Morning Session
 
The Missing Link: Connecting Instruction, Intervention, & Assessment 8:30am – 11:30am
Presented by Sarah Eckhart
 
This session tackles a difficult question: When does a learning challenge reflect a true disability, and when does it actually reveal a gap in instruction or intervention?
 
Designed for school psychologists, this workshop uncovers the connection between what happens in the classroom, how we support struggling students, and what we measure in assessments. We will move beyond simple scores to capture how a student learns.
 
What we will cover We will look at what high-quality teaching and Tier 1 instruction should look like under CCSS and UDL guidelines. You will learn to differentiate general instruction from targeted supports, evaluate if an intervention was done faithfully, and interpret progress-monitoring data. Finally, we will focus on report writing that connects these elements into clear, tiered recommendations.
 
Participants will receive
A toolkit with observation guides, teacher interview templates, and report writing language.
Case study examples that integrate instruction, intervention, and assessment evidence.
A quick reference guide for your evaluations and consultations.
 
Afternoon Session
 
Not Here, Not Ready: Understanding Attendance in SLD Eligibility 12:30pm – 3:30pm
Presented by Ashley Trippel
 
When is a learning problem actually a learning disability, and when is it the predictable result of chronic absenteeism?
 
In this interactive workshop, we will unpack how to use attendance as a legitimate exclusionary factor when evaluating for Specific Learning Disability (SLD). We will discuss how to critically examine attendance data and link it to instructional access.
 
What we will cover We will define what constitutes "poor attendance" and how to differentiate between instructional loss and intrinsic learning deficits. You will learn what evidence is needed to make a confident decision and how to document it legally, empowering you to identify when instructional deprivation—not a processing disorder—is the primary barrier to success.
 
Participants will receive
A toolkit of input forms, attendance analysis guides, and report language.
Access to ready-to-use case study examples.
Opportunities to apply concepts through guided analysis.
 
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) CEUs are available on-site. Each course meets the qualifications for 3 hours of Continuing Education Credit (6 hours total for the day). This applies to LEPs, LPCCs, LMFTs, LCSWs, and Nationally Certified School Psychologists (Provider #1025).