Sessions

Below you will find the sessions for each day of the Symposium. Materials associated with each session are accessible by clicking on the session title. Recordings for select sessions from Days 2 and 3 are now available! Note: Transcripts of videos can be made available upon request: cadre@directionservice.org.

Full Agenda for In-person Event

Full Agenda for Virtual Event (Days 2 & 3)

A recording of this session is available.

Day 1Oct 26
Day 2Oct 27
Day 3Oct 28

Title	Speakers

8:00am - 9:20am MDT
Breakfast & Plenary - Opening Remarks from Valerie Williams

9:30am - 12:30pm MDT
Advanced Mediation Skills	Dr. Timothy Hedeen
Collaborative Decision-Making with Parents and Building Responsive Part C Early Intervention Dispute Resolution Systems	Larry Ringer
Conflict Coaching for Special Education: Setting Up for Success	Dr. Tricia Jones
Culturally Competent State Complaint Investigations	Lenore Knudtson Stephanie Weaver
Getting to Yes in Special Education Disputes: The Power of Interest-Based Conflict Resolution	Josh Kershenbaum, Esq.
Utilizing CADRE's CLC Self-assessment for DR Systems to Maximize Opportunities for Stakeholder Engagement	Tawara Goode Diana Cruz Diana Nadeau

2:00pm - 5:00pm MDT
Behavioral Barriers in Cross-Cultural Dispute Resolution	Jason A Harper
From Conflict to Collaboration: Essential Conflict Management Skills	Kathy Murphy Joy Jordan
Preparing for OSEP’s Differentiated Monitoring Activities of Your State's Dispute Resolution System with CADRE’s Resources	Melanie Reese, Ph.D. Kelly Rauscher
Storytelling: A Tool to Develop Trust, Build Stronger Relationships, and Foster Cohesive Communities	Kiran Singh Sirah
Working within the Cross-section of Mindfulness and Dispute Resolution	Diana Nadeau
“It Took Me Years to Write…”: IDEA Decision/Agreement/Report Writing	Jim Gerl, J.D.

Title	Speakers

8:30am - 9:45pm MDT
Breakfast & Plenary - Keynote Address from Kiran Singh Sirah, Storytelling: A Gift of Hope	Kiran Singh Sirah

10:00am - 11:30am MDT
ADR in California: The Use of Federal Grants to Expand and Enhance the Parent-School Relationship	Rick Homutoff, Ed.D. Jennifer Brooksby, M.S.
Building Educational Systems that Anchor Trust: It's More Than a Vision Statement!	Dr. Darlene Sampson
Creating and Leveraging a Community “Partnership Continuum”	Kathy Clayton David Carrales
IDEA Hearing Officers- Stages and Phases in a Hearing Officer's Career Path	Claudette Rushing, J.D Terri Hagen
PROGRESS Center: Supporting Educators in Responding to the Endrew Supreme Court Decision	Tessie Rose Bailey
Restoring Family-Professional Partnerships: Lessons Learned From a Qualitative Inquiry of Families of Children w/Sensory Loss	Silvia M Correa-Torres Sandy Bowen Tracy Gershwin, PhD Lanya McKittrick
Using Trauma Informed Systems Thinking to Ensure Quality Outcomes from Alternative Dispute Resolution	Veronica Coates Elizabeth Engelken Aubrie Fulk Anjanette Pelletier

1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Accessing Justice Equally: Building Opportunities for Culturally Sensitive Mediation to Diverse Participants in Special Education Dispute Resolution	Lenore Knudtson Stephanie Weaver
Addressing Special Education Disputes at the Lowest Level Appropriate: Avoiding Due Process	Dr. Angela Balsley Dr. Janet R Decker
Behavioral Barriers in Cross-Cultural Dispute Resolution	Jason A Harper
Building Inclusivity and Trusted Community Through Alternative Dispute Resolution	Adriana Aro Mildred Browne
Ombuds Programs: A Flexible and Responsive Resource for Families and Schools	Dr. Timothy Hedeen
Partners in Practice: The Development of a “Complaint Toolkit”	Heather Olivier
Reviewing Recent Guidance from OSEP

3:00pm - 4:30pm MDT
Addressing Equity in the Deaf-Blind Technical Assistance Network	Julie Durando Megan Cote
Effective Partnership with Diverse Families	Joy Sebe Jennifer Stanton
How to Navigate and Conduct Meaningful Equity-Based Conversations	Robin OShea Cassie Velasquez
Introducing the IEP Team Relationship Reset	Dr. Rob Keiter
Leveraging Conflict Management Tools to Sustain an Inclusive Parent-School Partnership	Odilla Sidime
Massachusetts Innovation: How Notification, Content-Specific Mediators, and Emphasis on Accessibility Promotes Dynamic and Effective Mediation	Myrto Flessas Rebecca Stone
SEVA (Special Education Volunteer Advocates): Building Family Capacity and Creating Agreement through Value-Add Collaboration	Diana Autin Jeannette Mejias Michele Tyler

Title	Speakers

8:30am - 10:00am MDT
Breakfast & Plenary - Keynote Address from Dr. Darlene Sampson, We are the RIGHT People at the RIGHT time to CHANGE the World!

10:15am - 11:45am MDT
Exploring the Cultural Expectations in Special Education and their Impact on CLD Families	Diana Cruz
Goals Together for Partnership: A Multiple-Case Study Implementation Project of a School-Wide Family-School Partnership Model	Tracy Gershwin, PhD Kathleen Kyzar
IDEA ADR OS Upgrade: 1.5 to 2.1	Greg Abell Carlo Rossi
Prevention of Disputes through IEP Facilitation: A Collaborative Project between an SEA and LEA	Mary Anne Fleury Geralynn Olvey, Ed.D.
Pulling Back the Curtain on Motives: Discovering the Whys Behind Conflict Behaviors	Randall Reese, M.S., C.P.M.
Training IEP Meeting Participants for Family-Friendly and Culturally Competent IEPs Using Simulations	Natalie Holdren Emily Evanstein Desirae Maier
What Does the Child Really Need? Moving Beyond “Medically Necessary” Versus “Educationally Appropriate” Service Conflicts	Edward Feinberg, Ph.D. Deborah Badawi, M.D. Jonathan Beyer Rene Averitt-Sanzone

1:15pm - 2:45pm MDT
Due Process in a Quarantined World: The Nuts & Bolts of Effective Virtual Hearings	Jake McElligott Cathy Skidmore
Expanding Special Education Advocacy: Replication of the Volunteer Advocacy Project by Community-Based Family Support Organizations	Samantha Goldman Amy A Holbert
Let’s Deal with Conflict! Bridging the Research to Practice Gap for Collaborative IEP Team Outcomes	Tracy Gershwin, PhD Amy Kilpatrick
Preparing the Soil for Conflict Engagement: Mediator Tools, Techniques, and Tenets to Grow By	Randall Reese, M.S., C.P.M.
Routes to Resolution within the Scottish Education System	Sandra Mitchell Elaine MacLennan, B.A , C.Q.S.W , MSc, LLB
Using Applied Improvisation to Building Successful Partnerships	Marc Purchin Fran Goldfarb