So, Im the ARD Chair Special Education 101 for Administrators: ARD DecisionMaking is a Good Place to

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So, Im the ARD Chair?Special Education 101for
Administrators ARDDecision-Making is aGood
Place to Start!

• Nori Cuellar Mora, Ed.D.
• Gracie Pizzini
• December 9, 2008

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Introduction
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Do I really HAVE to do this?
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Instructional Decision-Making Procedures for
Ensuring Appropriate Instruction for Struggling
Students TEA Website

• 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

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Agenda

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

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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

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Acronym Activity
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• Sometimes
• it
• is
• all
• in
• how
• you
• read
• something

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So, what is YOUR responsibility as an
Administrator?
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Administrative Expectations
What do administrators do? Here are some
assignments as reported by principals currently
in the field.
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How much of your day is spent on special
education issues?So, whats the
verdict?Amount of time/day spent on Special
Education Issues
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Survey done of 200 principals across the state of
Texas reported on how much of a typical day is
spent on special education issuesAmount of
time/day Up to 25 24.3 26
50 21.3 51 74 13.5 75 or more 38.3
Dr. Debra Bravenecs Study for Dissertation
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Well, Accountability is still on
administrators minds!

• Just remember that you cant win at the numbers
  game.
• Individualize each students ARD committee
  meeting.
• Make the most appropriate choices based on the
  students strengths and needs.

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Change . . . In Special Education
What happened at the onset of the Texas
Accountability System in the 1980s? Then, what
happened at the onset of NCLB in 2001?
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3rd Graders in 2000-2001

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

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Region 2 ResultsMissed AYP

• High Schools 20
• Middle Schools 15
• Intermediate/Elementary Schools 5

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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

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How has the SPED landscape changed over the years?
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How has the SPED landscape changed over the years?
Example
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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

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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.

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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

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Is there a cap on the of students districts can
place in each state assessment?

• The decision to administer a test to a student
  must be made by the students 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

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AYP QA 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 QA document

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AYP QA 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 QA document

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State Performance Plan

• Part of the Accountability System--- why every
  decision a principal has to make is so important!

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Overview of SPP

• Six year plan submitted to OSEP.
• Evaluates the states 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

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OSEP Determinations for Texas

• Meets Requirements
• Needs Assistance
• Needs Intervention Texas
• Needs Substantial Intervention

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5 Monitoring Priorities20 Indicators
(Performance and Compliance)

• FAPE in the LRE
• Disproportionality
• Child Find
• Transition
• General Supervision

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TEA Public Reporting

• 1. Graduation2. Dropout3A-C. Adequate Yearly
  Progress4A-B. Suspension/Expulsion5A-C.
  Educational Environment, Ages 6-216. Educational
  Environment, Ages 3-57A-C. Early Childhood
  Outcomes8. Parent Participation9.
  Disproportionality in the sped program10.
  Disproportionality by specific disability11.
  Child Find12. Early Childhood Transition13.
  Secondary Transition14. Post-School Outcomes

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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

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Consider Indicator 1 2 Graduation Dropout

• Students with disabilities graduate with the same
  diploma as their non-disabled peers

SO more sped dropout students means higher
dropout rate for district and lower grad rate!
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Consider Indicators 9, 10, 11
General education teachers are the first staff
members to indicate if students should be
referred to special education,

• SO if inappropriate referrals are made---
• Child Find numbers may create OVERidentification
  disproportionality issues

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Disproportionality in Region 2

• 25 school districts out of 48 were identified as
  being disproportionate
• 05-06 data

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• State targets

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Keep Your Eye on Data

• SPEARS 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
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IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Special Education The Child-Centered Process
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Definition of Special Education
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Special Education

• Specially designed instruction
• At no cost to the parents
• To meet the unique needs of the student

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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

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Special Education

• is not a place.

• Its a SERVICE!!

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Pre-referral
Referral
Special Ed.
G E N E R A L
FIE / Yearly evaluation
Implementation
ARD
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Principles of IDEA for Principals
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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

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IDEA Recognized Disabilities
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Disability categories in Texas

• MD
• DB
• TBI
• OI
• SI
• Deaf
• NCEC (Texas only)

• MR
• OHI
• AI
• VI / Blind
• AU
• LD
• ED

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Students served in Texas by disability (2007)

• LD 46.81
• SI 19.34
• 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

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What is happening in Special Education?
http//www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/data/
http//www.tea.state.tx.us/special.ed/
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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.
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Appropriate CurriculumAccess to the General
Curriculum

• What is the curriculum for Texas schools?
• What is the curriculum for Special Education
  students?

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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.
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Pre-referral Process (Early Intervention Process)

• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?
• How long?
• Response to Intervention Model

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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!

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So, Youre The ARD Chair?
What kind of Chair are you?
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Think, Pair, Share

• What statements
• should you NEVER
• hear at an ARD?

What statements should you ALWAYS hear at an
ARD?
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IEPIndividual Educational Program
Background information to strengthen the
administrators role at ARD meetings!
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Who is on the IEP team?

• Parent(s)
• Regular Education teacher
• Special Education teacher
• Administrator
• Evaluation personnel
• Student
• Others

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What would you do?

• Superintendent calls you to meet with him at
  1000 a.m.
• You have had a scheduled ARD for over a week on
  your calendar for the same time.
• It is 945 a.m. and your sped teacher is asking
  for you to come to the meeting room.

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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

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Sample Agenda

• Introduce all members Set the tone for a
  collaborative meeting!
• State the purpose of the meeting
• Determination of eligibility (Diagnostician /
  evaluation personnel)
• Development of the IEP
• Determination of placement / site selection
• Assurances
• Closing statements and signatures

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Individualized Educational Program
Appropriate Education
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What does the IEP have to have?

• PLAFP (Present Levels of Academic and Functional
  Performance)
• Measurable annual goals
• Special education related services
• Accommodations

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

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Least Restrictive EnvironmentContinuum of
Services
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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.

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Continuum of Services
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Special education is not services based upon
administrative convenience.
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Help is always availableLegal Framework!

• . . . The answer to most of your questions!!
• http//www.esc18.net
• or

http//fw.esc18.net/frameworkdisplayportlet/
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Guide to the ARD Process

• http//framework.esc18.net/

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ARD Decision-Making ProcessIt starts with YOU!
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ARD Decision-Making Process District Level
Training

• Superintendents
• Testing Coordinators
• Curriculum Directors
• Special Education Administrators
• Bilingual / ESL Coordinators

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ARD Decision-Making Process Campus Level
Training

• LSSPs
• Counselors
• Teachers
• Special Education Staff
• Bilingual Staff
• Parents

• Principals and other administrators
• Testing Coordinators
• Test Administrators
• Educational Diagnosticians

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4 Steps to Making Decisions

• Review students current info
• Determine how the student receives TEKS
  instruction
• Determine appropriate assessment
• Document the assessment including accommodations

P 14 in ARDC- DMP
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Practice
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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

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Which Assessment is Appropriate? ARD
Decision-Making Process Guide

• Sample Scenario
• 9th 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

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The Four Steps Summarized
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Which Assessment is Appropriate?

• See Page 65 in the ARD Decision-Making Guide

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Which Assessment is Appropriate? ARD
Decision-Making Process Guide
TAKS Accommodated in Reading TAKS in Math

• Sample Scenario
• 9th 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.

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Group Practice
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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.

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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 TEAs website
  http//www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/taks
  /booklets/

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Step 3 Determine Assessment

• TAKS
• TAKS Accommodated
• TAKS Modified
• TAKS Alternate

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Step 4 Documentation

• Why the student cannot participate in TAKS
  including TAKS A
• Why the selected alternate assessment is
  appropriate
• What accommodations are necessary

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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

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Questions?
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What Next?

• Fill out the What Next sheet

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Contact Information

• Gracie Pizzini
• Graciela.pizzini_at_esc2.us
• Nori Mora
• Nori.mora_at_esc2.us
• 361-561-8502