Focus on the Possibilities Patty Guard, Acting Director Office of Special Education Programs

Our Goal --is to ensure that young people finish high school with the tools to be productive citizens in all aspects of their lives—work, family, community and leisure activities

Focus on Systems Learning We must... become adept at learning. We must become able not only to transform our institutions, in response to changing situations and requirements; we must invent and develop institutions and societies that are "learning systems," that is to say, systems capable of bringing about their own continuing transformation. - Donald A. Schon, Beyond the Stable State (1971) p. 30;

Education as a Learning System: What Will it Take?  Reflective practice at all system levels  Data-based decision making  Evidence-based programs and practices - implemented with fidelity  Program evaluation  Sharing tacit knowledge though CoPs  Multi-level feed-back loops

NCLB and IDEA Provide Tools for Learning  NCLB –  AYP data disaggregated by subgroups  School improvement plans  Evidence-based practices  IDEA –  State Performance Plans and Annual Performance Reports  Response to Intervention  Evidence-based practices

Possibilities for School and District Level Learning  AYP disaggregated data  Student progress monitoring  Response to Intervention

Possibilities for SEA Level Learning  State assessments under NCLB  Disaggregated AYP data by district, school and subgroup  HQT data  SPP/APRs  Progress on indicator reaching targets  Evaluation of improvement strategies  GSEGs

Possibilities for Federal Level Learning  NCLB AYP data for disability subgroup  SPP/APR analyses  MSIP determinations  TA&D Projects’ indicator analyses  TA&D Projects  Communities of Practice

State Capacity Building For Implementation and Scaling-up  OSEP/OESE collaboration designed for learning at all levels  Focus on implementation and scale-up  Across general and special education  Will work intensively with six states and relevant TA Projects  Regional Implementation Teams/State Transformational Teams  Community of Practice (CoP)  Internal Department of Education team

Other 07 OSEP Investments  SPDG – 24 Awards  Data Accountability Center  Center on Response to Intervention

Possibilities for National Organization Learning  IDEA Partnership Project  RTI Summit

Tying It All Together  Goal: to ensure that all young people finish high school with the tools to be productive citizens in all aspects of their lives – work, family, community and leisure activities.  And join together to become life- long learners.

Let us put our heads together and see what life we will make for our children. Tatanka Iotanka (Sitting Bull, Lakota Leader) Endless Possibilities