One School System’s Journey (so far) Leadership for Equity and Excellence Forum Equity Alliance at ASU February 28, 2011

Objectives Describe the history and framework of AACPS’ approach to the issue of Disproportionality Provide an effective protocol and systematic problem solving process that can be applied systemically or in individual schools to remediate Disproportionality Share results and discuss factors that have been found to contribute to Disproportionality in our district Share resources and effective strategies for addressing Disproportionality in schools

The AACPS Approach History & Framework

Anne Arundel County Public Schools Annapolis, MD

History Recognized as Disproportionate by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) –Areas of Concern  Identification – in categories of Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Emotional Disturbance (ED), and Mental Retardation/ Intellectually Disabled (MR/ID)  Placement  Discipline –15% EIS budget allocation requirement Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Agreement –Establishment of Goals for the Improvement of Education and Academic Attainment among African American Students Issue of Parity

AACPS Disproportionality Workgroup Established Spring of 2007 Multidisciplinary Team to Collaboratively Address Disproportionality Vertically and Horizontally Partner with the State (MSDE) for Discretionary Grant Funding and Re-examine Definition of Disproportionality Develop, Implement, and Monitor District Level Action Plan

District Level Action Plan Critical Components Incorporation of a Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) process – RtI framework for prevention and early intervention Review and enhanced utilization of system/school-based accountability tools :  Audits/Internal Monitoring  Screening Tools  Special Ed Process and Forms  Transfer activities Cultural Proficiency/Stakeholder Communication

Data Analysis & Exploration of Evidence-Based Practices for Assessment and Intervention Provision of Equity in Resource Allocation for Intervention Outreach to Parents & Community System-wide implementation of a TEAM Teaching model Value of Professional Development Expansion of Alternative Education Options Identification of and Outreach to Targeted Schools District Level Action Plan Critical Components

MSDE Disproportionality Grant Hiring of a Disproportionality Project Facilitator Targeted outreach to schools using the risk ratio (>2.0) – : 13 Target Schools – : 15 Target Schools (7 new & 8 returning) – : 15 Target Schools (6 new & 9 returning) – : 17 Target Schools (3 new & 14 returning/ recognizing 4 schools are between ) Provision of Materials of Instruction (MOI) & Stipend mini-grants to address inequity of resource allocation and support plan implementation Annual Disproportionality Conference with national speakers School Specific Training focus on Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) & Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS)

Targeted School Outreach Remediating Disproportionality one school … one student at a time

The Protocol Initial meeting with school teams – introduce the required self-assessment tool Follow-up meeting with school teams to review the self-assessment results & begin action planning through the CDM process Finalize and review the school-based action plan Implement the action plan with technical assistance and on-going progress monitoring by the Facilitator/ CDM Consultant

Self-Assessment Focuses school attention on current policies/procedures and instructional practices Encourages raising teacher awareness of cultural issues, at the school level and within the community, as a means of addressing disproportionate numbers Incorporates : –School Data –An Intervention Summary –Program Effectiveness Analysis –Program Summary What’s Working? What Requires ACTION?

Problem Identification & Analysis SUCCESS Intervention Evaluation Limited Success Intervention Design & Implementation

Intervention Evaluation Intervention Design & Implementation Problem Identification & Analysis Problem Areas Documented Baseline Data is Recorded Short- and Long-term Goals are Set Strengths and Resources are Highlighted Obstacles are Prioritized & Targeted Evidence-based Intervention Strategies are Identified

Intervention Evaluation Intervention Design & Implementation Problem Identification & Analysis Specific plan of action is developed Accountability measures are incorporated to ensure fidelity Progress monitoring

Intervention Evaluation Intervention Design & Implementation Problem Identification & Analysis Data is utilized to assess progress Next steps are determined

Why use CDM to address System Level Change? Assists teams in determining the “Root Cause” of a concern while providing a framework for problem solving Involves multiple disciplines & resources in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) to address district, cluster, and school goals Uses data and progress monitoring to guide instructional practices Demonstrates alignment with School Improvement Plan efforts Provides accountability

The Results Finding the Big Ideas and their Impact

4 Original “Big Ideas” in AACPS Disproportionality Identification Resources/ Interventions Professional Development Community Partnerships

Big Idea #1: Identification Need for uniformity & accuracy Compassionate coding – Attitude that “more is better” when helping kids Need for auditing/ accountability in initial identifications (self-audits with checklist or external audits) What is normal? Disability defined as relative to population in school – Implementation of the WIN Project – spring 2010 Enhanced focus on target schools making initial determination Guidelines for re-evaluation determination process Identification Resources/ Interventions Professional Development Community Partnerships

Big Idea #2: Resources/Intervention Identification Resources/ Interventions Professional Development Community Partnerships  Equity of resource allocation  Title I vs. AAA vs. Nothing  Need for expansion of CDM & PBIS  Need for approved interventions for Math & Written Language  Need for support with red zone behaviors  Exploration of cluster-based licensure and targeting for interventions  Culturally proficient mental health services

Big Idea #3: Professional Development Identification Resources/ Interventions Professional Development Community Partnerships  Cultural Proficiency & Truth in Labeling  CDM & PBIS  Culturally Responsive Assessments  Differentiated Instruction  Interventions  Cultural Differences in Language and Behavior Management (Is the behavior disturbed or disturbing?)

Big Idea #4: Community Partnerships Identification Resources/ Interventions Professional Development Community Partnerships  Mentoring opportunities  Business sponsorships  Outreach programs to specific communities  Involvement of faith-based groups  Parent education/PR on alternatives to special education

Identification Resources/ Interventions Professional Development Community Partnerships Big Idea #5: Disproportionality Awareness (recognized in Spring 2009) DisproportionalityAwareness  Ongoing Progress Monitoring  Continued Self-Exploration through School Improvement process  Non-linear, multi-layered problem solving  Courageous Conversations – “Putting the ugly on the table”  Keeping the issue current & relevant

Disproportionality Weighted Risk Ratios for Target Schools in *Average change in target schools from 2006 to 2007was -0.88

Disproportionality Weighted Risk Ratios in New Target Schools for *Average change in new target schools from 2007 to 2008 was -0.47

Disproportionality Weighted Risk Ratios in Returning Target Schools for *Average change in returning target schools from 2006 to 2008 was -1.24

In the Spring of 2009, AACPS was recognized as no longer Significantly Disproportionate for Special Education Identification by MSDE. The journey continues!

The Journey MUST Continue! *Average 1-Year change for all schools is -20% from baseline 2-Year change is -24% from baseline 3-Year change is -10% (impacted by decreasing Special Ed enrollment numbers)

Identified Resources Recognized on the Journey Sharing Strategies and Research

Resource Guide Summarizes key components of AACPS process Includes effective strategies identified in action plans Incorporates a Companion CD with links to important documents, research, and websites Online version available at

Questions? Mary Tillar – Eric Levine – Kristen Mayle –