PROGRAMS FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN ROADMAP ACTION 2014-2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS Vision, Mission, Guiding Beliefs 3 PEC Roadmap Executive Summary 4 PEC Roadmap 2014-15 Progress 5 PEC Roadmap 2015-16 Action Plan 7 Spotlight on Inclusion 8 Appendix: Glossary or Terms and Resources 9 2
DATA SNAPSHOT 2014-15 Students and Teachers 5,159 Students will Disabilities* 12.0% of total Enrollment Grade Level Reading 13.5% by 3 rd grade 7.0% by 6 th grade English Language Learners 4.5% English Language Learner Fluency Reclassification 7.4% Long Term English Language Learner Fluency Reclassification Graduation & Dropout 55.1% Cohort Graduation Rate 22.9% Cohort Dropout Rate College & Career Readiness 42.7 % College/Career Pathway Participation 9.6 % A- G Completion Attendance & Discipline 20.4% Students Chronically Absent 93.1% Students with NO Suspensions VISION All Oakland school communities and departments embrace students with disabilities and provide support and resources to ensure every student thrives! MISSION Programs for Exceptional Children supports District students, families, departments to ensure that each student with unique learning needs is provided a rigorous academic program, achieves at the highest level, and is recognized and respected. We believe that every student can graduate prepared for college, career and community. GUIDING BELIEFS We believe, that given the right supports, ALL students can achieve at high levels and graduate college, career and community ready. We believe that students cultures and experiences are tremendous assets that we must leverage for their own learning and that of their community. We believe that ALL students in our system must have access to high quality instruction, Common Core curriculum, and social emotional learning. 3
EXECTIVE SUMMARY: PEC ROADMAP OUSD s 3- year Roadmap for Programs for Exceptional Children is built upon our vision, mission and guiding beliefs which informed the identification of six goals for high quality programs for students with disabilities. Goal # 1: Demonstrate three consecutive years of improved performance for students with IEPs. Objective 1: Ensure that all mild/moderate students have access to the Common Core curriculum and participate in the statewide and district- benchmark testing Objective 2: Develop moderate/severe programs by including consistent curriculum and instruction while providing access to the community, functional living skills, and a positive social- emotional climate Objective 3: Provide necessary technology and training to all teachers and students to support access to curriculum and needed resources Objective 4: Increase Internal capacity by increasing staffing and providing sufficient training, ongoing PD, and coaching Objective 5: Improve programs and services to support social- emotional learning of Special Education students in the least restrictive environment Goal #2: Collaborate with General Education to establish effective intervention models and services that support students social- emotional learning. Objective 1: Reduction of referrals for assessment of Emotional Disturbance (ED) and Educationally Related Mental Health Services to address disproportionality of ED in OUSD as well as African American students Goal #3: Provide access to optimal, safe, learning environments. Objective 1: Establish effective models for students with IEPs Objective 2: Transition students to become college, career, and community ready Goal #4: Build accountability for quality in Special Education by creating systems and structures to engage the community and use data in planning for and measuring desired outcomes. Objective 1: Create structures for meaningful family and community engagement Objective 2: Develop systems for data informed decision making and accountability for outcomes Goal #5: Hiring and retaining highly qualified staff while increasing central office support Objective 1: Support effective and timely evaluations by collaborating with other departments to increase accountability, quality instruction and accurately document staff performance Objective 2: Provide ongoing professional development and opportunities for career advancement Objective 3: Identify and maintain appropriate staffing ratios in varied programs Objective 4: Improved recruitment and screening process to ensure qualified and capable staff are placed in each position Objective 5: Create positions currently filled with non- public agency staff Goal #6: Improve district compliance by 40% as measured by reduced settlement costs and compensatory awards for: Office of Administrative Hearing due process requests, California Dept. of Education compliance complaints and OCR special education complaints. Objective 1: Improve district special education compliance through a more efficient response to complaints by 40 percent Objective 2: Utilize both prevention and intervention strategies to address identified compliance deficiencies. Objective 3: Create systems and procedures that support compliance across the district for all special education stakeholders 4
PEC ROADMAP 2014-15 PROGRESS Provided Common Core State Standard aligned Curriculum in mild to moderate elementary special day classes. Mild to moderate students participated in SBAC. Chrome Books distributed to elementary SDCs Teacher Leader program implemented Resource Specialists piloted SIPPS Reading Intervention Unique curriculum & training provided to teachers of students with moderate to severe needs Collaboration with PEC and CSSS to create stakeholder group to eliminate disproportionality and to review Multi- Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for Social Emotional and Behavioral needs Collaboration among Teaching & Learning, PEC, and IT for curriculum differentiation Collaboration between PEC and Tech Services to revise Course Codes Psychologists provided early interventions and SST support at 18 school sites School Psychologist Internship program Psychological Services provided: Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) teacher coaching and training: 72 teachers, 245 student participants Completed 3- year CPS outcome study Trained School Psychologists to use the Child Adolescent Strengths Needs (CANS) tool to improve mental health interventions and progress monitoring Reduced referrals to PEC Implemented (STEPS- A) Training for CEC teachers
PEC ROADMAP 2014-15 PROGRESS Completed full conversion from WebIEP to Special Education Information System (SEIS) Developed processes and procedures for data governance and reporting across district & state and federal agencies Ongoing intensive training for users to effectively input student information, reports, and IEPs into SEIS Active participation of OUSD staff in comprehensive Verification Review with CDE Professional Development on instruction, compliance and behavioral support plans was provided to all PEC teachers and support staff Attended and supported site administrators at all hiring events sponsored by the Talent Division Implemented the modified Teacher Growth Development System for PEC staff Created new Para- educator and Instructional Support Specialist positions. 90% of the current staff agreed to the new positions Job descriptions and salary schedules for the Licensed Vocational Nurses and Behavior Analysts have been approved- a move toward increasing district provided services 98% (1108 of 1131) of all triennial psychological assessments completed on- time in 2014-2015 43% (251 vs. 441) increase in the number of timely annual IEPS Increase in Focus Team members to improve annual compliance for vacancies and leaves Widespread discussion and understanding of OUSD State Performance Plan Indicators and plans for improvement 6
2015-16 ACTION Priority 1. We will meet the academic and social emotional needs of all students with disabilities by collaborating with all central office departments to create a continuum of least restrictive environments that includes specialized programs and inclusion in the general education classrooms. Priority 2. We will continue to advance quality instruction for students with special needs in all our programs and in general education through high- quality differentiated materials and ongoing professional development that allow teachers to hone their craft and better meet the needs of our diverse learners. Priority 3. We will develop and align accountable and measurable data systems and processes to measured desired outcomes. Priority 4. We will develop and align central office policies and practices to ensure we meet state compliance requirements and allow for transparency with the community. PRIORITY #1 Least Restrictive Environment PRIORITY #2 Professional Growth and Development Continuum of Services Action Steps: Action Steps: Provide ongoing intervention professional Promote a shared mindset whereby all OUSD development to special education and general employees, families and communities education teachers and administrators on embrace inclusive practices for students with research- based inclusive practices disabilities Provide ongoing prevention professional Convene a Task Force to lead a listening development to special education & general campaign, and develop an Inclusion Policy and education teachers and administrators on the Implementation Framework that defines Multi- Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to research based Inclusion models support the academic and social success of all Identify up to 10 schools to implement students research based inclusion models in 2016-17 Use MTSS prevention strategies to support the Increase students with disabilities access to reduction of disproportionate identification of Common Core aligned instruction and African American students in special education assessments in all program models mental health programs PRIORITY #3 Data, Processes and Systems Action Steps: Align the Special Education Information System (SEIS) and student information system (AERIES) to support data reporting and analysis for students with disabilities. Improve data management and communication systems to increase accuracy, efficiency and compliance Update Procedural Manual to comply with state requirements Improve Transportation Systems for students with disabilities PRIORITY #4 Individual Education Plan Compliance Action Steps: Provide ongoing professional development to PEC central and school site staff and school leaders on as mandated by the California Department of Education (CDE) Verification Review Regularly track and monitor upcoming and overdue Individualized Learning Plans (IEPs) Create plan for improved State Performance Plan Indicators Provide technical assistance to address the significant disproportionality 7
SPOTLIGHT ON INCLUSION What it is A way to provide full access to the core curriculum in the least restrictive environment for students with mild to moderate disabilities An approach that benefits both special education and general education students What it is not A way to reduce services and costs for students with disabilities in Programs for Exceptional Children A strategy that benefits special education students at the expense of general education students A way to maximize the knowledge and skills of general education and special education teachers and paraprofessionals to benefit all students, and provide ongoing professional development and collaboration time for all teachers A way to educate students with mild to moderate disabilities in the least restrictive environment with target supports based on their IEP so that they can graduate college, career, and community ready An unsupported mandate for general education teachers A way to eliminate Special Day Classes and other supports for students who need more targeted supports and services 8
Glossary of Terms APPENDIX ABS CAC CC C.C.R. CCS CMH DHS DIS DR/DOR ED EMR ERMHS HOH IAES IDEA IEP ID IFSP IPP Larry P. LRE OAH OCR OSEP OT/PT OHI OI PEC RS RSP SDC SED SELPA SLD SLI TBI VH/VI Adaptive Behavior Scales Community Advisory Committee Compliance Complaint (CDE) California Code of Regulations California Children s Services Community (County) Mental Health Department of Health Services Designated Instruction Services Department of Rehabilitation Emotionally Disturbed Educable Mentally Retarded Educationally Related Mental Health Services Hard of Hearing Interim Alternative Educational Setting Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Individualized Education Program Intellectually Disabled Individual Family Service Plan Individual Program Plan (Regional Center) Larry P. v. Riles (Case resulting in the banning of IQ testing for African American students) Least Restrictive Environment Office of Administrative Hearings Office of Civil Rights (Federal) Office of Special Education Programs (Federal) Occupational Therapy/Physical Therapy Other Health Impaired Orthopedically Impairment Programs for Exceptional Children Resource Specialist Resource Specialist Program Special Day Class Seriously Emotionally Disturbed Special Education Local Plan Area Specific Learning Disability Speech Language Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury Visually Handicapped /Visually Impaired 9
Resources OUSD PEC Website Data Snapshot: Students with Disabilities Fast Facts 2015-16 Program Descriptions and Key Data Road Map Financial Information Least Restrictive Environment Program Models Inclusion Resources: A Case for Inclusive Information Effectiveness of Co- Teaching Model Focus on Inclusive Information One System Suggested Reading Material Parent Information and Resources: Special Education Parent Handbook Guide to Eligibility, Programs, Services & More Oakland Parent's Guide to Special Education Brochure with Resources, Frequently Asked Questions & Important Phone Numbers Parents Rights & Responsibilities Legal Information & Procedural Safeguards PEC Program Guide 2015-16 List of programs and services provided by PEC 10