Will County Regional Office of Education

Dr. Lisa Caparelli-Ruff, Regional Superintendent

Education, Innovation, & Service Center

Heather Siegel-Hickman, Ed.D.

Director of Professional Development

hsiegel-hickman@willroe.org * 815.630.3103

Click here to register or contact John Randich, Program Coordinator, with questions (jrandich@willroe.org).

The Education, Innovation, and Service Center (EISC) at the Will County ROE offers a process for educators to earn Professional Development (PD) hours for external learning experiences facilitated by non-approved providers. As an approved provider through the Illinois State Board of Education, the ROE may review and approve external learning experiences and issue PD hours when those experiences meet state requirements. Click below for more details.

From goal setting to planning and scheduling, we can help build your 2026-2027 Professional Learning Calendar. Contact Heather (hsiegel-hickman@willroe.org) to set up a time to meet and begin planning. We will use your goals and data to help outline ongoing professional learning ideas for 2026-2027 and beyond.

Special Dates to Hold:

October 26, 2026 - Paraprofessional and Support Staff Learning Day
February 26, 2027 - Mini County Professional Learning Day (focus on educators of non-core content areas: Theatre, Art, Music, PE, Health, CTE and more)

We can help!

The Education, Innovation, and Service Center can help schools and districts put their school improvement funds to effective use. Call or email Heather to talk about the services we provide (hsiegel-hickman@willroe.org * 815.630.3103).

Join us June 2, 2026, from 12pm - 3pm for this interactive workshop designed to help teachers pause, look closely at student data from the past school year, and use it to fuel joy and intentional planning for what comes next. Participants will engage in hands-on activities to examine classroom- and child-level data across developmental domains, identify patterns and bright spots, and surface areas where instruction, environment, or family partnership can be strengthened.

Together, educators will practice using data as a story, about children’s growth, their own instructional choices, and the supports that made a difference, rather than just as numbers or scores. Through reflection protocols, small-group “data digs,” and guided discussion, they will refine their practices, celebrate wins, and leave with concrete next steps and goals for the upcoming year that honor children’s strengths and educators’ professional wisdom.

Click here to register.

AA 4263

This Administrative Academy course equips school and district leaders with strategies to leverage physical education and wellness programs as catalysts for a positive school climate and culture. Grounded in whole-child education and social-emotional learning principles, participants will explore how quality physical education fosters inclusivity, student engagement, and overall well-being. Through data analysis, case studies, and collaborative planning, administrators will develop actionable leadership strategies that align physical education initiatives with school improvement goals and district-wide wellness priorities.

For some young people, school is the only place in their lives where they know they are safe and can form trusted, enduring relationships. It is, therefore, a cruel irony that many students who are affected by trauma also have trouble engaging at school. Learn how to help students understand that the events in their lives that caused trauma are not their fault and how they can progress from trauma to triumph and live successful lives through setting goals and learning how to regulate emotions.

Click here to register.

This course is designed to take school leaders on a deep dive into their current MTSS culture and practices. Leaders will learn how to analyze specific data to determine the current health of their MTSS culture. This workshop will strengthen educational leaders' ability to identify gaps within MTSS structures and workflows. Once the current MTSS status is determined, leaders will learn how to plan for and implement processes and protocols that will maintain a consistent, healthy, and thriving MTSS culture. This course encourages leaders to establish and memorialize healthy traditions that will enhance their MTSS culture, empowers and equips them to make data driven decisions that create and or enhance the MTSS culture on their campus(es), and meets the needs of the entire school community.

Click here to register.

Explore Our Full Catalog

The Power of Networks

Meta-analyses by the Government Accountability Office show that professional development focused on collaboration and coaching leads to measurable results. Will County's free networks offer collaboration on curricular materials and pedagogical practices while also providing space for resource sharing, reflection, and new ideas.

🎒Special Education Leaders Network: May 11, 2026 from 8:30-10:30am

🏫Instructional Coaches: May 12, 2026 from 9:00-11:00am

🏸Physical and Health Education Curriculum Workshop: May 12, 2026 from 8:30 - 11:30am

💉School Nurse Network: May 13, 2026 11:30am - 12:45pm (Virtual)

Check out all of our networks here!

We offer:

Trained coaches to support schools and districts from planning through implementation of continuous improvement plans.
An extensive network of consultants and coaches to support the professional learning that administrators, teachers, and other school staff want and need.
Support for implementing the IL Comprehensive Literacy Plan.
Much more. Reach out and let us meet you where you are and take you where you want to go.

Illinois Mandated Trainings, visit https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Il-Mandated-Trainings.pdf

ISBE Teacher and Principal/Assistant Principal Performance Evaluation Qualifications, visit https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Pref-Eval-Qualifications.pdf

Recommendation from Quinn Buckley, Will County ROE Director of IT:

The Red Rising series hooked me within the first few chapters! It is a cross between Game of Thrones and Hunger Games. The story is amazing and has so many twists. It's all completely unexpected. I highly recommend this for anyone who likes futuristic dystopian novels.

Recommend a Book, Podcast, TV Series...

Be Creative!

😊

Please click here.

Literary Arts Fund created to rekindle a love for reading

According to a recent study, reading for pleasure has fallen by 40% in the last 20 years, continuing a long-running downward trend. By many measures, reading skills for both students and adults continue to fall. Jeffrey Brown spoke with Elizabeth Alexander of the Mellon Foundation about a new effort to boost the world of words. It's part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

pbs.org

From Missed Signals to Meaningful Support

Students who internalize, who shut down instead of act out, and who don’t raise flags are often missed.

This May, MEandMine is sitting down with Dr. Nirav Shah from Stanford Medicine for a small, fireside chat with a group of K–12 leaders grappling with the same challenge.

Explore what it really means when we say a regulated brain is a ready brain—and how that translates into classroom practice. Consider the role of student voice in actually understanding what students are experiencing—not just what adults can observe. And dig into how prevention and intervention, when designed well, can more equitably identify and support all students—not just the ones who are easiest to see.

This 45-minute fireside chat is eligible for PD Hours and will include time at the end for open Q&A to explore what you’re seeing in your districts and what you’ve tried. (Click here to register.)

Check out upcoming sessions offered in Will County and other area ROEs and ISCs to support SEL and Trauma-Informed Instruction and Leadership.

The Learning Resource Hub is a free tool with online classes that provide PD Hours. Professionals can also "obtain continuing education hours for the following Illinois-licensed professions: social workers, professional counselors, and psychologists." Use this link to register and learn more.

SunCloud Health offers free professional development on a variety of youth mental health topics. Check out their offerings on their website or call Heather to arrange customized PD through SunCloud for your schools and districts.

Check out upcoming events on topics like Teen Relationships in the Social Media Era and The Science of Wonder and Sensory Play to Help Kids Thrive. PD Hours and Continuing Education Units available.

Research consistently shows that suicide rates increase in the spring and early summer. This is why Elyssa’s Mission reminds you to increase your vigilance as springtime approaches each year. Visit our website and/or contact Nichelle Campbell-Miller at nichellecampbell-miller@elyssasmission.org to learn more.

Below are links to resources from Elyssa's Mission:

Education; Speak Up, Research, Get Involved

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Summer Courses for School Nurses

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May 8, 2026 May 8, 2026

Will County Regional Office of Education

New Administrator Coaching New Administrator Coaching

Personalized Support for New Leaders Personalized Support for New Leaders

New EISC Service! New EISC Service!

The ROE's 2026-2027 PD Calendar is Taking Shape The ROE's 2026-2027 PD Calendar is Taking Shape

Let us help you shape yours, too! Let us help you shape yours, too!

School Improvement Funds to Use? School Improvement Funds to Use?

We can help!

Reflect, Refine, Reignite Reflect, Refine, Reignite

End-of-Year Data Dig & Celebration for Early Childhood Professionals End-of-Year Data Dig & Celebration for Early Childhood Professionals

Administrator Academies Administrator Academies

May 19, 2026 May 19, 2026

May 29, 2026 May 29, 2026

June 9, 2026 June 9, 2026

Improving School Climate & Culture Via Physical Education and Holistic Practices Improving School Climate & Culture Via Physical Education and Holistic Practices

AA 4263

June 15, 2026 June 15, 2026

June 24, 2026 June 24, 2026

How to Establish a Supportive and Effective MTSS Culture How to Establish a Supportive and Effective MTSS Culture

Evaluator Trainings - Initial and Retraining Evaluator Trainings - Initial and Retraining

Professional Learning and Collaboration Professional Learning and Collaboration

Free at the ROE Free at the ROE

The Power of Networks

School Safety Opportunities School Safety Opportunities

May 29, 2026 May 29, 2026

July 29, 2026 July 29, 2026

Learning Partner. Thought Partner. Change Partner. Learning Partner. Thought Partner. Change Partner.

Inspire Teachers to Inspire Students Inspire Teachers to Inspire Students

Will Mini-Grants Support Professional Learning Will Mini-Grants Support Professional Learning

Click Below to Request Support Click Below to Request Support

Three Recommendations in One! Three Recommendations in One!

Recommend a Book, Podcast, TV Series...

"Reading for Pleasure Has Fallen by 40% in the Last 20 Years" 😱 "Reading for Pleasure Has Fallen by 40% in the Last 20 Years" 😱

May 14, 2026 May 14, 2026

From Missed Signals to Meaningful Support

Area 1 SEL Hub Area 1 SEL Hub

Free CEs through Learning Resource Hub Free CEs through Learning Resource Hub

Free CEs through SunCloud Health Free CEs through SunCloud Health

Free CEs through GPS Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families Free CEs through GPS Parent Series: Navigating Healthy Families

Elyssa's Mission - Suicide Prevention Elyssa's Mission - Suicide Prevention

Click here for more! Click here for more!

Summer Courses for School Nurses (click below) Summer Courses for School Nurses (click below)