Improving Performance of Students with Disabilities

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Improving Performance of Students with
Disabilities

• September 9, 2008
• Joint CAI/RSN Meeting
• Curriculum, Assessment Instruction Learning
  Network
• Regional Services Network for Special Education
• CESA 7
• With Judy K. Sargent and Fran Renn-Malcheski

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Welcome

• News New Faces
• Why this focus? Perfect storm?

DataRetreats
Spec Ed Achievement
MissingAYP
DPI StatePerformanceTargets
Calls Requests
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AGENDA
Early Intervention
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Data Profile Data Sources
Data Profile

• WINSS http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/sig/index.html
• WKCE achievement suspensions graduation rates
  drop out rates prevalence
• Local Performance Plan Special Education
  District Profile http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/
  lpp-profile.html
• 20 indicators state targets district
  performance on indicators

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Data Profile in CESA 7
Data Profile

• WKCE-CRT Performance Gaps (Indicator
  3-Participation Performance)
• Prevalence Disproportionality (Indicators
  9-10-Disproportionality)
• Educational Environment (Indicator 5-Environment)
• Graduation Rates (Indicator 1-Diploma)
• Drop Out Rates (Indicator 2-Drop Out)
• Suspensions (Indicator 4-Suspensions Expulsions)

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Achievement Gaps in CESA 7
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Grade 3 SwD Reading
Data Profile
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Grade 4 SwD Reading
Data Profile
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Grade 5 SwD Reading
Data Profile
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Grade 6 SwD Reading
Data Profile
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Grade 7 SwD Reading
Data Profile
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Grade 8 SwD Reading
Data Profile
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Grade 10 SwD Reading
Data Profile
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Grade 3 SwD Math
Data Profile
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Grade 4 SwD Math
Data Profile
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Grade 5 SwD Math
Data Profile
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Grade 6 SwD Math
Data Profile
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Grade 7 SwD Math
Data Profile
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Grade 8 SwD Math
Data Profile
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Grade SwD 10 Math
Data Profile
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Patterns
Data Profile

• What patterns do you see?
• What are the patterns in your district? among
  your schools?
• How do your disabled students compare to
  non-disabled students?

Stop Chat
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Who do these data represent?

• Who are your students with disabilities?
• Do you hear Of course theres a gap theyre
  in special ed, after all.

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Prevalence of Disabilities in CESA 7 Districts
(2008)
Data Profile

• Range and Averages (SwD of Total Population)

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High Incidence Disabilities Who represents the
performance gaps?
Data Profile
CESA/State of SwD in District
What prevalence patterns do you see in your
district?
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State Ranking
Data Profile

• Among the 12 CESAs, on the 2007-08 WKCE-CRT for
  ALL students, CESA 7 ranks
• 1st out of 12 at grade 10
• 1st out of 12 at grade 8
• 10th out of 12 at grade 4
• Whats happening at the elementary level?

Stop Chat
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Disproportionality in CESA 7
Data Profile

• Disproportionality disproportionate
  representation of racial and ethnic identified
  for special education placement that is the
  result of inappropriate identification
• Identified districts develop and submit a
  disproportionality improvement plan

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Engagement in Learning
Data Profile

• To what degree are students with disabilities
  actively ENGAGED in learning?
• Behavior Indicators
• Graduation and Drop Out Rate
• Suspension Rates

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SwD Graduation Rates in CESA 7High Completion
Rates with Regular Diplomas
Data Profile
AYP Requirements Graduation or Attendance
Elementary and middle schools must have an
attendance rate of at least 85 or show growth
over the prior year. High schools that graduate
students must have graduation rates of at least
80 or show growth over the prior year. State
Performance Target 2010-11 91.04 (Indicator
1)
Graduation Rates
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SwD Drop Out Rates in CESA 7
Data Profile
State Performance Target .836 (Indicator 2)
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Graduation Gaps
Data Profile

• Can we improve our graduation rates for students
  with disabilities?

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Suspension Rates in CESA 7
Data Profile
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What are your suspension rate gaps?
Data Profile

• How can we engage students with disabilities so
  they stay IN school and IN class?

Stop Chat
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Data Plays a Prominent Role

• In the referral process
• Basis for IEPs
• Measuring progress

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Assessment Data
Data

• IEP Team
• (See checklist handout)
• Sample assessment tools
• Standardized test scores
• Percentiles
• Grade Equivalents
• Error analysis of missed items
• 2. Curriculum-Based Measurement probes
• Reading number of works read correctly in one
  minute
• Writing number of correct word sequences
• Math number of correct digits

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Assessment Data continued
Data

• 3. Behavioral observation data
• Frequency attendance, work completed, etc
• Latency amount of time to begin working after
  given an assignment.
• Rate number of times student initiates
  interactions with a peer during a 20-minute
  cooperative learning activity.
• Duration how long a student remains in his or
  her seat.

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Assessment Data continued
Data

• 4. Work samples (with specific, quantifiable
  descriptions)
• Written work number of works per sentence,
  number of sentences per paragraph, etc
• Quality of work organize items by color or size
  with a certain level of accuracy, complete an
  assignment with a certain percentage of legible
  handwritten words, meet rubric criteria

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The Perfect StormRegular Education Special
Education
Convergence
The convergence of accountability laws, concepts
and philosophies.
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Convergence
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Special Education Legislation
Convergence

• Since reauthorization of IDEA in 1997SwD must
  be provided
• Access to the general curriculum
• Participation in state and district assessments
• NCLB further defined the requirements for SwD
• All students participate in state assessments
  aligned with state standards
• (State standards represent those things
  determined to be important for all students to
  know and be able to do)

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NCLB Removes Obscurity
Convergence

• DISAGGREGATION PROFICIENCY States must
  disaggregate assessment data by subgroups, and
  students in each subgroup need to demonstrate
  continual growth toward proficiency in reading
  and math.
• No longer can a school/districts average score
  obscure the persistent achievement gap that
  exists for many students in basic skills such as
  reading and math.

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Presidents commission onExcellence in Special
Education issuedNew Era Revitalizing Special
Educationfor Children and their Families
Convergence

• CONVERGENCE IS CLEAR This put to rest any notion
  of national policy moving toward the alignment of
  NCLB and IDEA. The need for increased
  accountability, highly qualifies teachers and
  reexamination of LD eligibility requirements were
  all addressed.
• IEP CLARITY In addition, the Commission made a
  specific and very significant recommendation
  relative to IEPs. (excerpts)
• A particularly revealing issue to the commission
  was the strikingly high number of parents,
  teachers, and administrators who described how
  IEPs are not actually designed or used for
  individualized education instead they are
  focused on legal protection and compliance with
  regulatory processes The Commission recommends
  that IDEA statutory requirement focus on
  substantive educational and developmental
  outcomes and results.

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2004 reauthorization of IDEA
Convergence

• Coordination with general education
• The focus is to bridge the requirements and
  processes between general and special education.
  IDEA stresses access to and progress in the
  general education curriculum.
• With the increased emphasis for students with
  disabilities and the introduction of tiered
  models of intervention, there is no end to what
  must be coordinated.

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Leadership
Convergence

• To what degree does your district administrative
  team understand the convergence of NCLB and IDEA?
• How much do your general and special education
  teachers understand about the philosophies
  underlying these legislations?

Stop Chat
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Special Education as is Cannot Close the
Achievement GapWhat Doesnt Work

• Identification Based on Failure. The
  underlying model (IQ discrepancy) has no
  scientific basis.
• Rules Compliance. The system has been
  oriented to procedural compliance, not services
  and outcomes.
• Wait to Fail. The Wait to Fail model
  sometimes stabilizes but rarely remediates.
• Remediate. Remediation is not a solution to
  acceleration.
• Lower and Slower. Teaching students lower
  slower increases gaps and limits students
  futures.

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Quality IEPs
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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The IEP the heart soul of IDEA
Quality IEPs

• Individualized
• Written plan for a childs education
• Written by parents and school staff together
• Lists the special education the child will
  receive, and more
• Is both a document and a process

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Quality IEPs
Quality IEPs
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The IEP Provides
Quality IEPs
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
Access to and participation in
Extracurricular Activities
General Education Curriculum
Nonacademic Activities
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Quality IEPs
A Concrete Example
Becky is 7, smart, and eager to learn. She has
special health care needsspecifically, juvenile
diabetesthat adversely affect her educational
performance.
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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Quality IEPs
Elements of Beckys IEP

• Training of staff
• Freedom to eat in class and elsewhere
• School health services
• Specific arrangements for field trips special
  events
• Specific arrangements for absences from school

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Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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Present Level of Academic Achievement
Functional Performance
Quality IEPs

• PLAAFP

Statement of the Childs present levels of
academic achievement and functional performance
This includes
how childs disability affects childs
involvement and progress in the general education
curriculum
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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Quality IEPs
Thinking Point Where specifically does data from
present level of general education achievement
come from? How is the achievement data source
aligned with the general ed. critical performance
standards?
Stop Chat
Comes from evaluation data, observations, parent
/teacher reports, and schoolwork
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Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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IEP Document Whats Included?
Quality IEPs

• Annual Goals

Statement of Measurable annual goals, including
academic and functional goals
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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state of the art IEPs
LRE

• Staff must be guided to write more effective and
  measurable IEP goals that result in improved
  outcomes for student with disabilities.
• The IEP should identify skill deficits
  interfering with the students access to the
  curriculum. It should not describe the
  curriculum. The content of a class is what we
  expect all student to learn, the IEP must
  identify the critical skills and behaviors the
  student needs to access the curriculum.
  Kosnitsky, Carol. (2008). IEP Goals That Make a
  Difference an Administrators Guide to Improving
  the Process. Pennsylvania LRP Publications

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CESA 7
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Consider The Assessed-Taught-Written Curriculum
Quality IEPs
Curriculum IEP Alignment
Taught Curriculum
Stop Chat
Critical Grade Level Performance Standards
Assessed Curriculum
Written Curriculum

• ASSESSED The WKCE-CRT is intended to be a
  measure of the general curriculum.
• TAUGHT What curriculum is being followed for
  SwD? What critical power standards are taught to
  meet grade level expectations?
• WRITTEN What grade level expectations/standards
  are written in the curriculum that teachers
  follow?

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Critical Performance Standards
Quality IEPs

• WKCE Frameworks
• Reading Frameworks
• Math Frameworks
• Rigor Ladders
• Links http//www.schoolimprovement.us/index.asp

Guide to CRITICAL performance standards
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Alternate Curriculum
Quality IEPs

• Which students receive an alternate curriculum
  that supplants the general education curriculum?
• Which students are removed from the general
  curriculum for more than 60 of the time?

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How and where are the critical performance
standards being taught?
Quality IEPs
In the General Education Classroom
In Supplemental Special Education Classes
Whats the connection or disconnection?
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Annual IEP Goals
Quality IEPs
Statement of Measurable annual goals, including
academic and functional goals
These measurable annual goals must be designed to

• meet childs needs that result from childs
  disability

to enable the child to be involved in and make
progress in the general education curriculum and
Produced by NICHCY, 2007

• meet each of the childs other educational needs
  that result from the childs disability

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On the IEP Form
Quality IEPs

• Must focus on the critical skills and behaviors a
  student must have to access the general
  curriculum OR documentation in the IEP must
  describe why the student is removed from the
  regular curriculum.
• IEP question Will the student be involved
  full-time in the general education curriculum or,
  for preschoolers, in age-appropriate activities?
  ? Yes ? No (If no, describe the extent to
  which the student will not be involved full-time
  in the general curriculum or, for preschoolers,
  in age-appropriate activities)
• The student will participate in an alternate or
  replacement curriculum that is aligned with
  alternate achievement standards in (check all
  that apply)___ Reading ___ Math ___ Language
  Arts ____ Science ____ Social Studies___
  Other (specify) Form I-4 (Rev. 10/06)

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Writing Measurable Goalsbased on the PLAAFP
Quality IEPs

• Why is writing measurable goals important? Why is
  it so difficult?
• How do you write a measurable goal?
• What is the goal writing sequence?
• How do you develop a plan to measure progress?
• How do you visually represent data?

Stop Chat
Thinking Point How are measurable goals written
to ensure learning in the general ed. Curriculum?
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Sample PLAAFP and Goals
Quality IEPs

• PLAAFP Student Z demonstrated difficulty with
  work completion. Over the past 3 weeks, he has
  turned in an average of 40 of the in-class
  assignments and 20 of the homework assignments
  each week.
• Annual Goal Z will complete and turn in 90 of
  in-class assignments and 80 of homework
  assignments each week, as noted in the teacher
  grade book.
• __________________________________________________
  _____________
• PLAAFP Ys Broad Reading was at the 1.4 grade
  equivalency as measured using the
  Woodcock-Johnson III (WJ-III). Her reading
  fluency fell at the 1.8 grade equivalency. She
  read 40 words correctly per minute on
  second-grade level CBM passages, and 26 WPM on
  third-grade-level passages. Y knows 70 of
  first-grade-level Dolch sight works and 32 of
  second-grade-level Dolch sight words.
• Annual Goal Given a third-grade-level reading
  passage, Y will read at least 74 works correctly
  per minute by June 2008.

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Samples
Quality IEPs
PLAAFP Jason demonstrated minimal proficiency on
geometric concepts and 3-dimensional figures.
Over the past 3 weeks, he has scored at 1 out of
4 on 4 different geometry problems focused on 2
and 3-dimensional figures. Annual Goal Jason
will achieve a 3 proficiency level on 2- and
3-dimensional figure 7th grade assignments 4 out
of 5 times. ______________________________________
_________________________ PLAAFP Mindys Lexile
was 640 in the fall of 2006, then 690 in winter,
and 695 in spring of 2007 out of a mean Lexile
for the class of 1000. Annual Goal Given fiction
and nonfiction passages (one of each) at Lexile
levels 700 to 800, Mindy will read at 80
accuracy by June 2008.
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Essential components to annual goals
Quality IEPs

• A specific description of the skill
• How the skill will be measured
• The criterion against which progress will be
  measured.
• If PLAAFP is the starting line, the annual
  goal is the finish line target
  for the year covered by the IEP.

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Progress Reporting
Quality IEPs
Description of...

• How the childs progress toward meeting the
  annual goals will be measured
• When periodic reports will be provided on childs
  progress toward meeting the annual goals

Stop Chat
Examples given in the law
Quarterly or other periodic reports, concurrent
with the issuance of report cards
How do you use local assessments to measure the
progress of students with disabilities?
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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Special Education Services
Quality IEPs
Statement of the Special education and related
services and supplementary aids and services to
be provided to the child, or on behalf of the
child
These must be based on peer-reviewed research to
the extent practicable
Statement of the Program modifications or
supports for school personnel that will be
provided for the child...
Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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Extent of NON-PARTICIPATION
Quality IEPs
Explanation of the...

• Extent, if any, to which the child will not
  participate with nondisabled children in the
  regular class and in activities already
  described Form I-9 (Rev. 10/06)

• Involvement and progress in the general education
  curriculum, extracurricular activities, and other
  nonacademic activities Form I-4 (Rev. 10/06)

Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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Assessment Accommodations
Quality IEPs
Statement of...
Any individual appropriate accommodations that
are necessary to measure the academic achievement
and functional performance of the child on State
and district-wide assessments ...
...if the IEP team determines that the child must
take an alternate assessment instead of a
particular regular State or district-wide
assessment of student achievement Form
I-7-A (Rev. 9/07)

• Why the particular alternate assessment selected
  is appropriate for the child
• Why the child cannot participate in the regular
  assessment and
• Form I-7 (Rev. 11/07)

Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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Service Delivery
Quality IEPs
Statements projecting...

• When the services and modifications to be
  provided will begin
• How often they will be provided
• Where they will be provided
• How long they will last
• Form I-9 (Rev.
  10/06)

Produced by NICHCY, 2007
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LRE
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LeastRestrictiveEnvironment
LRE

Decision Making
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Defining LRE
LRE
Each public agency must ensure that

• To the maximum extent appropriate, children with
  disabilities are educated with children who are
  nondisabled

and
300.114 LRE requirements.
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Defining LRE
LRE
Special classes, separate schooling, or other
removal of children with disabilities from the
regular educational environment occurs only
if the nature or severity of the
disability is such that education in regular
classes with the use of supplementary aids and
services cannot be achieved satisfactorily
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LRE
Defining LRE
Annual placement decisions must be based on a
childs unique needs and IEP, not on
administrative convenience, disability/program
label, or allocation of funds
Placement-Neutral Funding
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LRE
Alternative Placements
Continuum of Alternative Placements
includes instruction in
childs home
special classes
regular classes
hospitals or institutions
special schools
More gtgt
ltlt Less
Restrictive
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LRE
LRE
The first where to consider is
Special education is not a place. Its a set of
services and supports
Where a child with a disability receives special
education services is that childs placement
The general education classroom with
differentiation
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General Education Engagement
LRE

• To what degree are students with disabilities
  ENGAGED in the general education curriculum and
  environment?

Stop Chat
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of Time Removed fromGeneral Education
(Indicator 5-Environment)
LRE
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What are your general education environment
patterns?
LRE

• Go to
• District Special Education Profile Page
• Found on the DPI website at
• http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/lpp-profile.html

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Removal From General Education Classes
LRE

• To what extent are students with disabilities
  removed from general education classes and
  provided replacement curriculum with a lower and
  slower approach?

Learning Rate
K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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Participation in Regular Education Classes
LRE

• ? The student will participate full-time
  withnon-disabled peers in regular
  educationclasses, or for preschoolers, in
  age-appropriate settings.
• ? The student will not participate full-time
  with non-disabled peers in regular education
  classes, or for preschoolers, in age-appropriate
  settings. (If you have indicated a location
  other than regular education classes or
  age-appropriate settings in the case of a
  preschooler in I, II, or III above, you must
  check this box and explain why full-time
  participation with non-disabled peers is not
  appropriate.) Form I-9 (Rev. 10/06)

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How does the IEP specify how students are served?
LRE
How?
When and Where?

• Focus
• of Time focusedon
• General Education Standards, Content and
  Expectations?
• Critical power standards to meet grade level
  expectations
• Replacement lower and slower curriculum
  objectives?

• Time
• of Time in
• General Education?
• Resource Room?
• Self-Contained Special Education Classroom?

Stop Chat
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Early Intervention
Early Intervention
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Early Intervention
Early Intervention

• To what degree are you providing solution-focused
  problem solving at BCT team meetings?
• What type of interventions are you providing for
  students who struggle?
• How effective are your interventions?

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Early Intervention
Universal Instruction
(includes differentiation)
Selected Interventions
Targeted Interventions
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Early Intervention is Effective
(Fletcher et al., 2006)
Early Intervention

• Prevention studies in reading (and behavior)
  commonly show that 70-90 of at risk children
  (bottom 20) in K- 2 can learn to read in average
  range.
• Reduction in At-Risk population
• Primary alone 5-7
• Secondary alone 2 6
• Both .01 to less than 2

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DATA

• Data collection is a vital part of the
  intervention design process and should be a tool
  with which teachers facilitate conversation with
  the family about their childs progress as well
  as used for subsequent evaluation and revision to
  the intervention plan and /or the IEP.

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Critical Components IEPs and other
Interventionscontinuous, sensitive progress
monitoring

• Measure student progress regularly.
• Demand consistency in data collection and
  fidelity to interventions.
• Offer continual feedback
• to students.

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Visual presentation of data
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Classroom Instruction Bridging the Gap Between
IEP and Implementation

• Make a Plan Gen Ed Sp Ed teachers
• Refine goals from IEP are they aligned to
  critical performance standards?
• Determine intervention strategy needed to address
  goals within a typical day
• Collect data on students progress
• 2. Design Implement Intervention Plans
• Refine IEP goals,
• Analyze baseline functional skills
• Identify natural learning opportunities
• Select empirically based strategies to facilitate
  learning
• Ensure fidelity of instruction
• Design a data collection and analysis system
• Evaluate the plan (Jung et al., 2008)

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Action Planning

• Individual and school-wide research
• (system change should fit school needs)
• Progress Monitoring for all children
• (more specific than WKCE annual testing)
• IEPs that make a difference

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Special education improvement planning

• September, 2008

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Building Blocks for Improvement
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Building Blocks for Improvement
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Special Education Improvement Plan TemplateUse
this template to specify improvement strategies
and tasks to be accomplished.
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Resources

• Students with Disabilities and Statewide
  Assessment http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/assessm
  t.html
• http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/forms06.html
• User-Friendly Handbook on Special Education Laws,
  Policies and Practices in Wisconsin
• http//www.specialed.us/pl-07/SpEd_in_Plain_Langua
  ge-07.pdf

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Post High School Outcomes Survey Initiative

• http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/posthigh.html
• http//www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/doc/spp-14-wcass.d
  oc

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Contacts

• Fran Renn-Malcheski
• CESA 7 RSN Director
• 920-617-5627
• frennmal_at_cesa7.k12.wi.us
• Judy Sargent
• CESA 7 Director of School Improvement
• 920-617-5631
• jsargent_at_cesa7.k12.wi.us
• Michelle Polzin
• REACh Coordinator
• School Improvement Specialist
• 920.617.5645
• mpolzin_at_cesa7.k12.wi.us

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References

• Capizzi, A.M. (2008, September/October). From
  Assessment to Annual Goal, Teaching Exceptional
  Children, 41, 18-25.
• Jung, L.E., Gomez, C., Baird, S.M., Keramidas,
  C.l.G. (2008, September/October). Designing
  Intervention Plans, Teaching Exceptional
  Children, 41, 26-33.
• Kosnitsky, C. (2008). IEP Goals That Make a
  Difference an Administrators Guide to
  Improving the Process. Pennsylvania LRP
  Publications
• National Dissemination Center for Children with
  Disabilities (NICHCY). Building the Legacy A
  Training Curriculum on IDEA 2004 
  http//www.nichcy.org/Laws/IDEA/Pages/BuildingTheL
  egacy.aspx