Course Credit 15 Hours/PDPs
With an option to add one (1) graduate credit from Fitchburg State University

This professional development course empowers educators with the foundational knowledge and tools necessary to effectively support students’ executive function skills. This course will follow a book study format. It will provide an overview of executive function, specifically through the lens of eleven executive skill areas that are outlined in Dawson and Guare’s text Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention (Third Edition). A heavy emphasis will be placed on classroom routines and strategies to support all learners in managing executive function demands. This course is intended for educators who are looking to build a foundational understanding of executive function and learn a variety of strategies to support their students’ executive function skills. As a result of the learning experiences in this course, participants will be more competent in their ability to:

  • Identify, define, and understand the different components of executive function 
  • Explore current research as well as different models of executive function 
  • Understand the connections between MTSS, tiers of support, and specific educational plans, like 504s and IEPs
  • Understand individual and whole-class interventions to support executive function
  • Identify and apply strategies to help students better manage their executive function 
  • Recognize the comorbidity of executive function difficulties along with language-based learning disabilities and attentional challenges
  • Understand how the terms “hot” and “cool” apply to the emotional component of executive function

The course is divided into six, self-paced modules:

  • Overview of Executive Function – This module examines the definition of executive function by reviewing three different models from leading researchers in the field of executive function. Studying the brain is complex and this module provides background knowledge of the current research on executive function before the course progresses to direct implications and strategies in classroom settings.
  • Progression of Supports for Executive Function – This module highlights the three most common approaches to delivering services to support students’ executive function in a school setting.
  • Individual and Whole-Class Interventions to Develop Executive Function – This module reviews interventions at the individual or whole-class level to support the development of students’ executive function skills and scaffold for success. Explicitly teaching executive skills, fostering student self-talk, and intervening before, during, and after a task are topics that will be addressed.
  • Routines to Support Executive Function – This module describes the importance of routines and explores strategies such as morning arrival procedures, homework collection, and note-taking, which educators can implement individually or for the whole class to support students’ development of executive skills.
  • Supporting Specific Executive Skill Areas – This module further explains numerous strategies that can be implemented to support the development of executive skills. While the previous module focuses on routines and systems, this module focuses on intervening at the executive skill level, like sustaining attention or supporting memory, to target a specific area of need.
  • Executive Function in the Context of ADHD, LBLD, and Emotion – This module examines the comorbidity of executive function with ADHD and LBLD. It also explains the terms “hot” and “cool” in relation to the emotional component of executive function.

Each module will follow a book study format:

  • Reading from required textbook and additional resources within the course such as podcasts, webinars, videos, etc.
  • Quiz to assess learning
  • Opportunities to discuss and reflect on course content with peers
  • Application of the course content via the completion of a related assignment

Specific Assignments:

  • Pre and Post-Assessments: These ungraded questionnaires will be completed at the beginning and end of the course in order to self-assess knowledge and application of course content.
  • Quizzes: The quizzes will assess comprehension of the content from the required reading. The quizzes will be automatically graded within the course platform. Although participants must earn an 80% or higher to move on to the next section of the course, there are unlimited attempts allowed.  
  • Discussion Posts: The discussions will require participants to post an initial response and reply to at least one other post. These tasks will be assessed using specific rubrics.  
  • Assignments: The assignments in each module will require participants to put theory into practice as they read and follow the specific directions, and use examples provided as a guideline for format, length, and quality of writing. These tasks will be assessed using specific rubrics.

Materials

The following text is required for all participants:

Dawson, P. & Guare, R. (2018). Executive skills in children and adolescents: A practical guide to assessment and intervention. Guilford Press.

NOTE: Please be sure to obtain the third edition of this publication.

Graduate Credit

There is an option to add one (1) graduate credit to this 6-week course from Fitchburg State University. Graduate credit is optional; the cost is $210 and the non-refundable payment is made directly to Fitchburg. The timeline to opt into graduate credit is firm and cannot be accepted late. Details about the optional graduate credit will be embedded in the “Course Welcome” module of the online course so you can make your final decision at that time. 

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