Special Education Strategic Plan – Theme 3
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Statement of Commitment
To improve academic, behavioral and social-emotional learning achievement for students with IFSPs/IEPs, we commit to providing ongoing, high quality professional learning and coaching to all school-based staff as well as staff from the Division of Academics to ensure knowledge and understanding of disabilities as well as consistent and effective cycles of instruction including planning, implementation and assessment.
Objective
The DSE urgently needs to revitalize its professional learning and support systems to ensure all staff are equipped and empowered to effectively serve students with IFSPs/IEPs. Currently, inconsistent special education support and professional development have led to significant gaps in teacher confidence and expertise in serving students with IEPs, particularly in applying evidence-based instructional strategies, using data to develop and implement IEPs, differentiating instruction, providing accommodations, and implementing UDL. This challenge is compounded by inadequate and non-individualized professional learning opportunities and concerns about the training and skill levels of support staff. Addressing these systemic issues through enhanced, high-quality professional development is critical to improving academic, behavioral, and social-emotional outcomes for students with disabilities.
Theory of Action
DSE provides consistent and effective professional learning and support systems individualized to staff needs → Staff increase expertise in serving students with IFSPs/IEPs → Staff implement high-quality practices (e.g., evidence-based instructional strategies, data-informed decision-making, differentiated instruction, provide accommodations, implement UDL) → Student outcomes improve.
HCPSS
Strategic Plan
Alignment
Priority 3: Foster Staff Growth and Engagement
Key Strategies: Support Engagement and Well-being and Rethink Professional Learning
Goals
| Actual | Targets | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal |
Baseline 6/26/25 |
Year 1 (2025-26) |
Year 2 (2026-27) |
Year 3 (2027-28) |
Year 4 (2028-29) |
Year 5 (2029-30) |
| 6. School-based staff and staff from the Division of Academics (DOA) participate in differentiated DSE professional learning (PL) on serving students with IFPSs/IEPs. | Not available |
DSE develops differentiated PL series for school-based staff
DSE provides 5 PL sessions to school admins & DSE CO staff |
% school-based staff participation |
% school-based staff participation |
% school-based staff participation |
100% school-based staff participation |
| 7. DSE Professional learning participants self-report via pre-post survey, increased expertise in serving students with IFSPs/IEPs. Note: participants = school-based staff, DOA staff, school admins, DSE central office staff |
Not available |
% self-report improved expertise |
% self-report improved expertise |
% self-report improved expertise |
% self-report improved expertise |
80% self-report improved expertise |
Strategies
Strategy 1
DSE builds and delivers a structured professional learning framework for all school-based staff to identify, model, implement, and monitor evidence-based practices with an emphasis on academic progress.
Action Steps
Collaborate with the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (CIA) to develop a year-long series of professional learning to ensure high quality first instruction for students with IFSPs/IEPs with increased focus on:
- Multilingual learners
- Twice exceptional learners
- Dysgraphia, dyslexia and dyscalculia
- Autism
Teach Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles across grade level/content curriculum for all school-based staff to ensure that all students have equitable access to instruction through flexible methods of engagement, representation, and expression.
Develop project charter with Partner with Boundless Learning and the Office of Secondary Mathematics in preparation of a general education focused approach to co-teaching for middle school math that aligns with State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) work currently being implemented at the elementary level.
Partner with Maryland Coalition for Inclusion Education (MCIE), HCPSS Visual/Performing Arts, and HCPSS PE/Health to design and deliver training and coaching for related arts teachers in differentiated and specially designed instruction for students with high support needs.
Build all school-based staff capacity to ensure progress monitoring of IEP goals and objectives, including the cycles of data collection methods, interpretation of results, and using progress data to adjust specially designed instruction and interventions.
Progress Monitoring/Indicators
Development of professional learning framework with CIA.
100% of targeted staff participate in the countywide professional learning that centers students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
Feedback on countywide PL strand surveys indicate that staff report improvements at the end of the year compared to the beginning of the year in terms of:
- proficiency in implementing high-leverage strategies aligned with Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- confidence in applying strategies aligned with UDL for students with disabilities
- confidence in adapting evidence-based instructional strategies for students with disabilities
- proficiency in using implementation and student outcome data to evaluate actions and make ongoing instructional adjustments
School walkthrough data will demonstrate an increase in differentiated instruction in general education, special education and related arts classrooms from Quarter 1 to Quarter 4.
Periodic audits conducted by central office DSE leaders across all levels will demonstrate at least 90% compliance on the MSDE Auditing Tool.
Timeline: August 2025 – June 2026
Strategy 2
DSE builds and delivers a structured professional learning framework for staff to identify, model, implement, and monitor evidence-based practices with an emphasis on social-emotional and behavioral development.
Action Steps
Provide access and opportunities to ensure all school-based staff participate in Safety Care Basics training as a Multi tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Tier 1 proactive de-escalation strategy.
In alignment with HCPSS behavioral health strategies and resources, develop a framework and necessary resources to provide professional learning on MTSS Tier 2 strategies for designated school-based staff.
Provide access and opportunities to ensure designated staff participate in the following MTSS Tier 3 (targeted) training:
- Ukeru
- Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI),
- Practical Functional Assessment/Skills Based Training (PFA/SBT)
Progress Monitoring/Indicators
100% of school-based staff successfully complete Safety Care Basics Training
- Vector training (with test out option) for returning school-based staff
- Comprehensive Vector module for new/first year teachers (with no test out option)
- Face-to-face training for new paraeducators and student assistants
- Both face-to-face and Vector training options offered for bus drivers and aids
100% of designated school-based staff successfully complete PL Framework for Tier 2 Training.
Timeline August – September 2025 (with quarterly options offere
At least 85% of classroom walkthroughs (including data tool checks) conducted by Board-Certified Behavior Supervisors (BCBSs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) each quarter will indicate staff implementation of tiered strategies as expected.
Timeline: August 2025 – June 2026
Strategy 3
Enhance targeted support, training, coaching and follow-up to increase leadership confidence, capacity, and connection.
Action Steps
Coaching
Develop a consistent coaching model to support “just in time” training and follow up.
Train a cadre of CO staff on the coaching model for FY27 roll out.
Provide professional learning for identified staff on overviews of the coaching model and other adult-learning strategies:
- Administrators
- DSE full staff
- DSE Instructional Facilitators (IFs), Resource Teachers (RTs), and Behavior team
- Non-teaching Instructional Team Leaders (ITLs)
Build capacity, confidence and competence in school-based staff by using a structured coaching model that addresses individual skill gaps and needs.
Leadership Development
Develop and implement non-teaching ITL year-long professional learning strands to support their leadership development.
Individualized Professional Support
Empower leaders, both non-teaching ITLs and newly identified grant-funded mentors, to support new, conditional and non-tenured teachers and related providers through customized and differentiated professional learning and coaching.
Partner with Division of Schools (DOS) to provide differentiated support and professional learning for administrators to define their roles and responsibilities as leaders of special education in their buildings.
Progress Monitoring/Indicators
Development of the coaching model, tools and resources to meet DSE strengths and needs including accountability checks.
8 additional DSE staff trained in coaching strategies
Feedback on DSE Differentiated PL strands from administrators, non-teaching ITLs, and grant-funded mentors indicates professional growth in key strategies based on post-survey.
Timeline: August 2025 – June 2026