Louisiana State Improvement Grant Project Directors Meeting 2006 Evelyn Johnson, LDE Margaret Lang, LSU Melanie Lemoine, UNO Bill Sharpton, UNO Kay Marcel, Family Coordinator

Louisiana State Improvement Grant To increase the number and quality of general and special education teachers, related service personnel, administrators and other staff. (Professional Development) To increase the access to, and participation of, children and youth with disabilities and their families in appropriate and effective special education services and supports. To increase and improve the learning results of children and youth with disabilities.

3 West Feliciana Washington St. Tammany Tangipahoa St. Helena Livingston (6) Coupee Pt. East Avoyelles EBR (2) W. Iberville Orleans (16) St. John St. Charles St. Charles (8) St. Bernard Plaquemines (9) Jefferson (8) Ascension St. James s Assumption Lafourche St. Mary Terrebonne Beauregard Allen Calcasieu Cameron Jefferson Davis Evangeline St. Landry Acadia Vermilion (6) Lafayette St. Martin Iberia Vernon Rapides (3) Winn Grant LaSalle Catahoula (5) Concordia Caldwell Natchitoches Caddo Bossier Red River DeSoto (6) Sabine Webster Bienville Claiborne Lincoln Jackson UnionMorehouse Ouachita Richland Franklin Tensas Madison Carroll West East (3) Carroll City of Bogalusa City of Monroe LaSIG Districts Participating Schools Participating Districts Assumption (4)

Coordinated Reform Efforts School District State Individual

Key Issues District and School Improvement Research Based Practices Family Partnership Professional Development Teacher Preparation Evaluation

District and School Improvement Beginning of Project New mandate required school improvement teams In place “on paper” only Lack of stakeholder representation Lack of data to make decisions “buck shot approach”

District and School Improvement Accomplishments SIT and DIT teams functioning in all LaSIG sites Key focus was on campus improvement Coaching provided to adopt data based decision making Several campuses demonstrated gains in LRE, student performance, school improvement

Outperforming Districts (Standard & Poors) Outperform demographically similar peers (economically disadvantaged) –Achieve higher levels of proficiency rates –Must outperform at levels that significantly exceed statistical expectation –Must outperform consistently – for at least 2 consecutive years ( & )

Congratulations!!! Catahoula East Carroll Plaquemines

AYP for students with Disabilities of 57 (95%) LaSIG schools met AYP! State – 74.6% LaSIG districts – 58%

Family – Beginning of Project School improvement teams did not include family members Family resource centers focused more on individual advocacy than relationship building with schools/districts Family members did not know about school improvement Family members were not engaged in delivery of PD

Family Accomplishments Family leadership academies implemented Over 300 family graduates available to assume leadership roles in professional development and school improvement All school improvement teams include at least one family member Partnership developed between schools and family resource centers (PD opportunities)

Research-Based Practices Beginning of Project State developed tools to assist districts/campuses in identifying research based practices to implement No PD provided to practitioners to use the tools

Research Based Practices Accomplishments PD provided to site personnel on data- based decision making and selection of strategies to meet needs PD provided on targeted research based practices Job embedded PD model designed to assist practitioners in developing effective strategies (governance, SWPBS) Practices linked to SPP

Professional Development Beginning of Project At the state level, multiple separate initiatives SIM PBS General Education initiatives At the district level, incoherent and non-targeted PD Primarily a workshop model

Professional Development Accomplishments SWPBS now stewarded by general and special education jointly SIM now a joint effort between general and special education Both strategies included in SPP and revised school improvement “tools and templates”

Teacher Preparation Beginning State promulgated redesign mandate for all teacher education programs General and special education given separate timelines

Teacher Preparation Accomplishments Guidelines for “blended” general education and special education – mild moderate disabilities developed with project support

Evaluation Beginning of Project Project collected and summarized data “Monitoring” relationship Data tools developed and used by project staff

Evaluation Accomplishments Sites utilized tools to collect and summarize data Technical assistance to use collected data to design and implement school improvement plans

District and School Improvement Next Steps Shift emphasis to district improvement Identify requirements to participate in capacity building activities Align districts with professional development initiatives

Develop 5 Year Plan District team of stakeholders Present data re: needs Identify areas needing change (systems change framework) Identify data that team will regularly analyze to assess change Identify scientific/evidence based instructional & behavioral practices to be implemented

5 Year Plan - Non- Negotiables District and school improvement teams with regular analysis of pertinent data Authentic participation of family/community stakeholders Create culturally responsive educational and instructional environments to address issues of disproportionality and achievement gaps

Non-Negotiables cont. Embed and integrate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies Response to Intervention (RtI) – use of student progress monitoring and interventions for struggling learners Job-embedded, sustained, professional development and regular evaluation of data to determine impact

Family – Next Steps Assist regional family centers in developing database to organize intake, outreach, and outcome data Shift operation of leadership academies to districts All district/school improvement plans include family partnership goal Partner with People First of Louisiana to create leadership roles for consumers

Research Based Practices Next Steps Additional focus on supporting strategist groups PD to be provided on additional research based practices Practitioners supported to document impact of using research based practices

Professional Development Next Steps SPDG will convene all PD initiatives for annual planning and quarterly collaboration meetings Low incidence RFP issued to develop statewide consortium Accessibility task force

LA Dept. of Education (LDE) Low Incidence Consortium Professional Development Schools/Classrooms Positive Behavior Support SPDG Campus and District PD/Continuous Improvement Activities Response to Intervention (RtI) Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Family Leadership Training – FHF/PTI & SPDG LDE Family Personnel Accessibility Task Force Reg’l Assis. Tech. Centers Disproportionality/ Culturally Responsive Education Systems LA Literacy Plan Autism Initiative – LSU HSC People First of LA – LA ARC Transition/Secondary (High School Redesign) Early Childhood DHH/Off.of Public Health Part C Lead/Early Steps & LDE Preschool Regional Education Service Centers (RESCs) Off. For Citizens w/ Developmental Dis.Education Work Group Signficant Dis. Leadership Group

Teacher Preparation Next Steps Technical assistance for universities to redesign and implement blended programs Development of positive practice sites to support inclusive internships/student teaching Development of technology infrastructure to support statewide preparation/PD

Evaluation Next Steps Identify additional data to assist school improvement efforts Revise state data system to include additional data elements Transfer of tools developed by project to state department