Teresa Cogar
Cross Junction,Va
Summary
I am an enthusiastic and committed educator looking to join a diverse community of professional learners dedicated to offering resources, training, and technical assistance. This support aims to ensure the academic, behavioral, social, and personal success of individuals with disabilities and their supporters, through a range of meaningful activities and experiences tailored to the unique needs of students, caregivers, and professionals in the community.
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Training and Technical Assistance Associate
RRTC VCU Autism Center for Education
Richmond, Va
05.2013 - Current
- Develop, deliver and revise online professional development opportunities for school division personnel, families/caregivers and individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the form of webcasts, seminars, self-paced courses, facilitated courses, and on-line communities of practice
- Developed and facilitated first statewide virtual online community of practice in autism utilizing Zoom and additional technology as learning platform for participants
- Developed Checklist for Positive Practices in Distance Learning for teachers providing virtual instruction during COVID - 19
- Developed and Facilitated virtual community of practice for teachers delivering virtual instruction during COVID - 19
- Provide training, coaching and resources through based on evidence-based practices in Autism Spectrum Disorder to school division personnel through a technical assistance grant to targeted school divisions who serve and work directly with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Provide technical assistance to school division personnel using a coaching process to promote capacity building of evidence-based practices for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder within the school and or division to be implemented with fidelity tiered model of professional development to provide professional development that will promote capacity building within the agency and/or division
- Work with school division personnel to facilitate online professional development as well as deliver live training for paraprofessionals to meet training standards via Virginia House Bill 325 Statewide Paraprofessional Initiative
- Collaborate with, plan and assist other statewide agencies in the delivery and development of training to statewide stakeholders who support individuals with Autism
- Collaborated with Department of Aging and Rehabilitation to deliver statewide training to Pre - Employment Transition Counselors on, Tips for Improving the Delivery of Services and Supports for students with Developmental Disabilities
- Presented at Autism Speaks Town Hall, Adult Services, Community - based Skills Assessment and Self - Determination, Rockville, MD, December, 2018
- Provided statewide wide in person training to early childhood providers on The Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised (M-CHAT), 2017
Education Coordinator, Determination Project Coordinator
VDOE's, James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
08.2005 - 07.2012
- Provided training and technical assistance to over 22 public school divisions and State Operated Programs in Virginia's Superintendent's Region 5
- Developed training materials, handbooks, presentations, brochures and wrote newsletter articles based on evidence-based practices to disseminate statewide and regionally
- Coordinator for PBIS State -Directed Project; assisted schools in designing and implementing Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports within a tiered model of supports to promote academic and behavioral success for all students
- Collaborated with the Virginia Department of Education to provide training for school division personnel teams as part of a PBIS cohort model in Virginia
- Assisted school division personnel in aligning initiatives according to PBIS Blueprint and tiered model of supports to support positive student outcomes for division wide success
- Assisted schools in reviewing existing data support systems and revising them as needed to implement data-driven decision making processes for effective outcomes and fidelity of practices within their divisions
- Provided statewide and at regional level training around critical elements of PBIS
- Facilitated statewide and regional team meetings and training for school division personnel on critical elements of PBIS
- Involved in the planning and implementation of PBIS supports within the school divisions utilizing a hierarchy model of leadership structure that included: Division Coordinator, Administrators, PBIS coach and PBIS school team
- Served as a project coordinator for the VDOE's I'm Determined Project from 2009-2013
- Facilitated Annual Youth Summit Conferences along with 25 1'm Determined Youth Leaders from across the state of Virginia to disseminate information on core components of self-determination using tools developed by the I'm Determined by the I'm Determined project to assist Virginia's Youth in becoming advocates, leaders and more self-assured individuals
- Provided training and technical assistance to school division personnel across the state on core components of self - determination and the tools developed by the I'm Determined project to assist youth in their schools achieve greater social emotional and academic outcomes
- Encouraged the braiding of two initiatives: PBIS and I'm Determined in local schools divisions as part of a tiered intervention of support for students to enhance positive behavior supports, social, emotional and academic growth
- Co-presented on the outcomes of braiding PBIS and Self -Determination in Schools, APBS International Conference, Denver, CO, 2011
- Developed adapted tools from the I'm Determined project utilizing the concept of Universal Design to create greater accessibility for all individuals to use tools and achieve successful outcomes
- Created webinars for the I'm Determined website for each adapted tool, "Good Day Plan," ``Goal Setting" and "One Pager
Autism Teacher
Stafford County Public Schools, Kate Waller Barrett Elementary
Stafford, Va
07.2001 - 07.2005
- Provided academic, social/behavioral and assistive technology supports and instruction to students with Autism in grades K-5
- Constructed and differentiated daily lesson plans for individual students based on SOLs and ASOLs collaborating with general education teachers at each grade level to ensure effective student outcomes
- Adapted and differentiated student coursework to assist students in accessing the daily curriculum
- Used a variety of software programs and assistive technology to provide visual supports to meet students' instructional needs across the curriculum and to promote positive behavioral supports while supporting proactive social interaction and functional communication
- Provided training to school staff on evidence-base praises in Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Conducted and consulted in the writing and implementation of Functional Behavior
- Assessments and evidence-based practices to support successful outcomes for students with Autism division-wide
- Served as a "model" Autism program for the county which provided on -site training for school division personnel in classroom structure, environment and evidence- based practices for students with Autism.
Education
Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis -
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL2021
PBS Facilitator Endorsement -
VCU - Partnership for People with Disabilities
Richmond, VA2011
M.Ed - Special Education
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA2007
Bachelors of Music Education -
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH1997
Skills
- Relationship Building
- Strong Collaborator
- Verbal and Written Communication
- Willingness to Learn New Skills
- Data-based Decision Making
- Task Prioritization
- Content Development
- Experience with Virtual Learning Platforms
Timeline
Training and Technical Assistance Associate
RRTC VCU Autism Center for Education
05.2013 - Current
Education Coordinator, Determination Project Coordinator
VDOE's, James Madison University
08.2005 - 07.2012
Autism Teacher
Stafford County Public Schools, Kate Waller Barrett Elementary
07.2001 - 07.2005
Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis -
Florida Institute of Technology
PBS Facilitator Endorsement -
VCU - Partnership for People with Disabilities
M.Ed - Special Education
James Madison University
Bachelors of Music Education -
Bowling Green State University
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