New York State’s Special Education Technical Assistance Resources

Higher Education Task Force Meeting September 2009

State Performance Plan Requirements

• Performance and Compliance • NYS – State “In Need of Assistance” • 2009 District Determinations – Graduation, drop out, performance on State assessments, compliance • 58 Needs Assistance (17 NYC; 41 ROS) • 44 Needs Intervention (14 NYC; 30 ROS) • 97 At Risk of Identification • 21 districts identified in 08-09 are not identified this year.

Turning the page …

Restructuring of former SETRC, Transition Coordination Sites and PBIS Networks into 10 Regional Special Education Technical Assistance and Support Centers Teams created in nine regions by Joint Management Team plus New York City RSE-TASC Coordinators • Regional Specialists – Special education trainers – Behavior – Transition – Bilingual special education – Nondistrict program technical assistance providers • Special Education School Improvement Specialists – Each BOCES region – Each Big 5

Regional Planning Process to Strategically Deploy TA Resources to those Districts Most in Need

Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center (RSE-TASC)

A VESID funded network supporting & improving instructional practices & outcomes for students with disabilities. RSE-TASCs are located in nine Joint Management Team Regions of New York State and in New York City

Cyndi Besig RSE-TASC Coordinator

Acts as a liaison between NYSED/VESID leaders, BOCES District Superintendents, Big 5 District Superintendents, NYSED Special Education Quality Assurance officials, regional specialists & local SESIS and other NYSED funded technical assistance networks 12 (Regional)

Special Education Training Specialist

Provides training & information to school personnel from multiple school districts in region related to special education compliance & effective practices 14 14

56 Regional Specialists Statewide

(Regional)

Transition Specialist

Provides training and assistance to school districts identified to improve transition planning and services (Regional)

Behavior Specialist

Provides training and technical assistance to districts on positive behavioral supports and establishing & sustaining PBIS 8 (Regional)

Bilingual Special Education Specialist

Provides regional information & technical assistance related to effective practices for students with disabilities who are bilingual/ English language learners

8

(Regional)

Nondistrict Programs Technical Assistance Specialist

Provides training and technical assistance on special education to selected approved private schools and other nondistrict programs 115 (Local)

Special Education School Improvement Specialists (SESIS)

Provide targeted technical assistance to school districts designated by VESID focusing on improving instructional practices for students with disabilities in the areas of literacy, behavioral supports, special education instruction.

56 Regional Specialists Statewide – 13 NYC; 43 Rest of State (42 SESIS in NYC; 73 Rest of State)

• http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/techassist/rsetasc/locations.htm

Meet the RSE-TASC Coordinators

Regional Planning Process

• Analysis and deployment based on State and district results on the State Performance Plan • Regional Planning process for the deployment of TA resources • State School Improvement Cabinet – Project Directors Cabinet

Focus on the Instructional Core

• What is the instructional basis for schools identified as needing assistance or intervention?

– How are students taught literacy across the grades?

– What behavioral supports are in place school-wide, in classrooms, in small groups and for individual students?

– What is the quality of the special education instruction and supports students are receiving?

Supported by research-based tools and high quality professional development

• Research-based Quality Indicator Review and Resource Guides http://www.vesid.nysed.gov/sp ecialed/techassist/QIcover.htm

– Literacy – Behavior – Specially designed instructional practices

School districts with high or improving performance of students with disabilities on grades 3-8 assessment • Professional learning communities drive system and classroom exploration of effective instruction through action research • Dedicated 90-minute literacy blocks • Movement within instructional groupings and allocation of educator intervention determined based on progress monitoring data • Classes co-taught by special and general education teachers at every grade level • Common planning time for general and special educators • Systems of positive behavioral supports • Literacy coaches

School districts with high or improving graduation rates for students with disabilities

• Integrated co-teaching • Literacy instruction across the grades • Good transition planning processes • Regular guidance meetings • Supplemental instructional support systems • School wide, classroom, small group individualized positive behavioral supports • Systems of progress monitoring

State Centers to Support Work of TA Providers

– Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) – Transition Services: TransQual and Professional Development – Network Capacity: Professional Development – Response to Intervention

VESID funded Technical Assistance Centers

Center for Autism & Related Disorders Higher Education Support Center 13 Special Education Parent Centers S ³TAIR Project 15 Early Childhood Direction Centers RSE-TASC Response To Intervention TAC Technical Assistance Center on Disproportionality (TAC-D) Resource Center For the Blind