Transcript Slide 1

Improving Secondary Transition Services
Through an Electronic Learning
Community:
An Online “Connect and Learn” Professional
Development Model in Idaho
Jacque Hyatt, Idaho State Department of Education
Cari Murphy, Idaho Training Clearinghouse
IDAHO STATE DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION
 NEED:

To build capacity for providing training and TA
to meet local needs
 CHALLENGE:

Rural and geographically disperse nature of
the state
IDAHO
 Profoundly rural
 Geographically
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dispersed
684 schools
114 ‘typical’ districts
8 charter districts
Large variation in size
both geographically and
attendance
IDAHO TRAINING CLEARINGHOUSE
 SDE identified need to provide information to
stakeholders
 Partnership with Center on Disability and
Human Development, University of Idaho
 Web based clearinghouse
 Focus areas of website: calendar, evaluation
and distance education
 Screen capture of th5e ITC website
BUILDING CAPACITY
•Content
development
•User-friendly
•Accessible
•Adaptable
Technology
Content
People
•Content experts
•Users
•Facilitators
•Update/current
content
“Educators are ‘islands of excellence’ with
no ferry service to connect them to each
other or to groups of their peers.”
(Reilly, 1999, pg. 60)
WHY DEVELOP AN ELC?
To provide:
 A central repository for information, training
and support
 A “place” where people can “connect and
learn” from one another
 A means for increasing communication
statewide
 A mechanism for the ISDE to provide ongoing
support and supervision of LEAs
What Could an ELC Offer Participants?
The ELC as a context for individuals to:
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Develop and share their work across distance
and time, benefiting from the experiences of
others
Learn self-selected topics and identify their
own issues that are related to their school
situations
Work collaboratively
Experience diversity, creativity and flexibility in
learning
DEVELOPING THE FOCUS
 What is the focus?
CONTENT
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
 OR 
Alternate Assessment
Assistive Technology
Results Based Model (RTI)
Secondary Transition
AUDIENCE
JOURNEY TO ELC
Phase 1
1999-2004
 1999 SIG funded
 Website established
 Calendar of trainings
 On-line registration attempted
 Dedicated server installed
 Increase in staff time
 Additional grants/agencies utilize site
 Training modules developed
 Lingering questions about continuing the site
JOURNEY TO ELC
Phase 1
External Factors
 Certification Requirements for Technology
 Albertson’s Foundation
 Idaho Student Information Management System
 Increased need and use of data
 Computerized Statewide Assessments
 Increased National use of technology to deliver
TA
JOURNEY TO ELC
Phase 2
2004-Present
 Needs assessment for SIG 2
 Increase in staff time for ITC
 Additional programs use of ITC
 Decision to fully develop one ELC
 Contract with content experts
 Development of interactive features
 Mentor cohort conceived and developed
 On-line registration for trainings
JOURNEY TO ELC
Phase 2
External Factors
 Reauthorization of IDEA
 Use of Webinars for TA
 LEAs have increased access to internet
 Increase in TA requests
 SDE focus on customized training to address individual
LEA’s needs
 Continued low FTE at SDE
 Need to develop capacity statewide for LEAs and
Communities to provide Secondary Transition Services
PEOPLE
BACK END
FRONT END
 Content Experts
 Target audience
 Instructional designer
 Recruitment
 Community facilitator
 Retention
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
 MAINTENANCE
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Content development and updating
Suggestions from the field
 EVALUATION
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Develop plan based on ELC focus
How know if influenced practices
 DISSEMINATION/MARKETING
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Push-pull of recruitment vs. retention
WHAT WE LEARNED
 Some face-to-face still important in building
sense of community
 Begin with subset of participants and build
outward (e.g., mentors)
 Allow time for users to learn technology
 “Getting the word out” is a continual
challenge
WHY SECONDARY TRANSITION?
 All 114 districts identify secondary transition
on their district plans for improvement
 SDE reviews of IEPs and services verified
need for statewide improvement
 Poor post school outcome data
 Lack of understanding about secondary
transition services and post school focus
Train wreck Picture
MY DESIRE:
 Provide TA to every secondary special
education teacher and administrator
 Presented in so that educators would receive
it and change practice
 Give parents and students access to training
and information
 Generate an understanding of importance of
secondary transition
BUILDING COMMUNITY STRUCTURE
 Strategically focus activities to address needs
identified through accountability process
 Leadership team to help guide content
 Partner with content experts
 Communicate needs to ITC
 Develop cohort of Mentors
 Provide face-to-face learning opportunities
 Don’t forget families and students
CONTINUING TO BUILD
 Mentors begin to provide information to
others
 Youth Participation in ELC
 Information and training modules developed
 Local activities supported
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Youth Development
Resource Mapping
 Screen capture of Secondary ELC
CHANGES
 The ELCs have allowed the ISDE to
efficiently:
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Organize content information
Structure support for implementation
Provide opportunities for networking among
geographically dispersed educators, agency
reps, and families
Has the ELC changed professional
practices?
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Keep informed of state happenings in
transition
Able to view archived webinars at leisure
Developed district plan to enhance transition
assessment processes
Enabled me to connect and share with
teachers across the state
Will the ELC change future
practices?
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Use ELC information in local inservice
trainings with case managers
Widen learning and interactions beyond local
contacts
Access webinar trainings to maintain best
practices in my profession
ELC EVALUATION: GENERAL
 85% learned a new skill, acquired needed
information
 80% have applied what learned
 72% have positively changed practices
 Time – biggest hindrance to participation
 Still working through district network security
issues
ELC EVALUATION:
SECONDARY TRANSITION
 Pre-post
 Not at all prepared (1)-Very well prepared (5)
 Provide formal and informal assessment
information to help determine students’ skills,
preferences, and interests related to
transition issues.
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Pre = 3.29
Post = 3.57
“Using the ELC has encouraged me that,
even in rural southeast Idaho, I am not
alone in the transition world and it is good
to know that I can touch base with other
knowledgeable colleagues when there are
questions or just a need to connect.”
(Secondary Transition Mentor)
CONTACT INFO
 JACQUE HYATT
 CARI MURPHY
Idaho State Department of
Education
Phone: 208-332-6951
Email: [email protected]
Idaho Training
Clearinghouse
Phone: 208-885-3490
Email: [email protected]
www.sde.idaho.gov/specialed
www.idahotc.com