Perfect Together – Aligning and Leveraging State and Parent Centers in Shared Work Carolyn Hayer - Statewide Parent Advocacy Network Sharon Coppedge-Long - Oklahoma Parents Center, Inc. Christa Knight - Oklahoma State Department of Education Helen Post – Utah Parent Center Kim Fratto – Utah State Board of Education

Oklahoma Partnership SPDG and OPC Oklahoma State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Oklahoma Parents Center, Inc. (OPC) - Parent Training and Information Center

Oklahoma State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Overview Goals of the Oklahoma SPDG: Goal 1: Improve academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities through supporting schools to adopt and implement the Oklahoma Tiered Intervention System of Support (OTISS). Goal 2: Improve academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities through increasing parent awareness and knowledge of OTISS.

Oklahoma Parents Center (OPC) Responsibilities in the OK SPDG Development Participates in SPDG Leadership Team Meetings Collaborates in the planning and development of SPDG parent engagement activities Implementation Participates in monthly OTISS Leadership Meetings Provides parent trainings at OTISS SPDG Support Sites and OPC Regional Institutes Provides regular feedback/suggestions to SPDG team for improving implementation and parent engagement activities

Oklahoma Parents Center (OPC) Responsibilities in the OK SPDG Evaluation Provides data from OTISS parent trainings and OPC Regional Institutes to the OK SPDG’s External Evaluator Collaborates with the SPDG Leadership Team to review data and determine additional needs of parents and schools and necessary changes to implementation activities

Understanding Our Culture We are “tools or resources” that are not only available to schools, families, and children, but also to each other. Oklahoma State Department of Education Oklahoma Parents Center Special Education Resolution Center Oklahoma Directors of Special Services Oklahoma Disability Law Center Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration

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Strategies for Building Positive Relationships Build trust/respect Does not happen overnight Do what you say you’ll do Promote open communication Call, text, email… Anytime “Be present” when collaborating Create a shared vision Focus on improving student outcomes

Strategies for Building Positive Relationships Be open to other points of view Learn to give and receive constructive feedback Keep each other updated Communicate, Communicate, Communicate Avoid pride/turf issues No hidden agendas

Benefits of Our Collaboration Improved parent engagement activities Redesigned parent engagement presentation OPC created parent engagement flyers and training materials to better support the success of the parent engagement activities Stimulates “fresh” thinking Provides different perspectives and ideas to address the needs of the target populations Identification of additional areas that need addressed through the OK SPDG Behavioral trainings

Other State Level Projects Indicator 8 – Parent Survey Brochure Parent Engagement Annual Statewide Conference Regional Parental Involvement Institutes State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) Improvement Strategies Accommodations trainings for Educators and Parents Assistive Technology (AT) trainings for Parents Parent Guidebook

Other State Level Projects The Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE) Work Study Group Develop/improve state-level SEA/Parent Center collaboration Jointly develop resources, and/or activities that help families and schools effectively resolve conflict

Results of the Collaboration Referrals from OSDE Up to 20% of calls each year Provide data to OSDE Hot spots in the state Current issues in schools

What the OPC Does NOT Do Don’t extend past our assigned roles/responsibilities We are Not the Special Education Police Change Policy?

QUESTIONS/COMMENTS

Contact Information Christa Knight Sharon Coppedge Long Assistant Executive Director Executive Director Special Education Services Oklahoma Parents Center, Inc. Oklahoma State Department of Education P.O. Box 512 2500 N. Lincoln Blvd. Holdenville, OK 74848 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 877-553-4332 (405) 521-4869 (405) 220-6985 christa.knight@sde.ok.gov slong@oklahomaparentscenter.org

USBE/UMTSS and UPC Utah’s “Perfect” Partnership Utah Multi-Tiered System of Supports State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) Utah Parent Center Parent Training and Information Center

Historical Relationship Utah Parent Center (UPC) and the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) …actively working together since 1983 when the UPC received their initial PTI grant. Relationship has continued to develop and grow through contact, cooperation and collaboration. Aligning and leveraging resources in our shared work is what we have always done.

What Helps Our Partnership… Proximity We know each other Communication Many staff involved – sustainability of the relationship Trust and be trustworthy Mutual respect Culture based on the belief that we can’t do the work without each other!

Building on the Relationship – Authentic Engagement Implemented a different way of defining collaboration and engaging stakeholders by moving beyond “informing” to creating opportunities for interaction, building consensus, and sharing leadership opportunities. Relationships across stakeholder groups are aligned with The Collaboration Continuum.

What Helps Build Authentic Engagement… Using a facilitator Not starting over, but building on what you do well and committing to different kind of collaboration Establishing common understanding and getting buy-in Aligning and leveraging multiple initiatives to be complementary and to maximize efforts

Collaboration Continuum Graphic Refer to your handout

Collaboration Continuum Contact Cooperation Coordination Collaboration Convergence Investment, Risk, and Benefit

Utah’s Activities Along the Collaboration Continuum Contact Open honest dialogue Focus groups to gain stakeholder feedback Information sharing Panel discussions Facilitated discussions Open invitation to provide feedback More informed parent perspective and voice being incorporated in planning and implementation of SPDG and other initiatives.

Utah’s Activities Along the Collaboration Continuum Cooperation Shared Goals Sharing data (UPC to USBE) Cross training of staff Identifying common goals Open invitation to participate in professional development Leads to a common language and shared understanding of process, policy, activities and needs for all stakeholders involved.

Utah’s Activities Along the Collaboration Continuum Shared Achievement of Goals Direct involvement in writing the SPDG Aligning SPDG with USBE and UPC shared goals Reporting of shared activities that support the SPDG work Collaborative development of materials and presentations Increased capacity to identify, understand and implement relevant training for stakeholders around UMTSS topics and initiatives. Coordination

Utah’s Activities Along the Collaboration Continuum Shared Resources SPDG funding to support UPC activities UPC active on implementation and state leadership teams High level of trust in the expertise of each agency Co-presentations to LEA and stakeholder groups Dissemination of materials for parent and LEA use LEA specific collaboration to increase parent participation on MTSS teams Problem-solve and jointly implement strategies to address areas of need Increased parent awareness and knowledge about what the SPDG can do in their LEA to improve student outcomes. Collaboration

Utah’s Activities Along the Collaboration Continuum Convergence “Synthetic Infrastructure” USBE and UPC have an ongoing, “extensive, engrained, and assumed” relationship that is part of the infrastructure Relationship is planned and purposeful and requires ongoing maintenance Invested in mutual success Problem-solve and jointly implement strategies A continued collaboration that withstands the test of time and changes in personnel.

Working on “Perfect”: Utah’s Areas to Improve Contact: Increase our reach bringing in new families and stakeholders. Cooperation: Build supports that lead to increased cooperation among the LEA staff, parents and students. Coordination: Support LEAs in educating parents about UMTSS. Collaboration: Increase family engagement on all levels. Convergence: What does this look like? The parent to school relationship is extensive, engrained and assumed. Parents are involved at all levels. Communication is bi-directional, valued and consistent.

Other Collaborative Efforts Indicator 8-Parent Survey State monitoring team Annual UMTSS conference State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) for Part B and C Co-sponsor training events Parent Book Studies Parent handbooks (resource guides) Co-presentations at conferences

Questions? Thoughts?

Here’s to working together “perfectly”!

Contact us… Kim K. Fratto, M.Ed. Education Coordinator, Special Education Section Utah State Board of Education 801-538-7716 kim.fratto@schools.utah.gov Helen W. Post Executive Director, Utah Parent Center 801-272-1051 helenp@utahparentcenter.org