Is your teaching certificate expiring June 30, 2023? If so it’s time to look at your credit bank in MyPGS. Not sure how to view your in-service/ESE credits to renew? You may find this clicksheet useful

Feel free to access professional learning opportunities through our weekly PL Announcement email. Additionally, you can search for professional learning opportunities in MyPGS (click sheet). Our Professional Learning website is also updated regularly with opportunities. 

--Reading Requirements (this requirement is separate from Reading Endorsement) for Certification effective for 2020 and after (House Bill 7069)

HB 7069 includes specific in-service requirements for renewal of a professional certificate. Beginning with a validity date of July 1, 2020, or thereafter, Educators who hold certification in an area that includes reading instruction or intervention for any students in Pre-kindergarten through grade 6, will be required to earn a minimum of two college credits or the equivalent of 40 in-service points in the use of explicit, systematic and sequential approaches to reading instruction, developing phonemic awareness, and implementing multisensory intervention strategies. Here is a Flyer with more information.

Options for the 40-hour that are currently offered

Option 1: :  The BESE Portal offers two free independent study courses: 

• Reading Difficulties, Disabilities and Dyslexia (20 hours)
• Structured Literacy through a Multi-Sensory Approach (20 hours)

To enroll in one of the BESE Portal courses:

1. Go to:  www.fl-pda.org. 
2. Under the Independent Study Courses heading, click Sign In.
3. Click on Register as a New User if it is your first time on the site. If you are returning to this site to get back into a course, type in your email username and password.
4. Click on a course title to expand the course to view the description, enroll or continue in a course, and to check your status.
5. Upon completion of all required coursework, send your Certificate of Completion to Wanda Conley in the Professional Learning office for your in-service to be awarded in MyPGS.

Step by step, visual directions for registering and enrolling into these courses can be found HERE.

Option 2: RDGESECR PDA Exploring Structured Literacy Online Course (40 ESE Hours) Free and offered multiple times throughout the school year.

Option 3:  Beacon ​Educator Professional Learning Options

• Reading Challenges 1: Dyslexia and More (SWD) (20 hours) These courses require payment by participant
• Reading Challenges 2: Structured Literacy (20 hours)      These courses require payment by participant

Option 4:  To search for professional learning sessions, which you are part of the identified target audience, that count towards this 40 -hour requirement, type in RDGESECR in the course title box in MyPGS.  You will then see a list of sessions that you can register for that count towards the 40 hours of reading (which also count towards ESE) in-service points. 

Additional courses will be announced throughout the year.

If you have questions. please contact Robin King, Certification Specialist: Teacher-Certification@volusia.k12.fl.us

The Tuition Support Programs for Exceptional Student Educators (ESE) provide financial support to ESE teachers earning an endorsement in autism, severe/profound, or prekindergarten disabilities; paraprofessionals earning a bachelor’s degree in special education; and educators earning a master’s degree in speech/language pathology. Upon completion of the program, recipients must fulfill a service obligation.

Prior to requesting tuition support, an applicant must enroll in a college or university of his or her choice. The applicant should follow the admission policy and course registration procedures for that institution. Upon successful completion of that institution’s registration process, an applicant may apply for the tuition support program. 

For more information, click on this link:

https://florida-ese.org/tuition-support

 Florida K-12 educators can earn their Reading Endorsement for The Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) and Just Read, Florida! fund online professional development to help more than 1,100 certified public educators earn their Reading Endorsement and improve their reading instruction skills.

Please view this pre-enrollment flyer for more information or click this LINK to register!

The Literacy Matrix is based on the science of reading and prepares educators to:

• effectively teach reading
• diagnose reading issues
• intervene appropriately using research-based strategies

Participants will demonstrate evidence of their learning and receive personalized feedback from expert literacy navigators.

• The Literacy Matrix is made up of eight online modules that can be completed within one year.
  • Semester F (June 7-July 12) - Accelerated 5-week Course 
    • We will offer Competencies 1, 2, and 5 (part 1& part 2 ONLY)
    • All assignments due: July 7 
  • Semester G (July 13-August 17) - Accelerated 5-week Course 
    • We will offer Competencies 1, 2, and 5 (part 1& part 2 ONLY)
    • All assignments due: August 11 

 We are happy to support educators in obtaining their Reading Endorsement. Email p.alfaro@coe.ufl.edu  with questions or to provide more details about the Literacy Matrix.

For more information, visit bit.ly/Literacy-Matrix

Tammy Perez-Njezic, MA (she/her/hers)

Learning Services Specialist
UF | Lastinger Center for Learning, College of Ed​ucation 

http://lastingercenter.com  
(352) 448-9450 (c)  

tammyperez@coe.ufl.edu  

The Volusia County Schools Professional Learning office has received approval to extend the opportunity to provide fee reimbursements to all eligible teachers for costs associated with meeting reading endorsement requirements. The following reading endorsement fees are eligible for reimbursement: 

1. $150 registration fee for successfully passing the Reading K-12 Subject Area exam
2. $75 fee for adding the reading endorsement or certification to their professional certificate

You are eligible for reimbursement(s) if:

• the above fees were incurred anytime between March 13, 2020 to the present and you have not previously been reimbursed for these costs.
• a passing score is earned on the Reading K-12 Subject Area exam between now and June 30, 2023.
  • Please note the registration fee to take the exam is the responsibility of each individual who chooses this option. The district will only reimburse after verification of a passing score is received.
• the reading endorsement or reading certification is added to your professional certificate between now and June 30, 2023.

If you believe you are eligible for the reading endorsement fee(s) reimbursement, please complete this form.

Stay in the Know with Reading Endorsement Updates

Click here to self-enroll in the VCS Reading Endorsement informational Canvas page so you can stay up-to-date with reading endorsement information. Questions? Contact Selina Jones at sajones@volusia.k12.fl.us. 

This is just a reminder that The Test Camp, used by hundreds of teachers

to pass certification exams, is sponsored and available via this shortcut
... through the end of this year!

Passgate

https://TheTestCamp.com/FL-Volusia

Your passgate provides free 365-day, all-inclusive passes this semester
for you, your colleagues, pre-service teachers ... everyone you invite.
Training materials are online and accessible from any electronic device
Also found on the VCS HR Certification Department Resources page. 


 The Test Camp flyer!

The Learning Liaisons, the leaders in online FTCE Test Prep.
FTCE Boot Camps Flyer
FTCE Partner Flyer
 Phillip Eddy, M.Ed.  1​ Schedule a Meeting   Click HERE
 Cell    (941) 780-33018 www.thelearningliaisons.com

Our online, self-paced test prep bootcamps bring content, strategy, support, and RESULTS like no other resource on the market.

Our first-time pass rate is over 90%. 
If you are not fully satisfied with your current FTCE testing results, contact me today.

ESOL Opportunities

Below you will find the online ESOL courses for the 2023-24 school year. If you are unsure of your category, you must contact HR certifications.  For any questions, please feel free to contact Debbie Johnson at dejohns1@volusia.k12.fl.us or call her at 23040.

ONLINE ESOL COURSES FOR 2023-2024 

• The courses are self-paced and open for 10 weeks. Each course is administered online through Canvas. Each course will take about 60 clock hours to complete. 
• Sign up through MyPGS. Start dates indicate when the course will open on Canvas.   
• Emails will be populated from Instructure directly to your district email, so please watch for both personal emails from me as well as automated emails from Instructure/Canvas. 
• Courses starting on March 18, 2024, do not count for VSET ESOL credit requirements for 2023-2024 school year but will count for 2024-2025 school year.  
• For questions relating to Online ESOL Courses please contact:  

Debbie Johnson- ESOL Compliance Resource Teacher 

Dejohns1@volusia.k12.fl.us 

386-734-7190 Ext. 23040

To see the state requirements for ESOL click on this flyer to view a simplified table. 

The K-12 Mathematics Summer Institute is now open for registration.  This institute is a special opportunity for mathematics educators.  The institute is in partnership with Carnegie Learning and will be offering unique sessions facilitated by their trainers. 

For more information click HERE. 

June Summer Institute at UNF The Invitational Summer Institute is at the heart of the National Writing Project’s philosophy of “teachers teaching teachers.” This five-day institute is designed to inspire and support K-12 teachers and district leaders in Northeast Florida to better their practice in offering engaging writing instruction to students. Workshops are led by both UNF faculty and practicing teachers. Participating teachers will earn professional development credits and become part of an on-going reading and writing community. Some participants may be eligible to become Teacher Consultants for their district. We will have coffee and a light breakfast each morning and a catered lunch with a keynote speaker on Friday. The cost is $75 for the entire week.

Featured in this institute are:
‣ Morning sessions focused on practical strategies
for engaging writing instruction
‣ Opportunities to develop your voice as a writer
‣ Afternoon breakout workshops for primary and
secondary teachers
‣ A session dedicated to preparation for FSA
writing, including a K-2 group.

When: June 19 - June 23, 2023
Time: Monday - Friday: 9:00 am -1:00 pm
Where: UNF Campus

For more information and to submit an
application visit: www.sevenbridgeswriting.com

Click here for a printable informational flyer. 
Come see what teachers have called “the best professional development I’ve ever had!”

Visit webpage for more information.  UCF Literacy Symposium - College of Community Innovation and Educa

The Exceptional Student Education (ESE)  Endorsements Tuition Support Program provides financial assistance to ESE teachers who are teaching students identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Severe/Profound or PreKindergarten/ESE (PreK/ESE) in Florida public schools.  The purpose of the project is to increase the State’s capacity to prepare and retain highly qualified personnel that provide instructional services to children with disabilities. Funding is provided by Public Law 108-446, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA), Part B, Section 611, CFDA # 84.027.

In order to be accepted into this program, the applicant must have a Florida Educator Certificate in Exceptional Student Education, be currently employed in a Florida public school, and teach students identified as ASD, Severe/Profound, or PreK/ESE. Program recipients must agree to teach students identified as ASD, Severe/Profound, or PreK/ESE in a Florida public school for a minimum of one year for every six hours of tuition support received. The endorsement requires up to 12 credits of coursework.  The program provides up to $1,400 per course for tuition support.

Attached is a spreadsheet that reflects the teachers and their school placement in your county that participated in the ESE Endorsements Tuition Support Program since Fall 2016 and their endorsement status. If you refer to the bottom of the spreadsheet, you will see the county names listed on individual sheets in the workbook. 

The Legend for the Status column is described below:

A = Active (Currently enrolled in courses)

C = Completed (Completed the coursework for the endorsements) 

SO = Service Obligation Completed (Has added the endorsement and worked with students identified as ASD, PreK/ESE, or Severe/Profound for the time period required by the amount of their tuition support).

The following is a brief description of the program.  If you would like to review the website for additional information or share the information, the link is as follows:

http://florida-ese.org/tuition-support

Thank you,

Melanie Morales, Associate Teaching Professor
Special Education Undergraduate Program Leader
Project Director, ESE Endorsements Tuition Support Program
School of Education and Human Development
11200 SW 8^th Street, ZEB 340B

Eugenia Romero, College of Arts, Sciences & Education Graduate Assistant
Florida International University 
ESE Tuition Support Program
11200 SW 8th St, ZEB 349A
Miami, FL 33199
email: esesupport@fiu.edu
fax: 3053482086

Heather Simpson, OTD, OTR/L | Occupational Therapist

UF Health Rehab-Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases

3009 SW Williston Road | Gainesville, FL 32608

Ph.  (352) 265-9992

Fax (352) 627-4961

Pronouns: She, Her

Click the image for all the details! 

ESESummerSTARTSTrainingRegistrationFlyer52423.pdf

This professional learning will share essential information, procedures, compliance, and curriculum related to Exceptional Student Education for new-to-ESE-in-Volusia teachers as they prepare for the 2023-2024 SY.  STARTS training is for a specifically targeted audience of educators.  This training is optional, but attendance is strongly recommended to support these ESE teaching positions. Important Note:  This training is for all new-to-ESE-in-Volusia, except Itinerant Speech/Language Clinicians, Teachers of the Deaf or Hearing Impaired, and Teachers of the Visually Impaired.  

What:  Training focused on ESE Program

Who?:  New-to-ESE-in-Volusia Teachers (new ESE hires and current employees moving into an ESE teaching position that is new to them) Curriculum, and Compliance

When:  Monday July 24th , through Thursday, July 27^th 

Time:  8:30am to 3:30pm (includes a 1-hour lunch break each day) 

Location:  Willie Miller Instructional Center @ Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114  

Registration:  Teachers who qualify to attend simply need to click to register (link and QR code also found on flyer)-no additional paperwork needed.

 Note:  Registration is not found in MyPGS; participants will register by completing a SurveyMonkey survey.   
In-Service:  Earn up to 12 Hours of ESE in-service  

Questions? Email Melissa Bisesi, FDLRS Learning Resource Specialist.   

Learning Ally Presents Spotlight on Dyslexia
Your complimentary ticket is waiting! Learning Ally presents Spotlight on Dyslexia a virtual opportunity to learn and network with leading experts and education advocates as we explore the most up-to-date research findings and proven teaching strategies that positively impact daily practice and student outcomes. The Live Event Dates are June 7-8, 2023. If you cannot attend live, no need to worry because your registration will give you on-demand access to the recording of the event through December 2023. To register for your complimentary ticket, go to the Registration for Spotlight Learning Series: Spotlight on Dyslexia web page and use code SPOD23FL

LRP Media Courses offered FREE through FDOE provide evidence-based best practices, case law and compliance guidance to help serve and instruct students with disabilities.  
Earn ESE Credit while becoming a more compliant educator for students with disabilities.  Access & complete courses online following directions below. (NOT in MYPGS) 
Send your Certificate of Completion to Melissa Bisesi or Jackie Dwyer for processing of in-service points in MyPGS.   
Questions?  Please contact Melissa Bisesi 
 

Available Courses:   

·         Identifying Disabilities to Determine IDEA Eligibility 

·         Child Find: Understanding IDEA Provisions & Responsibilities 

·         Postsecondary Transition: IDEA Requirements for Processes, Procedures, and Implementation 

·         Required Components for Compliant IEPs 

·         Least Restrictive Environment (LRE): What Teachers Need to Know 

·         Independent Educational Evaluations: Responsibilities & Procedures 

·         Conducting Compliant IEP Team Meetings 

·         Evaluations & Reevaluations – Purposes, Standards, & Procedures 

·         Legal Requirements & Best Practices for Prior Written Notice 

·         Practical Strategies & IDEA Requirements for Developing IEPs 

·         When to Review & How to Revise IEPs to Stay Compliant 

·         IEP Implementation Strategies to be IDEA Compliant 

·         Requirements & Strategies to Facilitate Parental Participation in IEPs 

·         Discipline & Placement Changes for Students w/ Disabilities who Exhibit Violent Behavior 

·         Eligibility & Development of a Student’s Extended School Year Services 

·         Early Intervention Services: Facilitating Transition from IDEA Part C to Part B 

·         Collaboration & Communication:  Guidelines & Strategies for Paraprofessional Participation in Instructional Teams 
 

In order to access the LRP courses, please follow the instructions below to create an account on the DirectSTEP® eLearning website: 

1. Go to HTTP://FLDOE2022-DS.LRP.COM. 
2. Please read the “Is This Your First Time Here?” section located on the right side of the screen. 
3. Click the “Create new account” button. 
4. Create a username (Recommended format:  John Sample = jsample). 
5. Create a password (Recommended format : J#sample1) 
   Please write down your username and password and keep it somewhere secure for future reference.  
   This information will NOT be emailed to you after you register. 
6. Enter your email address as well as first and last name. 
7. Enter the letters/numbers pictured in the reCAPTCHA image.  
8. Click the “Create my new account” button. 
9. You will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to the website.   
    

 To take a DirectSTEP® eLearning course: 

1. Login to HTTP://FLDOE2022-DS.LRP.COM  using your username and password. 
2. Select the course you would like to access or have been assigned to complete.  
3. You will enter your enrollment key and click onto “Enroll Me”. 
4. Click the course link next to the icon of a gold box. 
5. Click the “Enter” button to begin taking the course. 
6. You can use the arrow icons to move through the slides in the lower left-hand corner of the slide player. 
7. When you reach the Final Assessment, you will need to click the “submit” button after you select an answer. You will be directed to a new window which will inform you whether or not you answered each question correctly. You will need to score an 80% or higher to pass. 
8. When you have completed the assessment, it is important that you click the “Exit Activity” link in the upper right-hand corner of your screen to get credit for completing the course and to record your grade. 
9. Your “Course Completion Certificate” link will now be active. If you are required to print a Completion Certificate, you may do so from this page.           
10. To save your certificate as a PDF, click print and then select “adobe pdf” as your printer.  This will open a dialogue box for you to select the location and name of the file you are saving.  Please name your file – “last name, first name – name of course”          

The Florida Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Student Education (BESE) Portal to Professional Development Alternatives (PDA) offers a variety of FREE online courses for Florida educators that will increase their ability to respond to the needs of students with disabilities.  There are a wide variety of online, self-paced independent courses available for ESECR credit upon submission of your Certificate of Completion to the Professional Learning. These courses are ALWAYS available online. 

Independent study courses are available in a variety of topics listed below, ranging from non-credit to 20 in-service credits.

• Assessment & Evaluation
• Behavior & Classroom Management
• Curriculum & Instruction
• ESE Policies & Procedures
• Instructional Methodology     
• Language and Communication
• Pre-Kindergarten
• Secondary Transition
• Special Areas
• Subject Area Exam Preparation

Two new courses are:   
Collaborative Teaching Partnerships (15 ESE Hours)  
Emotional/Behavioral Disability:  An Introduction (8 ESE Hours)   

To enroll in any of these courses:

1. Go to: www.fl-pda.org 

2. Under the Independent Study Courses heading, click Sign In.
3. Click on Register as a New User if it is your first time on the site. If you are returning to this site to get back into a course, type in your email username and password.
4. Click on a course title to expand the course to view the description, enroll or continue in a course, and to check your status.
5. Upon completion of all required coursework, send your Certificate of Completion to Wanda Conley in the Professional Learning office for your in-service to be awarded in MyPGS.

Questions, please contact Melissa Bisesi