2024 OSEP Conference

Presenter Information

2024 Call for Proposals is Now Closed

The theme of this year’s conference, Early Beginnings to Bright Futures, inspires us to explore recent advancements and evidence-based practices focused on improving outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families.  We are excited to offer a range of session types that allow for innovative presentation formats, facilitate knowledge sharing, and maximize audience engagement. Together, we can reshape the narrative related to disability and create pathways for children with disabilities to thrive and reach their full potential. 

OSEP invites proposal submissions for the following session types:

• Implementation Showcases
• Talks
• OSEP Scholar and Intern Showcases
• Posters
• Technology Demonstrations
• Meetups
• Workshops

Additional information about each session type, submission guidelines, and participation guidelines are available below. 

Please note, all proposals will be reviewed by the OSEP Proposal Review Committee. Submitting a session proposal will not necessarily result in an acceptance. The committee reserves the right to recommend revisions to a session or combine multiple sessions to maximize perspectives represented and diversify dialogue on topics.

Learn more about the proposal submission and review process in the Instructions for Submitting a Proposal.  

Recommended Topics for Proposals

The Proposal Review Committee will prioritize session proposals related to the OSEP Director’s priority topics (list below) and focused on improving services and outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families.

Proposals should spotlight innovative practices related to:

• Advancing equity
• Transition: promoting partnerships, meaningful planning, and successful execution
• Expanding meaningful family engagement for all communities
• Utilizing effective dissemination and implementation strategies
• Improving academic and developmental outcomes
• Preparing and supporting instructional leaders’ professional growth
• The quest for outcomes-based work: States’ support for infants, toddlers, children, and students
• Improving effective use of assistive technology, accessibility practices, and accessible educational materials
• Improving outcomes for military-connected infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families

Preference will be given to proposals that:

• Represent collaboration among a broad range of stakeholders. 
• Provide examples of how institutions of higher education (IHEs), State educational agencies (SEAs), or local educational agencies (LEAs) incorporate innovative practices into current infrastructures and priorities. 
• Include an evaluation measuring the impact of the proposed practice or strategy. 
• Address multiple aspects of the research-to-practice continuum, such as research on evidence-based practices and/or pedagogy, training, professional development, and technical assistance.  
• Address data use, management, or quality to support data-informed decisions to improve results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. 
• Include practitioners, local administrators, and family members as presenters. 

Instructions for Submitting a Proposal

All proposals must be submitted through the OSEP Registration & Proposal Portal. When submitting a proposal, you will first be prompted to register for the conference and create an account. 

Note: prior to registering, you must first create an account for multi-factor authentication on login.gov with the same email you intend to use to register for the conference. Multi-factor authentication will be required every time you wish to enter the portal. Additional information is available on the portal’s landing page as well as at login.gov.

• Enter the Registration and Proposal Portal to submit your proposal(s) any time before the submission deadline on Friday, February 23 by 5pm Eastern. 
  • Multiple proposals may be submitted on behalf of the same individual and/or organization.  
  • If you wish to make any revisions to an existing submission prior to Friday, February 23, you may do so in the portal by clicking “edit” next to the proposal’s name. 
  • No revisions will be accepted following the submission deadline. You will be given the opportunity to address any feedback and make revisions as necessary after the committee’s review. 
  • Please note, the number of proposed presenters is limited based on the session type. Presenter limits are listed below. 

Presenter Limits by Session Type

• You will be notified by email whether your proposal(s) has been reviewed and will be able to log into the portal to view your proposal’s decision status. 
  • If your proposal(s) is accepted, you will be asked to confirm your intention to present at the conference. If the OSEP Proposal Review Committee provides any feedback or suggests any revisions, you will need to make all necessary changes to your proposal submission(s) by the given deadline.  
  • Once you have confirmed your intention to present and address the OSEP Proposal Review Committee’s feedback (if applicable), you will receive instructions for submitting your presentation materials.

Roles and Responsibilities 

Primary Contact. The individual who completes and submits a proposal will be considered the proposal’s primary contact. As the primary contact, they should plan to answer any questions and take any action related to the proposal submission. Dependent on the session’s acceptance by the Proposal Review Committee, this will include:

• Reviewing feedback from the Proposal Review Committee and confirming intention to present at the conference. 
• Uploading all session-related materials.

Primary Presenter. The primary presenter will receive ALL communication regarding the submission, including decisions on acceptance. The primary presenter will also be responsible for ensuring that all co-presenters associated with the session are notified of acceptance decisions and are registered for the conference. 

Co-Presenters. Co-Presenters will receive communications as relevant about proposal submissions. 

All presenters (primary and co-presenters) must register as conference attendees.
To register, please visit the OSEP Registration & Proposal Portal.

Have any remaining questions? Email the conference planning team at osep-meeting@air.org. 

Session Types:

Session types for this year’s conference are described below. OSEP strongly encourages that Implementation Showcases and Talks include presenters across audience types, as appropriate. 
 

Implementation Showcases (75 min)

About Implementation Showcase Sessions 

Implementation Showcase are 75-minute sessions featuring policies, practices, or programs with demonstrated impacts for improving outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. Presenters should provide data on who was impacted; implementation of the policy practice, or program; and achieved outcomes. Presenters should also discuss recommendations for replicating and scaling the policy, practice, or program. Implementation showcases include 3-5 presenters across several participant groups, and at least 20 minutes is built in for audience discussion.

A strong Implementation Showcase proposal could look like (but should not be limited to) one of the following:

1. Researcher-practitioner presenter teams describing their experiences implementing an evidence-based practice that improved outcomes for children with disabilities. 
2. State Educational Agencies implementing family partnerships and practices that demonstrate improved family engagement. 
3. Local schools implementing effective processes that engage and empower families to access the appropriate support services needed for successful youth transitions. 

Talk Sessions (45 Min)

About Talk Sessions

Talk sessions are 45-minute sessions for participants to share effective practices or highlight innovative ideas in personnel preparation, research, technical assistance (TA), technology, and policy for improving results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. At least 15 minutes should be built in for audience discussion. 

OSEP Scholar and Intern Showcases (10 Min)

About OSEP Scholar and Intern Showcases

OSEP Scholar and Intern Showcases are 10-minute presentations given by OSEP Scholars and Interns. Presenters will highlight their research and scholarship related to results for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. The showcases may be grouped by the conference planning team into similarly themed sessions.   

Poster Sessions (60 Min)

About Poster Sessions

Posters provide informal opportunities to discuss your project with a broader audience. Posters should highlight effective practices in your State, program, or individual grant that led to improved outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities and their families. Attendees will visit your poster and hear about your work during a 60-minute block.

Technology Demonstrations (60 Min)

About Technology Demonstrations

Technology Demonstrations are 60-minute sessions offering opportunities to share new and innovative technologies available to practitioners, State and local education agencies, researchers, and technical assistance providers.

Technology Demonstration presenters will present technology in an interactive manner by:

• Describing who the technology is intended to benefit,
• Walking users through the technology, and
• Highlighting key features relevant for audiences looking to implement these technologies in their local context.

Attendees will visit your Technology Demonstration and discuss your product during a 60-minute block.

Meetups (60 Min)

About Meetups

Meetups are 60-minute networking and brainstorming events that encourage communities to connect around similar topics, passions, roles, or interests. Note-takers and follow-up actions are encouraged. Meetups are speaker-facilitated events and are NOT presentation-based session formats.

• Meetups will be scheduled during free periods throughout the conference; sessions may be hosted mornings, evenings, or during lunch breaks. 
• Meetup leads will receive further information, including discussion guidance, from the conference planning team through email.

Workshops (60 Min)

About Workshops

Workshops are 60-minute, in-depth instructional programs with hands-on learning activities and specific takeaways. Workshops are speaker-facilitated events and are NOT presentation-based session formats.

• Audience participation should be incorporated throughout, not just reserved for questions at the end of the session.