Personnel Development

Personnel development is a structure for personnel planning and focuses on pre-service and in-service needs in order to plan a program to meet the needs of pupils with disabilities.

District and BRIC Staff Training
BRIC is committed to supporting special education staff by providing a wide variety of professional development activities. Each year district and BRIC staff complete a survey indicating the current topics of interest. Based on this survey, pod trainings (mini in-services) are offered a minimum of three times a year dealing with general issues or disability specific topics. Each fall, BRIC presents an in-service for all district special education staff that generally focuses on identified areas of in-service need. District administrators have the opportunity to attend a yearly principals in-service on special education issues. Regional training opportunities are also presented to district staff and administrators on a regular basis.

BRIC staff is also available to the district's to present in-services at the local level on a wide range of topics. A list of topics are available on the BRIC web site or by contacting the main office. BRIC also has a variety of training videos and other resources which are available for district training opportunities.
Paraprofessional Training Before or Immediately upon Employment

Paraprofessionals should possess skills to begin meeting the needs of students with whom they will work. Such skills include: knowledge of emergency procedures, building orientation, roles and responsibilities, confidentiality, vulnerability, and reportability. BRIC offers to districts, new paraprofessional staff training at least annually which address these core competencies.

Annual Paraprofessional Training
BRIC also provides opportunities to enable district paraprofessionals to continue to further develop the knowledge and skills, such as understanding disabilities, following lesson plans, and implementing follow-up instructional procedures and activities, and behavioral strategies necessary to work with students with disabilities.