GDOE Hosts “Our Pacific Journey for Improvement”

by Guam CEDDERS CEDDERS CORE Community Services: Technical Assistance Community Services: Training Continuing Education Developmental Disabilities Disability Studies Guam Department of Education OSEP

The island value of living in a spirit of togetherness and belonging was obvious at the Pacific State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) Collaborative, “Our Pacific Journey for Improvement,” as the six Pacific entities convened to focus on improving educational results of all students with disabilities in the Pacific. Not even the threat of a storm could dampen the spirit of community that was nurtured throughout the week-long activities. The event was held from October 7-10 at the Westin Resort Guam and from October 11-12 at the Guam Department of Education (GDOE) Main Building.

The collaborative was hosted by GDOE with support from the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The six participating Pacific entities were American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Guam, Republic of Palau, and Republic of the Marshall Islands. Each entity sent teams comprised of entity-level general and special education administrators and specialists; school-level principals; general and special education teachers; coaches/mentors; and parents of students with disabilities to participate in the convening.

The convening engagement activities were facilitated by technical assistance providers from four National Centers, the Regional Educational Laboratory-Pacific (REL-Pacific), and Guam CEDDERS. The facilitators included:

•Sheryl Lazarus and Maureen Hawes from the National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO);

•Cesar D’Agord with virtual support from Kathleen Pfannenstiel from the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI);

•Amy Peterson from the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII);

•Sarah Sayko and Carol Dissen from the National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL);

•June De Leon and Josephine Cruz from Guam CEDDERS, with support from consultants Nieves Flores and June Quitugua; and

•Christina Tydeman, Meagan Taylor, and Dale Lewis from the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Pacific.

The overall goal of the collaborative was to improve educational results of all students with disabilities in the Pacific entities by focusing on each entity’s capacity to increase the reading achievement of students with disabilities within a multi-tiered system of supports. In doing this, the resulting outcomes of the collaborative were an enhanced understanding of the following: assessment systems, infrastructure systems to sustain and scale-up, sustainable job-embedded professional development, sustainable coaching supports, and increased engagement of key stakeholders, in particular parents of students with disabilities.

The regional event was years in the making and resulted in increased collaboration and partnerships across the Pacific region. The learning and partnerships made as result of the Pacific SSIP Collaborative will surely be enduring and a hallmark of the persistent Pacific spirit.

On October 11, Guam CEDDERS Interim Director June De Leon (3rd from left front) joins the National Center and REL Pacific facilitators for a photo at GDOE. (L-R) Sheryl
Lazarus, NCEO; Carol Dissen, NCIL; Amy Peterson, NCII; June De Leon; Sarah Sayko, NCIL; Dale Lewis, REL Pacific; Christine Tydeman, REL Pacific; Maureen Hawes, NCEO;
Meagan Taylor, REL Pacific; and Cesar D’Agord, NCSI.

San Jose University Scholars Participate in GRMC Swallow Therapy

by Guam CEDDERS EPICS OSEP
November 1, 2018: The Guam Regional Medical City (GRMC) welcomed sixteen scholars from the “Educating Pacific Island Clinicians in Speech Pathology” (EPICS) Project. The scholars visited the Rehabilitation Department to participate in “swallow therapy” classes. The visiting scholars are graduate students in the Speech Pathology Program at San Jose State University (SJSU) through the EPICS Project, a personnel preparation grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), in partnership with the University of Guam When the scholars graduate, the new Speech Language Pathologists will fill much-needed positions in Guam schools and hospitals.
Participating in the classes were (Seated L-R): Cassandra Dimla; Aileen Serrano; Meagan Terlaje; Tatiana Perez; and Liahlanni Cruz. (Standing L-R): Sybil Crisostomo, CCC-SLP, GRMC Speech Therapist; Gabriella Duenas; Bobbie Obillo; John Payne; Lisa Eclavea; Jasmin Advani; Christina Coles; Dianne Sapida.

Guam CEDDERS Attends OSEP Project Directors Conference

by Guam CEDDERS OSEP Pacific VIP
Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Principal Investigator, Pacific VIP, Director, Guam CEDDERS, and June De Leon, Project Director, Pacific VIP, Associate Director, Guam CEDDERS, facilitated a presentation with the Pacific VIP partners from the University of Massachusetts-Boston during the 2016 OSEP Project Directors Conference recently held in Washington, D.C. on August 1-3. Shown left to right preparing for the presentation are Robert McCully, Liaison, Pacific VIP, NERCVE Director, UMass Boston; June De Leon, Project Director, Pacific VIP, Associate Director, Guam CEDDERS; Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Principal Investigator, Pacific VIP, Director, Guam CEDDERS; and Dr. Laura Bozeman, Program Director, Vision Studies School of Global Inclusion and Social Development, UMass Boston. Also participating in the presentation was Glinda Hill, Project Officer, Research to Practice Division Office of Special Education Programs, USDOE.
Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Principal Investigator, Pacific VIP, Director, Guam CEDDERS, and June De Leon, Project Director, Pacific VIP, Associate Director, Guam CEDDERS, facilitated a presentation with the Pacific VIP partners from the University of Massachusetts-Boston during the 2016 OSEP Project Directors Conference recently held in Washington, D.C. on August 1-3. Shown left to right preparing for the presentation are Robert McCully, Liaison, Pacific VIP, NERCVE Director, UMass Boston; June De Leon, Project Director, Pacific VIP, Associate Director, Guam CEDDERS; Dr. Heidi San Nicolas, Principal Investigator, Pacific VIP, Director, Guam CEDDERS; and Dr. Laura Bozeman, Program Director, Vision Studies School of Global Inclusion and Social Development, UMass Boston. Also participating in the presentation was Glinda Hill, Project Officer, Research to Practice Division Office of Special Education Programs, USDOE.

OSEP Pacific Meeting Held on Guam

by Guam CEDDERS OSEP

Guam CEDDERS served as a key collaborator during the December 7-11, 2015 USDOE Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Pacific Meeting held at the University of Guam (UOG) and Hilton. Close to 150 education and early intervention teams from the six Pacific entities of American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Guam, Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), and Republic of Palau (ROP) attended the activities. For more information, check the upcoming December issue of I Tellai.

OSEP Pacific Meeting attendees group photo.
On Monday, December 7th, over 60 entity team members from American Samoa, CNMI, FSM, Guam, RMI, and ROP engaged in the first day of the week-long OSEP Pacific Meeting at the UOG.
Group of people standing with the Governor of Guam.
United States Department of Education (USDOE) Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) staff and OSEP-funded National Center consultants had an opportunity to meet with the Governor of Guam, Honorable Eddie Calvo and Guam Senator Nerissa Underwood during the December 9th evening reception hosted by the Guam Department of Education, Division of Special Education at the Government House. Pictured L-R: Charles Kniseley, OSEP; Luis Romero, IDEA Data Center (IDC); Evelyn Shaw, Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA); Jane Nell Luster, Center for the Integration of IDEA Data (CIID); Genee Norbert, OSEP; Kristin Reedy, National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI); Senator Nerissa Underwood; Governor Eddie Calvo; Yolanda Gabriel, Guam DOE, Division of Special Education; Taletha Derrington, NCSI/DaSy; Bill Huennekens, CIID; Anthea Brady, CIID; and Cesar D’Agord, NCSI.
Individual making a speech.
On behalf of the Pacific entities, Arthur Albert (pictured left), FSM Chief of Special Education Division, expresses appreciation of the technical support provided by OSEP and OSEP-funded Centers and Guam CEDDERS during the week-long Pacific meeting. L-R: Arthur Albert standing with his counterparts from CNMI-Suzanne Lizama, RMI-Frank Horuichi, and ROP-Helen Sengebau.