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 of 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 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 • Fi ndings and recommendations grounded in current literature and aligned to evidence-based, industry best practices 12

Data Collection Methods Method Outreach 1) Interviews Over 300 stakeholder participants, conducted over 6 days and Focus - Central office and school-based staff, parents, MS and HS students Groups with IEPs and 504 Plans, family/community organizations 2) Student File Student-centered file review focus groups that allowed for conversation about Review Focus school-based practices Groups - 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 6 schools, one day per site. 3-5 students per school chosen at random, cross- Shadowing section of grades/ages, gender, and disability categories, EL and 2e learners. Shadowed across range of settings. 5) Data and Over 100 documents reviewed Policy Review - Descriptions of academic programs, services, & interventions, instruction & professional learning - District procedures and guides, compliance and due process complaints, fiscal information, VDOE data and reports 13

Key Takeaways District culture limits the ability of those charged with special 1. education, Section 504 and ATSS oversight to implement and enforce priority practices. Site‐based management has resulted in significant variations in 2. service delivery between school buildings. APS has a highly active and engaged parent community. However, 3. this engagement, when coupled with site‐based management, leads to increased inconsistencies among schools. Rapid enrollment growth and changes in leadership make the need 4. for documented district‐wide policies and universal professional learning opportunities even more critical. While the new professional learning framework is promising, it is 5. still “choice” based. Principals and school‐based staff need additional quality, ongoing baseline training to serve in their roles. 14

ATSS Findings Strengths Opportunities for Improvement • Vision • Accountability • Coordinator Position • Referral • Collaboration • Social-Emotional Interventions • Universal Screening • Math Interventions • Reading Interventions • Technology • Elementary Schools • Inconsistent Practices • Web-Based Centralized Forms • Naming • Communication with families • Secondary Schools • District-level Policies and Procedures • Progress Monitoring 15

Referral and Eligibility Findings Strengths Opportunities for Improvement • Evaluation Process • IEP Referrals and Subgroup • Parent Understanding of IEP • 504 Referrals by Subgroup • ESOL/HILT Checklist • 504 Referrals by School • Ease of 504 Eligibility Process • 504 Referrals by Grade 16

Special Education Findings Strengths Opportunities for Improvement • Teaching and Learning Framework Pre- • Early Childhood K Inclusive Options. APS has • Implementation Guide for Inclusion comprehensive, inclusive Pre-K • Academic Optimism and Growth Minds programs • Inconsistent Practices • Countywide Programs • Staff Knowledge and IEP Implementation • Assistive Technology (AT) • Data • Enhanced Policies, Procedures and • Goal Progress Support for EL SWDs • Access to Advanced Courses • Post-Secondary Transition • Performance on Standards of Learning • Caring and Supportive Staff • Support for English Learners • Policies and Procedures • Support for Twice Exceptional Learners • Parent and Family Engagement • Accountability • Post-Secondary Transition 17

Section 504 Findings Strengths Opportunities for Improvement • Increased Awareness • Disparate Identification Practices • Policy and Procedure Manual • Inconsistency of Service Delivery • Knowledgeable and Supportive Staff • Monitoring Fidelity of 504 Plan • Parent Voice Implementation • Electronic Documentation • Health Plans • Plan Access 18

Organization and Operations Findings Strengths Opportunities for Improvement • 90 Day Progressive Plans • 90 Day Progressive Plan Goals • Student Support Process • Office of Special Education • Student Support Coordinators Organizational Structure • Portfolio of Offices under the • Cross-Departmental Collaboration Department of Teaching and • Planning Factors Learning • Technology and Access to Data • Finances • Dedicated Staff 19

Parent and Family Engagement Findings Strengths Opportunities for Improvement • Engaged parents • Access for Families Whose First • Resources and information Language Is Not English • Special Education Parent Liaison • Expectations and Services Program • Communication • Training and Information Sessions • Equity • Increased Outreach • Pace of Change • Plans to Support Students 20

Student Experience Findings Strengths Opportunities for Improvement • Support from Teachers and Case • School Climate and Culture Carriers • Students’ Participation in IEP and • Postsecondary Plans 504 Process • School Climate and Culture • High Expectations • Independence • Understanding and Support 21

Recommendation Summary 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 of 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 22

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 Student Education to schools Success • Professional learning and coaching to school-based teams • Increase equitable implementation across schools 23

District Organization & Operations • Develop a vision of transformation for Office of Special Education • Analyze the Office of Special Education Organizational Structure Operational Excellence • Increase Cross‐Departmental Collaboration 24

Preparing Schools for Success • Create 90 Day Progressive Plans that include specific goals on the implementation of special education and tiered system of support. Engaged • Analyze Staffing Allocations Workforce • Revision of Planning Factors 25

1. Office of Special Ed. 6. All students receive academic and improves consistency across social emotional support to increase schools with adequate student success and well‐being. staffing and resources. 2. Schools develop progressive plans with specific goals for students with disabilities. Student Support Coordinator 3. Office of Special Ed. provides 5. Teachers Student implement Support specially Coordinators, designed (SSC) with a instruction vision, 4. SSC leads streamlined processes for and consistent ATSS, 504, and Special Education interventions processes, and Eligibility. Provides professional in inclusive clear learning to teaching teams. settings. 8 expectations.

Bright Spots‐Implementation at Randolph 27

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 28