Findings and Recommendations Virginia Copeland, M. Ed. Vice - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Virginia Copeland, M. Ed. Vice President for Client Development

Findings and Recommendations

Classroom Observations Structured Interviews Focus Groups Review of RISD Information Faculty Survey Parent Survey Comparable District Study

THEME 1

• A Common

Vision, Seamless and Consistent System and Shared Responsibility for All Learners THEME 2

• Highly

Effective Instruction and Clear and Consistent Messages THEME 3

• Authentic

Parent Relationships THEME 4

• Efficient,

Effective and Appropriate Use of Human Resources THEME 5

• Clear And

Consistent Administrative Support for Faculty Parents and Students

• 1. There is a strong commitment and keen desire to provide quality services to Richardson ISD students

with disabilities including a commitment to continuous progress regarding the provision of quality services.

• 2. There is a strong sense of shared responsibility across the majority (90.9%) of Richardson ISD

educators.

• 3. There is a strong collegial and collaborative atmosphere including a sense of mutual respect between

general education and special education regarding servicing for students with disabilities.

• 4. The overall impression of the district, school and classroom climate and the quality of special

education and general education instructional services in Richardson ISD is highly favorable.

• 5. Richardson ISD has a formal means to support teachers in lesson design and planning for a diverse

student population, including rich curriculum guides and curricular frameworks. Formal planning and collaboration between general and special education is significantly limited due to time and inefficient scheduling practices.

• 6. The general education curriculum is consistently used as the curricular framework for students with
• disabilities. All special education teachers and students with disabilities have access to this

curriculum, including materials and resources to promote access at the student’s enrolled grade level.

• 7. General education and special education implement a variety of learner-focused TEKS focused,

researched-based instructional strategies that promote student-learning success. Observations of specialized support settings found consistent use of structured, targeted, fast-paced and individualized instruction.

• 8. Instructional accommodations and curricular modifications are implemented across all

grade levels and programs, yet inconsistently observed at some schools.

• 9. Classroom climates throughout the district were generally positive, with exceptional

teacher rapport, enthusiasm, and organized environments that supported learners.

10.

A system of positive behavioral supports and interventions was evident at all schools and in most classrooms throughout the district. Student behavior was generally appropriated and allowed for focused attention to instruction.

11.

Parents of students with disabilities in Richardson ISD are moderately satisfied with the quality of services their child is receiving and the support they receive from teachers at the school level.

12.

Parents of students with disabilities are involved in their child’s education and planning for their future. In Richardson ISD, 82.4% of these parents attended their child’s most recent IEP meeting.

13.

Most parents feel valued and supported by school and central staff.

14.

There is general satisfaction with the quality of professional development provided through special education that is intended to support the schools and teachers who serve students with disabilities.

• 1. The Richardson ISD perception for special education is grounded in beliefs of categorical/label-

driven/criteria-driven practices, resulting in special education viewed as a place or program rather than a service.

• 2. The practice of inclusion is widespread in the district and attitudes toward it are generally quite

positive; however, a common vision of inclusive education and a systematic approach with quality indicators that every school should strive to achieve is needed. This common vision will serve to achieve an appropriate level of consistency across Richardson ISD campuses to facilitate smooth student transitions from level-to-level and enhance school and parent communication and goal setting.

• 3. Although In-Class Teacher Support (ICTS) is a practice trained and implemented in Richardson ISD,

these partnerships did not exhibit the full range of instructional delivery options that can be implemented when two certified teachers share the same classroom or when two adults are in the

• classroom. Rather than both adults assuming an active role in instruction as intended, the majority
• f instances of ICTS observed could be characterized as “one teach-one observe” or “one-teach-one

assist.”

• 4. Richardson ISD is in moderate compliance with federal and state mandates as reflected in the

Performance Based Analysis and Monitoring System (PBMAS).

• 5. Inclusive practices tended to be based on a model for all students rather than individually
• determined. At most elementary schools, students are included in general education for the core

subjects of Reading and Mathematics then pulled out to Resource classes for 30 minutes.

• 6. Educational technology was used in many classrooms to support student success.

However, the successful use of educational technology varied from campus-to-campus.

• 7. Flexible grouping strategies were generally more evident at the elementary level and much less

frequently observed at the secondary level. The exclusive use of whole group instruction limits student engagement, peer support models, and opportunities to more fully realize the advantages of two teachers in a general education classroom.

• 8. Collaboration between general education and special education is desired and when practiced,

highly successful. However, collaboration is significantly limited due to inefficient scheduling practices and possibly insufficient staffing.

• 9. Richardson ISD is not richly or consistently staffed to deliver quality services to students with
• disabilities. While there is likely a need to adjust staffing numbers from campus-to-campus, the total

number of staff appears to be minimally sufficient.

• 10. The teacher turnover rate for Richardson ISD is significant when compared to state, regional and

comparable districts. Special education staff turnover appears to be negatively impacting the quality and delivery of services for students with disabilities.

• 11. There is a moderate perception among Richardson ISD educators that additional staff is needed, yet

inefficient scheduling practices and processes may be contributing to this belief.

• 12. There is a need for the district to implement an objective, student-centered, district-wide process

for determining staffing needs for students with disabilities. This process should be the single mechanism for determining the need for and assignment of special education staff.

• 13. Richardson ISD Schools use a categorical approach ( with labels such as DP, BP, DP/BP, Resource or

Inclusion) to determine special education teacher and paraprofessional assignments. This practice results in an inefficient use of staff, reinforcing the perception that the district is understaffed.

• 14. The process for staffing allocations is not consistently understood by campus administrators,

resulting in perceptions of inequity of staffing practices.

• 15. Common planning time for collaborative teaching partners is not a common practice on a district-

wide basis. This results in poor, limited use of the second certified teacher’s skills.

• 16. In-class support for students within the general education classroom is provided, however, students

with disabilities with in-class support and co-teaching arrangements (ICTS) are distributed in a manner that prevents efficient use of staff.

• 17. Richardson ISD has developed and disseminated specific written guidelines regarding the multiple

requirements associated with special education, however, messages, directions, guidelines and clarifications related to the provision of special education services are not perceived as consistent across the district, leading to confusion and inconsistent levels of implementation.

• 18. Richardson ISD has a system of supports for teachers relative to accessing the general curriculum and
• ther curriculum for students with disabilities. The level of support is impacted by lack of staff,

knowledge and competence of staff providing the curriculum support.

• 19. Richardson ISD educators express appreciation and admiration for central special education support

and leadership. Seven of the sub groups noted multiple issues regarding the type and level of support provided to schools, teachers and staff.

1

Reinforce the Richardson ISD commitment to quality services for students with disabilities. Identify the practices noted in this report, showcase each practice, and publish and publically acknowledge the quality of services.

2

Foster current Richardson ISD inclusive practices and improve the approach to inclusion by adopting a system-wide model that addresses a common vision, understanding and benefits, the expected instructional practices that promote inclusion, a continuum of supports, and a model for staffing and scheduling to ensure implementation.

3

Adopt a needs-based model for staffing and scheduling where each student’s curriculum and support needs are first determined by grade and content level, then assign staff to address those needs.

4

Continue to monitor and address the compliance issues of overrepresentation of students with disabilities who are African American or Hispanic. Consider training and support in the areas of cultural proficiency and culturally responsive instructional practices.

5

Continue to connect best practices for students with disabilities with best practices for all students such as: multilevel instruction, flexible grouping, use of instructional technology, activity-based learning, peer tutoring models and positive behavioral supports. Include special educators and general educators in training regarding the models of instructional delivery. Increase the awareness, knowledge and skills of all teachers in Universal Design for Learning so they may design and implement lessons using multiple means of presentation, action and expression, and multiple means of student engagement.

6

Bridge the knowing-doing gap regarding effective and appropriate implementation of instructional accommodations for any student requiring them to achieve success. Connect instructional accommodations, typically a special education term, with the concept of instructional scaffolding, generally a general education term. Increase awareness of all Richardson ISD educators regarding the role of accommodations/scaffolding in facilitating and accelerating learning.

• 7. Consider re-branding the Struggling Learners Handbook as a resource guide for all teachers

implementing quality accommodations and interventions for students who may learn differently.

• 8. Provide a clear description of quality instructional standards of services for students with

disabilities that must be met on each Richardson ISD campus. This will ensure basic consistency across all schools, provide a floor of equitable services and facilitate student transition from school-to-school and level-to-level. Through site-based decision-making, principals and faculties will still have latitude to adopt campus-specific approaches, but all under an umbrella of guaranteed quality and legality.

• 9. Provide targeted training for principals and key central office personnel regarding these quality
• standards. Provide the standards in a simple format that enables each campus to conduct its own

review of current status.

• 10. Provide general education content training for special education staff to increase knowledge of

the general curriculum, thereby increasing their value to general education teachers.

• 11. Provide training for both general and special education teachers in the effective use of the

district’s general education curriculum. Provide opportunities for general and special education teachers to practice and implement scaffolding, accommodations, and methods for modifying the general education curriculum to meet individual student needs as identified by his/her IEP.

• 12. Provide training for paraprofessionals that includes content overviews of academic areas in which

they are involved, as well as the use of effective differentiated strategies when dealing with diverse learners.

• 13. Review the focus group comments from the two parent groups that provide greater detail relative

to the positive views and what is viewed as not working.

• 14. Re-examine and clarify the practice regarding parent visitation to the school and/or classroom.
• 15. Continue to monitor parent satisfaction using avenues such as a follow-up survey after each ARD

meeting, monitoring parent calls/complaints for trends or issues, track responses from parents to ensure issues are addressed in a timely manner, and engaging parents in task forces and advisory committees.

• 16. Provide training for parents and educators in serving as collaborative and effective IEP committee

members, teaming and cross-cultural communication skills and trends and issues as they emerge.

• 17. Implement an objective, student-centered staffing model across the district that will provide

equitable services and supports for students with disabilities, provide appropriate levels of staffing based on student needs, and ensure that resource allocations result in the most efficient use of personnel. This will require a shift from ratios and multiple processes for requesting additional staff.

• 18. This shift will also address the current reliance on categorical staffing models and will result in

more efficient assignment of personnel by grade level and/or subject area. It may require that some staff be shifted from one campus to another if schools are overstaffed.

• 19. Provide training and technical support for Richardson ISD principals and selected faculty members

to provide a consistent understanding of the process. Offer technical support each year for schools to assess student needs for personal assistance and create an initial schedule for special needs in advance of the master scheduling process. This will facilitate more opportunities for common and protected planning times.

• 20. Build capacity among special education leadership to support this change across Richardson ISD

campuses so the new staffing approach is not dependent on external consultants. The current zone arrangement with assigned special education directors is compatible with this recommendation.

• 21. Build campus skills so that when the new process is followed, the special education director will

be able to step away from specific campus staffing decisions and serve as a resource to the process and as a means of accountability to ensure that the process is followed correctly.

• 22. Establish clear standards for quality with regard to in-class support, including the limit of only
• ne-third of any co-taught class to be composed of special education students. If the class is

staffed using a support facilitation approach on the basis of student needs (i.e., special education personnel provide more informal and flexible support two to three times each week), the standard will then be set at no more than the natural proportion of students with disabilities. This standard, in keeping with Richardson ISD’s statistics, would limit the number of students with disabilities to no more than 10% of the total classroom population when support facilitation is the delivery model of choice.

• 23. Improve the quality of in-class support by providing training and/or coaching regarding the

multiple ways in which two teachers can share instructional delivery in the same classroom and the ways in which they can significantly increase the rigor of the content taught for all students.

• 24. Investigate and address the possible reasons for teacher turnover in special education. Issues

noted in observations and interviews were of lack of training, lack of support, workload/case management concerns and scheduling of teachers in too many classrooms. This information needs to be quantified.

• 25. Provide information and resources to principals regarding creative ways to increase planning time

for teachers and use that time more efficiently. This will enhance the quality and impact of all special education services, as preparation and structured collaboration are essential to the delivery of quality services for all students.

• 26. Monitor the success of the new approach to staffing and scheduling by periodically assessing staff

and parent satisfaction with the level and effectiveness of services for students with disabilities. Particularly focus on the perception of Richardson ISD educators regarding the need for additional

• staff. The current perception that additional staff is required to meet the needs of students with

disabilities should decrease over time as the objective, student-centered process is incorporated into everyday practice.

• 27. Continue to provide rich professional development opportunities for special education teachers,

general education teachers and administration relative to quality services for students with

• disabilities. Three primary areas to consider are staffing and scheduling to maximize efficiency,

strategies and practices to promote curriculum access such as Universal Design for Learning or Differentiated Instruction, and Improving In-Class Teacher Support Practices.

• 28. Provide follow-up Technical Assistance to professional development to promote actual change in

practice.

• 29. Develop a clear purpose statement for the department of special education with a brief list of

expected research-based practices that should be in place across programs and services for students with disabilities.

• 30. Survey principals, special education team leaders, central office staff and other key groups for a

list of issues/directions/policies for which confusing or conflicting information is currently

• provided. The process for gathering this information should be informal and require very little

time or effort. Consider repeating this annually to proactively identify areas of confusion or inconsistency.

• 31. Involve department staff at the central office to create a similar list and identify areas in which

different practices are observed that negatively impact the quality of services or the degree to which the district is in compliance with rules or regulations.

• 32. Create a list of topics that account for requests for clarification and numerous calls to the
• department. Address this list in department meetings to engage detailed discussions regarding

appropriate responses to questions and the instances in which questions should be directed to the department director.

• 33. Work collaboratively with key department staff to create a set of clear, consistent responses in

written or bulleted form for dissemination as appropriate. Date all original communications and updates.

• 34. Increase role clarity for members of the special education leadership team by providing a simple

reference document outlining the roles and responsibilities of each supervisor, coordinator and specialist.

• 35. Utilize the department’s website to provide clear and accessible information regarding staff

leadership assignments and written clarification of key procedures related to services for students with disabilities.

• 36. Review the current role, responsibilities and qualifications of the special education curriculum
• specialists. Increase the opportunity for these individuals to work more closely with the

Richardson ISD curriculum department.