Trainings in Facilitation Skills

Photo of African American man training diverse group of six adults - banner for Trainings in Facilitation Skills page

Want to learn facilitative skills?

Improving IEP Teams: Skills for Resolving Conflict training focuses on improving facilitative skills and creating more effective IEP meetings.

Improving IEP Teams: Skills for Encouraging Productive Conversations and Resolving Conflict

Who Should Attend: Special Educators, Administrators, and Members of IEP Teams.

All IEP team members can benefit from learning dynamic facilitative skills to move through conflict. Because parents and educators may not share identical perceptions of the child or goals for the student, conflict may arise. Facilitative skills are helpful every day, at every meeting, and before disagreements become disputes.

This workshop is for any professional IEP team member interested in improving the IEP team process, including special education directors and coordinators, special education teachers, general education teachers, school psychologists, school social workers, and other related service providers.

Separate trainings are offered throughout the year and in collaboration with PEAK Parent Center to support the development of these skills for parents and advocates.

Skills and knowledge taught in the six-hour Improving IEP Teams workshop include*:

Define trust and consensus in special education
Understand components of the Special Education law
Identify tools to support understanding
Understand how/why conflict occurs in the IEP process
Learn important communication skills
Develop active listening techniques
Learn ways to guard against assumptions
Identify ways to Balance the Power in a meeting

*Attendees must stay for the duration to earn credit hours.

Register now for the Improving IEP Teams: Skills for Encouraging Productive Conversations and Resolving Conflict Training!

When: Monday, September 30th, 2024, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

Where: Koelbel Library Cafe (Arapahoe Libraries), 5955 S Holly St, Centennial, CO 80121

Registration Link for Improving IEP Teams Training

Special Education Facilitator Training

When: October 29th and 30th, 2024, from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

Where: Koelbel Library Cafe (Arapahoe Libraries), 5955 S Holly St, Centennial, CO 80121

Who should attend: If you have attended our One-Day Improving IEP Teams: Skills for Encouraging Productive Conversations and Resolving Conflict, and you would like to continue your training to neutrally facilitate IEP meetings, sign up now! Registrants are required to have attended CDE's One-Day Improving IEP Teams: Skills for Encouraging Productive Conversations and Resolving Conflict training prior to registering for this 2-day advanced training.

Skills and knowledge taught in the 12-hour Special Education Facilitator training*:

Normalizing Conflict - Harnessing the positive power of conflict
Facilitation versus Advocacy
Constructing Productive IEP Meetings
Convening Productive IEP Meetings
Facilitating Open Discussions
Using charting effectively
Strategies to use in common situations
Facilitator Challenges
Understanding how bias impacts conflict
The difference between anger, bitterness, and blame
Ending a Facilitated IEP Meeting
Understanding Your Role
Practice, Practice, Practice….
Self-Assessment and Feedback

*Attendees must stay for the duration to earn credit hours.

Registration Link for the Special Education Facilitator Training

Additional Trainings

Improving IEP Teams Training for Advocates!

TBD

This training will provide the Improving IEP Teams: Skills for Encouraging Productive Conversation and Resolving Conflict content with a focus on:

Aligning your role as an Advocate with the IEP process
Using skills to improve IEP meetings for your clients.

Click here to register.

Improving Collaboration During Virtual Special Education Meetings

Choose one date:

TBD

All IEP team members can benefit from learning dynamic facilitative skills to support effective collaboration during Special Education meetings. Adjusting these skills for use in a virtual meeting setting can improve communication, enhance collaboration, and lead to more productive meetings. Facilitative skills are helpful every day, at every meeting, and before disagreements become disputes.

This workshop is for any Special Education team member interested in improving the collaboration during the special education process, including special education directors and coordinators, parents, special education teachers, general education teachers, school psychologists, school social workers, and other related service providers.

This training will address the following skills during the two-hour workshop:

Preparation for a successful virtual meeting
Developing tele-facilitation meeting guidelines and agendas to set expectations
Using charting and other tools to enhance communication during virtual meetings

Specific training in your district can also be arranged. Just email and we’ll get a date on the calendar!

Contact:

Katherine Rains, J.D.
Dispute Prevention and Assisted Resolution Supervisor
Exceptional Student Services Unit
201 E Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80203
Phone: 720-990-1464
Email Katherine Rains

Having trouble with this webpage?

If you have problems with broken links or accessing the content on this page, please contact the Exceptional Student Services Unit at ESSU@cde.state.co.us. Please copy the URL link for this page into the email when referencing the problem you are experiencing.