Students with Disabilities:

1

• Students with Disabilities
• Our Progress Across the State

Presented by State Superintendent Kathy
Cox November 3, 2005
2
Key Milestones

• Outstanding improvement in student achievement
• AYP linked to SWD Progress
• Continuing to make great gains with the inclusion
  model
• Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) promise to
  yield great benefits for all students

3
Future Challenges

• Testing
• Highly Qualified Teachers
• Professional Learning
• Parent Involvement

4
2005 Results for Students with Disabilities
Another Great Year of Test Results
5
CRCT Results Since 2004

• 36 different tests were given
• 30 showed gains
• 3 showed losses
• 3 remained unchanged
• Since 2002, gains made on all 36 tests!

6
2002-2005 Percentage Point Increase in Students
with Disabilities Meeting or Exceeding Standards
on the CRCT

• English/Language Arts 16
• Math 20
• Science 21
• Social Studies 23
• Reading 26

7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
(No Transcript)
10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
(No Transcript)
15
You did it!

• Thanks to classroom teachers, our frontline
  educators
• Thanks also to Special Education Directors for
  your help in this achievement
• Thanks to members of the Division of Exceptional
  Students for your work in support of schools,
  educators, and children

16
Top 30 Systems Making the Greatest Gains for
Students with Disabilities
17
Georgia Schools Making AYP
83
80
77
18
Top 30 Schools Making AYP with the Greatest Gains
for Students with Disabilities
19
Inclusion Model

• Percent of students with disabilities that spent
  80 or more of their time in a regular classroom
• 2000-2001 36
• 2004-2005 51
• Adequate funding is needed so that inclusion can
  work IE2 Task Force

20
Georgia Performance Standards

• GPS represents a new curriculum for all of
  Georgias students
• GADOEs Division of Exceptional Students
  participated in the development of the GPS
• Day 6 of training was dedicated to differentiated
  instruction evidence of the commitment to assist
  all students
• We must continue to work towards getting more
  SWD into the regular program

21
Testing

• Federal flexibility in calculating Adequate
  Yearly Progress was granted for SWD
• Recognition that 2 of students with disabilities
  were being tested inappropriately
• 65 schools were helped by flexibility (Made AYP)

22
Testing

• Must develop an assessment for the 2 of SWD that
  are not accurately assessed by the GAA nor the
  regular test
• Modified CRCT
• Modified GHSGT
• Must develop an new GAA to meet federal
  requirements for 1 of severely disabled students

23
Highly Qualified Teachers

• Every teacher must be highly qualified by August
  31, 2006
• Certified special education teachers are highly
  qualified to offer expertise in teaching students
  with disabilities
• NCLB and IDEA require that all teachers,
  including special education teachers, be highly
  qualified and certified in the subject areas that
  they teach

24
Highly Qualified Teachers

• Special Education teachers are not required to
  meet highly qualified requirements if they are
  not providing core academic content instruction
  as the teacher of record
• Special Education teachers who are working in a
  consultative role are not required to meet highly
  qualified requirements in a subject area
  (supports inclusion, mainstreaming, collaborative
  or co-teacher)

25
Highly Qualified Teachers

• If state meets the laws requirements and USDOEs
  expectations, but fall short of 100 HQT, then
  the state will have an opportunity to negotiate
  and implement a revised plan before the end of
  the 2006-2007 year

26
Highly Qualified Teachers

• GADOE working collaboratively with the
  Professional Standards Commission (PSC) to get
  this done
• All teachers, including Special Education, should
  continue working on requirements to become highly
  qualified

27
Professional Learning

• Kudos to the Georgia Learning Resource Network,
  offering professional learning to special
  education staff and general education teachers
• Special education teachers being training in
  Reading First
• GADOE also has a grant to provide additional
  professional learning opportunities

28
Parent Involvement

• Parents are essential partners
• GADOE Parent Liaison works with systems and other
  advocacy groups
• Parent Mentor Project
• now 65 parent mentors, representing 140,000
  students on IEPs,
• working with systems part time to assist with
  communications to parents
• Fostering meaningful parent activities

29
Goals

• To work together
• to raise the achievement of students with
  disabilities, and
• to build upon the huge successes we have achieved
  to date.
• Together, we will lead the nation
• in improving student achievement!

30
Congratulations!