Al’s World is a tribute to Albert “Al” Brigance, the man behind the BRIGANCE assessments, and is inspired by special educators like you and the important work you do every day. This series of original watercolor cartoons depicts the day-to-day triumphs and tribulations of Judy, special educator extraordinaire, and her colleagues. We hope Al’s World gives you a smile or two!
As we eagerly await our fill of turkey, we’re already feeling full of thanks—especially for educators like you who give so much.
Back-to-school time is here! For some, this may mean starting to set your alarm earlier again, while others may want to take advantage of the last few opportunities to sleep in.
Parades, picnics, and pies, oh my! Independence is important to our country and to our students. BRIGANCE now offers the updated Transition Skills Inventory 2 to support you in building a transition roadmap for your middle and high school students as they prepare for life after high school. Additionally, the new digital Transition Skills Activities 2 provides you with instructional materials to support your students in developing the skills they need to thrive as independent adults in their personal lives, workplaces, and communities.
The number of days until summer may be getting shorter, but your to-do list is probably getting longer! As you write your end-of-year progress notes and have your final IEP meetings, BRIGANCE Special Education can support you in monitoring your students’ progress toward their goals and sharing their growth with families. With BRIGANCE, your end-of-year to-do list might be a little less scary this year!
When you’re feeling good, the hallway can really start to feel like a runway. And just like your favorite outfit, individualized education is always in style!
BRIGANCE Special Education inventories help you gain meaningful insights into your students’ strengths and learning needs, providing you with the information you need to write IEPs that will support your students’ success. So go ahead and turn that movement break into a model walk! BRIGANCE looks great on you.
After a long winter, it’s probably starting to feel like it’s time to spring clean, get organized, and freshen things up—and BRIGANCE has done just that. With updated assessments and instructional materials in the Transition Skills Inventory 2 and the Transition Skills Activities 2 (TSA 2), you’ll be even better equipped to support your middle school and high school students as they make plans and build skills for life after high school. And for the upcoming school year, the TSA 2 will be easily accessible in a digital resource library, helping you stay even more organized.
For special educators, life is like a box of chocolates. The good news is that we have chocolate to help us get through. And more good news . . . using the BRIGANCE assessment tools to inform the instructional objectives for your IEPs makes your life as a special educator a little easier.
Field trips would ideally provide learning for all students, regardless of impairment or developmental level, but they can be challenging for special educators. By helping you unearth what each of your students knows and can do, our BRIGANCE assessments can give you insight into potentially appropriate experiences that will take your students outside their everyday activities.
In many schools, classroom space is at a premium. As a special educator, you may bear the brunt of sharing space, possibly adding undue stress to your already demanding job. Unfortunately, BRIGANCE can’t orchestrate an addition to your building, but rest assured, our BRIGANCE inventories will support you as Maestro of Assessment!
There are never enough hours in a special educator’s day. Efficiency is paramount. With our BRIGANCE assessments, you will quickly pinpoint the skills your students have mastered and those you’ll set as objectives. What will you do with the extra time? Perhaps you can grab a few minutes to connect with your colleagues and savor a fresh cuppa joe!
Today, clear and regular communication between you and your student’s parents or caregivers is imperative. But communicating a special education student’s strengths and needs can be challenging. BRIGANCE can make these conversations easier. The BRIGANCE assessment tools help you pinpoint what a student knows and can do and allow you to chart even the smallest increments of progress—positive news everyone loves to hear!
Because your role as a special educator can be so different from that of general education teachers, you may sometimes feel isolated, even left out. Connecting with colleagues who know little about special education or the students you teach can be challenging. Sharing students' BRIGANCE assessment results could help. By capturing exactly what students know and can do at different points throughout the year, BRIGANCE lets you connect with your colleagues while sharing your students’ successes!
What pushes them out: Inadequate support (from administrators, parents, other teachers). Not enough space. Insufficient planning time. No relevant PD. Parents' and other teachers' misconceptions about special education. What's keeping them in: Support (from instructional coaches, administrators, parents, other teachers). Adequate prep time. Being valued. A positive school climate. BRIGANCE assessments. And, of course, the KIDS!
Each day special educators plan for multiple ability and skill levels and divergent learning modalities—not to mention individual medical concerns, such as food allergies. Unfortunately, BRIGANCE can’t help you manage your lunchroom duty, but our assessment tools will help you determine spot-on, measurable goals for each student and track progress toward these goals.
Discover tools for Special Education, Early Childhood, and Head Start.
Terri Pica | Contact Your Local Representative
