If You Were a Teacher Or Parent of a Child with a Disability

If you were a teacher or parent of a child with a disability, where would you go for help?

What is GLRS? The Georgia Learning Resources System (GLRS) is a statewide network of 17 resource centers offering free services to parents and educators of students with disabilities.

What is the mission of GLRS? The mission of GLRS is to provide human and material resources for direction and support to educators and parents of students with disabilities. Also, to assist local school systems in meeting the federal requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB), GLRS provides ongoing professional learning (training) to teachers and administrators to assist them in implementing effective instructional strategies.

What can GLRS do for you?

GLRS Provides Training to Educators so that:  Children who are at risk of failure can learn to read.  Children exhibit responsible behavior.  Students with disabilities stay in school and transition to employment or college after they graduate from high school.  Students with disabilities can participate in general education classes with their non- disabled peers.  New special education teachers learn effective instructional strategies from mentor teachers.

GLRS Increases Student Achievement By providing professional learning student achievement is impacted in the following ways:

 Student who were struggling to learn to read have experienced success in reading.  Children who have traditionally shown inappropriate behavior at school have improved their performance and increased their active participation in learning.  Schools have shown a significant reduction in the number of office referrals due to discipline problems.  Fewer students with disabilities are dropping out of school and more students are becoming employed or attending college after high school graduation. More students with disabilities are participating in general education classes with their non-disabled peers. That means students with disabilities can learn the same skills and curriculum that is being taught to other children, enabling more children to meet the academic requirements of No Child Left Behind.

GLRS Supports Parents of Students with Disabilities  GLRS provides information and resources to parents of students with disabilities.  GLRS completes “Child Find” activities so that young children with developmental delays receive appropriate services and support in school.  GLRS coordinates with the Georgia Parent Mentor Program to enable parents to be active participants in their children's education.

What types of resources are available through GLRS?  Loan library of specialized instructional materials, software, and equipment.  Parent and teacher training workshops and classes.  Materials production area for users to make “hands-on” instructional materials.  Referral and information about services for students with disabilities.  Child Find program to identify children with disabilities and help find appropriate programs for them. How is each center staffed? Each center has a total of three staff members: two professional staff members and one secretary/librarian.

Where are the centers located? GLRS Centers are strategically located across Georgia so that no citizen is more than 50 miles from a GLRS Center.

Coastal – Hinesville (912) 877-2088 Northeast – Winterville (706) 742-8292 East Central – Dublin (478) 277-4060 Northwest – Rome (706) 295-6189 East Georgia – Augusta (800) 282-7552 South Central – Waycross (912) 338-5998 Metro East – Stone Mountain (678) 676-2400 South Georgia – Lenox (229) 546-4367 Metro South – Griffin (770) 229-3247 Southeast – Claxton (912) 739-1551 Metro West – Smyrna (770 432-2404 Southwest – Albany (229) 431-1230 Middle Georgia – Warner Robins (478) 988-7177 West Central – Grantville (770) 583-2528 North Central – Jasper (706) 253-1140 West Georgia – Columbus (706) 748-2140 North Georgia - Cleveland (706) 865-2141 State GLRS Coordinator (404) 657-9971

Middle GA GLRS offers the following resources/services for teachers and parents:

- Make It and Take It Center - Professional Lending Library

Middle GA GLRS has offered and currently offers some of the following training/classes for systems, schools, teachers, and administrators:

- Co-Teaching Using the LRE Decision-Making Model - Differentiated Instruction in the Co-Teaching Classroom - Administration Workshop: Implementing Inclusive Practices - Overview of Response to Intervention/Pyramids of Intervention - Dibels Training - STEEP Training for Assessment and Intervention (RTI) - Paraprofessional Training - Behavior Management in Positive Behavior Management Systems - Assist and Support in Teaching and Coaching of TAPP Special Education Candidates - Supporting the Struggling Reader in the Differentiated Classroom - American Sign Language I, II, III, & IV classes

Middle GA GLRS is currently involved in the following projects:

- New Special Education Teacher Academy - SPDG – National Dropout Prevention - SLP Collaborative in the General Education Classroom - Integrating Assistive Technology in Co-Teaching and Special Education Classrooms - Co-Teaching Program Development - TAPP Cohorts Year One and Two - Special Education Math Academy - Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Leadership Initiative Training - Middle GA Regional Transition Council