Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Addressing Disproportionality in Special Education— A Wisconsin Perspective

Overview Wisconsin’s Annual Performance Report on Disproportionality in Special Education Wisconsin’s Annual Performance Report on Disproportionality in Special Education Wisconsin’s Action Plan for Addressing Disproportionality Wisconsin’s Action Plan for Addressing Disproportionality

What is Disproportionality? Disproportionate representation is defined as: “the extent to which membership in a given group affects the probability of being placed in a specific education disability category.” Oswald, et al 1999

Wisconsin’s Demographic Profile

Statewide Data: EBD

Statewide Data: Cognitive Disability

Statewide Data: OHI

Statewide Data: Educational Environment

Section II: Wisconsin’s Action Plan For Addressing Disproportionality

Workgroup Members Deborah Bilzing Deborah Bilzing Janice Duff Janice Duff Nancy Fuhrman Nancy Fuhrman Debbie Gaffney-Dilley Debbie Gaffney-Dilley Donna Hart-Tervalon Donna Hart-Tervalon Anita Heisig Anita Heisig John Humphries Courtney Reed Jenkins Jack Marker Brent Odell Patricia Williams

Expanded Workgroup Tim Boals Tim Boals Tom Grogan Tom Grogan Jill Haglund Jill Haglund Laverne Jackson Harvey Laverne Jackson Harvey Mary Kleusch JP Leary Mary Maronek Jean Whitcomb

Advisory Board Representatives CIFMS Stakeholders CIFMS Stakeholders Great Lakes Inter-tribal Council Great Lakes Inter-tribal Council State Superintendent’s Council on Special Education State Superintendent’s Council on Special Education Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training & Support, Inc. (WI FACETS) Wisconsin Family Assistance Center for Education, Training & Support, Inc. (WI FACETS) Wisconsin Special Education Stakeholders Wisconsin Special Education Stakeholders Others—To be Determined Others—To be Determined

Workgroup Goals Improve the quality of education statewide for all students, including students with disabilities, students of color and students living in poverty Improve the quality of education statewide for all students, including students with disabilities, students of color and students living in poverty Increase our internal capacity to address statewide concerns relative to the disproportionate number of students of color referred and placed in special education Increase our internal capacity to address statewide concerns relative to the disproportionate number of students of color referred and placed in special education Address disproportionality as an educational issue, not just as a special education issue Address disproportionality as an educational issue, not just as a special education issue

Workgroup Activities Needs Assessment Develop a network of local, state, and national consultants with expertise and experience in facilitating statewide initiatives to address disproportionality. Develop a network of local, state, and national consultants with expertise and experience in facilitating statewide initiatives to address disproportionality. Identify and promote research-based strategies that reduce referral rates and improve outcomes for all students, particularly student’s of color and students living in poverty. Identify and promote research-based strategies that reduce referral rates and improve outcomes for all students, particularly student’s of color and students living in poverty. Identify, support and develop partnerships with LEAs and CESAs who have developed materials, resources and training modules to address the issue of disproportionality. Identify, support and develop partnerships with LEAs and CESAs who have developed materials, resources and training modules to address the issue of disproportionality.

Workgroup Activities Developed an action plan Developed an action plan Developed and piloted a Disproportionality Focused Monitoring Model Developed and piloted a Disproportionality Focused Monitoring Model Contracted with the University of Wisconsin—Madison to review and summarize research Contracted with the University of Wisconsin—Madison to review and summarize research Employed a summer intern to develop a resource library (Markeda Newell) Employed a summer intern to develop a resource library (Markeda Newell)

Workgroup Activities Attended conferences, workshops, and teleconferences related to addressing disproportionality Attended conferences, workshops, and teleconferences related to addressing disproportionality Established formal partnership with NCSEAM Established formal partnership with NCSEAM Established formal partnership with NCCRESt Established formal partnership with NCCRESt Contracted with Daniel Losen, Legal and Policy Senior Associate, Harvard Civil Rights Project Contracted with Daniel Losen, Legal and Policy Senior Associate, Harvard Civil Rights Project Developed a relationship with NCRRC (North Central Regional Resource Center) Developed a relationship with NCRRC (North Central Regional Resource Center)

Workgroup Activities Revised action plan Revised action plan Expanded workgroup Expanded workgroup Employed an intern Employed an intern Developed a Summer Institute: Addressing Disproportionality Developed a Summer Institute: Addressing Disproportionality Establishing a website Establishing a website Receiving training on disproportionality data analysis Reviewing and analyzing state and district policies and practices Developing procedures for identifying significant disproportionality based on race and ethnicity as required in IDEA 2004.

Significant Challenges in Addressing Disproportionality Understanding and addressing the new provisions in IDEA 2004 Understanding and addressing the new provisions in IDEA 2004 Refining criteria for determining significant disproportionality Refining criteria for determining significant disproportionality Identifying rigorous, measurable targets Identifying rigorous, measurable targets Continuing development of a monitoring process Continuing development of a monitoring process Developing a process and technical assistance plan for interpreting district-level disproportionality data Developing a process and technical assistance plan for interpreting district-level disproportionality data