College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities
College and Career Readiness for Students with Disabilities at the Local Level Igniting the change process from within Maine’s school districts State Personnel Development Grant Maine Department of Education
Participants will learn about… The implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in Maine, along with • Integrating CCSS with Special Education • Statewide Evidence-based Practice PD 2
Maine’s intent: College & Career Readiness… (all standards…all students) Academic standards provide a set of clear expectations as to what students should know, understand be able to explain as they progress through each K-12 grade level. 2013 -14: Full Implementation emphasizing more complex content, concepts and the development of needed realworld skills like problem-solving, collaboration, critical thinking and communication
State Standards for 8 content areas • 1997: Maine’s Learning Results (MLR) aligned with the evolving expectations of colleges and careers in the 21 st century. • 2011: MLR aligned to include Common Core as the standards for English language arts and math to better prepare students for success in college, career and civic life by creating deeper, more rigorous and clearer expectations for learning.
Maine law, Title 20 -A, section 4722 -A • Requires a student graduating after Jan. 1, 2018, to “demonstrate proficiency in meeting state standards in all content areas of the system of learning results (CCSS)
What about student’s with IEPs? Proficiency-based graduation requirement, students with IEPs • The law regarding proficiency-based graduation provides that a diploma may be awarded to “a child with a disability, as defined in section 7001” if that child achieves proficiency in the same standards as required of other children, “…as specified by the goals and objectives of the child’s individualized education plan…”
What role does the IEP play? An IEP may modify the means by which a student with a disability demonstrates proficiency in the standards, but the IEP does not modify the standards themselves. The standards and established proficiency levels will be held constant for all students in the awarding of a diploma.
A logical step: Integrate CCSS with SPED • Instruction aligned to the Common Core State Standards necessitates IEP goals aligned to the Common Core State Standards: – Students should be held accountable for mastering grade level content as part of their special education programming. • Focus on their instructional level just doesn’t make sense… • College and career readiness…. – Little precedent for this on local or state level • Research AND Common Sense • Identify essential components of goal writing process • Develop approach and format
So, what happens at the local Level?
The Change Process… EBP PD • District Level – Basic familiarity with Common Core • Classroom instruction - pilots • Special Educators = Leaders of change • Key Components of Change Process: – Start with the IEP – Maintain constant focus on CCSS • Monthly staff meetings, individualized supports – Provide time • Frequent opportunity for discussion • Shift in expectations and purpose – Increase expectations as skill level increases
Next step: Identify the IEP Goal Writing Process • • • Know the student Detail student’s present level of performance Identify critical areas of need • Identify, and unpack, appropriate grade level clusters/standards – Clusters vs. Grade specific standards in Math – Anchor Standards vs. Grade specific standards in ELA Highlight essential “conditions” necessary to foster access and progress – Accommodations: change materials, procedures, alternate response formats – Assistive Technology: calculators, dictation software, etc. – Specially designed instruction – Instructional strategies and supports: graphic organizers, prompts, wait time – Modifications: change the standards (for those 1% of students with significant cognitive disabilities) Focus on student independence – Level of independence associated with mastery • Conditions can include tools to develop independent skills in regards to content Create a goal • • • – Recognize students cannot reasonably have huge numbers of goals – Use language from the standards when possible
Action Steps • Step 1: Professional Development: • “Know the student” work • Construct detailed Present Levels statements • Step 2 A: Professional Development: • Aligned IEP Goal Instruction/Guidance – Identify and prioritize student’s critical needs in areas of skill deficit – Identify, and unpack, appropriate grade level clusters/standards – Identify the conditions necessary to support access/progress » Modifications vs. Accommodations • Required, at minimum, at least one aligned goal on every IEP » Varying responses
Action Steps • Step 2 B: The “GAP” kids • Address the needs of those students who fall within the “gap” in implementation – Students without the benefits/rigor of the CCSS since K » CCSS assumes students possess foundational skills and mandates access to grade level content • Supplemental Goals and Integrated Goals
Action Steps • Integrated goals • Link instruction in areas of skills deficit with grade level aligned goal as “conditions. ” (careful!) • Example: – By April 2014, given daily practice with multiplication facts and oral response formats or dictation software, the student will solve real-world and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations with 100% independence in 4 out of 5 opportunities as measured by formal and informal classroom assessments, teacher observation, and a growth of 7 points from fall to spring on the NWEA by May 2014 (CCSS: Math, 7. EE. 3, 4, 4 a, 4 b).
Action Steps • Step 4: Unpacking/Reconfiguring the standards • Use common language • Identify essential understandings • Increase accessibility for all stakeholders • Collaborate with general educators, specialists to develop district-wide resource • Central location (Google Docs) Ongoing…
Results: The Paperwork Perspective… • Now, IEP goals … – Align with a student’s grade level. – Are longer. – Directed towards specific skills/content in the Maine Accountability Standards Common Core State Standards. • (vague, subject based goals are no longer appropriate). – Are greater in number.
Results: Anticipated • Increased levels of student inclusion • Increased collaboration between special educators and regular educators – Co-teaching opportunities – Cohesive student population • Increased likelihood students will be college and career ready – Proficiency-based diplomas Time Will Tell…
Know from whence you came… • The path of legislation, commissioner updates and taking a stand…. and providing EBP PD
State Policies drive EBP PD • 2012: LD 1422 legislative document outlining the expectation for a proficiency based diploma for all students by January 2018 • 2013: Commissioner’s Expectation: All standards in all content areas for all students (Maine law, Title 20 -A, section 4722 -A) as set forth in Chapter 131 & 132
State Policies drive EBP PD 2013 -14: Full Implementation emphasizes more complex content and concepts and the development of needed real-world skills like problem-solving, collaboration, critical thinking and communication Diplomas awarded on or after Jan. 1, 2018, must be awarded on the basis of the requirements set forth in section 4722 -A.
All Standards, All Students… • Maine DOE stands ready to provide assistance and support to districts (SAUs/LEAs) as they undertake this work. • Charge: MAINE DOE charged to develop assistance to the local units (technical assistance plan) – General Education; strategic plan – Special Education: Bi-directional EBP PD Model • Maine’s students
Technical Assistance to SAUs/LEAs "Education Evolving: Maine's Plan for Putting Learners First" is a strategic plan that sets out objectives and action steps for building an education system in Maine that meets the needs of all learners, from early childhood into adulthood, and prepares them for college, careers, and civic life.
Taking a stand while supporting local control 9/4/13 “An Order Regarding Protection of Local Education Control and Student Privacy Rights. ” • Affirms Maine’s commitment to high statewide standards, while also reinforcing our commitment to local control. • Maine’s Accountability Standards aligned to CCSS
So, what happens at the local Level?
Maine DOE’s Charge: Improving Learning for All Students Statewide Build a Comprehensive professional development plan that is: – – – – Evidence-based Partnership driven Definitive in roles & responsibilities Accessible statewide Sustainable Leverages federal, state and local resources Meets the PD needs at the state, regional and local level
Maine Educators encouraged to attend Common Core and IEP goal-writing training Posted on August 8, 2013 by Maine Department of Education The Maine DOE Office of Special Services is offering regional professional development sessions in evidencebased practices this fall. In addition to ongoing technical assistance, the Department will be providing professional development to each of the nine superintendent regions regarding the instructional usage and Individualized Education Program (IEP) goal alignment of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and mathematics for children with disabilities. General and special educators are invited to attend.
Infrastructure Implementation Universal Approach Stage I: (All SAUs, partner agencies, SPPS, Private Academies) • Maine Autism Leader Teams (MALT) • EBP PD to meet Compliance: LRE, CCSS & Postsecondary • District level • MAINE DOE TA Implementation Timeline September 2012 January 2013 Ongoing February 2013
Stages of EBP PD Stage II: (All SAUs, targeted SAUs, partner agencies, SPPS, Private Academies, Parents) • Effective Implementation • Better Outcomes for students • Monitoring, PD & TA • Capacity Building • Implementation Timeline • CCSS: June 2013 • MALT I &II: August 2103 • Post-Secondary Transition: October 2013 • Regional PD January • Cohort & Content specific Ongoing
Infrastructure Implementation Stage III: All SAUs, partner Implementation agencies, SPPS): Capacity Timeline Building • Spring 2014 • State, IHE, SAU: District/Building Regional EBP PD • Fall 2013 Centers • State, Regional, Local Team Leaders/Experts
Building Capacity & Sustainability School Administrative Unit (SAU)/LEA A convergent bi-directional model of professional development where state and local practices work together to influence district level philosophy, beliefs, practices, and implementation. Individual level (MALT member) Facility level (school) District level Regional level State level Individual level (MALT member) Maine’s Bi-directional Convergent Evidence-Based Professional Development Model
Questions?
Contact Information Debrajean Scheibel, SPDG Coordinator debrajean. scheibel@maine. gov
- Slides: 32