1. 2011 OSEP Leadership Mega Conference Collaboration to Achieve Success from Cradle to Career 2.0 We Can Do Better: Becca Walawender, Deputy Division Director, MSIP, OSEP 213/225 Students with Disabilities in Low-Performing or Turnaround Schools

2. The Charge “Our goal is to turn around the 5,000 lowest-performing schools over the next five years, as part of our overall strategy for dramatically reducing the drop-out rate, improving high school graduation rates, and increasing the number of students who graduate prepared for success in college and the workplace.” Arne Duncan, August 2009

3. How We Get It Done School Improvement Grants Dramatic Change Rapid Improvement Significant Results Handbook on Effective Implementation of School Improvement Grants http://www.centerii.org/handbook/Resources/Introduction_and_Part_1.pdf

4. How We Get It Done SIG Basics Authorized under section 1003(g) of Title I of ESEA In conjunction with Title I school improvement funds under section 1003(a) of ESEA, SIGs are used to improve student achievement in Title I schools identified for improvement, corrective action, or restructuring so as to enable those schools to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) and exit improvement status Current Federal investment – $4.1 billion

5. How We Get It Done Eligibility School meets the criteria for one of three categories – Tier I Schools Tier II Schools Tier III Schools

6. How We Get It Done Eligibility Tier IAny Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that – Is among the lowest-achieving 5% of Title I schools in the state in improvement, correction action, or restructuring or the five lowest achieving such schools (whichever number of schools is greater); or Is a high school that has had a graduation rate (as defined in ESEA) that is below 60% over a number of years

7. How We Get It Done Eligibility Tier IIAny secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I Part A funds that – Is among the lowest-achieving 5% of secondary schools in the state that are eligible for, but do not receive, Title I funds; or Is a high school that has had a graduation rate (as defined in ESEA) that is below 60% over a number of years

8. How We Get It Done Eligibility Tier IIIAny Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that is not a Tier I school

9. How We Get It Done Additional Schools that May Be Eligible Tier ITitle I eligible elementary schools that are no higher achieving than the highest-achieving school that is defined as a “persistently lowest-achieving school” in Tier I and that are: In the bottom 20% of all schools in the state based on proficiency rates; or Have not made AYP for two consecutive years

10. How We Get It Done Additional Schools that May Be Eligible Tier IITitle I eligible secondary schools that are - (1)No higher achieving than the highest- achieving school that is defined as a “persistently lowest-achieving school” in Tier II, or (2)High schools that have had a graduation rate below 60% over a number of years and that are: In the bottom 20% of all schools in the state based on proficiency rates; or Have not made AYP for two consecutive years

11. How We Get It Done Additional Schools that May Be Eligible Tier IIITitle I eligible schools that do not meet the requirements to be in Tier I or Tier II and that are: In the bottom 20% of all schools in the state based on proficiency rates; or Have not made AYP for two consecutive years

12. How We Get It Done Number of SIG-eligible schools across the 50 states, DC and the Bureau of Indian Education 15,518

13. How We Get It Done Target Schools A finite number of priority schools – 5% of the schools in “improvement” Those with the greatest need Demonstrated a commitment to use designated reform strategies to achieve results in a short period of time Willingness to become a model of successful intervention

14. How We Get It Done School Turnaround Models TransformationReplace the principal, introduce significant instructional reforms, increase learning time, and provide flexibility and support TurnaroundReplace principal and no less than 50% of the staff; introduce significant instructional reforms, increase learning time, and provide flexibility and support RestartReopen the school under the management of a charter school operator, charter management organization, or an education management organization School ClosureClose the school and reassign students to higher achieving schools

15. How We Get It Done Funded Schools 1,247 Range of Tier I and Tier II schools in a state 5-198 Award Range $50,000 – $2 million

16. SIG Awarded Schools by Locale N=49 states and DC (Information unavailable for HI)

17. SIG Awarded Schools by Grade Range N=49 states and DC (Information unavailable for HI)

18. SIG Awarded Schools by Size N=49 states and DC (Information unavailable for HI)

19. Model Selection in Tier I and II SIG Awarded Schools N=49 states and DC (Information unavailable for HI)

20. School Type Elementary SchoolsMiddle SchoolsHigh Schools % Regular School96.0%96.3%85.7% % Charter3.5%1.8%6.4% % Alternative0.0%1.1%5.6% % Special Education0.5%0.7%0.6% % Vocational0.0% 1.6% N=49 states and DC (Information unavailable for HI) SIG Awarded Schools by Grade Level and Type

21. School Size Elementary SchoolsMiddle SchoolsHigh Schools % < 201 Students12.8%8.1%12.7% % 201-400 Students37.0%22.9%14.7% % 401 - 600 Students33.3%32.1%9.3% % > 600 Students16.8%36.9%63.4% N=49 states and DC (Information unavailable for HI) SIG Awarded Schools by Grade Level and Size

22. What We Know About Students with Disabilities in Turnarounds Approximately 186,000 students with disabilities are being educated in a school turnaround Every funded school has at least one student with a disability 11 awards were made to “special education schools” and 74 awards were made to “alternative schools”

23. Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities in Turnarounds Support for students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment involves using high-quality, research-based instructional strategies designed to enable progress in the general curriculum and preparation for adult life (IDEA, 2004). Supporting students with disabilities can include collaboration between general and special education teachers (Hollingsworth, 2001; Sindelar, Shearer, Yendol- Hoppey, & Liebert, 2006), application of universal design for learning principles and practices (Hitchcock, Meyer, Rose, & Jackson, 2002), and the creation of a climate of inclusion and multicultural responsiveness (Montgomery, 2001; Turnbull, Turnbull, Shank, & Smith, 2004). Handbook on Effective Implementation of School Improvement Grants

24. Resources http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/index.html School Improvement Grant Guidance (FAQs) Final Requirements SEA Application Fact sheets/Examples State by State budget tables Links to videos highlighting successful turnaround efforts http://dww.ed.gov/topic/?T_ID=21 “What Works Clearinghouse” – Resources for Turning Around Chronically Low Performing Schools www.centerii.org Handbook on Effective Implementation of SIGs Six Recorded Webinars “What LEAs are Doing” Planning & Implementation Tools/Resources www.massinsight.org/turnaround New Resource: “State Policies that can Support Turnaround”