FDLRS is a discretionary project of the Florida Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Student Education. We provide information, training, and support to families in order to promote effective parent participation in the education of children who are exceptional and/or have special needs. Services include assistance in the development of family-friendly programs, training and support for services for children with disabilities, and the support of partnerships between schools and parents to support student achievement.
Are you looking for quality professional learning opportunities?
FDLRS Action offers face-to-face professional learning opportunities at our center. To see our current list of offerings Click Here or click on Professional Development. We have a new registration system as of the start of the 2021-22 school year so to register you will need to create a new account if you have not taken a course with us for awhile.
FDLRS provides a variety of ways to earn inservice points. Free online professional development is available statewide through the BEESS Portal to Professional Development Alternatives (PDA). Our PDA courses are designed to assist Florida educators with various instructional and behavioral support needs to maximize achievement for all students. Each course contains high quality, up-to-date content and engaging, online activities.
We encourage you to visit Frequently Asked Questions to see how these courses can help you earn inservice points and increase your ability to respond to the diverse needs of your students.
The BEESS Portal to PDA offers both Facilitated and Independent Study Courses.
Facilitated Courses
Our Facilitated Courses provide educators with structured self-pace study of course content while applying their learning to classroom related learning activities and assessment tasks, along with ongoing collaboration with colleagues and expert facilitators. If you are interested in taking a facilitated course, contact your local PDA coordinator for assistance with course availability and registering for a PDA facilitated course.
Independent Study Courses
Our Independent Study Courses feature self-paced learning, content related assessments, and follow-up activities. If you are interested in taking an independent study course, go to the BEESS Portal to PDA Home Page and click on Register/Sign-in under "Independent Study" to create an account and enroll in courses.
FDLRS Action does offer Online professional developments, to see what our current offerings are Click Here or click on Professional Development.
FDLRS offers free educator webinars where participants can register and engage in a live session. We encourage you to visit our Upcoming Courses page to register for the most current FDLRS Educator Webinars.
Are you looking for new strategies to help your student's succeed?
FDLRS coordinates Florida's Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Initiative developed by the University of Kansas for Research on Learning (KUCRL). At the request of the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Student Education (BESE), the FDLRS Administration Project has assumed responsibility for working with Florida’s SIM Professional Developers to coordinate the SIM Initiative in the Sunshine State. We are privileged to have the opportunity to work with these committed educators.
FDLRS Action does offer SIM trainings through our center. To see what we are currently offering Click Here or click on Professional Development.
SIM Overview
The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning developed the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM). In essence, SIM is about promoting effective teaching and learning of critical content in schools. SIM strives to help teachers make decisions about what is of greatest importance, what we can teach students to help them to learn, and how to teach them well.
There are two components in SIM: Learning Strategies and Content Enhancement Routines.
Learning Strategies
SIM encompasses more than 30 specific Learning Strategies that can help students overcome specific learning difficulties that impede literacy, from identifying words in a text to completing assignments on time to writing complete essays.
Content Enhancement Routines
The Content Enhancement instructional method uses powerful teaching devices to organize and present curriculum content in an understandable and easy-to-learn manner. Teachers identify content that they deem to be most critical and teach it using a powerfully designed teaching routine that actively engages students with the content. Teachers carry out instruction in partnership with students in a way that maintains the integrity of the content while meeting both group and individual needs.
