Virginia Department of Education's
Training & Technical Assistance Center
TTAC Services
The Virginia Department of Education’s state-wide Training & Technical Assistance Centers (TTACs) provide professional development and support designed to assist schools in addressing accountability and improvement goals for students with disabilities.

The VDOE's TTAC at Radford University serves public schools, teachers, students, and parents of Southwest Virginia through assistance that brings about systematic change in the way schools serve children and youth. TTAC services are provided primarily through embedded professional development.

Focus areas and projects
Visit our Focus Areas and Projects pages below for specific information, resources, support options, and TTAC Coordinator contact information.

Resources and Information Links
Radford TTAC Summer Book Study

The Power of Place: Authentic Learning Through Place-Based Education
by Tom Vander Ark, Emily Liebtag, and Nate McClennon
How might we…partner with students in their own learning so every student can and chooses to participate in real ways?
How might we…implement a learner-centered approach to meet the needs of students farthest from learning?
This book study is designed for teachers and administrators from regions 6 and 7 who want to explore these questions through the learner-centered approach of place-based education (PBE). Participants will be expected to read the text on their own during the summer and attend a 90-minute discussion of the book. Book discussions will be held in late July/early August.
During the discussion, each participant will be expected to lead a 10 minute conversation on a topic of their choice stemming from the text. Educators may choose to participate independently via zoom, or gather at least 4-5 colleagues from their school, division, or region for an on-site, in person discussion group facilitated by Radford TTAC (date/time will be determined by group and facilitator).
Participants will receive a copy of the book, The Power of Place by Tom Vander Ark, Emily Liebtag, and Nate McClennon.
This professional development is free of charge and educators have an opportunity to earn up to 6 recertification points for active participation. Registration is limited.
For more information, contact:
Tracy Kwock at tkwock1@radford.edu

Recorded Webinar and Participant Resources for Virginia's Inclusive Practices Action Planning Tool

Virginia Department of Education, VDOE, and Stetson & Associates, Inc.
A recently recorded webinar, Inclusive Practices Action Planning Tool, presented by Dr. Frances Stetson and participant resources have been added to the Inclusive Practices in Successful Schools: Virginia Action Planning Guide Module.
High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities

In partnership with the Collaboration for Effective Educator Development, Accountability and Reform (CEEDAR), the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) has developed and published a set of high-leverage practices (HLPs) for special educators and teacher candidates. The HLPs are organized around four aspects of practice:
- Collaboration
- Assessment
- Social/emotional/behavioral
- Instruction
From these four aspects of practice, there are 22 practices intended to address the most critical practices that every K–12 special education teacher should master and be able to demonstrate. The selected practices are used frequently in classrooms and have been shown to improve student outcomes if successfully implemented.

Virginia Assistive Technology Network

The Assistive Technology Network of Virginia addresses priorities of VDOE with coordination, implementation, and dissemination of information about the laws which define AT devices and services, the process of AT Consideration by Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams, AT assessment, Augmentative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), and AT resources.
In support of these priorities, the network has several initiatives which include:
Developing resources and documents for AT Considerations and Assessment
Developing and supporting local and regional AT teams with information, resources and training, including the annual Virtual TechKnowledgy Conference
Integrating AT solutions across the curriculum

The TTAC Online website was created by VDOE to be a resource for professionals and family members of children and youth with disabilities (birth to 22). The website offers a wide range of Resources, Events (training, conferences, and webinars/webcasts) and Online Training opportunities in the form of Webshops and www.Workshops.

School Divisions Served by Radford University TTAC
Region 6 Schools |
Region 7 Schools | ||
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VDOE Regional TTACS
The TTAC at Radford University works collaboratively with other centers and organizations across the state of Virginia. The TTACs at Virginia Tech and Radford University share a special partnership, working together to serve the needs of Superintendents’ Regions 6 and 7.

Regional TTAC Links:
- Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
- Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA
- The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA
- George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
- James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
- Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
- Radford University, Radford, VA