Behavior is Communication

In this course, Eric P. Hartwig, Ph. D. discusses the "why" behind behavior. He also delves into shaping emotional and behavioral competence and shares his thoughts on how to change a behavior by being proactive instead of reactive, focusing on the core values in the shaping process. He then focuses on environmental events that will affect the child's behavior as a whole. 

Working with Children with Low Incidence Disabilities (2009)

This course provides knowledge, techniques, and teaching methods for teachers and paraprofessionals who work with students who are Hearing Impaired, Visually Impaired, or Deaf-Blind. 

The Task Force, established by the Arkansas Department of Education Special Education Unit in 2008, consists of individuals representing public school personnel, audiologists, family consultants, speech-language pathologists, and special education supervisors. The Deaf-Blind Project funded and supported the development of this training module.

To the Stars and Back: Empowering Students with Project-Based Learning

Throughout history, people have always looked to space as a source of awe and wonder. We have strived to not only better understand our universe but also our place in it. Nettleton STEAM, a unique third through sixth-grade school in Jonesboro, Arkansas, continues this time-honored tradition of exploration and discovery by infusing STEAM and project-based learning into everything they do.  

STEM education is critical to developing innovative problem solvers and strengthening community partnerships. Nettleton STEAM is a Cognia STEM certified school where twenty-first century skills, service learning, and the arts are explored through project-based learning and makerspaces. Nettleton STEAM was granted the extraordinary opportunity to participate in a downlink with astronauts aboard the International Space Station in December of 2020. In this course you will learn how educators at Nettleton STEAM use project-based learning through the lens of the International Space Station themed projects created around this event.

Family & Community Engagement: Inviting Caregivers & Community Partners Into School

It is vitally important that we take deliberate, intentional steps toward creating a collaborative network of support for our students. Becoming partners in our advocacy for educating the whole child influences student success and strengthens relationships throughout the community. In this course, parental involvement consultant Dave Shepard introduces steps educators can take to invite caregivers into the daily operations and activities of schools. Melissa Dunbar-Gates moderates discussions on broadening the definition of parental involvement toward a more inclusive, community-based definition that encompasses all types of caregivers.

This course meets the family and community engagement requirements of ACA 6-15-1703.

From Extra to Essential: Family Engagement in Arkansas Schools

Today’s classrooms are filled with children of many ethnicities, cultures, and languages. To fully support our students, we must tap into the range of assets, experiences, and perspectives within our families and communities. Research shows us that when schools, families, and communities work together to support learning, children tend to do better in school, stay in school longer, and enjoy school more. What are we doing in Arkansas to co-create with parents, guardians, and invested community partners in our students’ development, wellness, and learning? 

In this course, host Alyson Courtney and Arkansas Department of Education’s Freddie Scott take us on a tour around the state and through the Essentials of engagement. These Essentials are: Communication, Equity, Safe and Friendly Schools, Innovation, Leadership and Support, and Partnerships and Relationships.

This course meets the family and community engagement requirements of ACA 6-15-1703.

My Child, My Student: Parents and Teachers Communicating - Reducing Chronic Absenteeism

This course features Jonathan Crossley, 2014 Arkansas Teacher of the Year. Mr. Crossley discusses chronic absenteeism and suggests strategies that teachers can use to help students be successful. In addition, Mr. Crossley addresses the underlying meaning of chronic absenteeism and why it matters. He also offers suggestions for teachers as they communicate with parents about the importance of regular school attendance among students. 

This professional development session was recorded on October 23, 2014 at the AETN studios in Conway, Arkansas.

The Six Components of Parental Involvement for Teachers

This course, which was recorded on January 15, 2015 at Western Yell County High School in Havana, Arkansas, features Dr. Beverley Romanin, former teacher and administrator and expert parent involvement consultant. The presentation features an overview of Dr. Joyce Epstein's Six Components of Parental Involvement, which include the concepts of parenting, communicating, volunteering, students learning at home, school decision-making, and collaborating with the community.

This course meets the family and community engagement requirements of ACA 6-15-1703.

Fostering Positive Educational Transitions for Children of Military Families

Throughout the state of Arkansas, there are an estimated 6,000-7,000 military-connected students in our public schools. These children face challenges unique to life in the military, and their educational careers are hardly unaffected by these difficulties. It is the mission of the 2022 Arkansas Teacher of the Year, Jessica Saum, to bring awareness to these matters. 

In this course, hosted by Cassandra Webb, you will hear from School Liaison Program Manager Terri Williams and Military Family Engagement Advisor Don Kaminar, both state-level experts on matters involving the education of military-connected children. These panelists, in addition to Ms. Saum, will begin by shedding light on the unique challenges faced by military-connected children. Mr. Kaminar will then share information about the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, also referred to the Military Interstate Children's Compact or simply the Compact. The Compact is administered by the Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission and was designed to help ease school transitions for military-connected students. Mr. Kaminar will help schools understand how the Compact should guide their decisions regarding military-connected students within their districts. He will also discuss the Purple Star Schools program and outline the steps schools can take to earn the Purple Star School designation. Lastly, Ms. Williams will discuss resources available to military-connected children, their families, and the schools serving them. 

The Arkansas Guide for Promoting Family Engagement Through Age Eight

Family engagement is more than simply inviting parents to school once or twice a year; it is a continual process of working together for the benefit of students. Jackie Govan (Director, Head Start State Collaboration) and Jamie Morrison Ward (Curricula Concepts) present the Arkansas Guide for Promoting Family Engagement, a resource educators can use to help promote parental involvement and explain the importance of childhood development to the caregivers in students' lives. The Guide also contains information about putting together action plans for getting families to play a role in their children's education.

This course was recorded at the AETN studios in Conway, Arkansas on June 14, 2016.

This course meets the family and community engagement requirement of ACA 6-15-1703.

Parental Involvement: Introduction

This course includes a PDF, a PowerPoint, and a video with graded questions. The PDF and PowerPoint discuss in detail Arkansas Acts 603 of 2003 and 307 of 2007 and their implementation and application within the school. In the video, a group of experts from around the country answer the question, "What is parental involvement?" Experts also discuss the implementation and application of Arkansas Acts 603 of 2003 and 307 of 2007, the federal NCLB definition of parental involvement, and what research says about quality family engagement.

This course meets the family and community engagement requirements of ACA 6-15-1703.