1. So, I’m the ARD Chair? Special Education 101 for Administrators: ARD Decision-Making is a Good Place to Start! Nori Cuellar Mora, Ed.D. Gracie Pizzini December 9, 2008

2. Introduction

3. Do I really HAVE to do this?

4. Many students are identified as having LD because they have not received appropriate academic instruction and behavioral support. Campus-based administrators and educators are responsible for ensuring that appropriate instruction is implemented for struggling students. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/reading/pdf/idm.pdf Instructional Decision-Making Procedures for Ensuring Appropriate Instruction for Struggling Students TEA Website

5. Agenda Accountability Issues IDEA and NCLB Disabilities Identification The Principal as ARD Chair ARD Decision-Making Process Final Thoughts

6. Objectives Understand the premise of Accountability and Special Ed. Become familiar with the process for identifying disabilities Practice chairing an ARD Committee Become familiar with the State Performance Plan Indicators Think of what you will share at your next staff meeting

7. Acronym Activity

8. Sometimes it is all in how you read something……

9. So, what is YOUR responsibility as an Administrator?

10. Administrative Expectations What do administrators do? Here are some assignments as reported by principals currently in the field.

11. How much of your day is spent on special education issues? So, what’s the verdict? Amount of time/day spent on Special Education Issues Up to 25%: 26 – 50%: 51 – 74%: 75% or more:

12. Survey done of 200 principals across the state of Texas reported on how much of a typical day is spent on special education issues: Amount of time/day Up to 25%24.3% 26 – 50%21.3% 51 – 74%13.5% 75% or more38.3% Dr. Debra Bravenec’s Study for Dissertation

13. Well, “Accountability” is still on administrators’ minds! Just remember that you can’t win at the numbers game. Individualize each student’s ARD committee meeting. Make the most appropriate choices based on the student’s strengths and needs.

14. Change... In Special Education What happened at the onset of the Texas Accountability System in the 1980’s? Then, what happened at the onset of NCLB in 2001?

15. 3 rd Graders in 2000-2001 Many more 3 rd graders were referred to special education Now in 2008-2009 they are 10 th graders What are the implications for some students that might have been inappropriately referred to special education?

16. Region 2 Results Missed AYP High Schools: 20 Middle Schools: 15 Intermediate/Elementary Schools: 5

17. Region 2 AYP Results Content Areas Reading (includes Districts & Campuses) –SPED: 28 –Eco. Disadvantaged: 1 Mathematics (includes Districts & Campuses) –SPED: 33 –All: 12 –Hispanic: 13 –Eco. Disadvantaged: 19 –African American: 1 Graduation: 16

18. How has the SPED landscape changed over the years? DateLifeskillsResourceGeneral Ed 2004-2005 20%65% 15% 2005-2006 18%55% 27% 2006-2007 16%45% 39% 2007-2008 14%35% 51% 2008-2009

19. How has the SPED landscape changed over the years? DateLifeskillsResourceGeneral Ed 2004-2005 20%65% 15% 2005-2006 18%55% 27% 2006-2007 16%45% 39% 2007-2008 14%35% 51% 2008-2009 Example

20. What Happened? Why Did So Many Schools Miss the Mark? New alternate state assessments: “School districts have responded to the new federal requirements by significantly increasing the number of students with disabilities assessed on grade level. However, it will take districts some time to fully address the increasing expectations …,” -----Commissioner of Education Robert Scott

21. What Happened? Why Did So Many Schools Miss the Mark? Moving a mass amount of special education students into the general education setting: If not supported, teachers may not be able to sustain all students appropriately. Secondary vs. Elementary: Secondary students may not have had opportunities to be instructed on-grade level until recently. Inappropriate state assessment: Many students may not have been placed in appropriate state assessments.

22. State/Federal Assessments 2008-09 TAKS –Enrolled Grade Level/General Ed Curriculum –With/Without Accommodations TAKS Accommodated (TAKS-A) –Enrolled Grade Level/General Ed Curriculum –With Accommodations TAKS Modified (TAKS-M) –Enrolled Grade Level/Modified Achievement Standards TAKS Alternate (TAKS-Alt) –Grade Level TEKS accessed through prerequisite skills

23. Is there a cap on the # of students districts can place in each state assessment? must be made by the student’s ARD committee.The decision to administer a test to a student must be made by the student’s ARD committee. It cannot be based solely on disability category or placement setting, nor can it be determined administratively for accountability purposes. »TAA Letter August 29, 2008

24. AYP Q&A Document Does the federal cap limit the number of students that are allowed to take the TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt? –No, the cap relates to counting students as proficient for AYP purposes only and does not limit the number of students that may take an alternate assessment. »See1.2 in Q&A document

25. AYP Q&A Document If my district or campus exceeds either the 1% or 2% cap, does that mean we automatically fail to meet AYP? Will the district be penalized? –There are no penalties for exceeding the caps. The only potential impact of exceeding the federal caps is the resulting AYP status for the district or campus. »See 1.7 in Q&A document

26. State Performance Plan: Part of the Accountability System--- why every decision a principal has to make is so important!

27. Overview of SPP Six year plan submitted to OSEP. Evaluates the state’s efforts to implement IDEA Illustrates how the state will continuously improve Annual Performance Report (APR) shows progress on measurable and rigorous targets and improvement activities

28. OSEP Determinations for Texas Meets Requirements Needs Assistance Needs Intervention = Texas Needs Substantial Intervention

29. 5 Monitoring Priorities 20 Indicators (Performance and Compliance) 1.FAPE in the LRE 2.Disproportionality 3.Child Find 4.Transition 5.General Supervision

30. TEA Public Reporting 1. Graduation 2. Dropout 3A-C. Adequate Yearly Progress 4A-B. Suspension/Expulsion 5A-C. Educational Environment, Ages 6-21 6. Educational Environment, Ages 3-5 7A-C. Early Childhood Outcomes 8. Parent Participation 9. Disproportionality in the sped program 10. Disproportionality by specific disability 11. Child Find 12. Early Childhood Transition 13. Secondary Transition 14. Post-School Outcomes

31. Why should general education staff be concerned about the SPP? Monitoring will be based on district data Students with disabilities make up a districts’ overall student population

32. –Students with disabilities graduate with the same diploma as their non-disabled peers Consider Indicator #1 & #2: Graduation & Dropout SO more sped dropout students means higher dropout rate for district and lower grad rate!

33. Consider Indicators 9, 10, 11: if inappropriate referrals are made--- SO if inappropriate referrals are made--- Child Find numbers may create OVERidentification & disproportionality issues General education teachers are the first staff members to indicate if students should be referred to special education,

34. Disproportionality in Region 2 25 school districts out of 48 were identified as being disproportionate 05-06 data

35. State targets

36. Keep Your Eye on Data SPEARS: http://hancock.tea.state.tx.us/tea.spears.web/ http://hancock.tea.state.tx.us/tea.spears.web/ a. Child Count b. Instructional Setting c. Disproportionality d. Exit e. Disciplinary Action f. Extended School Year

37. IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Special Education The Child-Centered Process

38. Definition of Special Education

39. Special Education: Specially designed instruction At no cost to the parents To meet the unique needs of the student

40. Specially Designed Instruction: Adapting as appropriate, to the needs of an eligible child, the content, methodology or delivery of instruction: To address the unique needs of the child that result from the disability To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum to meet the standards that apply to all children

41. Special Education is not a place. It’s a SERVICE!!

42. GENERALGENERAL Pre-referral Referral Special Ed. ARD Implementation FIE / Yearly evaluation

43. Principles of IDEA for Principals

44. Principles of IDEA Identification FAPE: free appropriate public education Due Process Nondiscriminatory evaluation Individualized education program Least restrictive environment Parent/Guardian Surrogate Consultation Staff Development Confidentiality

45. IDEA Recognized Disabilities

46. Disability categories in Texas MR OHI AI VI / Blind AU LD ED MD DB TBI OI SI Deaf (Texas only) NCEC (Texas only)

47. Students served in Texas by disability (2007) LD 46.81% SI19.34% MR 5.74% ED 7.16% OHI 11.71% MD 1.03% AU 3.88% AI 11.49% OI 0.98% TBI 0.27% VI 0.72% DB 0.02%

48. What is happening in Special Education? Ages2004-052005-062006-072007-2008 3-21514,236507,405494,302 http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/data/ http://www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/

49. Child-Centered Process How do we get from general education to special education? Reflect on your campus’ process for referring students to special education. What does that look like? Write the major steps down.

50. Appropriate Curriculum: Access to the General Curriculum What is the curriculum for Texas schools? What is the curriculum for Special Education students?

51. Research tells us that if we intervene at the beginning point of difficulty with intensive, appropriate instruction – special education referrals would be reduced by 50%.

52. Pre-referral Process (Early Intervention Process) Who? What? Where? When? How long? Response to Intervention Model

53. Now that we know why it is important to be well versed in Special Education… How to make well- informed decisions at ARDs is the key!

54. So, You’re The ARD Chair? What kind of “Chair” are you?

55. Think, Pair, Share What statements should you NEVER hear at an ARD? What statements should you ALWAYS hear at an ARD?

56. IEP Individual Educational Program Background information to strengthen the administrator’s role at ARD meetings!

57. Who is on the IEP team? Parent(s) Regular Education teacher Special Education teacher Administrator Evaluation personnel Student Others

58. What would you do? Superintendent calls you to meet with him at 10:00 a.m. You have had a scheduled ARD for over a week on your calendar for the same time. It is 9:45 a.m. and your sped teacher is asking for you to come to the meeting room.

59. As the ARD Chair, What is Your Role? Lead Set the Tone Invite Parent to Participate by asking questions and prompting Follow an agenda Follow IDEA rules and regulations Keep student in mind at all times

60. Sample Agenda I.Introduce all members: Set the tone for a collaborative meeting! II.State the purpose of the meeting III.Determination of eligibility (Diagnostician / evaluation personnel) IV.Development of the IEP V.Determination of placement / site selection VI.Assurances VII.Closing statements and signatures:

61. Individualized Educational Program = Appropriate Education

62. What does the IEP have to have? PLAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional Performance) Measurable annual goals Special education & related services Accommodations

63. Level of state assessment Dates services are to be provided Participation –School activities Transition Progress Age of Majority

64. Least Restrictive Environment & “Continuum of Services”

65. LRE Removal of children with disabilities from the regular educational environment should only occur when the nature or severity of the disability is such that education in regular classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.

66. Continuum of Services General Education Classrooom Resource 1 or 2 periods a day Resource 3 or 4 periods a day Lifeskills Classroom Homebound / Hospital Continuum of Special Education Services

67. Special education is not services based upon administrative convenience.

68. Help is always available: Legal Framework!... The answer to most of your questions!! http://www.esc18.net or http://fw.esc18.net/frameworkdisplayportlet/

69. Guide to the ARD Process http://framework.esc18.net/

70. ARD Decision- Making Process… It starts with YOU!

71. ARD Decision-Making Process: District Level Training –Superintendents –Testing Coordinators –Curriculum Directors –Special Education Administrators –Bilingual / ESL Coordinators

72. ARD Decision-Making Process: Campus Level Training Principals and other administrators Testing Coordinators Test Administrators Educational Diagnosticians LSSPs Counselors Teachers Special Education Staff Bilingual Staff Parents

73. 4 Steps to Making Decisions 1.Review student’s current info 2.Determine how the student receives TEKS instruction 3.Determine appropriate assessment 4.Document the assessment including accommodations P 14 in ARDC- DMP

74. Practice

75. Which Assessment is Appropriate? ARD Decision-Making Process Guide: 4 Steps to Making Assessment Decisions: p. 14 Access to the General Curriculum: p. 17 Participation Requirements Chart p. 19 (For TAKS-M or TAKS-Alt) Choosing Appropriate Assessments: p. 26

76. Which Assessment is Appropriate? ARD Decision-Making Process Guide: Sample Scenario 9 th grader receives 1-hr of Sp. Ed. in reading daily Uses the following accommodations: Larger font and fewer questions on worksheets and less text on the page

77. The Four Steps Summarized

78. Which Assessment is Appropriate? See Page 65 in the ARD Decision-Making Guide Curriculum Format FocusExamplesAssessment Option TEKSGrade-levelShortened TestsTAKS TAKS (A) TEKS Modified and or Accommodations Allow access to the TEKS through learning styles Simplified VocabTAKS- M TEKS Accessed through Prerequisite Skills Real life application of skills through student’s needs Find real-life applications of assignments for skills TAKS-Alt

79. Which Assessment is Appropriate? ARD Decision-Making Process Guide: Sample Scenario 9 th grader receives 1 hr of Sp. Ed. in rdg daily Uses the following accommodations: Larger font and fewer questions on worksheets and less text on the page. TAKS Accommodated in Reading TAKS in Math

80. Group Practice

81. Step 1: Review Current Data Student Confidential Report from previous year. Student work samples. Current IEP. Informal assessments. Discuss accommodations and supports the student currently uses to be successful in the classroom.

82. Step 2: How does student receive TEKS instruction? Does the student access the curriculum through modifications or accommodations? Which state assessment might be most appropriate based on this information? Sample items can be found on TEA’s website: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessm ent/taks/booklets/ http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessm ent/taks/booklets/

83. Step 3: Determine Assessment TAKS TAKS Accommodated TAKS Modified TAKS Alternate

84. Step 4: Documentation Why the student cannot participate in TAKS including TAKS A Why the selected alternate assessment is appropriate What accommodations are necessary

85. What can principals do now? Know which students are taking alternate tests Make sure you know how students are doing on benchmark tests Know what types of interventions are available for students with disabilities (aside from special education) Ensure “Bell-to-Bell” instruction Expect on grade level, high rigor instruction

86. Questions?

87. What Next? Fill out the “What Next” sheet

88. Contact Information: Gracie Pizzini –Graciela.pizzini@esc2.usGraciela.pizzini@esc2.us Nori Mora –Nori.mora@esc2.usNori.mora@esc2.us 361-561-8502