What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD: Foundations (PD+)

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Given the high prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in school-aged populations, K–12 educators and administrators are increasingly responsible for designing instruction and learning environments that effectively support students with ADHD. However, formal preparation in ADHD—particularly its neurological foundations and practical implications for teaching and learning—remains limited. This graduate-level course, What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD 1: Foundations, provides a rigorous, research-based introduction to ADHD as a neurodevelopmental condition, emphasizing its presentations, symptoms, and underlying brain-based functioning. Participants will examine how ADHD influences academic performance, attention, behavior, and engagement, and apply this knowledge to inform instructional decision-making in diverse educational settings.
Grounded in applied learning, the course requires participants to demonstrate knowledge acquisition through assessments, structured activities, and sustained engagement. Educators will analyze common learning challenges and design, implement, and refine evidence-based strategies to support focus, task completion, and positive classroom behavior. Assignments are intentionally practice-oriented, guiding learners in the creation of classroom-ready tools, instructional strategies, and behavior supports that can be immediately implemented. University-level rigor is reflected through assessed participation, critical analysis, and ongoing feedback from a university instructor and expert practitioner. By the conclusion of the course, participants will have developed a comprehensive, implementation-ready set of strategies to enhance inclusive practices and improve outcomes for students with ADHD.

Enrollment, Delivery, and Completion Information 

• EDUC 5598PLinks to an external site. : What Every Teacher Should Know About ADHD: Foundations
• Credits: 1 semester credit hour (letter grade A-F)
• Enrollment Type: Open enrollment with self-registration
• Completion Timeframe: 90 days from the date of enrollment
• Delivery Format: Fully online
• Purpose: K-12 professional development recertification requirements
  
  

Recertification and Professional Advancement Statement

Successful completion of this course results in a letter grade and semester credit hour from Idaho State University. As a graduate 5000-level course aligned to Idaho State University’s Graduate Catalog EDUC 5598PLinks to an external site., the course includes engagement with a faculty member and a K–12 practitioner and is designed to support professional learning and implementation in educational settings. Learners enroll as non-matriculated students, and earned grades and semester credits are recorded on an ISU non-academic transcript endorsed by the university Registrar. Applicability of this course toward K–12 teacher license renewal, recertification, salary lane advancement, or other professional advancement is determined by the relevant state board of education, licensing authority, school district, human resources office, collective bargaining agreement, or other approving entity.

Student Expectations

To earn semester credit and a letter grade in this course, students must complete the course in full and engage at the level of rigor expected in a university course. The course includes academically engaged learning through readings, lectures, videos, discussions, applied activities, assignments, and assessments. Successful completion requires consistent participation and satisfactory performance on graded coursework.

Students must:

• Spend the time necessary to complete all assigned learning materials, activities, assignments, and assessments in support of the course learning outcomes
• Demonstrate thoughtful and substantive engagement by applying course knowledge through high-quality, timely work that produces practical strategies, tools, resources, or artifacts ready for use in educational settings
• Engage with instructor feedback, where applicable
• Successfully complete all graded requirements necessary to earn semester credit and a final letter grade

Required Materials and Technology

Students must have regular access to a reliable laptop or desktop computer capable of loading and running standard software.

The computer must support word processing, presentation tools, file downloads and uploads, data review, and multimedia tasks such as viewing videos, recording audio or video, and participating in web conferencing.

The learning management system supports mobile devices, but mobile access should be considered supplemental only. Mobile devices may limit a student’s ability to complete assignments successfully, particularly those involving file handling, multimedia creation, lesson plan development, or other course activities.

An up-to-date browser on any computer or device is required, along with a reliable internet connection.

General Technology Hardware for Online/Hybrid Courses - ISU Help DeskLinks to an external site.

No textbook purchase is required for this course.

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyze and demonstrate an evidence-informed understanding of ADHD by accurately differentiating presentations, symptoms, and key brain-based features, and applying this knowledge to develop a strengths-based student role plan that reflects differences between ADHD and neurotypical development.
2. Evaluate the impact of ADHD on learning by identifying specific learning challenges and designing a standards-aligned lesson plan that incorporates subject-specific tools and instructional supports to improve access and participation.
3. Design and implement a structured system of evidence-based strategies to support attention, focus, and task completion, including multiple approaches for addressing inattention and hyperfocus, and evaluate their effectiveness in classroom application.
4. Develop and justify a comprehensive behavior support plan that addresses ADHD-related behavioral challenges and hyperactivity while strengthening student-teacher relationships, promoting self-regulation, and enhancing student engagement and self-esteem.

Course Deliverables & Takeaways

ADHD Classroom Playbook: 

Learners will leave this course with a take-away resource that highlights the key learnings, strategies, and supports from each unit of the course. As learners progress through the units, they may reference these tools and examples to deepen their understanding of ADHD and strengthen their classroom practices. Each unit also includes Teacher Implementation Tasks designed to support the meaningful and practical application of course concepts.

ADHD Classroom Foundations Final Portfolio:

• Strengths-Based Role Plan
• Subject-Specific Lesson Supports
• Attention & Direction-Following Support System
• Behavior & Self-Advocacy Plan
• System Integration & Communication
• Final Reflection

Units

Assignments and Grading

As a credit-bearing course, grading emphasizes knowledge acquisition, meaningful engagement, and the development of practical tools and artifacts that can be implemented in real educational settings.

Activities and Reflections – 50%

Activities and reflections may include short written responses, graphic organizers, planning exercises, checklists, and applied reflections. These assignments are designed to help you connect course concepts to your professional context and begin developing ideas, strategies, and resources for use in your school or educational setting.

Final Portfolio and Implementation Tasks – 50%

Create a professional-quality implementation artifact that demonstrates your understanding of the course content and your ability to apply it in practice. The final artifact should synthesize learning across all units and result in a comprehensive toolkit, plan, framework, resource set, or other professional-grade product that is ready to use in your educational setting. The project should reflect both knowledge mastery and practical application and be appropriate for use by a K–12 teacher or administrator.

Projects are assessed for clarity, accuracy, depth of understanding, alignment with course concepts, professional quality, and readiness for implementation in an educational setting. Final submissions should demonstrate the level of rigor expected of university coursework and be suitable for review in professional or accreditation contexts

Projects are assessed on clarity, accuracy, connection to course concepts, and appropriateness for course level.

Grading Scale: ISU grading policyLinks to an external site.

• A = 90–100%
• B = 80–89%
• C = 70–79% 
• D = 60–69%
• F = below 60%

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to follow institutional policies on academic honestyLinks to an external site.. Plagiarism, cheating, or misrepresentation of work undermines learning and will result in appropriate consequences as defined by university policy. If you are unsure whether something is acceptable, ask before submitting work.

Accessibility and Disability Services

The university is committed to providing an accessible learning environment. If you have a documented disability and need accommodations, contact the Disability Services office Links to an external site.as early as possible to ensure that reasonable accommodations can be arranged. Students without documentation who believe they may have a disability or learning difference are encouraged to consult Disability Services about evaluation options and campus resources.

Classroom Climate and Respect

This course addresses topics related to disability, learning differences, and personal experiences. Students are expected to maintain a respectful, supportive environment, keep classmates’ stories confidential, and listen with openness and empathy. Disagreement is normal, but it should be expressed respectfully.