Oklahoma Teacher Registry Training

Oklahoma Teacher Registry Training is a project funded by the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE), Special Education Services and coordinated by the Center for Learning and Leadership/UCEDD. Registry Training was created to provide training in federal criteria areas for which no special education certification exists. Federal criteria areas include: Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Multiple Disabilities and Deaf-Blindness. Special education teachers holding categorical certification and serving as a teacher of record for a student with Autism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Multiple Disabilities or Deaf- Blindness are required to complete the registry training. All trainings are thirty-two hours in duration and include a practicum or hands-on experience.

Project Tasks:

Registry trainings are designed to expand special education professionals'
knowledge and skills. Each training includes the following components:

• A common base of knowledge regarding the disability or condition
• Appropriate and effective evaluation and assessment practices
• Key issues in educational programming
• Functional curriculum, adaptations and accommodations
• Information about state and national resources available for this population
• Information about coordinating with other professionals and families in planning the most
  appropriate and meaningful service plan for these children
• This coordination should include information on effective communication, family dynamics, cultural considerations, and interdisciplinary teaming

Project Results:

Since 1994, over 7,846 special education professionals have completed Registry Training sessions. The numbers of special education professionals who attended each training session are listed below.
1,252 in the area of Traumatic Brain Injury
3,121 in the area of Autism
1,391 in the area of Multiple Disabilities
1,391 in the area of Deaf-Blindness
2,118 in the area of Other Health Impairment (discontinued in '08-'09 school year)

Lessons Learned to Date:

• Providing training to teachers who are already in the classroom and have an immediate need to apply the information to their students makes the training relevant.
• Including family members of students with disabilities as presenters in the training enhances the participants' ability to partner with families in educating their children.

Satisfaction With Registry Training

All training sessions are evaluated. On average all sessions rank 2.75, with 3 being the highest score possible. Samples of participants' comments are provided below.

"I learned to identify the form and function of the behavior. I learned the importance of collecting data in order to find the function. I need information on the setting, what happens before the behavior, what happens after the behavior and how does the child react to consequences. I learned I needed to teach a replacement skill not just punish. I also learned to provide reinforcement closely in time with the mastered or desired behavior. It's important to provide reinforcement for an alternative behavior (replacement) an put targeted bad behavior on extinction. For example, I would replace hitting with using words or pictures."

"Actual need for sensory stimulation is more intense in these students and must be addressed. I need to explore other communication opportunities. Data interpretation tools."
"I learned that my student has severe self-regulation requirements and what reinforces one child is not a cure-all or 'reinforcer' for another student. And that data collection can be simple, and if done regularly can show me what's not working, what is , and improvements made in areas."

"Learning and understanding the reason or need for a behavior has to be addressed before you can help the student learn a new behavior. Also that consequences are what happens after a behavior and not always "bad". The student needs to be taught appropriate ways to get their needs met. Generalization does not work. It needs to be specific and task oriented."

For more information, please contact:

Ephelders Lipscomb
Project Coordinator,
Oklahoma Teacher Registry Training Project,
Center for Learning and Leadership
(405) 271-4500 Ext., 41009, or e-mail, Ephelders-Lipscomb@ouhsc.edu

Mailing Address:

OSDE Teacher Registry
Attn: Ephelders Lipscomb
PO Box 26901
ROB 342
Oklahoma City, OK 73126.

The primary partner of Oklahoma Special Education Teach Registry Training is the Oklahoma State Department of Education.