Student Support Teams Training: March 7, 2006

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Student Support Teams Training March 7, 2006

• Stephanie Wood-Garnett
• Executive Director
• State Improvement Grant
• District of Columbia Public Schools

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OBJECTIVES

• Review key components of the Master Education
  Plan (MEP)
• Examine DCPS data
• Introduce the new Student Support Team (SST)
  process
• Discuss ways in which the SST can support the
  instructional and behavioral needs of adolescents

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• The Districts Student Data

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Source National Center for Education
Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde
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Source National Center for Education
Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde
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Source National Center for Education
Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer,
http//nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde
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Master Education Plan (MEP)

• Realities
• 15, 190 (¼ of students) are older than their
  classmates by at least 1 grade (22)
• 3,619 are older than classmates by at least 2
  grades (23)
• 71 of retained students eventually drop out of
  school (ASCD, 2003)

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Master Education Plan (MEP)

• 1/3 of DCPS high school students drop out before
  graduating (22)
• 13 elementary schools failed to make AYP because
  of attendance failure (21)

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National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development

• Rate of reading failure for African Americans,
  Hispanics, limited English speakers, and poor
  children ranges is 60 (70 in urban areas)
• Of the children who will eventually drop out of
  school 75 report reading difficulties
• Approximately 50 of children and adolescents
  with a history of substance abuse have reading
  problems

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INITIAL REFERRALS TO SPECIAL EDUCATION

• Prior to 2004, approximately 200-400 students
  were referred for special education each month
• Of those referred, 1/3 were found ineligible

DCPS Office of Special Education Programs
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Percent of all Referrals by School Level and Year
DCPS SIG 2005
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INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION
IMPROVEMENT ACT (2004)

• Reflects heightened intensity that we must do
  more before referring children to special
  education.

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IDEA 2004

• In making a determination of eligibility under
  Section 614(b)(4)(A) of IDEA
• a child shall not be determined to be a child
  with a disability if the determinant factor for
  such determination is lack of appropriate
  instruction in reading, including in the
  essential components of reading instruction (as
  defined in Section 1208(3) of ESEA) lack of
  instruction in math or limited English
  proficiency. 614(b)(5) of IDEA.

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U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education Programs (2000)

• African American students
• 14.8 of the student population
• 20.2 of the students in programs for students
  with disabilities
• 2.9 times as likely to be labeled mentally
  retarded (MR)
• 1.9 times as likely to labeled seriously
  emotionally disturbed (SED)
• 1.3 times as likely to be labeled as having a
  learning disability (LD)

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• Is there something in the way HE moves?!

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Boys Over-represented

• 1.9 million girls and 3.8 million boys are
  classified as special education (U.S. Department
  of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2000)
• Boys dominate the emotionally disturbed category
• 90 in Kansas City
• 55 in Milwaukee
• 76 in Washington, DC

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PURPOSE OF THE SIG
UNNECESSARY SPECIAL EDUCATION
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Student Support Teams (SST)

• SSTs are designed to meet the unique learning and
  behavioral needs of students in the general
  education environment

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• All students regardless of socioeconomic status
  need sustained support to succeed
• James Comer, School Development Program, Yale
  University

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Principles of SST

• SST is not to operate as a special education
  eligibility or placement committee (NABSE and
  ILIAD Project, 2002, p. 19)
• SST is NOT meant to deny services to students who
  may actually have a disability
• SSTs should NOT assume the difficulty lies solely
  within the child

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What other entities are focused on intervention
within DCPS?

• Master Education Plan

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Master Education Plan (MEP)

• DCPS will offer increased supports and
  assistance that meet students individual needs
  (p. 10).
• All interventions will be regularly monitored
  and evaluate as necessary, we will make
  revisions (p. 11)
• Students SSTs will recommend specific steps
  teachers can take to help you catch up

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Master Education Plan (MEP)

• Goal reduce the number of students for whom
  special education is the only option by ensuring
  group and individual interventions that quickly
  enable students to meet grade-level literacy and
  math standards (p. 57 58)

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No significant learning occurs without a
significant relationship

• James Comer
• School Development Program
• Yale University

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Impact of Effective SSTs

• Reduce unnecessary referrals to special education
• Support improved academic achievement
• Support improved student behavior

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DCPS Intervening Earlier to Reduce the
Over-reliance on Special Education Services
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DCPS Intervening Earlier to Reduce the
Over-reliance on Special Education Services
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DCPS Intervening Earlier to Reduce the
Over-reliance on Special Education Services
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Schools Increasing Supports to Assist Students
0 Referrals

• Meyer ES
• Noyes ES Oyster ES
• Parkview ES
• Peabody ES
• Seaton ES
• Shaed ES
• Thomson ES
• Tyler ES
• Wheatley ES
• Young ES

• Adams ES
• Amidon ES
• Brent ES
• Brightwood ES
• Brookland ES
• Burrville ES
• Draper ES
• Garfield ES
• Ketcham ES
• LaSalle ES

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Contact Information

• State Improvement Grant
• www.dcsig.org
• 202-442-5539
• Stephanie Wood-Garnett

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