VALRC

Bi-monthly Program Managers Meeting
2025-09-15 13:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York)
Bi-monthly virtual meeting for updates, news, and discussion for all adult education program managers.
Register and join here.

DARS WINDMILLS
2025-08-28 14:00 - 15:00
ASK IT BASKET – Your turn to ask the questions!

DARS WINDMILLS
2025-07-24 14:00 - 15:00
Fact or Fiction: This module teaches participants to anticipate situations that might occur in the workplace with people with disabilities.

CAL: Literacy Practices and Students with Interrupted Formal Education
2025-07-08 16:00 - 16:30 | Virtual
In this timely webinar, we explore critical questions at the intersection of literacy development and educational equity for multilingual learners with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). Part of our Research to Policy: Critical Conversations in Language Education series, this 30-minute session brings together educators, researchers, and policy advocates to examine the unique needs of students entering schools with gaps in formal education, many of whom are learning new languages while adapting to unfamiliar systems and social environments.
Our featured guest, Dr. Michelle Marrero Colón, is a scholar-practitioner who researches best practices for multilingual learners—especially SLIFE—and applies her findings directly in the classroom. Her insights bridge academic research and real-world application, offering practical strategies grounded in both evidence and experience.
Dr. Marrero Colón will be joined by facilitators Dr. Marguerite Lukes and Marybelle Marrero Colón for a dynamic conversation on how schools can respond more effectively to the literacy needs of SLIFE students. Topics include dual language literacy, professional learning for educators, social-emotional supports, and schoolwide models that center student dignity and growth.
This session is designed to inspire action and inform equitable practices in classrooms, schools, and policy spaces.
Register Here

DARS WINDMILLS
2025-06-26 14:00 - 15:00
Taking Emotions out of Emotional Disabilities: This module will provide a way for companies to consider reasonable accommodations for persons with emotional disabilities in an emotionally neutral environment.

Literacy Minnesota: Comprehension Strategies for Intermediate-Level Readers
2025-06-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Research shows that explicitly teaching a set of comprehension strategies is a great way to help intermediate-level readers maximize their understanding of texts. Come learn a handful of great comprehension tools that will help students develop critical thinking skills and comprehension skills.
Please note that you may be asked to participate in discussion groups during the webinar. Please plan to join us from a quiet setting where you can see the PowerPoint slides and use your audio.
Register Here

VALRC: LACES data analysis session
2025-06-24 14:00 - 15:30, 2025-04-22 14:00 - 15:30 | Online
Join a group of Virginia practitioners for a hands-on experience working with data in the LACES system.
Register here

Literacy Minnesota: Phonics in Beginning ESL: Recommendations, Activities and Resources
2025-06-23 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual
Phonics–the knowledge of the sounds letters make when they are combined to make words–is essential to beginning literacy and beginning level English language instruction. But, many teachers and tutors lack the knowledge, confidence and resources to teach the topic. Attend this session to learn why phonics instruction is important and leave with several ideas for phonics activities and resources to bring back to your teaching and tutoring sessions.
This session will be most useful to tutors and teachers working with beginning literacy, low beginning and high beginning English language learners.
Please note that you may be asked to participate in discussion groups during the webinar. Please plan to join us from a quiet setting where you can see the PowerPoint slides and use your audio.
Register Here

Preparing for FY25 and Beyond: Data Profiles and Updates from the VDOE
2025-06-23 13:30 - 15:00
Save the Date: Preparing for FY25 and Beyond: Data Profiles and Updates from the VDOE
More details coming soon!
REGISTER HERE

Literacy Minnesota: Teaching Intermediate Alphabetics
2025-06-16 19:30 - 21:30 | Virtual
Teaching intermediate alphabetics (syllables, prefixes, suffixes, root words) is a great way to help students build their decoding and comprehension skills. Come learn a variety of fun and easy-to-use routines and activities for helping intermediate-level readers develop these important tools.
Please note that you may be asked to participate in discussion groups during the webinar. Please plan to join us from a quiet setting where you can see the PowerPoint slides and use your audio.
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Serving Youth in Adult Education
2025-06-09 12:00 - 13:30
More details coming soon!
Register here.

Literacy Minnesota: Developing and Practicing Reading Fluency
2025-06-06 14:00 - 16:00 | Virtual
Come and review the important role of fluency in reading instruction. We will discuss the three key components of reading fluency and look at a variety of activities tutors and teachers can try. We will talk about the mechanics of doing fluency practice via Zoom, Google Meet, Teams or any other remote tutoring tool (including the phone!). Participants will have plenty of opportunity to ask questions and share resources.
This workshop will be most useful for instructors working with low-intermediate to advanced readers.
Please note that you may be asked to participate in discussion groups during the webinar. Please plan to join us from a quiet setting where you can see the PowerPoint slides and use your audio.
Register Here

ProLiteracy: City-sponsored Adult Literacy/Adult Foundational Education Initiatives
2025-06-06 14:00 - 15:00 | Virtual
Hear from city leaders in Houston, Philadelphia, and Boston as they share: the history and development of their city’s adult literacy/adult foundational education initiative; how their mayoral offices for adult literacy are organized, including staffing and key partnerships; funding opportunities and challenges; and how coalitions are supporting adult education programs and learners in today’s changing environment.
Register Here

NEDP Retention via Pre-screening
2025-05-28 13:00 - 14:00 | Online
This practical webinar, part of the Virginia PLC for NEDP practitioners, will be led by state trainer Eileen Rakshys.
Register here.

VALRC - Digital Resilience in the American Workforce (DRAW) PLC
2025-05-23 13:00 - 14:30, 2025-04-25 13:00 - 14:30 | Online
Session 1 – March, 21st from 1-1:30pm, Session 2 – April, 25th from 1-1:30pm, Session 3 – May 23rd from 1-1:30pm
These interactive sessions will define digital resilience and focus on its importance for both instructors and students. Participants will gain insight and discover practical ways to begin implementing EdTech routines in the classroom, as well as participate in guided learning circles to share ideas and challenges.

DARS WINDMILLS
2025-05-22 14:00 - 15:00
Assistive Technology and Reasonable Accommodations: This module will acquaint individuals with the creative process in identifying possible reasonable accommodations.

VALRC: Regional Instructional Specialist PLC
2025-05-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
This professional learning community is open to Regional Instructional Specialists (and other Virginia adult educators whose work includes instructional leadership). Focused on problem-solving and sharing promising practices, this discussion-based PLC will address topics including classroom observations, retention strategies for learners and educators, curriculum choices, partnerships, and supporting effective instructional practices.

Register here.

Literacy Practices for Multilingual Students with Disabilities
2025-05-13 16:00 - 16:30 | Online
There are numerous questions in the field regarding the identification and support of multilingual learners with disabilities. In addition, many myths about these learners’ literacy abilities and needs persist in education. In this webinar, Dr. Durán and Dr. Kangas will share best practices and future directions for improving current approaches to nurturing and accurately assessing the literacy development of MLs with disabilities. Register now for this exciting conversation.

DRC: TABE 13/14 & CLAS-E C/D updates with Q&A
2025-05-13 13:00 - 13:45 | Online
All are welcome! Join DRC to learn more about their new, NRS-approved forms of TABE, Workforce Portal, and CLAS-E.
Some exciting highlights from this session will include:

SHORTER READING load on TABE 13/14!
Workforce Portal tied to O*Net database of careers for success!
Scan TABE or CLAS-E (paper versions) into our portal for fast and FREE Scoring and get our Individual Profile Report to support instruction.

Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 243 337 643 902
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Questions: email Shellene Swamy, SSwamy@datarecognitioncorp.com

Bimonthly Program Managers Meeting
2025-05-12 13:30 - 15:30
This year’s bimonthly program managers meetings will be held on Mondays at 1:30p – 3:00p with an optional 30 minutes for discussion. Registering once will enable you to join ALL of the meetings for the 2024 – 2025 year.
Please save these dates on your calendars for the meetings:

September 16
November 18
January 13
March 17 (wear green!)
May 12

Register here

NEDP 2025 Spring Leadership Meeting
2025-05-07 12:00 - 14:00 | Online
Join colleagues around the state, state NEDP trainers, and VDOE staff members for the spring NEDP Leadership meeting. The meeting will include a focus on data: looking at Virginia data, thinking about data-based decision making, and working with NEDP data in LACES.
Programs are encouraged to bring at least two NEDP team members to the meeting to encourage meaningful discussions and practical takeaways. The spring leadership meeting is also considered to be a session of the 2025 NEDP PLC.
Register here.

VPAP – Beyond the Ballot Box: Fostering Civic Health with Civics Navigator
2025-04-30 19:30 - 20:30 | Online
In this webinar from the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP), participants will gain access to a treasure trove of free resources about Virginia government and politics. These materials can be used in classrooms, educational programs, community initiatives, or policy development to foster critical thinking skills and ultimately increase the civic health of the Commonwealth.
Designed for secondary educators and anyone interested in enhancing civics education, this session will be led by Erin Hill, VPAP’s Civics Education Program Director and former social studies teacher. The content will benefit a wide range of participants. The recording and resources will be provided to registered participants.
Register here.

VALRC: Trauma-Informed Practice Part 2: Strategies for Adult Education Instruction
2025-04-24 15:30 - 17:00 | Virtual
This webinar will focus on practical classroom and instructional strategies that adult education instructors can use to implement trauma-informed practices in the classroom
Register Here

DARS WINDMILLS
2025-04-24 14:00 - 15:00
Whose Fault: This module will improve participants’ awareness of the different players and roles in a successful business practice and to identify more effective ways to communicate and resolve conflict.

Spanish GED® Open Discussion
2025-04-23 15:30 - 16:30 | Online
Join the discussion to talk with colleagues around the state about challenges, successes, promising practices, and problem solving to support Spanish-language GED® programming.
Register here.

Switchboard: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Clients​
2025-04-23 14:00 - 15:15 | Virtual
​​Newcomers often encounter complex and challenging situations as they adjust and integrate into society. Conversations with clients about these challenges can be particularly complicated given past trauma exposure as well as cultural differences. This workshop will offer best practices for navigating these sensitive and challenging conversations with a mutually respectful and trauma-informed approach. Participants will explore effective communication strategies through case scenario examples to develop skills for engaging clients productively.​
IS THIS WEBINAR FOR ME?
​​This webinar is designed for service providers who want to bolster their communication skills, particularly when discussing difficult topics with clients. This webinar will also be valuable for agency supervisors and organizational staff who interact with newcomers or support client-facing staff. ​ ​

While not a requirement, Switchboard encourages participants to review the Switchboard guide Preventing Crises and De-escalating Difficult Situations with Newcomer Clients (2023) in advance of this training.​

WHY SHOULD I PARTICIPATE?
After participating in this 75-minute session, you will be able to:

​​Recognize ongoing resettlement challenges, including employment and housing barriers, that require difficult conversations between clients and providers
Identify key communication skills and specific phrases that help maintain supportive, respectful conversations for both clients and providers ​
Apply a trauma-informed and compassionate approach to current client and service provision challenges​

Register Here

VALRC, The Science of Reading: Utilizing Learner-Centered Strategies
2025-04-17 15:00 - 17:00 | Virtual
This webinar will present strategies to develop reading instruction through the use of learner-centered strategies.
Register Here

VALRC: Regional Instructional Specialist PLC
2025-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 | Online
This professional learning community is open to Regional Instructional Specialists (and other Virginia adult educators whose work includes instructional leadership). Focused on problem-solving and sharing promising practices, this discussion-based PLC will address topics including classroom observations, retention strategies for learners and educators, curriculum choices, partnerships, and supporting effective instructional practices. The PLC meets monthly.
Register here.
