Strategic Plan Status Update Special Education Program Evaluation - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Strategic Plan Status Update Special Education Program Evaluation February 10, 2020

Goal 2: Student Experiences Objective: A program evaluation of our current service delivery model for students with disabilities will be conducted by the end of the 2018-19 school year. Approved recommendations will be implemented in subsequent years. 2

Program Evaluation Timeline January – March 2019: Literature review and instrument development phase March – November 2019: Data collection and analysis phase November – December 2019: Draft report submitted for review and feedback January - February 2020: Final report submitted and Board Presentation 3

Special Education Program Evaluation Presented by Gibson Consulting Group, Inc. to the York County School Division February 10, 2020 4

Agenda  Introduction  Parent Insights and Satisfaction  Staff Input  Organization and Management  Program Implementation  Behavior Programs  Questions 5

Introduction 6

Gibson Consulting Group  Consulting and Research firm exclusively dedicated to the K12 industry  Evaluated more than 75 special education programs nationwide  Based in Austin, Texas  15 employees, plus alliance partners  Selected in January 2019 through competitive procurement 7

Evaluation Team  Presenting: ― Greg Gibson, Project Director ― Keri Munkwitz, Senior Evaluation Consultant ― Dr. Jill Carle, Research Scientist ― Dr. Cindy Elsberry, Special Education Technical Specialist  Others Involved: ― Eric Booth, Senior Research Scientist ― Marshall Garland, Senior Quantitative Analyst ― Rex Long, Qualitative Data Analyst 8

Project Objective  To solicit feedback from program stakeholders and identify opportunities for improving programs and services to students with disabilities in YCSD. 9

Evaluation Questions  What is the quality of special education services in YCSD as evidenced by historical trends in student performance outcomes, program participation, and comparisons with similar schools and divisions?  Are YCSD’s special education programs and services appropriately organized, staffed, structured, and supported?  Are students effectively identified, evaluated, and placed in special education?  Are special education programs and services meeting the needs of students in YCSD?  To what extent are staff and parents satisfied with the continuum of services provided to special education students in YCSD? 10

Elements of Work  Literature Review of Best Practices and Strategies  Data Analysis and Benchmarking  Individualized Education Program (IEP) Review  Site Visit / School Visits / Classroom Observations  Staff Survey  Parent Survey and Phone Interviews 11

Parent Insights and Satisfaction 12

Parent Insights and Satisfaction  Online parent survey (1,561 sent, 20% response rate)  Phone interviews with hard-to-reach parents (n=34)  Four domains: ― Satisfaction with instructional services and IEP development ― Satisfaction with school environment and family communication ― Parent involvement ― Transportation services  Overall positive feedback across most domains 13

Parent Survey Results IEP Development Had thorough discussions of goals during IEP 87% meetings 87% Staff conveyed sufficient knowledge of IEP process 87% Team selects accommodations child needs Placement decisions made using data/input from IEP 85% team members 84% Concerns/recommendations documented on IEP Discussed how child would participate in state 83% assessments 79% Had positive experiences at IEP meetings IEP covers all appropriate aspects of child's 77% development School communicates regularly regarding child’s 71% progress on IEP goals 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 14

Parent Survey Results Quality of Student Services Received Child spends an appropriate amount of time in 89% general education classes, given learning needs General education teachers implement all IEP 80% accommodations/modifications 80% School provides my child with all IEP services School ensures afterschool/extracurricular 68% activities are accessible I am satisfied with the quality of special 67% education services my child receives Teachers/staff at school effectively manage 65% incidents of teasing/bullying 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 15

Parent Survey Results Communication Written information received is written 93% in understandable way Teachers/staff encourage participation 81% in decision-making process Referral/evaluation process for testing 80% was clear/easy Teachers/staff regularly share data 72% about how child is doing 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 16

Parent Survey Results Accessibility of Resources School gives parents help they need to 58% play active role in child’s education School offers parents training if they need 35% help understanding child's curriculum School connects families to other families 34% to provide information/mutual support School connects parents to organizations that serve parents of children w/ 30% disabilities 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 17

Recommendation  Help connect parents of students with disabilities with community resources to support them and help them fully engage in their child’s educational life. 18

Staff Input 19

Staff Survey Participants  Special Education Teachers  Non-Special Education Teachers  School Leaders  Para-educators  Related Service Providers  School Board Office Staff 20

Staff Survey Domains  Satisfaction with Special Education identification, placement, and service delivery  Specialized instruction and inclusion  Teaching supports and collaboration  Professional development  Job satisfaction and responsibilities  Organizational support 21

Staff Survey Results  1,610 online surveys sent; 67% response rate  Response rates similar to division population percentages  Level of satisfaction varied significantly across domains, employee groups, school types, and schools within a school type  Results woven into report observations where applicable 22

Organization and Management 23

Program Profile  YCSD serves 1,450 students with disabilities, representing 11.2% of total enrollment, below the state average of 13.2% and below most peers 16.0% 13.8% 13.0% 14.0% 12.5% 12.6% 13.2% 11.2% 10.6% 12.0% 9.7% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0% Rockingham Culpepper York County Albemarle Suffolk City Frederick Faquier County County County 2018-2019 State  Over the past 5 years, growth in students with disabilities (17.9%) has exceeded overall enrollment growth (2.1%) 24

Program Profile  Flat per-student spending on students with disabilities, and below available benchmarks $14,000 $12,192 $11,676 $11,386 $11,335 $12,000 $10,957 $10,000 $8,000 $6,000 $4,000 $2,000 $- FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018 25

Improvement Opportunities  Organization structure: ― 22 positions report to the Director, resulting in excessive involvement in transactional details ― Peer divisions show much lower span of control ― Program accountability (instruction, compliance, data analysis) not reflected on organizational chart 26

Improvement Opportunities  Level of Student Services Coordinator support across schools is inconsistent and focuses more on administrative than academic support  More special education para-educators (114) than teachers (103), inconsistent with what research suggests  Staffing formulas and guidelines not sufficiently based on student needs (service hours) or division-established caseloads 27

Improvement Opportunities  Incomplete and/or outdated procedures and job descriptions  Insufficient data validation and analysis 28

Improvement Opportunities  Lower Medicaid Reimbursement Revenue per student than available benchma rks York County $96 Albemarle County $10 Culpeper County $122 Fauquier County $109 Suffolk City $243 $0 $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300 29

Recommendations  Reorganize the Office of Student Services to achieve a reasonable span of control and a logical alignment of functions  Convert some para-educator positions to teacher positions to more significantly impact student learning  Establish targets for related services provider student-staff ratios and caseload maximums to ensure optimal staffing efficiency and effectiveness 30

Recommendations  Assign a dedicated staff resource to data analysis, data verification, and data entry training  Seek outside assistance to explore additional Medicaid Revenue opportunities 31

Program Implementation 32

Program Profile  YCSD is trending towards higher inclusion levels  Student achievement significantly higher than peer divisions and state average across all content areas, largely mirroring general education performance 33

Program Passing Rates 34

Graduation and Dropout Rates 35