Unified Support Services Workgroup recommendations August 2012

The Charge The work group will examine the "current state" for accessing and utilizing student support services. In addition, the team will identify a "desired state" that will support staff to address the needs of struggling learners. The team will also develop a consistent district wide collaborative problem solving model to align support services, which will help increase staff capacity and learning.

Problem-Solving Teams within RTI 1.Meeting #1 – Data Review Meetings (PLC) 3x/per following universal assessments 2.Meeting #2 – Instructional Planning Meetings (PLT) Grade level/Dept meetings with ancillary supports 3.Meeting #3 – Problem-Solving Meetings (Instructional Consultation, Building Team, etc.) The meeting we are all used to…building team

District Student Services  ESL/Bilingual para  SAPC/Behavior Intervention  Speech  ICT  LLI  Title 1  OT/PT  Resource/ASD Teachers  Teacher Consultant  Social Work  Psychologist  Para  Literacy Coaches  Counselors  Principal  Assistant Principals  SE Supervisor  Parent Coordinators  Administrative Intern  Student Dean

Instructional Consultation Implementation  Year 1- Facilitator trained. Team developed.  Year 2- Facilitator trained and practice. Team training.  Year 3- Team training and practice  Year 4- full implementation

Instructional Consultation  Team 8-12 members Facilitator Case managers  General Education Teachers  Specialist Teachers  Administrator  Speech and Language  Social Work  Psychologist  SAPC/ Behavior Interventionist  Bilingual teacher  Literacy interventionist

PST Coordinator  Trained in facilitation, communication and problem solving skills  Elementary PST Coordinator will be the ICT Facilitator.  Counselors will be identified as the PST coordinator. It is believed naming the counselor is a natural progression of the counselor’s duties with an added element of structure and systematic progress with consistency across the district. 1 representative for each grade level.  Secondary recommendations to begin a work group for a problem solving process and unification support services.

PST procedure  Single form to request any student support. This form will be clear, concise, systematic and provide tracking.  The PST facilitator will bring the forms to the weekly or bi- weekly PST meeting  A case manager is matched to each case  Within one week the partner will contact the teacher  At the PST meeting: tracking, case updates will happen and case managers/partners will get needed support and collaboration on cases. PST members will designate established roles to keep the process smooth (facilitator, time keeper, record keeper, etc.)  Case manager will follow the PST system

Problem Solving Stages  Problem Identification Specific and measurable  Baseline Collection/Goal setting  Strategy design  Strategy implementation  Strategy Evaluation

Data Collection  Varies based on case manager  Recorded and monitored  Goal setting based on skill building  Pearson

Common Understandings will be established by PST team, such as:  Emphasis in the PST process is on in-the-classroom interventions, which the teachers implement with integrity  Proactive response to learning challenges are emphasized over reactive response  Alignment with RTI, the tiers, theory  Contracting between teacher and case manager/case partner involves: (no pull-out, shoulder to shoulder collaboration)  Support personnel that have cases will communicate with classroom teacher to ensure that instruction is consistent with instruction in the classroom

Next Steps  Building level  Each building needs awareness about the PST system by ICT facilitator or PST leader in upper elementary, including rationale and Basic Assumptions  PST will replace other student support committees, such as building team Use technology whenever possible to support and share PST work, ie., meeting room with projector, putting forms and tracking system on-line of on shared folder etc Align a weekly meeting date to include all student support personnel

Next Steps  Professional Development Pearson Training for PST members in Problem solving stages to align with Instructional Consultation Build awareness about team at each building and within each department Tighten PLC’s to look at data and address problem solving District meetings with PST Coordinators

Next Steps  District  Develop schedule for district-based personnel to meet at particular building on PST – school at the beginning of the year PST meetings are put on a consistent day/time so that support staff can plan meetings into their schedules. This is scheduled on district calendar.  Support departments professional development to build awareness about the PST system  Unification work group for the secondary level buildings (7-12)