Partnerships

In addition to identifying evidence-based effective practices in literacy, positive behavior intervention, and special education instruction as well as supporting collaborative mentoring partnerships between schools with validated practices, the S³TAIR Project seeks to infuse evidence-based effective practices into teacher preparation and understanding among parents through collaboration with institutions of higher education and parent centers.

Institutions of Higher Education

• The S³TAIR Project works in collaboration with the New York State Task Force on Quality Inclusive Schooling, an organization involving seventy-four of the New York State institutions that grant certification-eligible degrees. Task Force participation in site visits has led to ongoing partnerships between visited schools and institutions of higher education in several instances statewide.

New York State Parent Centers

• The S³TAIR Project has been enhanced by participation of New York State Parent Center representatives in many of the practice validation site visits. Parents bring an understanding of the family and community context to the site visit. These visits also provide an opportunity for Parent Center representatives to observe effective practices in action and subsequently to offer these practices as examples of how schools can successfully educate students with disabilities.