1. Connecting and Collaborating to Engage the Family Voice
Presented By
Debra Jennings
Director | Center for Parent Information & Resources
Executive Director | SPAN Parent Advocacy Network

3. What is your familiarity with SSIPs?
I’m not sure what that is.
I know about it, but not lots of detail.
I’m fairly clear about what it is and I know what my state is focused upon.

4. Graduation DC, NC, VA, WV Math KY, MD Reading/ELA DE, SC, TN
Priorities for Student Improvement | Part B State-Identified Measureable Results (SIMRs)
Graduation DC, NC, VA, WV Math KY, MD Reading/ELA DE, SC, TN
Graduation – 13 states
• AK, DC, FL, GA, MN, MT, NC, ND, NJ, PA, RMI, VA, WV
Reading/ELA – 34 states
• AR, AS, AZ, CNMI, CO, CT, DE, FSM, GU, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, MS, NE, NV, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, Palau, SC, SD, TN, TX, VI, WA, WI, WY
Reading and Math – 2 states • CA, MO
Early Childhood Outcomes – 2 states
• MA, NH Post-school Outcomes – 2 states
Math – 7 states
• KY, MD, ME, PR, RI, UT, VT
• AL, BIE

5. Delaware: To increase the number and percentage of infants and toddlers who demonstrate progress in the area of social emotional development.
District of Columbia: To substantially increase the rate of developmental growth in the acquisition and use of knowledge and skills for Medicaid-eligible children.
Kentucky: Early intervention providers will change in their ability to coach parents on interventions and strategies to help their child develop and learn. Parents will change their self-perception of their ability to help their child develop and learn. SIM-R focus: SPP/APR Indicator 4 C, Early Intervention helped parents learn how to help their children develop and learn.
Maryland: To substantially increase the rate of growth of positive social emotional skills in infants, toddlers, and preschool age children with developmental delays/disabilities in four (4) Local Infants and Toddlers Programs (LITPs).
North Carolina: State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR) is as follows: North Carolina will increase the percentage of children who demonstrate progress in positive social-emotional skills (including social relationships) while receiving early intervention (EI) services.
South Carolina: Not Reported
Tennessee: The percent of infants and toddlers who demonstrate improved acquisition and use of knowledge and skills and who function within age expectations by the time they exit or turn age three will increase.
Virginia: To increase the statewide percentage of infants and toddlers with IFSPs (exiting early intervention at age level) who demonstrate improved use of appropriate behaviors to meet their needs.
West Virginia: More infants and toddlers exiting WVBTT will make enough improvement in their social emotional skills to move closer to their same age peers.

6. What does your state’s SSIP say?
Can be found by visiting:
Click on your state, then Indicator 17 for the report.

7. What are states doing to achieve their SiMRs?
Analyzing and using data to determine priorities
Assessing systems and improving infrastructure
Identifying, selecting, and implementing Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)
Evaluating implementation

8. What does your state’s SSIP say about:
Data, Infrastructure, EBPs, Evaluation?
Can be found by visiting:
Click on your state, then Indicator 17 for the report.

9. What does your engagement with SSIP in look like?

10. What do we bring to the table?
Know how parents in their state feel about their interactions with EIS program and LEAs;
Can connect SSIP staff with other efforts in their communities;
Can make suggestions to revise SSIP goals and further improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.
Parent Center Staff:

11. How Parent Centers can Participate?
Serve on stakeholders’ group(s);
Provide perspectives from families served by the PTI/CPRC;
Identify parents with a broad range of perspectives to also participate;
Disseminate resources about the SSIP and the processes; And
Phase III

12. Conduct focus groups of stakeholders in the State;
Outreach to invite under-served families; and,
Work with families to develop leadership skills | Serving on Groups

13. How are family members engaged with SSIP in your state?

15. How are you engaging families in SSIP in your state?

16. How Informed Parent Groups can impact systems?
Outreach
Information Sharing
Building Positive Relationships
Collaborative Problem Solving
Trusted source of information for parents and professionals
What are the benefits of an effective SEPAG?
Outreach – Outreach can engage families of students with disabilities so that they are involved in helping to shape local special education programs and policies.
Positive relationships – Effective SEPAGs engage parents and school leaders to establish shared goals and priorities that benefit students with disabilities. They connect with teachers, Child Study Teams, and community resources as sources of support for helping improve programs and services for students and their families.
Collaborative problem solving – SEPAGs thrive on team spirit and team action. While members bring varied perspectives, everyone shares a common mission: to improve outcomes for all students receiving special education services and support.
System change based on input – A SEPAG can communicate the needs of parents whose children receive special education and related services, and can advise school leaders on unmet needs identified through parental input.
A trusted source of information – SEPAGs can strengthen the bridge between the school district and families. SEPAG members who educate themselves about school policies and channels of communication can be a source for parents who may need information, support, and resources from their school, and can steer them in the appropriate direction.
Information sharing – SEPAGs can provide an opportunity for districts to share information with all parents about instructional programs, professional development opportunities, and other matters related to special education.
Improved services and programs – Changes that come about as a result of input from SEPAGs are responsive to the identified needs of the school community.
Effective resource allocation - Parents can provide valuable input regarding allocating resources and establishing priorities.

17. How Informed Parent Groups can impact systems?
Impact Systems Change
Resource Allocation
Improved programs and services
Champions for sustaining the change

18. The very teamwork and collaboration that are at the core of IDEA are also at the core of the Special Education Advisory Group process. Special Education Parent Advisory Groups – SEPAGs – engage parents, community leaders, and school district staff in collaborative teamwork to improve education, not only for those with disabilities, but for all children. SEPAGs ensure that there is a forum for meaningful parental input to the local school district, with the opportunity for system-level change.
The key to any successful partnership is meaningful collaboration and exchange of ideas.  This guide was developed with this in mind and is intended to offer a road map for parents and professionals to help bring stakeholders together, suggest strategies to help stakeholders engage in dialogue, and offer best practices to help them work together to benefit the local community. 

20. Resources & Contact Information
CPIR Parent Center Hub: parentcenterhub.org National Center for Systemic Improvement: ncsi.wested.org Guide to Starting and Running SEParent Groups:
Debra Jennings Director | Center for Parent Information & Resources Executive Director | SPAN Parent Advocacy Network