Update on Equity and Disproportionality Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) Plan January 15, 2014 Presented by Jonathan Roselin Administrator of Equity and Disproportionality

Revised CEIS Plan Since MDUSD is still significantly disproportionate in the area of identifying African American Students as Emotionally Disturbed, we were required to submit a revised CEIS Plan that will cover the remaining 2013/2014 school year and the 2014/2015 school year.

Project Implementation & Status The 3 focus areas of the plan are: –Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports (PBIS) –Culturally Responsive School Environment –Response to Instruction & Intervention

Budget MDUSD has allocated 15% if IDEA funds or approximately $1,084,991 for the first year of implementation of the district’s CEIS Plan. We are projected to allocate an additional $1,084,991 for the second year of implementation.

Multi Disciplinary Team The School Board has approved the creation of a multi-disciplinary team that will provide direct support to our 6 pilot schools. The Multi-Disciplinary team consists of: –Teacher on Special Assignment –Psychologist –Social Work Specialist –Educational Consultant and Behavior Management Specialist

Multi Disciplinary Team The Teacher on Special Assignment, Laura Hallberg, began on November 12, The Social Work Specialist, Adelaide Nzeusseu, began her assignment on December 16, The Educational Consultation and Behavior Management Specialist, Sean Taylor, began his assignment on December 16, 2013.

Multi Disciplinary Team The position of School Psychologist has not yet been filled. Adding an additional position is being considered.

Pilot Schools –Ygnacio Valley High –Oak Grove Middle School –Riverview Middle School –Bel Air Elementary School –Rio Vista Elementary School –El Monte Elementary School

January Trainings On Monday, January 27, a non- student day, the full staffs of the six pilot schools will have a half day training with Tom Hierck around the area of Pyramid of Behavior Interventions and the Seven Keys to a Positive Learning Environment.

January Trainings The staffs from the three secondary schools will work with Tom in the morning and the staffs from the three elementary schools will work with Tom in the afternoon.

January Trainings On Tuesday, January 28 through Friday, January 31, we will be doing a follow up Professional Development training with Tom Hierck around the Pyramid of Behavior Interventions and the Seven Keys to a Positive Learning Environment with the school teams that worked with Tom during our Leadership Institute in August.

January Trainings These will be one day trainings for the principal, any other available administrators or support staff and approximately three teachers from the August Leadership Team.

January Trainings Below is the schedule for the trainings: Tuesday, 1/28 All high schools and Small necessary high schools Wednesday, 1/29 Half of the Elementary schools Thursday, 1/30 Half of the Elementary schools Friday, 1/31 All middle schools

Identifying Students The six pilot schools are currently in the process of identifying their Tier 2 and Tier 3 students.

Process for identification of Target Students Step #1 The six pilot schools were asked to identify their Tier 2 and Tier 3 students based upon whatever criteria they deemed appropriate.

Process for identification of Target Students Step #2 Multidisciplinary Team will meet with the site PBIS Teams to secure additional information about the referred students and pre-referral interventions attempted.

Process for identification of Target Students Step #3 Referred students will be reviewed by the Team to determine which risk factors apply to each, the services required and the assigned Team members.

Process for identification of Target Students Step #3 Referred students will be reviewed by the Team to determine which risk factors apply to each, the services required and the assigned Team members.

Process for identification of Target Students Step #4 Schools provided with the list of all general education students who would have qualified for Tier 2 and Tier 3 based upon the risk factors and advised to follow-up to determine if they continue to qualify for services.

Process for identification of Target Students Step #5 Team members assigned to design individualized plans for follow-up services for the identified students and recommend site-based interventions that should take place prior to referrals for assessment or alternative placements

Identification of Risk Factors CEIS Plan African American Student Below Basic on CST in ELA or Math Two or More Letter Grades of F in a year Received SARB Letter #2 Suspended after alternatives means were not successful Administrative referral for support services Referred by Coordinated CARE Team after Pre-referral interventions

Additional Risk Factors for Consideration More than two support calls/office referrals for behavior Request for SST consideration or referral for assessment Inability to focus for a reasonable amount of time that contributes to poor school performance or classroom disruption Inability or unwillingness to maintain satisfactory relationships with peers/adults Exhibits evidence of depression, self- destructive or other internalizing behaviors that interfere with school performance

Revised CEIS Plan The following are some of the recommended revisions to the current CEIS Plan:

Deletion of Life Skills and Behavior Skills Classes Originally, the Plan included classes at the high school level for students with adjustment problems using the “Why Try” or another similar curriculum as an attempt to provide direct services for secondary students who were most at risk for being identifying for special education or singled out for disciplinary action.

Deletion of Life Skills and Behavior Skills Classes It was decided subsequently that there was too much of a risk for this class to single out the very students that this program was designed to divert from more restrictive settings.

Staff Mini Grants In an effort to stimulate creativity among staff in identifying relevant approaches to minimizing disproportionality and that address the identified focus areas, some opportunities for individuals at school sites to propose relevant interventions has been added to the Plan activities.

Staff Mini Grants The goal is to generate creative responses to addressing behavioral issues and to promote the institutionalization of successful practices. Mini grants not to exceed $1000 each for the purchase of supplies, materials, release time and reimbursable expenses will be made available to the six pilot schools.

Family Engagement The importance of providing culturally responsive family engagement, improving the liaison between staff and community and offering services to families that maximize their ability to support their children who are experiencing challenges in the educational system cannot be underestimated.

Family Engagement This item will be utilized to contract with community professionals to provide direct services to groups of culturally different students, develop programs for families and provide professional development for staff to help schools in the development of more effective methods for serving challenged and challenging families.

Student Voices/Professional Development The effective use of multimedia to highlight student and community voices to assist educators in understanding how to make learning more relevant and to emphasize the importance of quality relationships can have a significant impact on changing educators’ beliefs, attitudes and level of understanding of the perspectives of students and families.

Student Voices/Professional Development In addition, providing teachers with videos of their own practices and developing multi- media models of alternative models of exemplary approaches can be a valuable resource for the Team to use in improving the quality of services offered.

Professional Development: Pilot School Staff The staff of the pilot schools will have access to a variety of professional development offerings designed to improve their skills in a variety of focus areas including but not limited to:

Professional Development: Pilot School Staff -Culturally responsive education -Effective behavior management strategies -Distinguishing between conduct disorder and emotional disturbance -Unique approaches to serving African American and other culturally different populations -PBIS strategies

Social Work Interns The ability to provide some direct services to students and families in the pilot schools is essential to diverting identified students from special education. Individual, group and family counseling will be provided in pilot schools by supervised social work interns.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase Martin Luther King Jr.