AN AFFILIATE OF THE LIFE SPAN INSTITUTE & THE DEPT. OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

Beach Center on Disability

Current Project

Inclusive Network of Kansas (INKS): Field-based technical assistance and professional development

Kansas Department of Education grant #KAN40711

See project website.

Five-year technical assistance grant       

Component of KSDE's Kansas Statewide Technical Assistance Resource System

(K-STARS) Network   

Dr. Susan M. Bashinski, Principal Investigator

Mr. Peter Griggs, Project Coordinator

Goals: 

Address the need for customized field-based technical assistance and professional development for educational teams across Kansas. 

Respond to the technical assistance and professional development needs of school teams across Kansas in four areas:

  1. Severe multiple disabilities, including deaf-blindness
  2. State assessments, particularly the alternate assessment
  3.  Positive behavior support for students with significant support needs and  problem behaviors
  4. Students transitioning to adulthood.

Mission:

The Network operates to empower teams of students, families, educational staff and communities to improve the quality of life and resources for students through current best practices.

ALL services of the INKS Project are provided FREE-OF-CHARGE to teams in the State of  Kansas, who provide educational services to children with needs in one of the four categories listed above, birth through 21 years of age.

Cohort of 20 master, practicing professionals serve as field-based consultants

  • Each has training in low-incidence disabilities
  • Included are both special educators, general educators, and related service providers
  • Implement a peer-to-peer model
  • Provide side-by-side, collaborative support
    • individual learner consultat
    • programmatic consultation
    • training re: statewide initiatives   

Impact data from the 2005-2006 school year:

Individual student consultations:  26 parents, 57 students, 166 professionals

Programmatic consultations:       61 students, 25 professionals

Professional development workshops:    251 students, 1,001 professionals

EARLY CHILDHOOD.pdf

SCHOOL-AGE.pdf