Students with Disabilities in the P16 Framework: Outcomes and Improvement Strategies

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Students with Disabilities in the P-16
Framework Outcomes and Improvement Strategies

• Rebecca H. Cort
• VESID October 2007 Statewide Meeting

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Facing todays educational challenges means
improving critical systems and structures that
support achievement from the earliest years
though college completion.
Source Commissioner Mills Report to the Board of
Regents, October 2006
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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• GOALS
• Close the great divide in achievement along
  lines of income, race and ethnicity, language and
  disability.
• Keep up with growing demands for still more
  knowledge and skill in the face of increasing
  competition in a changing global economy

Source Commissioner Mills Report to the Board of
Regents, October 2006
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Results for Students with Disabilities
Source Report to the Board of Regents, June 2007
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Were Making Progress

• Achievement is up in Grades 3-8 in English
  Language Arts and Mathematics
• Few students are educated in separate settings
• More take and pass Regents exams every year
• More graduate every year
• More earn Regents diplomas
• More attend college than a decade ago

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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But Achievement and Graduation Rates Remain Far
Too Low

• Black students are disproportionately classified.
• Too few students with disabilities are in general
  education settings in the Big Five Cities.
• Achievement in Grades 3-8 is a fraction of what
  it should be.
• Successful outcomes (graduation) are too low.
• Too many students are dropping out of school.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Classification Rate increased slightly but has
been fairly stable for the past few years.
Revised methodology
Final April 2007
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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All minorities are over represented in special
education except Asians, who are significantly
underrepresented.
Source 2005-06 BEDS Data and December 1, 2005
PD1/4, Final April 2007
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Much larger percentages of students with
disabilities are provided special education
services in separate classes and in separate
settings in the Big Five Cities, compared to rest
of State.
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
Final June 2007
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2006 2007 English Language Arts (ELA)
Percentages of Students with Disabilities at
Levels 3 4

• Performance of students with disabilities meeting
  the ELA learning standards increased at every
  grade in 2007, even with the increase in ELL
  students with disabilities tested.
• Overall, 1 in 5 students with disabilities
  performs at grade level.
• Gap Compare the 22.8 average for students with
  disabilities across grades 3-8 with that for all
  students in grades 3-8 at 63.4.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 and 2007 English Language Arts
(ELA)Students with Disabilities English Language
LearnersPercentages at Levels 3 4

• Performance of students with disabilities (SWD)
  who are English Language Learners (ELL) meeting
  the ELA learning standards increased at every
  grade in 2007, but the increases are very low.
• Overall, 1 in 12 students with disabilities who
  are English Language Learner performs at grade
  level.
• Gap Students with disabilities in grades 3-8
  who were not English Language Learners were 3
  times as likely to meet the standards than
  students with disabilities who are English
  Language Learners.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 2007 English Language Arts (ELA)
Percentages of Students with Disabilities at
Level 1

• In every grade, fewer students with disabilities
  showed serious academic problems.
• Gap Compare the averages across grades 3-8 for
  students with disabilities at 25.1 with that for
  all students in grades 3-8 at 6.1.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 2007 English Language Arts (ELA) by
Need/Resource Categories Percentages of
Students with Disabilities at Levels 3 4

• Except in the Large City Districts, more students
  with disabilities met the standards in 2007.
• Gap Variations among need/resource categories
  were substantial.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 2007 English Language Arts (ELA) by
Need/Resource Categories Percentages of
Students with Disabilities at Level 1

• The percentage of students with disabilities in
  serious academic difficulties decreased in every
  category.
• Gap Students in Large City Districts were 4
  times as likely as those in Low Need Districts to
  score at Level 1.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 2007
MathematicsPercentages of Students with
Disabilities at Levels 3 4

• Performance of students with disabilities meeting
  the Mathematics Standards increased at every
  grade in 2007.
• Overall, 1 out of 3 students with disabilities
  performs at grade level.
• Gap Compare the 37.2 average for students with
  disabilities across grades 3-8 with that for all
  grade 3-8 at 72.7.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 2007 MathematicsPercentag
es of Students with Disabilities at Level 1

• In every grade, fewer students with disabilities
  showed serious academic problems.
• Gap Compare the average across grades 3-8 for
  students with disabilities at 28.2 with that for
  all students in grades 3-8 at 7.5

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 2007 Mathematics by Need/Resource
Categories Percentages of Students with
Disabilities at Levels 3 4

• Students with Disabilities in Low Need Districts
  were 3 times as likely as those in Large City
  Districts to meet the standards in 2007.
• Gap Variations among need/resource categories
  were substantial.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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2006 2007 Mathematics by Need/Resource
Categories Percentages of Students with
Disabilities at Level 1

• The percentage of students with disabilities in
  serious academic difficulties decreased in every
  category.
• Gap Students with Disabilities in Large City
  Districts were about 4 times times as likely as
  those in Low Need Districts to score at Level 1.

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Regents English Examination and Students with
Disabilities

• Since 1997, there has been more than 354
  increase in the number of students with
  disabilities tested.
• Of the students tested in 2006, 65 achieved a
  score between 55-100.

Public Schools-Including Charter Schools, Final
April 2007
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Regents Sequential Mathematics Course I and Math
A Examinations and Students with Disabilities

• Since 1997, there has been a 323 increase in the
  number of students with disabilities tested.
• Of the students tested in 2006, 70 achieved a
  score between 55-100.

Beginning in 1999, students take either of the
two math examinations. Sequential Mathematics
Course I examination ended in 2002.
Public Schools-Including Charter Schools, Final
April 2007
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Regents Diplomas Earned by Students with
Disabilities

• Since higher standards were adopted in 1996, more
  than 10 times as many students with disabilities
  are earning Regents diplomas.

Students graduating with Regents diplomas in
2004-05 were required to pass five Regents
examinations compared to eight being required in
previous years.
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
Public Schools-Including Charter Schools
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High School Outcomes for 2001 and 2002 Total
Cohorts
Final June 2007
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Outcomes for 2001 Total Cohort of Students with
Disabilities After 5 Years by Need/Resource
Capacity

• More students in the Big Five Cities dropped out
  than graduated.
• Gap There are substantial variations in
  outcomes by need/resource capacity of school
  districts.

Total State Includes Charter Schools, Final-
April 2007
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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The number of self-identified students with
disabilities in New York State higher education
programs decreased slightly after many years of
steady increase.
Number of Individuals with Disabilities and
Percent of Total Enrollment in NYS Institutions
of Higher Education
3.6
3.5
3.4
3.4
3.4
3.3
3.0
2.8
Data for 1998 are not available
Final April 2007
Source OHE
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Strategies for Improving Student Performance in
the P-16 Initiative
Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Action 1 Identify Low Performing Schools
Target Improvements

• Set annual State targets for improvement
• Publish performance data
• Hold low-performing schools accountable
• Redirect IDEA funds in low-performing schools

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Action 2Help Districts Improve Instructional
Practices

• Identify instructional practices contributing to
  poor student performance and help districts make
  improvements
• Describe and promote effective practices through
  district-to-district assistance
• Improved literacy
• Positive behavioral interventions
• Effective special education service delivery

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Contracts for Excellence Targets

• Predominantly benefit students with greatest
  educational needs
• English language learners limited English
  proficiency
• Students in poverty
• Students with disabilities
• Schools identified as requiring academic
  progress, corrective action or restructuring with
  emphasis on the most serious academic problems
• For evidence-based practices that facilitate
  student attainment of learning standards

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Contracts for Excellence Allowable Activities

• Class size reduction
• Increased time on task
• Teacher and Principal quality initiatives
• Middle and High School restructuring
• Full-day pre-kindergarten and kindergarten
• With prior SED approval, up to 15 for
  experimental programs to improve student
  achievement

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Action 3Align VESID Technical Assistance
Resources

• Direct technical assistance (TA) resources to
  address school improvements in
• Literacy
• Behavioral supports
• Quality delivery of special education services
• Improve achievement and reduce disproportionate
  representation of minority students by
• Preventing inappropriate referrals
• Increasing declassification rates
• Expand availability and capacity of TA centers to
  promote training and implementation of Positive
  Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in the
  Large 4 and BOCES

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Action 4Increase Positive Post School Outcomes

• Increase the number of students with disabilities
  transitioning directly from high schools to
• vocational rehabilitation training programs
• employment
• college
• 60 Model Transition Program Projects
• CUNY MOU

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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VESID Key Actions for 2007-08

• Direct TA resources to IDEA-identified districts
• Contracts for Excellence prioritize students in
  greatest need, including students with
  disabilities
• Focus TA on improving core instructional
  practices
• Identify successful schools
• Establish statewide Response to Intervention
  (RtI) Technical Assistance Center (TAC)
• Provide grants to districts to implement RtI
  programs
• Explore the development of Career and Technology
  Education (CTE) program options for students with
  disabilities to decrease dropout rates

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07
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Important Policy Changes to Improve Results2007

• High standards for behavioral assessments and
  interventions
• New criteria for determining students with
  learning disabilities
• Response-to-Intervention Programs LD,
  Screening, Contracts for Excellence Regulations
• Continuum of service options to meet individuals
  student needs

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Improving critical systems and structures that
support achievement requires us to

• Be purposeful in improving core instructional
  practices
• Lead systems initiatives (TA) with long-term and
  lasting impact or outcomes
• Measure success not in effort, but effect
• Be visionary

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Today, with a growing acknowledgement of service
system accountability, we may be on the verge of
moving toward a visionary style of solving
problems. A visionary style is focused more on
goals and desired outcomes and less on specific
(perhaps symptomatic) problems. A visionary
style helps us see past the current issues that
attract our immediate attention into a future of
what might be, if only we....
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References Links

• P-16 Education A Plan for Action
  http//usny.nysed.gov/summit/p-16ed.pdf
• Report to the Board of Regents on Closing the
  Achievement Gap Strategies for Students with
  Disabilities Implemented in 2006-07
  http//www.regents.nysed.gov/2007Meetings/June2007
  /0607emscvesidd4.doc
• Results for Students and Individuals with
  Disabilities in 2005-06 and 2006-07
  http//www.regents.nysed.gov/2007Meetings/June2007
  /0607brd2.doc
• http//www.oms.nysed.gov/press/documents/Spec
  ialEdRepCardSlides-Final2007.ppt
• State Performance Plan and Annual Performance
  Report http//www.vesid.nysed.gov/specialed/spp/ho
  me.html
• Special Education Policy Guidance, Laws and
  Regulations http//www.vesid.nysed.gov/special
  ed/timely.htm

Keynote by R. Cort, 10/3/07