Explore the varied needs of today’s diverse classrooms and support teachers’ use of strengths-based approaches for taking a holistic approach to teaching and learning. Teachers will leave with concrete ideas for making their practices more strengths-based to support students’ development and learning needs. The target audience for this is K-6 teachers.

Supporting Documentation: 

• Finding Strength in Diversity Slide Deck 
• Curriculum Analysis Tool- Strengths-based Approaches

Meet Our Presenters

Brie Morettini, PhD is an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education at Rowan University. She is a former early elementary teacher, and her work focuses on teacher perspectives and experiences in the classroom.

Kerry Cormier, MA is an instructor in the Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education at Rowan University, as well as a doctoral candidate working to complete a Ph.D. in Special Education. She is a former high school English special education teacher. Her work focuses on understanding the experiences of students and teachers in building more inclusive spaces.

This presentation will provide K-12 educators and parents with a basic understanding of executive functioning and how it impacts student success. Participants will learn inclusive strategies to support students related to planning, thinking, and carrying out goals in the home and school environments.

Supporting Documentation: 

• Executive Functioning Slide Deck

Meet Our Presenters

Amy Accardo, EdD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education, at Rowan University's College of Education. The focus of Dr. Accardo’s teaching and research is promoting equitable education opportunities for individuals with disabilities grounded in neurodiversity and critical inclusion. Current projects include increasing access to postsecondary education for the growing number of autistic young adults, and reducing the literacy research to practice gap.

Casey Woodfield, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education in Rowan University’s College of Education. Her teaching and research centers communication and inclusion as inextricably connected imperatives. Using a disability studies framework her research explores the nuances of communication support partnerships, inclusive educational practice, and transformative qualitative methods.

Dr. Elder & Dr. Wassell will facilitate a conversation on IEP experiences with a middle school student, a high school student, and a college student. They will discuss the strengths of their respective programs and the areas in which they feel their educational supports could have been strengthened. The presenters emphasize the importance of student voice as a starting point for IEP teams.

Meet Our Presenters

Beth Wassell, EdD is a Professor in the Department of Language, Literacy and Sociocultural Education Department at Rowan University. She teaches courses in the ESL, Bilingual, World Language, and Secondary Education programs. Her research focuses on language education in inclusive contexts.

Brent Elder, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education Department at Rowan University. He is also a professor-in-residence at an elementary school where he works with students, families, teachers, administration, and staff to develop proactive and sustainable inclusive supports.

This session is designed for classroom teachers to provide an overview of multi-tiered supports, a systematic framework for providing high quality instruction and supports for ALL students. We will review assessment strategies including universal screening and progress monitoring; targeted and intensive interventions; and how to make data driven instructional decisions. Practical strategies for instruction, data collection, and problem solving will be explored.

Supporting Documentation: 

• Implementing Multi-tiered Support Systems (MTSS) in the Inclusive Classroom - A Classroom Teacher's Guide Slide Deck 
• MTSS Handout

Meet Our Presenters

Alicia Drelick, EdD is a Lecturer for the Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education (IIE) at Rowan University. She is a certified Assistive Technology Professional and former special education teacher. Dr. Drelick's interests are in assessment in special and inclusive education, and leveraging instructional, accessible and assistive technologies to support students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom. 

Nikita Bates-Gilliam, MA is a Technical Assistance Specialist for the LRC-South and adjunct instructor in Rowan University’s Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education department. She has more than 10 years of experience as a special and general education teacher for students in early childhood and elementary schools.

As schools return to face-to-face instruction, targeted and intensive supports are needed to address opportunity gaps that emerged during virtual and hybrid instruction. This session is designed for school and district based administrators to provide an overview of multi-tiered support systems. We will focus on leveraging resources to support the implementation of tiered supports both academically and with social-emotional learning.

Supporting Documentation: 

• Implementing MTSS: An Administrator’s Guide - Slide deck
• MTSS Handout

Meet Our Presenters

Alicia Drelick, EdD is a Lecturer for the Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education (IIE) at Rowan University. She is a certified Assistive Technology Professional and former special education teacher. Dr. Drelick's interests are in assessment in special and inclusive education, and leveraging instructional, accessible and assistive technologies to support students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom. 

Nikita Bates-Gilliam, MA is a Technical Assistance Specialist for the LRC-South and adjunct instructor in Rowan University’s Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education department. She has more than 10 years of experience as a special and general education teacher for students in early childhood and elementary schools.

Participants will examine a variety of approaches and resources related to the teaching and learning of vocabulary, particularly for Emergent Bilinguals (EBs). The goal of the workshop is to implement more strategic and effective vocabulary learning experiences in K-12 classrooms and schools, with application for EBs in all grade levels and with all proficiency levels in English and their L1 (first/home language).

Supporting Documentation: 

• Vocabulary Instruction Slide Deck

Meet Our Presenter

Brooke Hoffman, PhD is a Lecturer of Multilingual and Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Coordinator of the ESL Certificate and Bilingual Endorsement graduate programs at Rowan University. She taught English in China for 3 years; third grade in Elizabethtown, PA for 1 year; and Math and Science to middle school English Learners (ELs) in inclusive classrooms for 10 years with the School District of Philadelphia.

Explore strategies to differentiate and universally design mathematics instruction through the use of learning pathways and thinking routines. Teachers will leave this session with concrete classroom tools that will enable them to offer students a choice in their learning journeys. The target audience for this session is educators in grades 5-12.

Supporting Documentation: 

Guiding Students on Their Mathematics Journey Slide Deck 

Learning Pathways 

Linear Relationships

Meet Our Presenters

Jill Perry, PhD is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education committed to collaborating with middle and high school educators to create inclusive learning spaces where students are positioned as capable young mathematicians. Her research focuses on students’ mathematical communications and representations as they negotiate understanding independently and in small and large groups.

Kerry Cormier, MA is an instructor in the Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education at Rowan University, as well as a doctoral candidate working to complete a Ph.D. in special education. She is a former high school English special education teacher. Her work focuses on understanding the experiences of students and teachers in building more inclusive spaces.

As we begin to emerge from the pandemic and prepare for a return to “normal” in September 2021, we recognize that all of our students, including our students with disability labels, will need a variety of supports in place to ensure both their social/emotional and academic needs are met. We will share some of our successes, strategies, and interventions from the past year, as well as the many challenges faced. Additionally, we will discuss anticipated challenges in 2021-22 as well as our thought process as we plan multi-tiered supports for our students.

Supporting Documentation: 

• Supporting All Students Post COVID Slide Deck 
• Bulldog Hotline
• Small Group Description 
• Fast Facts for I&RS
• Morning Zone Check In 
• Tier 1 School Calendar- 2019-2021
• Tier 1 School Calendar 2020-2021

Meet Our Presenters

Craig Stephenson, MA is completing his 3rd year as the principal of the Thomas E. Bowe School, which serves the students of Glassboro in Grades 4 - 6. He has been an educator for 27 years, including 14 years in the classroom and 13 years as an administrator (10 as a principal). Mr. Stephenson has served in a variety of settings at the high school, middle school, and elementary levels and is an ally in the effort to build more inclusive schools in New Jersey and beyond.

MollyAnne Light-Stevenson, PsyD, LAC, Med is in her 3rd year as a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Counselor for Thomas E. Bowe School. She has 11 years experience in the school counseling field providing SEL based services for students in grades kindergarten through 12th. Currently, Dr. Light-Stevenson works with students in grades 4th through 6th. She is also a Licensed Associate Counselor in the State of New Jersey.

Lisa Rencher is a 20 year teacher who has spent the last 16 years working at Thomas E. Bowe School. Currently, she is a 4th grade Special Education teacher in an inclusion classroom. During her time here in Glassboro, she has taught 4th-6th grade inclusion students and also served as a Basic Skills teacher. While working at Thomas E. Bowe School, Mrs. Rencher has served on its Intervention and Referral Services team for the past 7 years.

Middle and high school teachers will explore how to utilize remote and hybrid learning tools during traditional face-to-face instruction. We will explore ways to reframe these tools for in-person instruction to increase engagement and collaboration; provide multi-media resources; communicate with students and families; and assess knowledge, understanding, and skills.

Supporting Documentation: 

• The Tech to Take with You Slide Deck
• The Tech to Take with You Resource Guide

Meet Our Presenters

Alicia Drelick, EdD is a Lecturer for the Department of Interdisciplinary and Inclusive Education (IIE) at Rowan University. She is a certified Assistive Technology Professional and former special education teacher. Dr. Drelick's interests are in assessment in special and inclusive education, and leveraging instructional, accessible and assistive technologies to support students with disabilities in the inclusive classroom. 

Jill Perry, PhD is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education committed to collaborating with middle and high school educators to create inclusive learning spaces where students are positioned as capable young mathematicians. Her research focuses on students’ mathematical communications and representations as they negotiate understanding independently and in small and large groups.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a critical component of supporting all students inclusively and holistically. This session will address considerations for teachers, administrators, and families supporting students’ social-emotional needs within a multi-tiered support model, and in the dual contexts of in-person and virtual instruction as we return to schools from the pandemic.

Supporting Documentation: 

• Returning to School: SEL Slide Deck

Meet Our Presenters

Michelle Damiani, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education at Rowan University. She received her Ph.D. in Special Education and Certificate of Advanced Study in Disability Studies from Syracuse University. Formerly, she was a public school elementary special education teacher and a new teacher mentor. In her research, she uses a disability studies in education framework to understand the experiences of educators with disabilities and to examine disability as an aspect of diversity in the teacher workforce that contributes to our understanding of teachers’ pedagogical approaches and expanding inclusive practices.

Tyla Dwarica, MEd works in higher education in field learning, with urban students in community-based organizations, and in specialized support as an intern with the Manhattan Department of Education. Her research focuses on school discipline reform in New York City.

Layla M. Dehaiman, MA is the Director of School Climate for Albuquerque Public Schools. In her work she focuses on building capacity with students and staff to create positive, inclusive, and supportive environments through the use of social emotional learning, restorative practices, bullying prevention, suicide prevention, and other humanistic behavior supports for students.

The preschool classroom is known as being an environment that fosters learning through play. In your classroom, are the play activities that ALL children are engaged in purposeful and meaningfully developed? Are inclusive practices in the forefront of your planning process? Do you intentionally incorporate IEP goals in teacher led activities? This session will assist you in the play planning process to ensure that ALL children engage with one another in meeting their learning profile needs.

Supporting Documentation: 

• Inclusive Play Slide Deck 
• Preschool Day Template

Meet Our Presenters

Donielle Wesley, MA has been a special education and early childhood teacher for 25 years. She has been employed with the Camden City school district since 2000. She currently serves as a Preschool Inclusion Specialist and is a Supervisor for clinical interns studying in the Early Childhood program at Rowan University. Donielle is the proud mom of four children, one with severe developmental delays.

Johari Sykes-Ratliff, MA has over 15 years of experience in the Early Childhood field, having served in an urban school district in a variety of teaching, coaching, and administrative roles. She is currently a Lecturer and Coordinator for the BA in Education, specialization in Early Childhood program at Rowan University. Johari currently serves in several Early Childhood organizations and committees dedicated to supporting teachers in developing inclusive practices.

Explore how the UDL Framework can be used to reach diverse learners. 

Supporting Documentation: 

• UDL: Learning Strategies to Reach All Learners Slide Deck

Meet Our Presenter

Keshia M. Trotman, MPH, MAT is a Learning Strategies Specialist and Educational Program Development Specialist with the Office of Special Education, New Jersey Department of Education. Keshia is currently assigned to the Learning Resources Center-North where she is responsible for working with districts on the successful implementation of special education services.