Professional Development Alternatives for Exceptional Student Educators, (PDA-ESE) is a Florida Department of Education online professional development program. The eight PDA-ESE modules are designed to provide Florida teachers with widely available, easily accessible, opportunities to increase their competencies in the area of exceptional student education. The purpose of PDA-ESE is to increase teacher knowledge and skills through a "user-friendly" online delivery format.

This PowerPoint (2.8Mb) provides an overview of Professional Development Alternatives for Exceptional Student Educators (PDA-ESE). It is designed for use by PDA-ESE staff for local presentations.  You will need to have PowerPoint installed on your computer or Microsoft's PowerPoint viewer to be able to open the file. Click on the following link to explore answers to some of the most Frequently Asked PDA-ESE Questions.

There are currently eight PDA-ESE modules available.

• Foundations of Exceptional Education
• Assessment and Evaluation
• Instructional Practices
• Positive Behavior Support
• Language Development and Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Interactions and Participation
• Transition
• Differentiating Reading Instruction for Students: Making It Explicit

Research, theory and application are coupled with teacher-focused learning strategies in each online module to promote a thorough understanding of exceptional student education. Each module is worth 60 in-service points (or the equivalent of 3 credit hours for those teaching out of field), with the exception of the Interpersonal Interactions and Participation module, which is worth 30 points.

The initial seven modules are correlated to the competencies used to develop the ESE K-12 certification coverage, which became effective in Florida in July 2002. The eighth module, Knowledge of the Differentiating Reading Instruction for Students: Making It Explicit Process, correlates to competencies four and five of Florida’s Reading Endorsement.

The areas of competencies are:

• Knowledge of Foundations of Exceptional Student Education
• Knowledge of Assessment and Evaluation
• Knowledge of Instructional Practices in Exceptional Student Education
• Knowledge of Assessing, Designing, and Implementing Positive Behavior Supports
• Knowledge of Language Development and Communication Skills
• Knowledge of Skills Related to Teaching Interpersonal Interactions and Participation
• Knowledge of the Transition Process
• Knowledge of the Differentiating Reading Instruction for Students: Making It Explicit Process

The modules are offered free of charge to Florida educators through the coordination of FDLRS Administration Project, FDLRS Associate Centers, ESE Departments and District Staff Development Offices around the state. The local centers designate PDA-ESE Coordinators to schedule the timeframes for the modules to be offered online locally and to secure individuals to act as facilitators to support and guide participants as they navigate the module content. The PDA-ESE Coordinators also insure availability of local technical support for participants enrolled in each module. Additional contact information may be found by clicking on the PDA-ESE Staff icon on this website.

PDA-ESE modules are targeted for any Florida educator who works with students with disabilities. If you would like to increase your knowledge and skills in exceptional student education, enrollment in a PDA-ESE module may be an appropriate learning opportunity for you.

Are you…….

• Assigned out-of-field in exceptional student education?
• Seeking initial certification in exceptional student education?
• Planning to take the ESE K-12 Certification Exam?
• Seeking renewal of certification in any area?
• Seeking targeted instruction to address areas of need indicated on annual performance evaluations?
• Seeking to enhance your skills in exceptional education?

PDA-ESE modules are designed with the busy educator in mind. The PDA-ESE modules combine quality online instruction for self-paced study with local support, ongoing communication, and classroom-related assessment tasks to ensure successful mastery of the module competencies.

PDA-ESE is not an alternative certification program, it is not designed for paraprofessionals or for teachers of the gifted, but it can used as part of the training leading to the acquisition of competencies needed for ESE Certification. Additional information on certification may be found by clicking on the Certification Options icon on this website.

The PDA-ESE Project was originally funded through a U.S. Department of Education Teacher Quality Enhancement Grant under Title II of the Higher Education Act. This project was designed through a collaborative effort of the Division of Professional Educators, Bureau of Educator Certification, and the Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services (BEESS). BEESS continues to provide support funding for local delivery of the PDA-ESE modules. PDA-ESE is currently coordinated by the Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS)  Human Resources Development (HRD) Administration Project, a discretionary project of the Florida Department of Education, which is administered through the North East Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC). Project partnerships include the Florida Department of Education, Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System Associate Centers, and the Florida Center for Interactive Media at Florida State University.