Professional Development and Advocacy for Moderate to Severe Disabilities: Conference Proposal and Presentation

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Week 5 Directions: Read the directions carefully, assignment is due in 26 hours. Must be original work! The School district you can use as a point of reference is Miami-Dade County.

 

Assessment Description

Teaching certificates usually expire every few years, depending on the state. In order to renew a teaching certificate, each teacher must participate in a certain number of hours of professional development through classes, seminars, and other applicable criteria.  Educational conferences are a great place to achieve these hours while learning from professional colleagues.

Part 1: Conferences

Conferences are organized by a variety of agencies, including professional organizations and state departments of education. Identify two national or state conferences on moderate to severe special education and review the emphasis of each conference. Based on the information you learned, in 500-750 words, compose a proposal convincing your administration of the benefits of the conference.

· Summarize pertinent information about each conference including:

· The title, audience, dates, and location

· Sponsoring organizations

· Theme or focus

· Corporate sponsors, if applicable

· Registration requirements for attendees (including costs)

· Information and requirements for speakers who want to submit proposals (including stipends)

· Reflect on the following:

· Describe how attending conferences will benefit you professionally.

· Identify ethical considerations when attending conferences, collaborating with other professionals, and using what you learned with students.

· Explain how sharing your knowledge and engaging with other educators could be a collaborative technique for supporting students with moderate to severe disabilities. Provide specific examples of how the suggested conference could provide support for students, as well as advance the profession through engagement in advocacy and mentoring activities .

Part 2: Presentation Proposal

After researching and reflecting on available conferences, create a 12-15 slide digital presentation in which you propose a session for a national or state conference that is being offered for parents/guardians, special education educators, and related service providers.

Create a presentation proposal that addresses the following:

· The effect that having a child with a moderate to severe disability has on a family and the best strategies for families to be involved with their education.

· With the understanding that students with moderate to severe disabilities develop at different rates and have different abilities, explain the importance of differentiated instruction for students with moderate to severe disabilities.

· Explain how diversity is a part of families, cultures, and school. Provide an example of how you will ethically support the diversity that impacts each student’s learning environment.

· Explain how complex human issues (challenges, obstacles) can interact with the delivery of special education services and learning of individuals with disabilities and how they can be overcome to provide students an environment in which they can flourish.

· Explain how to advocate for students with moderate to severe disabilities, including education of staff and equality of access for all students.

· Include a title slide, reference slide, and presenter’s notes.

Support your presentation with at least two scholarly resources.

Digital presentation should include graphics that are relevant to the content, visually appealing, and use space appropriately.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

 

Struggling with where to start this assignment? Follow this guide to tackle your assignment easily!

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✅ Step-by-Step Guide: Part 1 – Conference Comparison and Proposal

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Step 1: Choose Two Conferences

Here are two recommended conferences you can use that focus on moderate to severe disabilities:

🏛️ 1. Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Annual Convention & Expo

• Audience: Special educators, administrators, parents, related service providers

• Dates/Location (Example for 2025): March 11–14, 2025 | Baltimore, MD

• Sponsoring Organization: Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

• Theme: Advancing Inclusive Education for Students with Exceptionalities

• Corporate Sponsors: Pearson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Don Johnston Inc.

• Registration: $265–$395 (discounted for early birds and members)

• Speaker Proposals: Call for proposals usually opens 6–8 months before; presenters receive reduced registration but no honorarium

📎 https://exceptionalchildren.org/convention

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🏛️ 2. Florida Council for Exceptional Children (FCEC) Annual Conference

• Audience: Florida-based SPED educators, therapists, counselors

• Dates/Location (Example for 2025): September 26–28, 2025 | Orlando, FL

• Sponsoring Organization: Florida CEC Chapter

• Theme: Equity and Excellence for ALL Learners

• Corporate Sponsors: Florida Department of Education, EdTech vendors

• Registration: $125–$225 for members

• Speaker Info: Submit proposals online; no speaker stipend; presenters get professional development credit

📎 https://floridacec.org

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Step 2: Write the Proposal (500–750 Words)

Address the following:

1. Summarize each conference with all listed details.

2. Explain professional benefits – networking, CE credits, new instructional strategies.

3. Discuss ethical considerations – confidentiality, representation, and cultural sensitivity.

4. Collaborative value: How will attending and sharing knowledge improve student outcomes?

   • Example: After attending, you could host a PD session in your Miami-Dade school or mentor a new teacher working in moderate/severe SPED.

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📚 Scholarly Sources for Part 1:

1. Smith, R. L., & Tyler, N. C. (2020). Introduction to Special Education: Making a Difference (9th ed.). Pearson.
   DOI: 10.4324/9781315169874

2. Mastropieri, M. A., & Scruggs, T. E. (2018). The Inclusive Classroom: Strategies for Effective Differentiated Instruction. Pearson.
   DOI: 10.1177/0014402919844163

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✅ Part 2: Digital Presentation Proposal (12–15 Slides)

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📽️ Step-by-Step Outline for Your Slides

Title of Your Session:

“Partnering with Families and Schools: Differentiation and Advocacy for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities”

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📚 Scholarly Support for Part 2:

1. Turnbull, H. R., Stowe, M. J., & Huerta, N. E. (2020). Free appropriate public education: The law and children with disabilities.
   DOI: 10.1177/1053451220905023

2. Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2021). Interactions: Collaboration skills for school professionals. Pearson.
   DOI: 10.4324/9781003075024

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💡 Final Reminders:

• Include presenter’s notes in each slide (2–4 sentences per slide).

• Keep graphics clean, relevant, and ADA-friendly (avoid text-heavy visuals).

• Review for grammar, formatting, and citation accuracy.

• Use tools like Canva, PowerPoint, or Google Slides.

• Export as PDF or PPTX as required for submission.

 

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