that GCED's membership extends to our member districts.  CAREI offers several professional development opportunities to support a district's system, group, and individual level work.  We are engaging in the problem solving PD this year.  CAREI also offers PD in universal screening, progress monitoring, improving tier 1 instruction, and more.  To access GCED's membership benefits and rates, please contact Jillynne Raymond.
Reminder:

CAREI Problem Solving Teams
PD Session 3 of 4
April 24, 2019
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
UMN - St. Paul Campus
​1954 Buford Avenue


We interrupt state testing for this newsletter...

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ASL Course Learners Persevere!

ASL Learners really survived the winter of 2018-19.
We live in Minnesota; we understand winter. It was only natural that as we planned dates for an ASL course to be offered in Lake City and in Zumbrota, we fully knew the weather would interfere with the schedule. 

We did not realize that all make up dates would be used up even before the first class met. The ASL learners have not only survived the winter of 18-19, but they thrived! Thank you all for your perseverance with your learning. Best wishes for an awesome final project when you sign a children's book for your class!
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Remaining Schedule for ASL
Zumbrota-Mazeppa High School
  • April 1st - 2 hour session - 4-6pm - library - 20 hours will be completed
  • April 3rd - 2 hour session - 4-6pm - Room 124* - 22 hours will be completed
  • This leaves us with 2 hours to complete the 24 total hours. As a group they will figure out a date and location to celebrate their last session. 

Bluff View Elementary School, Lake City 
  • April 2nd - 2 hour session - 4:15-6:15pm - Speech room - 17 hours 30 minutes will be completed
  • April 4th - 2 hour session - 4:15-6:15pm - Speech room - 19 hours 30 minutes will be completed
  • April 9th - 2 hour session - 4:15-6:15pm - Speech room - 21 hours 30 minutes will be completed
  • This leaves us with 2 hours 30 minutes to complete the 24 total hours. As a group they will figure out a date and location to celebrate their last session. 


GCED's Jump Start PD - August 13, 14, 15

TUESDAY 8/13/19
8:30 - 11:30
  • MTSS: Improving Literacy Outcomes Systematically using PRESS and more; Courtney Bonnin
  • FastBridge Learning for Managers: Networking and troubleshooting with school and district managers; Weston Johnson​

1 2:30 - 3:30
  • Behavior Tools: Molly Dodge-Brage & Caitlen Ternes
  • FastBridge Learning Training: Initial certification and deeper understanding (i.e., progress monitoring, setup, data-based decision making, intervention decisions); Weston Johnson
  • Secondary Reading Strategies to assist with 2010 ELA Standards​
WEDNESDAY 8/14/19
8:30 - 11:30
  • Co-Teaching Refresher/Curriculum Writing; Martina Wagner
  • Teaching standards-based comprehension: Networking, Q&A, resource sharing, work time; Weston Johnson
​

12:30 - 3:30
  • ​Behavior Tools; Molly Dodge-Brage & Caitlen Ternes
  • Teaching standards-based comprehension: Networking, Q&A, resource sharing, work time; Weston Johnson
  • Tier 2 & 3 Math Interventions at the Elementary Level; David Craft​
THURSDAY 8/15/19
8:30 - 11:30
  • FastBridge Learning Training: Initial certification and deeper understanding (i.e., progress monitoring, setup, data-based decision making, intervention decisions); Weston Johnson
  • Understanding students with AD/HD; David Craft
​
8:30 - 3:00 with 1/2 hour lunch onsite
  • PBIS Guided Team Work; Megan Gruis

12:30 - 3:30
  • Effective Tier 2 Reading Interventions: foundations reading skill interventions, alignment with Tier 1, individualization for Tier 3


2019 - 2020 CPI Training

Online Component

  1. Online Training Component: On or around August 1, 2019 you will receive an email from our Assistant Director of Special Education, Wendy Ahern. The email will include log in information for the online component of the class. 
  2. This online component is the same for participants in the full CPI training and in the refresher CPI training.
  3. You may opt to complete this work independently, which is fine.
  4. You may decide that you need/want some technical assistance while completing the online component, which is also fine and we are here to support. Trainers Wendy Ahern and Jake Smith will be available to support you while you work. If this is the right choice for you, please register at gced.k12.mn.us; options include:
    1. August 7, 2019; 8:30 to 11:30 am; RBEC
    2. August 7, 2019; 12:30 to 3:30 pm; RBEC
    3. August 13, 2019; 8:30 to 11:30 am; ZMHS
    4. August 13, 2019; 12:30 to 3:30 pm; ZMHS
  5. The training will take you approximately 2.5 hours, time for which you will be paid or for which your district may use as assigned PD. 
  6. You will need a hard copy of the Online Training Booklet for the training, which will be included as you access the online training. 
  7. Special Education Coordinators/Directors will coordinate booklet distribution for their district staff members.
  8. Complete the online training component by August 15, 2019 with a score of 80% or higher.

    Note: This deadline is important to ensure fidelity of the training. Those not able to make this deadline will receive an email about their registration being cancelled.  In that case, contact your building administrator to develop your individual make up plan outside of the GCED schedule.
Classroom Component

The classroom training component builds on your background knowledge gained from the online training component. 
  1. Offered at both RBEC and ZMHS; register at gced.k12.mn.us. 
  2. Prerequisite for full and refresher sessions: Successful completion (80% or more) of your online training by 3:00 pm on Thursday, August 15th.
  3. Full CPI Training = 7 hours with a ½ hour lunch provided on site; options include:
    1. August 19, 2019; 8:30 to 3:30 pm; ZMHS
    2. August 20, 2019; 8:30 to 3:30; RBEC
  4. Refresher CPI Training = 4 hours; options include:
    1. August 19, 2019; 7:30 to 11:30 am; ZMHS
    2. August 19, 2019; 12:00 to 4:00 pm; ZMHS
    3. August 20, 2019; 7:30 to 11:30 am; RBEC
    4. August 20, 2019; 12:00 to 4:00 pm; RBEC
  5. Dress comfortably for the physical portion of the training. 


THANK YOU to our CPI instructors for their commitment to
building your capacity in the use of CPI:
  • Wendy Ahern (GCED/ZM)
  • Jen Grove (RW)
  • Alyssa Holmquist (LC)
  • Jake Smith (ZM)
  • Jessica Tlougan (GCED)

Region 9 & 10 STAR & Links Program Training 

STAR Comprehensive Workshop:
  • Tuesday & Wednesday, August 13-14. 2019
  • 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
  • $90
STAR Teams Set Up Day Training (Implementation Teams Only):
  • Thursday, August 15, 2019
  • 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
  • $45
LINKS Secondary Workshop:  Linking Assessment and Instruction for Independence
  • Thursday,  August 15, 2019 
  • 8:30 am to 3:30 pm
  • $45
REGISTER HERE 
​
Payment information
  • Checks, POs, or Credit Card payment only.
  • POs prior to event sent to, Checks made out and sent to: Zumbro Education District
    801 Frontage Rd NW
    Byron, MN 55920
    FAX: 507.775.2040
    cwernau@zumbroed.org
    ​
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STAR Workshop Content The instructional methods of discrete trial training, pivotal response training, teaching functional routines, and positive behavior interventions and supports form the instructional base of this comprehensive program. Participants receive examples of STAR Program lesson plans at each instructional level in order to practice their skills in implementing the program. 
  • Learn the STAR Program’s (Arick, Loos, Falco, Krug, 2004) curriculum content  
  • Watch videos and demonstrations of the three instructional methods in the STAR Program 
What You Will Learn
  • Developmental curriculum content appropriate for students with developmental disabilities curriculum-based assessment techniques for baseline and progress monitoring
  • To use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to teach new skills
  • To teach students to be independent and to generalize skills within their daily routines 
What You Will Receive 
  • Extensive handouts 
  • One STAR Program student assessment at each level 
  • A certificate for 12 hours of continuing education credits 
Links Workshop Content The workshop will focus on using evidence-based strategies to teach students critical skills across developmental areas. These strategies include: discrete trial training, visual and environmental supports, task-analysis, and positive behavior supports. Participants will learn to apply teaching strategies to lesson plans and functional routines, complete assessments, and monitor progress based on the data collected during instruction. Practice activities focus on individualizing the curriculum for each participant’s situation. Participants will watch videos and demonstrations of the curriculum and receive examples of the curriculum. 
What You Will Learn 
  • Comprehensive curriculum for teaching the skills needed to be successful in school and community activities 
  • To assess and take baseline data to determine skill levels for instruction and the generalization of skills during routines 
  • To use Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to teach new skills and functional routines 
  • A process for tracking student progress and generating reports for data-based decision making 
  • How to collaborate with others and share data to develop a comprehensive, individualized educational program 
What You Will Receive 
  • Extensive handouts 
  • Links Curriculum Manual and student assessment 
  • A certificate for 6 hours of continuing education credits
  • 10% discount on all Links subscriptions 
  • A free, 6-week subscription (includes access to: all lesson plans, school and community routines, the full on-line system)

Region 10 Registered Behavior Technician TM (RBT®) Workshop 

Monday, August 05, 2019 
Friday, August 09, 2019

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wood Lake Meeting Center
(507) 281-6699
210 Woodlake Drive
Rochester, Minnesota 55904
REGISTER HERE
The Registered Behavior Technician or RBT has quality and more extensive training on understanding behavior and how behavior works.  They support school teams to help implement, train, monitor and follow up on plans that are designed by the team or behavior specialist. Practice under close supervision of BCBA or Related Licensed Professional Primarily responsible for the modeling and assisting in implementation of behavior analytic services.

​RBT does NOT design intervention or assessments. Training will be based on requirements needed to become a certified Registered 
Behavior Technician (RBT) through the BCBA
  • https://www.bacb.com/rbt/
  • Required 40 hours, in person training over 5 days.
  • Must include 3 hours of ethics and 1 hour of supervision requirements of RBT
  • Presenters: Kelley (Northfield) and Laura (Faribault)
  • 40 hour training, covering every area on the RBT Task List 2nd Ed. 

​I learned! Highlights from the All County Board Meeting

GCED's school board is made up of one board member from each of our member districts, a superintendent representative, and our executive director Cherie Johnson. Once a year we invite all of the board members and superintendents from our member districts to an evening of learning. Here is a glimpse into what they learned about the relationship between their member district and GCED.

  • 7 students transitioned back from setting IV to their Member Districts - Amber Lohman
  • Pathways is a choice program with consequences - Jim Wendt
  • Setting IV transitions = 7!  2 more additional in April - Heidi Jones
  • Perkins could be used for alternative (technical/academic) course work. - Jim Wendt
  • EL Funding - Janie
  • We have been working on MTSS for 6 years - Jim Wendt
  • Special Ed is only one of the programs offered by GCED. - Amanda Peters
  • There will only be 12 education districts, never more - Steph Miller
  • Lease Levy for Building - Kevin Anderson
  • 107 students enrolled in 3 different programs housed at RBEC - Eric Enger
  • Maude is the GCED therapy dog’s name - Eric Enger
  • I learned about services provided for birth - 3 years - Steph Miller
  • Fuel Education had 700 total enrollments in 2018-19 - Dawn Balow
  • 42% of RBEC students reached goal of Meets or Exceeds reading standards in 2018 - Dawn Balow
  • ALC is primarily for “at risk” students - Katie Locher
  • MTSS, Assessment is helping the growth of students math/reading levels - Katie Lochner
  • PAES Lab is for 10 and 11th grade students; helps with future plans. - Kevin Anderson & Katie Lochner
  • There are 155 students receiving EL services this year. - Debb Paquin
  • 90,000 students served in Education Districts in MN; 98 districts served by 12 Ed Districts - Deb Paquin
  • I learned about MTSS; I learned about reading scores I did not know about  - Marilyn
  • Just got 17-18 Data from MDE this week - Amber Lohman
  • I see a lot of opportunity to go to the legislature to improve special ed funding - Marilyn
  • I learned we need to come up with a different way to get students to read a higher level along with math - Jim Bryant
  • We're fully staffed for school psychologist for 2019-2020 (but still short for other SpEd Licenses) - Heidi Jones
  • I would like to know more about Perkins Grant.  Good thing to help students that may not want to go to college - Jim Bryant
  • I learned we need to keep Resource Officer funding w/Special Ed - Jim Bryant

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​In the Spotlight:  Shelly Angell, RBEC Social Worker

I wish they [students] could come with some self-esteem, so they feel dumb. I want them to understand that no matter what we do for them, that they are worth the effort.

​     - Shelly Angell
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Shelly Angell, RBEC Social Worker
Rapid Round with Shelly

  1. Chocolate - milk, dark or white? WHITE
  2. Early bird or night owl? EARLY BIRD
  3. Favorite comfort food? OOH...YES, PLEASE.
  4. Favorite season? FALL
  5. Favorite ice cream flavor? COTTON CANDY
  6. Favorite book? THE NIGHTINGALE
  7. Favorite movie? CURRENT - A STAR IS BORN; OLDIE - STEEL MAGNOLIAS (Great relationships)
  8. Favorite subject when you were in elementary school? READING
  9. Favorite subject when you were in high school? PSYCHOLOGY
  10. Favorite subject when you were in college? ALL OF MY SOCIAL WORK CLASSES

It was during one of Shelly Angell's college level social work classes when she realized, "I fit. This is a fit for me." Shelly has been a social worker for GCED since the late 1990s; it has been an exceptional fit.

Shelly Angell began college thinking that she would go into business; she took classes on that path. The competition and the personalities in the business classes never felt quite right for her. But when she took a psychology course that was a requirement for business majors, she felt the fit and investigated more. The social work program was right for her.  Part of her program included an internship, which she fulfilled at St. Cloud Children's Home. This is where she moved from a fit to "I love this!" It was fascinating working with male juvenile offenders; the residential facility, law enforcement, and social work all connected. 

She began her internship with having kids tell their stories - how did they get here? How did they move from truancy issues to homicide? That was her fascination and the first step in helping them. She needed to understand their story - how they got to a locked facility - in order to help them chart a different path moving forward.

Shelly graduated from her program and began work with Prior Lake - Savage Area Schools Special Education Coop. She worked with a young man that had Tourette Syndrome; she worked with him independently and also met with this teacher and his family. This helped Shelly understand the connection with the schools. At this time there was a paraprofessional opening "back home" in the Red Wing area.  GCED hired Shelly Angell in 1994 as a paraprofessional, then she was a "reintegration specialist" for a brief period before an actual social worker opening became available.

Shelly always had that interest in social work in the schools; she has always loved working with kids and they took on the main focus in her new role. In fact, she still remembers that first interview for Wastedo. She was able to pull on her internship to respond to interview questions. It worked out well.

There is no such thing as a "typical" day for Shelly. The day usually starts with meeting staff getting ready for the day. She communicates any changes that may have happened overnight. She also meets kids in the entry way every day. Greeting students at the door allows her to look for anyone that may just be "off" and address if in the morning. She is with kids while they are having breakfast; this is a great time to build relationships and check in with kids. The rest of her day is built around the school structure. She might be leading a student group in STEP; she might meet with an individual student in or our of crisis; she might be helping with crisis management in a pod; she might be in the planning room either supervising a student or processing with a student; she might be in an IEP meeting; she might be completing a transition assessment for a special education evaluation. She moves to the need and needs certainly exist.

The top issues that Shelly sees our students struggle with include:
  • Emotion regulation = students have less ability to regulate their emotions, which she attributes to inconsistencies in their environment. They are missing secure and safe relationships.
  • Lacking a sense of safety and sense of control = Students face a lot of aggression, but lack coping skills. Shelly's role is to help students build their toolbox and get them to use their coping strategies.
The biggest bang for her buck when working on these issues all boils down to relationships. She builds those relationships and trust. She reassures students (over and over and then over and over) that everyone here is hoping the best for the students. She helps them learn:
  • how to use their words - being able to ask for what they need;
  • being aware of how their body feels when it is building stress;
  • how to create good boundaries for themselves;
  • the qualities of a good relationship;
  • little things like breathing through their nose and exhaling out the mouth; and
  • for the older kids help them learn that they have to slow down and talk to the adults. The students need to understand that the adults are willing and able to help more when they know any issue(s).
If she could have students come to school with one thing, that would be that they know they are cared for; that people are here to support them. They need to know there is a structure in place so that they can create their skills. She would also love for students to come to school with some level of hope - hope that could give them energy for the day. 

Shelly assures us that she recharges so that she has energy day after day; her family recharges her. Within a few years of returning to Red Wing she met her husband and son Brandon through friends. They married and added Jacob (currently 10th grade) and Emily (currently 6th grade) to the family.  Spending time with her family is a priority: they have dinner almost every night together, they camp, they go to the gym for fun and social connections.

However she recharges, we are so glad that she does. We need her to take care of herself in order to take care of so many students.

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          ​Remember that you have access to free resources through Infinitec. 
          
AND if you are reading this, send an email to jraymond@gced.k12.mn.us with the words, School is Cool, in the subject line. 
         The first person to respond wins this month's fabulous prize! 



Privacy/Disclaimer Statements
District Policies
Goodhue County Education District, 395 Guernsey Lane, Red Wing, MN 55066         651-388-4441      
Goodhue County Education District is a group of six southeastern Minnesota school districts: Cannon Falls, Goodhue, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Lake City, Red Wing and Zumbrota-Mazeppa. Working  together, the districts provide effective and efficient educational services and funding for special education programs, staff development, extended and alternative summer school services.