Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of High School Students with Disabilities: What High Performing High Schools Do

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with DisabilitiesWhat High
Performing High Schools Do
High Schools That Work 20th Annual Staff
Development Conference Orlando World Center
Marriott Orlando, Florida
Directed Research Projects US Department of
Education Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Programs
James R. Frasier, Ph.D. Center on Education and
Work University of Wisconsin-Madison http//www.ce
w.wisc.edu
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Purpose of Research

• Identify and describe school-wide approaches in
  nationally
• recognized high schools that consistently
  support and produce
• good results for students with disabilities.

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Research Objectives

• Describe how special education services are
  delivered.
• Describe how students with disabilities are
  attaining their goals in the general education
  curriculum.
• Describe how special education and regular
  education programs have coordinated the education
  services for students with disabilities.
• Describe how the above 3 issues and other issues
  are related to positive results for students with
  disabilities.

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Research Design

• Nationally recognized high schools
• High schools with a 3-year pattern of data
  illustrating consistent attainment of or gains in
  state and/or locally determined core academic
  learning outcomes.
• Identifying nationally recognized high schools
• Dispelling the myth . . . Over time The
  Education Trust May 2002
• Letter to State Supt. Of Schools requesting
  nominations
• National School of Excellence Award List (Blue
  Ribbon School)
• Letter to State Directors of Special Education
  requesting nominations
• Reform School Networks (e.g. HSTW, Coalition of
  Essential Schools)
• Letter to OSEP Parent Centers in all 50 states
• Online State Department of Public Instruction
  Data Bases

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Research Design

• Qualifying schools as potential candidates for
  study
• 40 or more of all students enrolled are eligible
  to receive a free or reduced price lunch
• Ethnically balanced student enrollment
• At least 10 of total school enrollment is
  composed of students with disabilities
• At least 70 of students with disabilities are
  enrolled for 80 or more of their school day in
  regular education classes

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Research Design

• Selection of potential high schools for
  participation in the study
• 1500 initially identified as high performing
  high schools
• Eligibility for free or reduced price lunch
  and/or ethnically balanced student enrollment
  requirements reduced the number to 106 schools
• Enrollment of at least 10 of students with
  disabilities reduced the number to 73 schools
• Enrollment of 70 of students with disabilities
  for 80 or more of the school day in regular
  education classes reduced the number to 18
  schools.

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Research Design

• Selection of potential high schools for
  participation in the study
• 18 identified as finalists for high performing
  high schools study
• 4 rural
• 6 urban
• 8 inner city
• 12 selected by researchers to recommend to
  National Advisory Panel
• 2 rural
• 4 urban
• 6 inner city

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Research Design

• High schools participating in the 3-year study
• Anchorage (2,600 students)
• Greater Los Angles metropolitan area (2,800
  students)
• Inner city of Chicago (650 students)
• Inner city of Atlanta (950 students)
• Rural Virginia (690 students)
• Inner city of Boston (290 students)

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Research Design

• Data collection 1st round 5 days duration
• Individual interviews with 40 individuals at
  each research site
• 3-5 parents of students with a disability
• 5 students with a disability (junior and senior
  grade level)
• 3-5 students with a disability who were recent
  graduates
• 5 students without disability
• 3-5 English faculty members
• 3-5 Math faculty members
• 3-5 Social Studies faculty members
• 3-5 Science faculty members
• 3-5 Special Educators
• 5-8 School administrators (including guidance,
  nurse, Dir. Sp. Ed)
• 3-5 Employers of students with a disability
• 3-5 Social service agency professionals (Voc.
  Rehab., Social Security, Health and Family
  Services, Social Welfare)

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Research Design

• Data collection 2nd round 5 days duration
• Group interviews with 30 individuals at each
  research site
• 3-5 parents of students with a disability
• 5 students with a disability (junior and senior
  grade level)
• 5 students without disability in senior year
  (school leaders)
• 3-5 English faculty members
• 3-5 Math faculty members
• 3-5 Social Studies faculty members
• 3-5 Science faculty members
• 3-5 Special Educators
• Individual interviews with 5-8 School
  administrators (including guidance, nurse,
  security staff)
• Other persons as determined by the school
  principal

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• Final Research Report Available after 12/1/06 at
• http//www.cew.wisc.edu/highschools

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 1
• Schools have created a culture that celebrates
  diversity
• Individually we are different together we
  are one.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 1
• Schools have created a culture that celebrates
  diversity
• Individually we are different together we are
  one.
• How they do it - - -
• Constant respect for one another.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 1
• Schools have created a culture that celebrates
  diversity
• Individually we are different together we are
  one.
• How they do it - - -
• Constant respect for one another.
• Uncompromising integrity in everything we do.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 1
• Every Individual is expected to walk the talk . .
  .

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 2
• All high school staff participate in
  transitioning students with
• disabilities from middle school to high
  school.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 2
• All high school staff participate in
  transitioning students with
• disabilities from middle school to high
  school.
• Westminster High School Page 5

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 2
• All high school staff participate in
  transitioning students with
• disabilities from middle school to high
  school.
• Westminster High School Page 5
• Arcadia High School Page 9

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 2
• All high school staff participate in
  transitioning students with
• disabilities from middle school to high
  school.
• Westminster High School Page 5
• Arcadia High School Page 9
• Boston Arts Academy Page 13

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 3
• Schools have found a way to make time during the
  school day for
• ALL students to have common time together.
• Open Microphone during lunch on Wednesday.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 3
• Schools have found a way to make time during the
  school day for
• ALL students to have common time together.
• Open Microphone during lunch on Wednesday.
• Low Incidence Students with Disabilities in the
  schools swimming pool during open/general swim
  time.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 3
• Schools have found a way to make time during the
  school day for
• ALL students to have common time together.
• Open Microphone during lunch on Wednesday.
• Low Incidence Students with Disabilities in the
  schools swimming pool during open/general swim
  time.
• X Period after the school day begins.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 3
• Schools have found a way to make time during the
  school day for
• ALL students to have common time together.
• Every student throughout the school reads
  silently for 15 minutes at the beginning of every
  class.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 3
• Schools have found a way to make time during the
  school day for
• ALL students to have common time together.
• Every student throughout the school reads
  silently for 15 minutes at the beginning of every
  class.
• Common school lunch period All students eat at
  the same time.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 3
• Schools have found a way to make time during the
  school day for
• ALL students to have common time together.
• Every student throughout the school reads
  silently for 15 minutes at the beginning of every
  class.
• Common school lunch period All students eat at
  the same time.
• Partners club Page 35

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 4
• Schools emphasize career exploration, career
  planning, and
• integration of career/academic curricula.
• Individual student portfolio (spanning 4 years)
  formally presented to parent and selected school
  professionals required of all students before
  they can receive their high school diploma.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 4
• Schools emphasize career exploration, career
  planning, and
• integration of career/academic curricula.
• Individual student portfolio (spanning 4 years)
  formally presented to parent and selected school
  professionals required of all students before
  they can receive their high school diploma.\
• Each student entering the 9th grade has a plan
  that states their individual education goals for
  high school and what core academic courses they
  will need to take to attain their education
  goals.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 4
• Schools emphasize career exploration, career
  planning, and
• integration of career/academic curricula.
• Westminster High School Page 16

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 4
• Schools emphasize career exploration, career
  planning, and
• integration of career/academic curricula.
• Westminster High School Page 16
• Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
  Page 20

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 4
• Schools emphasize career exploration, career
  planning, and
• integration of career/academic curricula.
• Westminster High School Page 16\
• Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
  Page 20
• Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
  Page 23

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 5
• The school faculty hold the belief that they are
  individually and
• collectively accountable for the academic
  achievement of ALL
• students.
• Academic and special educators collaboratively
  teach core subjects within inclusive classrooms
  settings.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 5
• The school faculty hold the belief that they are
  individually and
• collectively accountable for the academic
  achievement of ALL
• students.
• Academic and special educators collaboratively
  teach core subjects within inclusive classrooms
  settings.
• A Student Support Team composed of a core
  membership of student support service
  professionals, academic faculty, and the school
  vice-principal meet weekly to review each student
  having difficulty, or beginning to exhibit the
  potential of having difficulty, in sustaining a
  positive school experience and/or academic
  outcome. Page 39.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 5
• The school faculty hold the belief that they are
  individually and
• collectively accountable for the academic
  achievement of ALL
• students.
• Students with great spontaneously volunteer that
  faculty are - - -
• Always on my case !

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 6
• Students with disabilities are exhibiting
  self-advocacy skills and they are attaining their
  educational goals within the general education
  curriculum.
• Students with disabilities electing to receive a
  regular high school diploma are self-identifying
  with academic faculty and work closely with them
  to devise strategies for successfully completing
  assignments and passing tests.
• Students with and without disabilities are aware
  of special accommodations that are or can be made
  for students with disabilities in order to assist
  them in demonstrating their competency in regular
  education classrooms.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 6
• Students with disabilities exhibit self-advocacy
  skills and are
• attaining their educational goals within the
  general education
• curriculum.
• Students with disabilities are involved in
  extra-curricular activities, school leadership
  positions, peer support programs, and have close
  relationships with friends and classmates who
  help them with homework and preparing for tests.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 7
• Parents of students with disabilities exhibit
  sophisticated advocacy skills and are actively
  involved in supporting their childs educational
  goals within the general education curriculum.
• Testified before Congressional Committee on
  Reauthorization of IDEA

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 7
• Parents of students with disabilities exhibit
  sophisticated advocacy skills and are actively
  involved in supporting their childs educational
  goals within the general education curriculum.
• Testified before Congressional Committee on
  Reauthorization of IDEA
• Petitioned the State Board of Education to make
  the school increase the water temperature of the
  swimming pool.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 7
• Parents of students with disabilities exhibit
  sophisticated advocacy skills and are actively
  involved in supporting their childs educational
  goals within the general education curriculum.
• Testified before Congressional Committee on
  Reauthorization of IDEA
• Petitioned the State Board of Education to make
  the school increase the water temperature of the
  swimming pool.
• Joined class action suit to delay implementation
  of state mandated graduation examination for
  students with disabilities.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with Disabilities

• Research Finding 7
• Parents of students with disabilities exhibit
  sophisticated advocacy skills and are actively
  involved in supporting their childs educational
  goals within the general education curriculum.
• Testified before Congressional Committee on
  Reauthorization of IDEA
• Petitioned the State Board of Education to make
  the school increase the water temperature of the
  swimming pool.
• Joined class action suit to delay implementation
  of state mandated graduation examination for
  students with disabilities.
• Member SAT National Panel to standardize testing
  accommodations processes for students with
  disabilities.

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Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gap of
High School Students with DisabilitiesWhat High
Performing High Schools Dohttp//www.cew.wisc.ed
u/highschools
High Schools That Work 20th Annual Staff
Development Conference Orlando World Center
Marriott Orlando, Florida
James R. Frasier, Ph.D. jfrasier_at_education.wisc.e
du