C ollaboration for E ffective E ducator D evelopment, A ccountability, and R eform (CEEDAR) Center U.S. Department of Education, H325A120003

Innovative Licensure Strategies: A facilitated discussion about potential strategies to support MTSS U.S. Department of Education, H325A120003

Presenters and Facilitators  Dan Conley, CEEDAR Center  Allison Glasgow, Ohio Dean’s Compact, Coordinator of University of Dayton School of Education and Health Sciences Grant Center  Sarah Solari, Consultant in Teacher Preparation, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing

Goals & Intended Participant Outcomes At the end of this session participants will  Recognize opportunities to increase educator effectiveness within a multi-tiered system of support by use of innovative licensure/certification policies.  Envision opportunities within their own State context to leverage state policies that support and reinforce use of an MTSS framework.

Agenda  Overview of session objectives and CEEDAR policy document  Knowledge Building: Promises to Keep: Transforming Educator Preparation To Better Serve a Diverse Range of Learners  “State Spotlights”: California and Ohio policies in support of MTSS  Deeper Dive: “How could licensure/certification in your state better ensure that teachers and leaders are prepared to work within an MTSS framework?  Round Robin: State policy levers/approaches and possible successes and roadblocks to each.  Group Share of “Round Robin” results/questions/discussion  Considerations/Next Steps/Networking: Table discussion of strategies to explore or implementation steps for promising policies

Our Approach

Intensive TA 7 Implement and support state and IHE/LEA reform teams. Analyze program content, and program pedagogy using innovation configurations and reform rubrics. Improve teacher/leader preparation and ongoing professional development using TA tools. Revise licensure/certification standards to support reformed programs. Refine teacher and leader evaluation systems to strengthen preparation. Increase capacity for scale up.

CEEDAR’s new policy paper: “Promises to Keep: Transforming Educator Preparation To Better Serve a Diverse Range of Learners”  Expands upon “Our Responsibility, Our Promise: Transforming Educator Preparation and Entry into the Education Profession”, released by CCSSO in December  Encourages coherent policies supporting preparation programs as they transform how they prepare our nation’s workforce: –Licensure regulation alignment –preparation program approval based partly on effectiveness –Integrated seamless data reporting systems  45 states have taken action on at least one of the ten recommendations in that CCSSO report.

FIVE BOLD STEPS 1.Define and integrate across the educator career continuum, beginning in preparation, the knowledge and skills all educators need to implement high- quality core content instruction that is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners, that monitors student progress, and that identifies and provides increasingly intensive supports. 2.Provide multiple opportunities for deliberate practice and feedback to educators, including access to a range of meaningful practical experiences, as they learn and implement differentiated core instruction, monitor student progress, and apply evidence-based practices to meet the needs of all students within a tiered system of support. 3.Ensure that the outcomes of all students – including students with disabilities – are an integral part of preparation program approval and educator evaluation systems. 4.Prepare candidates and create infrastructure to enable and promote shared ownership, collaboration, and teamwork among all educators for all students – including students with disabilities. 5.Hold educator preparation programs accountable and provide feedback for improvement on preparing candidates to teach and lead diverse learners within tiered systems of support. 6.See Appendix A for organizing matrix!

Licensure/Certification Standards RECOMMENDATION #1 : States will revise and enforce their licensure standards for teachers and principals to support the teaching of more demanding content aligned to college- and career-readiness and critical thinking skills to a diverse range of students. Performance Assessments RECOMMENDATION #2: States will work together to influence the development of innovative licensure performance assessments that are aligned to the revised licensure standards and include multiple measures of educators’ ability to perform, including the potential to impact student achievement and growth.

Licensure/Certification Tiered Licensure RECOMMENDATION #3: States will create multi-tiered licensure systems aligned to a coherent developmental continuum that reflects new performance expectations for educators and their implementation in the learning environment and to assessments that are linked to evidence of student achievement and growth. Portability of Licenses RECOMMENDATION #4: States will reform current state licensure systems so they are more efficient, have true reciprocity across states, and so that their credentialing structures support.

Ohio & California Two CEEDAR States’ Innovative Licensure Approaches in support of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

California One CEEDAR State’s Innovative Licensure Approaches in support of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

One Initiative We Have Been Working On  Revision of Educator Preparation Program Standards for the Multiple and Single Subject Credential

What We Have Accomplished  A draft set of standards were submitted to the Commission members for review, comment, and future direction.

How We Achieved Our Accomplishment  An application process was used to select a broad range of expertise with respect to licensure in California.  Several meetings were held with the Preliminary Advisory Panel members to review and revise the standards.

Take-Aways  The more inclusive the process is, the better the product.

Our Next Steps  Implementation of the new standards  How do we ensure our existing teachers(if needed) have the opportunities to acquire the knowledge, skills and abilities that will be required of new candidates?

A “Turn and Talk”  “How could licensure/certification in your state better ensure that teachers and leaders are prepared to work within an MTSS framework?  Turn to an “elbow partner” and each take 4 minutes each to explain one “easy lift” improvement that could be made in your state.

A ROUND ROBIN  Participants will break into groups of 4  Each group will visit 4 stations with each listing out potential state policy levers  Participants will document potential pros and cons to each approach (successes/barriers)  Each group will rotate every 5 minutes.

A ROUND ROBIN  Station 1: Require licensure tests/performance assessments demonstrating ability to implement the MTSS, ensuring “Tier 1” knowledge & skill as a threshold for an initial licensure.  Station 2: Align tiered licensure with demonstrated enhanced ability to implement and/or support MTSS and create robust supports (PD, Mentoring, etc.) for educators to acquire expertise in MTSS to reach these additional or advanced credentials.  Station 3: Tie financial incentives to advanced credentials for educators who provide increasing levels of intensive supports within a tiered system of support.  Station 4: Require preparation programs teach & assess MTSS knowledge and skills as prerequisite for licensure recommendation.

“Mining the Wisdom in the Room” –What did we say? –What did we mean (clarifying questions)? –What are the key implications? –What are the commonalities?

Next Steps & Networking for Resources  Table discussion of strategies or implementation steps that could be taken by CEEDAR or their own state leadership team to explore or implement some of these policies.  Networking to share resources, strategies, and policies is strongly encouraged.

Presenter: Dan Conley, American Institutes for Research (AIR), CEEDAR Partner FMI U.S. Department of Education, H325A120003

Disclaimer The contents of this webinar were developed under a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, H325A However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.