Program Evaluation for Students with Disabilities and Those - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Program Evaluation for Students with Disabilities and Those Requiring Interventions

Department Of Teaching and Learning

November 13, 2019

Agenda

Opening Overview of the Presentation PCG Presentation Main Focus Areas Sharing from Randolph Elementary Next Steps‐ Creating a 3‐5 Year Plan ASEAC Comments Questions Wrap up and Closing

10

Top Priorities

Transforming “A System of Schools to a School System”

Build on the existing initiatives to increase consistency across schools through a system

• f support and communication from the

Office of Special Education to schools to streamline processes and build capacity to impact student success and well being.

11

Methodology

12

Outcome Analysis

• Student Population and Program

Placement Trends

• Student Achievement Trends

Organizational & Program Analysis

• Data, Policy & Practice Review
• Program Analysis
• Staffing Analysis
• Financial Review

Research & Practice Literature

• Findings and recommendations

grounded in current literature and aligned to evidence-based, industry best practices

Data Collection Methods

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Method Outreach

1) Interviews and Focus Groups Over 300 stakeholder participants, conducted over 6 days

• Central office and school-based staff, parents, MS and HS students

with IEPs and 504 Plans, family/community organizations 2) Student File Review Focus Groups Student-centered file review focus groups that allowed for conversation about school-based practices

• 48 student records: 24 IEPs, 8 504 Plans, and 16 IATs, including EL and

2e learners 3) Surveys Online surveys administrated to:

• School-based staff (32.6%), parents of students with IEPs (13.4%) and

504 Plans (12.6%), and MS and HS students with IEPs (10.5%) and 504 Plans (9.3%) 4) Student Shadowing 6 schools, one day per site. 3-5 students per school chosen at random, cross- section of grades/ages, gender, and disability categories, EL and 2e learners. Shadowed across range of settings. 5) Data and Policy Review Over 100 documents reviewed

• Descriptions of academic programs, services, & interventions,

instruction & professional learning

• District procedures and guides, compliance and due process

complaints, fiscal information, VDOE data and reports

Key Takeaways

1.

District culture limits the ability of those charged with special education, Section 504 and ATSS oversight to implement and enforce priority practices.

2.

Site‐based management has resulted in significant variations in service delivery between school buildings.

3.

APS has a highly active and engaged parent community. However, this engagement, when coupled with site‐based management, leads to increased inconsistencies among schools.

4.

Rapid enrollment growth and changes in leadership make the need for documented district‐wide policies and universal professional learning opportunities even more critical.

5.

While the new professional learning framework is promising, it is still “choice” based. Principals and school‐based staff need additional quality, ongoing baseline training to serve in their roles.

14

ATSS Findings

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Strengths Opportunities for Improvement

• Vision
• Coordinator Position
• Collaboration
• Universal Screening
• Reading Interventions
• Elementary Schools
• Web-Based Centralized Forms
• Accountability
• Referral
• Social-Emotional Interventions
• Math Interventions
• Technology
• Inconsistent Practices
• Naming
• Communication with families
• Secondary Schools
• District-level Policies and

Procedures

• Progress Monitoring

Referral and Eligibility Findings

16

Strengths Opportunities for Improvement

• Evaluation Process
• Parent Understanding of IEP
• ESOL/HILT Checklist
• Ease of 504 Eligibility Process
• IEP Referrals and Subgroup
• 504 Referrals by Subgroup
• 504 Referrals by School
• 504 Referrals by Grade

Special Education Findings

17

Strengths Opportunities for Improvement

• Teaching and Learning Framework Pre-

K Inclusive Options. APS has comprehensive, inclusive Pre-K programs

• Countywide Programs
• Assistive Technology (AT)
• Enhanced Policies, Procedures and

Support for EL SWDs

• Post-Secondary Transition
• Caring and Supportive Staff
• Policies and Procedures
• Early Childhood
• Implementation Guide for Inclusion
• Academic Optimism and Growth Minds
• Inconsistent Practices
• Staff Knowledge and IEP Implementation
• Data
• Goal Progress
• Access to Advanced Courses
• Performance on Standards of Learning
• Support for English Learners
• Support for Twice Exceptional Learners
• Parent and Family Engagement
• Accountability
• Post-Secondary Transition

Section 504 Findings

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Strengths Opportunities for Improvement

• Increased Awareness
• Policy and Procedure Manual
• Knowledgeable and Supportive Staff
• Parent Voice
• Electronic Documentation
• Disparate Identification Practices
• Inconsistency of Service Delivery
• Monitoring Fidelity of 504 Plan

Implementation

• Health Plans
• Plan Access

Organization and Operations Findings

19

Strengths Opportunities for Improvement

• 90 Day Progressive Plans
• Student Support Process
• Student Support Coordinators
• Portfolio of Offices under the

Department of Teaching and Learning

• Finances
• Dedicated Staff
• 90 Day Progressive Plan Goals
• Office of Special Education

Organizational Structure

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration
• Planning Factors
• Technology and Access to Data

Parent and Family Engagement Findings

20

Strengths Opportunities for Improvement

• Engaged parents
• Resources and information
• Special Education Parent Liaison

Program

• Training and Information Sessions
• Increased Outreach
• Plans to Support Students
• Access for Families Whose First

Language Is Not English

• Expectations and Services
• Communication
• Equity
• Pace of Change

Student Experience Findings

21

Strengths Opportunities for Improvement

• Support from Teachers and Case

Carriers

• Postsecondary Plans
• School Climate and Culture
• Independence
• School Climate and Culture
• Students’ Participation in IEP and

504 Process

• High Expectations
• Understanding and Support

Recommendation Summary

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By implementing these recommendations with fidelity, APS will accomplish the following goals:

• 1. Set an overall district-wide vision for providing high quality services to

students with disabilities and those requiring intervention

• 2. Create a culture that promotes the successful inclusion and integration
• f students with disabilities and other underserved, at-risk and

economically disadvantaged students

• 3. Enhance parent and community engagement by creating warm,

respectful and welcoming environments and be flexible in accommodating the spectrum of family needs

• 4. Strengthen links between school and home to help culturally and

linguistically diverse parents help their children learn and gain equal access to all APS educational programs and services

Student Success

Student Support Coordinators (SSC)

• Streamline processes for Arlington

Tiered System of Support, 504, and special ed. eligibility process

• Provide consistent communication and

expectations from Office of Special Education to schools

• Professional learning and coaching to

school-based teams

• Increase equitable implementation

across schools

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Operational Excellence

District Organization & Operations

• Develop a vision of transformation for

Office of Special Education

• Analyze the Office of Special Education

Organizational Structure

• Increase Cross‐Departmental Collaboration

24

Engaged Workforce

Preparing Schools for Success

• Create 90 Day Progressive Plans that

include specific goals on the implementation of special education and tiered system of support.

• Analyze Staffing Allocations
• Revision of Planning Factors

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Student Support Coordinator

• 3. Office of

Special Ed. provides Student Support Coordinators, (SSC) with a vision, consistent processes, and clear expectations.

• 1. Office of Special Ed.

improves consistency across schools with adequate staffing and resources.

• 4. SSC leads streamlined processes for

ATSS, 504, and Special Education

• Eligibility. Provides professional

learning to teaching teams.

• 5. Teachers

implement specially designed instruction and interventions in inclusive settings.

• 6. All students receive academic and

social emotional support to increase student success and well‐being.

• 2. Schools develop

progressive plans with specific goals for students with disabilities.

8

Bright Spots‐Implementation at Randolph

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Bright Spots‐Implementation at Randolph

The SSC is in charge of:

• Student data analysis with grade-level

teams at CLTs to learn about who requires interventions in either an academic area or in social-emotional learning

• Data tracking of

○ Students who are in interventions and their academic progress or lack thereof ○ Students who are referred to an IAT

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Bright Spots‐Implementation at Randolph

• Coaching and mentoring all teachers who

work with students in the Special Education program

• Coaching and mentoring of SpEd teachers
• n best practices and approaches to

working with students in Special Education

• Assisting with the creation and

implementation of behavior plans to support students, teachers, and families

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Bright Spots‐Implementation at Randolph

• Assisting families with the understanding
• f the Student Support System and how to

navigate the different stages as needed

• Providing consultation to SpEd teachers in

the writing of IEPs to ensure FAPE

• Leading monthly Student Services CLTs at

the school level to ensure uniformity and clarity in terms of processes and procedures, as well as ensuring students are adequately supported

30

Bright Spots‐Implementation at Randolph

• Providing behavioral support to students as

needed (directly to student, through teacher training, and through working alongside families)

• Joining efforts with the counselor, social

worker, and school psychologist to ensure students’ social-emotional well-being

• Supporting case carriers in establishing and

building positive relationships with families

• Adopting a proactive rather than reactive

approach to students’ needs

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Central Office:

• Reorganization of

OSE

• Develop a 3‐5 Year

Plan that is aligned with the English Learners recommendations Student Support Coordinators:

• Expand to all

schools

• Build capacity to

coach school‐based teams Schools:

• Require specific

special education goals in Progressive Plans

• Create Staffing

Models that facilitate co‐teaching Teachers:

• Job Embedded

professional learning

• Coaching
• Progress monitoring

Moving Forward

22

From Strategy to Execution 3 Key Components

• The secret to successful strategy execution is

in translating strategies into actions.

• Tracking progress made on an organization’s

strategy execution is integral to understanding whether it will reach its desired future state.

• While there are different approaches that

districts take to managing this process, the most successful ones create a structure that is sustainable, with internal and external accountability measures and strong cross- departmental advocates.

33

Strategy Execution Process

PCG recommends a five-step Strategy Execution process to ensure results are grounded and sustainable over time in our organization and the APS strategic plan.

Structure Milestones for Initiatives Develop a Tracking System with KPIs Communicate Objectives Monitor Status and Review Outcomes Make Plan Adjustments as Necessary

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Alignment of a 3-5 Year Plan

35

ASEAC Comments

Wendy Pizer Chair, 2018 ‐ 2019 Nadia Facey Chair, 2019 ‐ 2020

36

Top Priorities

Transforming “A System of Schools to a School System”

Build on the existing initiatives to increase consistency across schools through a system

• f support and communication from the

Office of Special Education to schools to streamline processes and build capacity to impact student success and well being.

37

Program Evaluation for Students with Disabilities and Those Requiring Interventions

Department Of Teaching and Learning

November 13, 2019