December 2021
December 2021
Grand Valley State University
RCN Updates & Reminders: December 2021
As always, if you have any questions or need any assistance, please reach out to the START office or anyone on the START team.  

2021-2022 RCN Contract Application and Contract Forms: Upcoming Deadlines

Secondary Transition Training: Registration is Open!

This webinar series will provide participants with an overview of relevant secondary transition resources and key components for practice and implementation of evidence-based practice transition supports and services. The key components addressed in this training will be:
  1. Agency Coordination and Collaboration
  2. Education: Transition services and the IEP
  3. Employment
  4. Empowering Students
  5. Independent Living  
Participants can include any members of the educational team that plan to provide support or guidance to their team in the area of secondary transition.
  • It is expected that all participants will register and attend both the Secondary Transition Webinar Day 1 and Secondary Transition Webinar Day 2.
  • Secondary Transition Webinar Day 1: January 28, 2022, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  • Self/Team-Paced Learning: January – May 2022
  • Optional Coaching Support Sessions: April 2022 (Support sessions are 45 minutes and will be scheduled after Webinar Day 1 is held)
  • Secondary Transition Webinar Day 2: May 26, 2022, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Early Childhood Winter/Spring Series: Update 

The START Early Childhood Training series is intended for school-based teams, consisting of 3-6 team members, who support an early childhood classroom or program. The training emphasizes evidence-based practices for teaching and supporting young children in a classroom environment. Increasing learning opportunities and engagement in early childhood settings serves as the foundation for the training and includes classroom structure and activities, effective instructional delivery, behavior support systems, and working as a team. The training will include presentations, videos, application activities, and time for teams to develop plans to implement the systems and strategies. 
Update: This series was originally scheduled as an in-person training and will now be held virtually. If possible, START recommends meeting with your team in one location to participate in the training.
Schedule for the 2022 Early Childhood Winter/Spring Series:
  • February 11, 2022; 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  • March 18, 2022; 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  • April 22, 2022; 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
  • Format: virtual training  
The application is now available and is due by December 21, 2021. 

Upcoming START Trainings and Events

Continue to visit the START website for the latest updates and information related to events:  
  • Peer to Peer Statewide Training (virtual)
    • December 7, 2021; 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
    • Registration is open!
  • FAPE in the LRE Statewide Training (virtual)
    • February 3, 2022; 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
    • Registration is open!
  • 21st Annual START Conference (Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center)
    • May 2, 2022; 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
    • Focus: Secondary Transition
  • Spring RCN Leadership Day (Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center)
    • May 3, 2022; 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

21st Annual START Conference 

Date: May 2, 2022
Time: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Focus: Secondary Transition
Stay tuned for additional information about the 21st Annual START Conference! Registration will open in January 2022.  

Updated Peer to Peer Fidelity Checklists

Both the Elementary and Secondary Peer to Peer Program Fidelity Checklists have been updated and are now available on the START website. These checklists provide step-by-step procedures for developing peer support programs along with links to resources. The checklists will help you keep building and enhancing peer supports that improve outcomes for all students. 

Educational Supports and Strategies (ESS) Community of Practice (CoP)

Purpose: 
  1. To identify the Educational Supports and Strategies (ESS) training needs across the state to help inform content development decisions.
  2. To provide collaborative community opportunities for ESS RCN CoP Reps to network, share resources, and bring new ideas back to their local RCN.
Requirements: Current RCN members, including new members, are welcome to join this CoP. There is no prep for the initial CoP meeting and all levels of expertise are welcome.
The ESS CoP will have meetings on the following dates in 2021-2022:
  • January 18, 2022 - 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. (virtual)
  • April 14, 2022 - 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. (virtual)
For this pilot year, all RCN can have representatives participate in this CoP. This is not a contract requirement. We request one special education representative and one general education representative. Both representatives are required to register

Peer to Peer (P2P) Community of Practice (CoP)

The P2P CoP will have meetings on the following dates in 2021-2022:
  • January 19, 2022 - 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. (virtual)
  • April 12, 2022 - 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. (Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center)
Each RCN should have at least two representatives participate in the P2P CoP (multi-county RCN may have 1 representative per ISD). 

Sexual Health Community of Practice (CoP)

The Sexual Health CoP will have meetings on the following dates in 2021-2022:
  • December 16, 2021 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. (virtual)
  • March 17, 2022 - 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. (virtual)
  • May 26, 2022 - 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. (virtual)
Each RCN should have at least one representative participate in the Sexual Health CoP. 

2021-2022 EPLI 

EPLI Updates
  1. START has moved the Individual EPLI Trainer Report to an online form. Trainers are instructed to report all trainings they conducted using START content/materials two times a year. The data from this report will be shared with the RCN after each of these deadlines. Trainers will also receive a reminder email from START to submit their trainings closer to each due date. 
  2. The EPLI page and forms have been updated for 2021-2022. The deadline to apply for 2021-2022 has passed. The application for 2022-2023 will be release in summer 2022. 
  3. START has introduced the EPLI Trainer Corner to share regular announcements and information with Trainers. EPLI Level 1 Trainers of START Content will also receive a newsletter three times a year called "EPLI Trainer Tips and Tidbits." 
  4. Finally, START has also developed a RCN Trainer Portal, which is a status log of each RCN’s Current Trainers, Inactive Trainers, and New Applicants. It is intended to be accessed only by RCN leadership to view START's current EPLI records for each RCN. Details for the Trainer Portal for RCN leadership is available here.
EPLI Veteran Trainer Mentors
As a first step toward connecting new trainers with veteran trainer mentors, we ask you to reach out (if you haven't already done so) to a new EPLI Trainer of START Content to welcome them to the role and see if they have any questions or concerns that you can answer. 
    Making connections between veteran and new trainers not only provides support and encouragement to those new to this role, it also can reenergize current trainers through the sharing of new ideas, perspectives, examples, and stories. To contextualize a commonly heard quote, “Behind every successful trainer is a tribe of other successful trainers who have their back.” 

    RCN Standalone Trainings for the START Website

    Each RCN should submit at least one RCN-provided stand-alone training per semester using START content delivered by START EPLI trainers. The training will be included in the events listing on the START website, and should be open to the RCN and the broader region, including families and community partners. Trainings should be submitted here.
    The submitted trainings will be posted here on the START website as they are received. Please share this with your local contacts.
    Note: Does your RCN have any training webinars or recorded videos that you are willing to share with others? START is seeking any publicly available training webinars or recorded videos to link on our website in order to make them available to a wider audience. If you have any webinars or videos to share, or questions related to this, please contact Kellie Fitzgerald

    Accessibility and START Standards

    START has created a page to provide tools to assist all those who create or disseminate materials or messages in print or electronically that represent START's brand or image.
    We invite our partners and trainers to explore this page to review accessibility guidelines and START formatting standards. 
    START common PowerPoint slides and icons/images are also now available on this page for use in presentations.

    Printed Flyers Available: About the START Project and Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Students with ASD  

    We have two printed flyers available for distribution through the RCN: About the START Project and Understanding and Supporting the Needs of Students with ASD. We will ship flyers to 1 location per ISD/county and in increments of 50. You can request printed copies of these two flyers by submitting this brief form.  

    What's Happening at START?

    Did you know we have a section on the START Homepage featuring the latest START information, tools, and resources? Check out some of our new updates!
    Statewide Autism Resources and Training (START) Project is funded by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special 
    Education to provide training and technical assistance to educators in Michigan that serve students with ASD.
    START Project | autismed@gvsu.edu |
    (616) 331-6480
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