OVERVIEW OF DSPS TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE VISITS

Through the Galvin Group, one-day technical assistance visits are available to colleges in the same year that their program plan is due to the Chancellor’s Office, two years prior to the college accreditation visit. These voluntary visits are supported by the Chancellor’s Office through a PADS contract and are offered to the colleges at no cost.

Technical Assistance visits serve a number of purposes; they provide expertise and information in a collegial, non-threatening atmosphere, provide an opportunity to brainstorm ideas for program improvement; provide a mentoring and networking experience for DSPS staff and provide visiting DSPS staff an opportunity to view other DSPS programs.

The focus of the visit is individualized technical assistance in areas identified by the Coordinator and program staff.  In an effort to provide maximum benefit to DSPS programs, minimal preparation on the part of the college is required.  DSPS programs are not required to furnish any documents, nor schedule interviews with students and administrators, unless such are necessary as part of the content to be discussed. Compliance issues are not verified unless requested as part of the visit. A member of the Galvin Group staff, accompanied by a content expert from a California Community College, attends the one-day visit. Once a date is scheduled, the Galvin Group staff member works with the Coordinator to refine the content elements and select an appropriate team member. Materials and resources are prepared by the TA team for presentation and discussion at the college. These one-day visits provide an opportunity for DSPS Coordinators and their staff to receive expertise, information and resources in an informal manner at their own offices.

Over the past five years, approximately 95 colleges have received such a visit. Content areas explored during these visits include: Preparation of Program Plans; ADA/504; Program Management; Forms and Record Keeping; Budget/MIS; Adapted Physical Education; Student Learning Outcomes; Learning Disabilities, Alternate Media, High Tech Center operations; Interpreter Issues; Transition; Faculty Awareness, and Staff Development.

The 2009-10 list of colleges for whom a technical assistance visit is available can be found under the Schedule tab on the home page. Additionally, there is availability for TA visits for colleges not on the schedule, through request to the DSPS Coordinator at the Chancellor’s Office, Scott Berenson, (916) 322-3234 or email: sberenson@cccco.edu