Inclusion/High-Leverage Practices
TTAC at GMU supports inclusive practices by working with school divisions in Region 4 to build sustainability and scale up High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), co-teaching strategies, and family engagement through collaboration with Region 4 schools and divisions, professional learning sessions, resources and supports. To support Virginia’s Statewide Inclusion Action Plan and improve co-teaching throughout Virginia, TTAC at GMU collaborates with co-teaching demonstration teams, who serve as exemplar co-teaching teams that model effective practices in Region 4.
At TTAC at GMU, we champion inclusive practices by partnering with schools and divisions across Region 4 to strengthen and sustain high-quality instruction for all students. We support school divisions in the development, implementation, and evaluation of their Inclusive Action Plans and help scale up High-Leverage Practices (HLPs), effective co-teaching models, and meaningful family engagement. Through professional learning, customized resources, and ongoing collaboration, we work alongside educators to build capacity and drive lasting change. In alignment with Virginia’s Statewide Inclusive Action Plan, we also collaborate with co-teaching demonstration sites—exemplar teams that bring inclusive instruction to life and inspire progress across the region.
VDOE’s Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative
As part of Virginia’s Excellence in Co-Teaching Initiative, demonstration sites across the Commonwealth provide opportunities for co-teaching teams and school/district administrators to observe high-quality co-taught instruction in inclusive settings. Visitors have the opportunity to observe model lessons, followed by scheduled time to engage in discussion with the site’s co-teaching team and school administrator regarding implementation practices, instructional planning, and factors that support successful co-teaching partnerships.
Region 4 Demonstration Site: Emerald Hill Elementary School (Culpeper County, Grade 4)
- Teachers: Aimee Morehead and Kimberly Moon
- Principal: Tori Gelbert
2025-2026 Excellence in Co-Teaching Demonstration Sites (Statewide)
To request a visit to a demonstration site, please complete the following form: Demonstration Site Visitation Request Form or contact Melissa Gunter.
High Leverage Practices (HLPs)
Researchers from the CEEDAR Center and Council for Exceptional Children identified 22 research-based High Leverage Practices, which are foundational teaching practices, proven effective for all students. HLPs can be woven into core instruction in the general education setting to intentionally design, deliver, and assess instruction that leads to equitable learning outcomes for all students, including students with disabilities. HLPs are research-based instructional practices that occur in any content area; practices that occur with high frequency in any learning environment; practices that have component parts so that teachers can implement them with fidelity; practices that improve student outcomes. HLPs focus on four major areas of practice: collaboration, assessment, social/emotional/behavioral, and instructional.
High Leverage Practices for Students with Disabilities
Council for Exceptional Children's Introduction to HLPs Video
HLP Self-Paced Professional Learning Sessions
Expand your knowledge about research-based High Leverage Practices (HLPs) and earn certificates of participation. Professional learning sessions are located on Virtual Virginia.
- School Leaders, Administration & Instructional Coaches: Strategies for Teacher Retention and Support - Scale up with HLPs (Certificate of Completion for 1 hour)
- HLP 1: Collaboration 101 (Certificate of Participation for 2 hours)
- HLP 16 & 22: Explicit Instruction and Effective Teacher Feedback (Certificate of Participation for 5 hours)
Customize Professional Learning
TTAC at GMU offers professional learning tailored to meet the specific goals of your school or division. We partner with teams to design and deliver learning experiences that build capacity in inclusive practices, co-teaching, and High-Leverage Practices (HLPs). Whether you're just getting started or deepening existing efforts, we can help you align your work with division priorities and support sustainable change.
Sample topics include:
- HLP 7: Setting the Stage for Learning – Creating Consistent, Organized, and Respectful Environments
- HLP 1: Collaboration 101 – Building Strong Professional Partnerships
- HLPs 16 & 22: Explicit Instruction and Effective Teacher Feedback
- HLP 17: Using Flexible Grouping to Differentiate Instruction
- HLP 18: Active Engagement Strategies to Maximize Student Participation
- Leadership Focus: Strategies for School Leaders and Instructional Coaches to Support Teachers and Improve Retention
Let us help you design professional learning that makes an impact.
Contact Melissa Gunter to learn more or click here to request customized services.
- 7/24/2025: Enroll Now! HLP 16, 8 & 22: Explicit Instruction and Positive, Constructive Feedback (Self-Paced Professional Learning), Virtual Virginia & VDOE TTAC at GMU
- 7/28/2025: Enroll Now! HLP 18: Active Engagement Strategies (Self-Paced Professional Learning), Virtual Virginia & VDOE TTAC at GMU
- 7/28/2025: Enroll Now! School Leaders, Administrators, and Instructional Coaches: Strategies for Teacher Retention & Support (Self-Paced Professional Learning), Virtual Virginia & VDOE TTAC at GMU
- 7/29/2025: Enroll Now! Use Multiple Sources of Information to Develop a Comprehensive Learner Profile (HLP 1 & HLP 4) Self-Paced PL Session (Virtual Virginia & VDOE TTAC at GMU)
- 7/30/2025: Enroll Now! HLP 17: Differentiate with Flexible Grouping (Self-Paced Professional Learning), Virtual Virginia & VDOE TTAC at GMU
- 7/30/2025: Enroll Now! HLP 1: Collaboration 101 (Self-Paced Professional Learning), Virtual Virginia & VDOE TTAC at GMU
- 7/31/2025: Enroll Now! HLP 7: Setting the Stage for Learning - Consistent, Organized & Respectful Learning Environments (Self-Paced Professional Learning), Virtual Virginia & VDOE TTAC at GMU
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Resources and Guidance
- The Inclusive Practice Profile-assessment for quality of inclusive practices at the classroom level
- School Leaders Guide to Creating Inclusive Schools
- Inclusive Schools Network
- TIES Center TIPS
- SWIFT Center
- TASH Resources
- Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center-inclusion fact sheet
- CEC DCDT Inclusion in General Education Fact Sheet
- Early Childhood Inclusion Resources
- Inclusion Project Toolkit: Youth Led Initiative
PowerPoint Resources
- CEEDAR Center Inclusive Education: An Overview for Administrators
- CEEDAR Center: Inclusive Education Modules
Video Resources
Inspiring and Mindset Framing:
Webinars
Specially Designed Instruction (SDI): Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD): An Inclusive Meta-Cognitive Strategy for Solving Equations (HLP 14)
General and special education teachers will learn a research based meta-cognitive strategy (HLP 14) for teaching students how to solve multi-step equations to include all materials, resources and videos modeling instruction necessary for implementation. HLPs 14, 1, 17 and 20 are discussed.
Self-Paced Professional Learning Sessions - SDI: Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) A Meta-Cognitive Strategy (HLP 14), IRIS Center & VDOE TTAC GMU
Self-regulated strategy development (SRSD) is a research-based six-step instructional framework that explicitly teaches meta-cognition while integrating strategy instruction (HLP 14) to improve students’ academic and self-regulation skills. Explicitly taught across multiple academic domains, SRSD improves students’ writing, mathematics, reading comprehension, and self- advocacy. The power of SRSD + cognitive strategy instruction occurs when instruction is vertically articulated, taught and reinforced across multiple grade levels, and generalized in other subject areas (HLP 21).
High Leverage Practice Crosswalks for Literacy, Math and Transition (VDOE TTAC at GMU)
Based on the work of the CEEDAR Center and Council for Exceptional Children, the GMU TTAC Team has created High Leverage Practice Crosswalks in the areas of Math, Literacy, and Transition to support stakeholders in developing personalized professional learning and targeted support, with the goal of bridging research into "practical" classroom practice to improve performance outcomes. The HLP Crosswalks are dynamic documents that will be periodically updated with the most current research and practical resources.
Check out the High Leverage Practice Crosswalks for Literacy, Math, and Transition on TTAC Online!
Literacy:
Mathematics:
Transition:
High Leverage Practices (HLPs)
Virginia Professional Teaching Standards HLP Crosswalk
TTAC (2021) developed a Virginia Professional Teaching Standards and High Leverage Practices (HLP) Crosswalk to help guide school leaders toward aligning the eight Virginia PK-12 professional teaching standards with the 22 HLPs. The Crosswalk can be used by instructional coaches and administrators as a tool to improve teaching. The rubrics help identify teachers' strengths and areas of growth, and facilitating their implementation of HLPs.
HLP Rubrics
The purpose of HLP Rubrics is to give teachers feedback on their application of HLPs. Rubrics identify tenets of HLP implementation and teacher progress. Teachers can use rubric feedback to celebrate strengths and set goals on areas of growth.
School Leaders HLP Implementation Checklist
Using the tenets of implementation science, this checklist guides school leaders through developing a system to support teachers' implementation of HLPs with sustainable practices. The checklist can be integrated with the Virginia Professional Teaching Standards - HLP Crosswalk to scale up HLPs with resources such as rubrics, checklists, and CEEDAR Center's Self-Reflection tool.
CEEDAR Center HLP Resources for School Administrators
HLP Highlight Tools (HLPs 1-22)
HLP Highlight Tools provide a brief overview of every HLP. This takes approximately 30 minutes to review. Highlight Tools describe the HLP, when to use it, and shares resources for application.
CEEDAR Center of HLP Self-Assessment Tool
This tool helps teachers self-reflect on their implementation of HLPs to identify strengths and areas of growth.
Evidence Based Practices
National Center on Intensive Intervention
National Center on Intensive Intervention - Introduction to Intensive Interventions has several self-paced learning modules that show how intensive interventions provide a systematic way to deliver specially designed instruction for students with disabilities, and struggling learners within a VTSS, MTSS model.
IRIS Modules
IRIS Modules provide self-paced learning for teachers who would like to learn more about assessment.
What Works Clearing House
University of Missouri Evidence Based Intervention Network
Johns Hopkins University Best Evidence Encyclopedia
Evidence Based Practices for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
CEEDAR Center Evidence Based Practices for Students with Severe Disabilities
Learning Disabilities: Evidence-Based Specially Designed Instruction in Mathematics Resource Guide
Clarifying the Relationship Between HLPs and EBPs (High Leverage Practices in Special Education) Video
This video clarifies the relationship between HLPs and Evidence Based Practices.
Inclusive Practices
Virginia Department of Education Inclusive Practices Resources
K-12 Inclusive Practices Guide
The VDOE (2019) K-12 Inclusive Practices Guide defines inclusion, and shares what it looks like in practice in an informative reference document.
VDOE K-12 Inclusive Planning Guide
This guide discusses ways to establish systems that support inclusion.
Co-Teaching
Indiana IEP Resource Center Six Approaches for Co-Teaching
Co-Teaching in a Virtual World
Co-Teaching in a Virtual World includes a series of seven, brief videos with real examples of ways to apply co-teaching approaches during whole class instruction, and specially designed instruction for in-person and virtual learning environments. Questions that guide co-teaching teams through selection of different co-teaching approaches is shared.
Ready. Set. Co-Teach
Co-teachers share tips of the trade on collaborating for co-assessment. Check out their helpful videos, tips, and resources.
Real Co-Teachers of Virginia - Elementary
Real Co-Teachers of Virginia Middle/High School
Co-Teaching Tips from the Real Co-Teachers of Virginia
Administrators
VDOE Self-Assessment of Quality Indicators of Co-Teaching for Co-Teachers and Administrators
Virginia Inclusive Action Planning Guide Tutorial
In partnership with Stetson & Associates, VDOE developed a self-paced professional learning module. The Inclusive Practices in Inclusive Actions Planning Guide Tutorial walks school leaders through steps necessary to establish inclusive schools. (Takes approximately 20 minutes to complete)
Staffing for Inclusion Success Video
John Gandy Elementary in Hanover County shares videos about steps they took to create inclusive school environments.
ASCD - An Administrator's Guide to Co-Teaching
This article outlines co-teaching considerations.
Stetson & Associates Resources on Inclusion
Co-Teaching Partnerships: Considerations
William & Mary TTAC Co-Teaching Considerations Packet
This packet guides co-teachers through important questions such as roles, responsibilities, co-planning, co-teaching approaches, and assessment.
Marilyn Friend (2019) Common Co-Teaching Challenges Video
Dr. Friend shares how administrators can support inclusion and co-teaching while addressing challenges.
What is Co-Teaching? Marilyn Friend on the Think Inclusive Podcast
Center for Innovation Design & Digital Learning (CIDCL) Two Heads are Better than One: Developing Effective Co-Teaching
Join GMU's Dr. Peggy Weiss as she share's strategies for effective co-teaching and ways co-teachers can leverage technology during co-planning, instruction, and assessment.
Co-Teaching Lesson Plans & Resources
VDOE Mathematics Co-Teaching Lesson Plans
Radford University Co-Teaching Lesson Plan Template
#GoOpenVA Lesson Plan Templates
New York State Scaffolding Guides and Resources
New York Department of Education shares links to scaffolds in English and Mathematics.
Indiana IEP Resource Center Specially Designed Instruction Across the Tiers: It's All About Integrated Lesson Planning Video
Co-Planning
William & Mary TTAC Co-Planning for Student Success Packet
Murawski (2012) Ten Tips for Using Co-Planning Time More Efficiently
Stetson & Associates Collaborative Teaching Resources
This website includes a roles and responsibilities checklist, teacher working style guide, six approaches to co-teaching document and more.
Stetson & Associates Collaborative Teaching Distance Learning Options
Co-Assessment
VDOE Growth Assessments
VDOE has information about growth assessments and how to use data to inform instruction on their website.
OSEP Toolkit for Assessing Students with Disabilities
Easy CBM Progress Monitoring Assessments
PALS Literacy Assessments
University of Oregon's Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy (DIBELS) Progress Monitoring Assessments
Paraprofessionals/Paraeducators
CEC (2019) Brief on Preparing Teachers for Paraeducators Supervision
Stetson & Associates Paraeducator Resources
Indiana Department of Education - Classroom Management for Paraprofessionals Video
Professional Learning
National Center for Intensive Interventions
University of North Carolina Project AFIRM
The Virginia Paraprofessional Guide to Supervision and Collaboration with Paraprofessionals: A Partnership (VCU Center for Autism, 2005)
VCU ParaPro Self-Paced Training
Council for Exceptional Children Paraeducator Training
IRIS Center
IRIS Modules provide self-paced learning for teachers who would like to learn more about assessment.