Endorsements
Project ACCESS offers specific professional development that is designed to close the gap between knowledge and skills that educators need, and knowledge and skills that they likely learned in university programs. School districts need to close these gaps in expertise because they need to meet the mandated requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Missouri State Plan for Special Education and to meet best practices guidelines. Project ACCESS has many online and in-person trainings that educators can take advantage of, but there are five specific topics that have been designed to meet legal and best practice criteria specifically. We call these PD packages "Endorsements."
For each skill or competency that you develop by working through our professional development, we offer enamel pins that participants can earn and pin to badges that we award to document skill acquisition. You can learn more about the badges on our Pathways Program page (you do not need to be part of the Pathways to get a badge and earn endorsements). We call these skill trainings "endorsements" because we coach educators to fidelity of performance of skills that help districts comply with laws and best practices. Educators can earn endorsements in the following skill areas:
- Functional Behavior Assessment Team Leader Endorsement
- Autism Eligibility Determination Team Leader Endorsment
- Verbal Behavior Endorsement
- Essential Features of an Autism Program Endorsement
- Behavior Technician Endorsement
- Evidence-based Practices Endorsement
Here is what the endorsements are all about:
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a federal law ensuring that children with disabilities receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment. IDEA covers children from birth through high school graduation or age 21. It was originally passed in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act and was last updated in 2004. IDEA aims to provide children with disabilities the same educational opportunities as their non-disabled peers.
Children who qualify for services under IDEA have Individualized Education Programs or IEPs. IDEA mandates the development of IEPs for eligible students, outlining their specific educational needs and goals. IDEA also specifies disciplinary procedures that are different than the normal scope and sequence of non-IEP students. Part of the process sometimes includes conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) which is a research validated process for determining why a student presents with a specific behavior. Manifestation Determinations are specials processes and team meetings to determine if interfering behaviors are the result of a disability.
The IDEA mandates FBA be performed when certain conditions exist, but generally speaking FBA is foundational to behavior support and management even without the mandate. IDEA doesn't specify who in the district is qualified to perform an FBA, it just states that anyone with specialized knowledge and training in Applied Behavior Analysis can lead the team conducting the FBA.
Project ACCESS offers this training to district staff. Whe you complete our training, you will be able to perform FBAs in your district or building. To earn the endorsement, you will need to complete the FBA Consult Model Training that we offer that steps you through the process of completing an authentic FBA. more information is available on our FBA informational webpage.
The state of Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education works with school districts to ensure that they comply with federal regulations specified in the IDEA. Part of this process includes the creating and implementing of the Missouri State Plan for Special Education.
The Verbal Behavior Endorsement
The Autism Program Environment Endorsement
The Behavior Technician Endorsement