Transcript Slide 1

Improving Special Education Services in the
Providence School District
Report of the Implementation Plan in response to
Council of Great City Schools Audit
Presented by: Lisa Vargas-Sinapi
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
Agenda
 Review of Progress in Implementing CGCS
Recommendations
 Review of Disproportionality Data
 Review Implementation Plan for Birch Academy Mt
Pleasant alignment with DoJ & CGCS
 Review of Our Priorities, Needs and Strategic Plan
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Context and Challenge
CEC Identifies Critical Issues Facing
Special Education
 Assessment of Students with
Disabilities
 Funding
 Professional Development
 Staffing
 Shortages
 Highly qualified teacher requirement
 Teacher Retention
 Practice
 Transition
 Discipline / Behavioral Supports
 Research
 RtI
 Paperwork
Legal Cases
 Inclusion - LRE
 Disproportionate Representation in
Special Education
 Segregated Settings
CGCS – Audit (2011)

Least Restrictive Environment

Over-identification: 16% when
National 12%

Incomplete RtI model

Expanding and Re-Design Transition
Programming – Birch Re-Design

Staffing Patterns, Training,
Leadership

Comprehensive Assessments

Technology

Parent & Family Engagement

Behavioral Supports / Services

Settings Reports
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Special Education Strategic Plan
 Special Education
Management & Operations
 Leadership, Staffing Patterns
& Training
 Student Identification of
 Use of Technology & Data
Systems
 Parent Support & Involvement
 Positive Behavioral Supports &
Students Eligible to Receive
Interventions
Special Education
 Comprehensive Assessments  RtI Systems
 Disproportionality
 Post-Secondary Transitional
Activities and Service
 Instructional Program Delivery
–LRE – Continuum of Services  Clinical Setting Data
 Update on Birch Academy Mt
Pleasant
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
 Legal Cases/Compliance
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Special Education Management &
Operations
Areas to be Addressed
 Administrators not organized
for maximum effectiveness
 Supervisors and Specialists
Recommendations
• Reorganization of Special
Education Department
Implementation
2012 Reorganization (Transition Year)
Full Implementation 2013
Employ One Special Education
Director
• Established Manager Positions
• Pre K
• Elementary
• High School
• Behavior Program
• Related Services
• 3 - Supervisor Positions
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Special Education Leadership Structure
Previous Structure
1 Pre-K
/Elementary
Director
1 Secondary
Director
8 Supervisors
Programs/Supervising Schools
11 Specialists
Office of Special Populations Providence School
Department
New Structure
1 Director
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Programmatic
Managers
3 School
Supervisors
12 Specialists
Special Education Managers
Preschool
Elementary
Secondary
Behavioral Programming
Transition/Related Services
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Staffing Patterns/Ratios and Usage
 Staffing Patterns
 Social Workers, Speech, P/T, Psychologists – Average
 Occupational Therapist Top Fifth Percentage – Low Ratio
 Review Contractual Obligations
 As many Teacher Assistants as Teachers
 Cost Neutral Change
• Lack of Available Teacher Assistant Training
 Increase Specific Training for Teacher Assistants
• Teacher Assistant Hiring - Needs Based
 CBH Hiring for TAs
 Lack of Teacher Assistant Substitutes
 Provide Teacher Assistant Substitutes
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Implementation Plan
Staffing of Teacher
Assistant Positions
Training of
Teacher Assistants
Concerns/Future
Plan:
• 2013 – Reduced 12 TAs at Secondary Level and converted to 3 Special
Education Teacher Positions
• 2014- Reduced 9 TA positions to support 3 additional Special Education
Teacher Positions
• 2012 – Present Program Specific Training For Teacher Assistant
*Autism
*Behavior Interventions *Strategies *Inclusion
Programming *Assistive Technology
*Pre-K Standards
*IEP
Development *Disability Training *Instructional Strategies *Transition
Job Coaching
*Sensory Diets
• Training is not mandatory Teacher Assistants
• Training forthcoming on topics:
*Job Coaching *Confidentiality * Progress Monitoring
• Substitutes for Teacher Assistants Remain An Issue
• Upcoming Labor Contract
*OT Caseload * CBH for Teacher Assistants *Evaluation Process for TAs
* Mandatory Training
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Understanding the scope and
nature of disproportionality in Providence School
District
 Disproportionate representation is the over/under
representations of groups within specific categories of
disability in special education.
 It is about:
improving the evaluation procedures that are used to
determine disability and need for special education;
 more stringent application of the eligibility criteria,
including exclusionary factors;
 improving early intervening services and strengthening
student interventions prior to a referral.

Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Student Identification – Comprehensive Assessment
Implementation Plan
Areas of Concern
 Comparatively high special
education prevalence
 Disproportionate
representation continues
Recommendations
• Improve consistency of
eligibility determinations
• Improve the Special
Education Referral and
Screening Process
 Creation of revised our referral and
screening guidance - 2011
 Provided Training - (2012)
 Developed Parent Brochure –
(2012)
Created Comprehensive Evaluation
Data Guides
 Emotional Disturbance (2012)
 Intellectual Disability (2013)
 Autism Spectrum Disorder (2013)
 Learning Disability (2011–Present)
In Process:
 Other Health Impairment (2014)
 Guide to Identifying ELL Students
with Disabilities (2013 to Present)
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Percentages of Students with
Disabilities
17.6
17.4
17.4. %
17.2%
17.2
17
Percentages
16.8
16.6%
16.6
16.4
16.2
2011
2012
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
2013
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Students with Disabilities 3-5
Years of Age
540
530
520
500
481
480
486
465
460
484
2010
2011
2012
2013
Jun-14
440
420
Preschool
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Disproportionality Data
2009-2013
5
4.5
Emotional Disturbance
4.53 4.46
4.21
3.5
3.9
3.85
4
4.02
3.64
3.49
3
3.34
2.63
2.5
2
1.78
1.561.46
1.5
1.42
1.15
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
1
0.5
0
White
African American
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
Hispanic
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Disproportionality Data
2009 -2013
Learning Disabilities
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
9.93 9.79
9.32
9.25
8.55
8.22
7.41
White
8.37
8.18 8.29
7.44
7.15
7.82
7.23
6.73
African American
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Hispanic
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Disproportionality Data
2010-2013
Other Health Impaired
3.5
P
e 3
r 2.5
c
e 2
n 1.5
t
1
a
g 0.5
e
0
3.33
2.72
2.2
1.52
1.89
1.74 1.77
1.51
1.531.47
1.27
1.1
White
2010
2011
2012
2013
African American Hispanic
Office of Special Populations Providence School
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Student Identification Issues
Moving To
Evaluation Teams
Utilizing
Moving To
Assessment for Eligibility
Assessment for Instruction
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Instructional Practices & Support
Areas to Address
 Expansion of co-teaching
 Inconsistent effective co-teaching implementation
 Inconsistency on differentiating instruction
 Low general education setting rates
Recommendations
 Establish vision of PPSD as inclusive district
 Establish visible general education presence to lead initiatives
 Improve general education setting rates
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Instructional Practices & Support
Least Restrictive Environment Data
2012-2013
64.93
5.73
29.34
2011-2012
64.11
6.15
29.74
2010-2011
62.85
5.72
2009-2010
63.00
3
0
30
60
Percentage
31.33
31
90
120
General Education 70% or More
General Education 40- 70%
General Education less than 40%
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Implementation Plan
Implementation Plan
Our Vision for Inclusion
 2012 – 2013
•
Development of Collaborative Teaching Guidance Document
•
Specialists and Supervisors received training on differentiating instruction and UDL.
•
Analyzed our data – Social/Emotional – Medical Issues
•
Developed Behavioral RtI Guidance Document
 2013 – 2014
•
Set up work groups to review Collaborative Teaching
•
Provided professional development UDL
•
LRE Process Developed
•
Pilot inclusive classroom at - Mt Pleasant
•
Training on Behavioral RtI Model
 2014 – Release Collaborative Guide and Professional Development and Training.
•
Monitor Implementation –professional development
•
Department Goal – Developing Greater Inclusive Models
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Future Needs
o Greater Social / Emotional Supports in Schools
 6 times the National Average – Emotional Disturbance
 Poverty
 Kindergarten Students
 2014 – 2015 School Year 12 cases
 Increase number of Psychologist/Social Workers
 Behavioral Resource Centers in High Schools
 Work collaboratively with SAO department to implement RB
Social Emotional programs in our Safe-Caring PBIS framework
at all level –
 Restorative Justice
 Responsive Classroom
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Provisions of the DoJ Interim
Settlement Agreement
 PPSD required to shut down the sheltered workshop;
 All students in Birch target population receive supportive employment
services in integrated settings;
 All students in Birch target population receive transition and vocational
assessments;
 Person Centered Planning Process for each student (MAPS);
 Employment Planning Teams;
 Creation and Implementation of Career Development Plans;
 Each student required to complete two 60 day trial work experiences;
 Mutually Responsible for Work Placements of our 2011-2014
Graduates – December 1, 2014
Work Placements
2011-2014 Graduates
N Size
Employed
Job Trials
Engaged
Not
Engaged
Returned to
the District
40
7
13
7
11
2
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Highlights
Implementation Plan
 New Monitor – Charles Moseley
 Employment First Policy
 Expanded our Inclusion Programming – English, Math, Phys. Ed, Art,
Music, Computer Classes
 Official Members - Best Buddies Program
 Unified Athletics – Basketball - Volleyball
 90% Career Development Plans have been written
 50% Students have completed a MAPs
 Hired our own Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
 Project Search
 Parent Support for Birch Academy
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Project Search
 Cox Gamenight on the Birch Academy.
http://www.coxhub.com/articles/mount-pleasants-birchacademy-integrates-into-a-total-community
 Thank you for making Mount Pleasant a school for all.
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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Thank you.
Presented by:
Lisa Vargas-Sinapi
Director of Special Education
456-9100 extension 11321
[email protected]
Office of Special Populations Providence School Department
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