Essential Bulletin for Educators
September 2026
Looking to increase belonging & connectedness for your students as you begin the new school year?
Join us to learn more about the PDE Office of School Climate & Well-Being and ways we can support you! This opportunity will feature our partnership with Sandy Hook Promise’s Start with Hello & SAVE Promise Clubs. We are so excited to highlight schools who have cultivated meaningful connection and designed positive learning environments. We can’t wait to see you there!
📅 Tuesday, September 29
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 PaTTAN Central
📌 Register Here: bit.ly/OSCWevent
Celebrating 50 years of IDEA! IU 20 Training and Consultation (TaC) consultants Courtney Fenner, Shaun McElmoyle, and Kelly Duque participated in anniversary festivities at the conference.
Camp insPirAtion participants had the opportunity to showcase engaging, student-centered learning experiences during the conference, including hands-on activities that foster creativity and connection.
The Kelly family enjoyed a special evening activity during the conference at the Lancaster Stormers game, highlighted by the boys' opportunity to throw out the first pitch.
The 2026–2027 APR Mentoring Project is underway, and your next step could start with a mentor!
Who Should Apply?
Early-career special education professionals, with three years or less in their current role:
- CTE Special Populations Coordinators
- Educational Interpreters
- Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Specialists
- Special Education Administrators
- Special Education Teachers
- School Psychologists
- Speech-Language Pathologists
- Teachers of the Deaf
- Teachers of the Visually Impaired
Learn More and/or Share This Opportunity:
📌 Visit the APR Repository for more information.
Paraprofessional Entry Level Credential of Competency Training Series
We're excited to announce the Paraprofessional Entry Level Credential of Competency Training Series has moved to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), Standards Aligned System (SAS) website!
Previously offered on the PaTTAN Framewelder site, this training series is a pathway for paraprofessionals to reach "qualified status" as required by PA state regulations. For more information and user instructions, visit the PaTTAN website.
UNC Charlotte’s Project Impact: Coaching Educators
Looking for ways to enhance your coaching efforts to help educators establish and maintain effective teaching practices for improving outcomes for students? Explore the resources found at Project Impact’s (Inclusion Made Practical for ALL Children and Teachers) website for:
- Teaching & Coaching Adult Learners Training Modules
- Coaching Adult Learners: Instructional Videos
- Coaching Session Forms
- Data Collection Tools for Coaching
These resources bridge the gap between professional training and daily classroom practice. Ultimately, this support can empower educational teams to deliver consistent, high-quality interventions that can improve learning outcomes for students
Unlocking Every Learner's Potential with Assistive Technology in the IEP!
This PaTTAN essential guide empowers educators to thoughtfully consider and document assistive technology (AT) in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), ensuring students with disabilities access and benefit from the general curriculum.
It clarifies AT devices and services—from low-tech tools to complex software—and outlines the IEP team's collaborative role in assessing needs, selecting tools, and providing training. The guide offers practical checklists and clear strategies for embedding AT across IEP sections, supporting student success and independence.
By integrating AT effectively, teachers can personalize instruction, enhance participation, and help students achieve their goals confidently. Empower your teaching—make AT an integral part of your IEP planning today!
The Care Factor: Inside Clarion-Limestone Elementary’s Game-Changing Mentorship Program
Every educator knows that a student's success is deeply rooted in the relationships they build at school. Clarion-Limestone (C-L) Elementary is putting this philosophy into action with Check & Connect, a powerful mentorship initiative funded by the federal State Personnel Development Grant under Success for PA Early Learners (SPEL). By pairing students with a dedicated adult ally, the program provides direct support to early learners and their families, successfully bridging the gap between home and the classroom.
This consistent support system has already led to measurable improvements in student attendance, behavior, and academic performance. As Principal Jordan Johnston notes, students are thriving socially, emotionally, and academically simply by knowing that someone consistently cares and checks in on them.
When we invest in meaningful connections, we pave the path for long-term student resilience and success. Check out this 6-minute video to watch Check and Connect in action!
Rethinking Your MTSS Teams: Big Buildings, Small Buildings, & Everything in Between
A strong Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) relies on one key ingredient: smart, data-driven team structures. But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach! Whether you’re running separate teams for Tiers 1, 2, and 3, or combining Tiers 2 and 3 into a single Advanced Tier Team for smaller buildings, structuring your team for your school's unique size is the secret to success.
📄 Read & Bookmark the AIR: School Infrastructure & Support Mechanisms Tip Sheet: Teaming Structures for the perfect companion guide to help you refine your building’s setup.
PDE: School Attendance, Chronic Absenteeism, and Truancy Prevention
Transform Empty Seats into Engaged Minds!
Because you can't teach empty desks, keeping classrooms full takes a community effort. The Pennsylvania Department of Education offers a complete School Attendance Improvement and Truancy Reduction Toolkit packed with actionable strategies, printable sample forms and letters, and School Attendance Improvement Plan (SAIP) templates.
You will also find policy guidance and links to national organizations—like Attendance Works and the National Center for School Engagement—to help uncover root causes of absences and build supportive solutions. Whether you need evidence-based interventions or ready-to-use forms, these tools help get every student through the door ready to learn.
Explore the PA Truancy Toolkit today and help make every school day count!
How to Set Up Your Classroom to Support Students’ Executive Function Skills
Ready to level up your classroom this school year? This edutopia article explains how designing a space tailored for executive function can transform student focus and independence!
By organizing your physical environment, you reduce cognitive load and preserve precious working memory for actual learning. Simple adjustments—like establishing predictable routines, using visual timers to make time tangible, and minimizing sensory distractions—help students self-regulate and stay on task. Incorporating clear visual supports like process charts, updated calendars, daily schedule blocks, and labeled resource areas empowers learners to navigate the room confidently on their own.
Small setup tweaks today pay off in massive engagement gains all year long. Give your brain-friendly classroom a try!
Edutopia's Back-to-School Starter Pack
Looking for new ideas to empower your teaching and elevate your classroom experience with new practical ideas? Edutopia’s curated collection of proven strategies will help build and maintain a thriving classroom community. Read on to get ideas to address:
- Classroom Design
- Family Relationships & Communication
- Community-Building
- Routines & Norms
- Classroom Management
Dive into the full starter pack today to grab practical templates, research-backed layout ideas, and actionable strategies to enhance your teaching.
Unlocking Every Student’s Voice With Alternative Pencils
Daily writing is crucial for literacy development, but standard pencils or keyboards may present barriers for students with significant physical or complex communication needs. To ensure every child can write, the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies created Alternative Pencils, including alphabet eye-gaze frames, print flip charts, and Braille tools.
Students do not need prior reading, spelling, or letter-recognition skills to begin; writing itself builds these foundational abilities. By tapping into individual strengths rather than physical limitations, alternative pencils allow emergent writers to explore the full alphabet and express themselves.
No student is ever "too anything" to start. Give your students access to these transformative tools today and watch their communication flourish!
Unlock the Future for Your Students!
The PEAL Center's Planning for the Future Checklist is a free resource available in English and Spanish, designed to guide Pennsylvania transition planning for students with disabilities (grades 7–12, ages 14–22). Empower students and families to take that first confident step towards planning for their futures!
By reviewing grade-specific milestones, families, students, and educators can track yearly IEP goals, record transition team contacts, explore post-secondary education and career paths, practice independent living skills, and connect early with supporting state agencies to secure long-term resources and accommodations.
Note: The Checklist was made possible by support from The PEAL Center’s 21 and Able Project, PA Department of Health, PA Labor & Industry Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, PA Department of Human Service’s Office of Developmental Programs, an OSEP grant, and PaTTAN.
