One System: A New Look at Transition

One System: A New Look at Transition NSTTAC Early Bird Session May, 2009 Joanne Cashman, Ed.D. Director The IDEA Partnership at The National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE)

Transition Issues: Cross stakeholder groups Cross agencies Emerge across the lifespan Focus on the same intended beneficiaries Do We : Connect across stakeholders Connect across agencies Know what each other is aiming to do Understand why they are doing it Know how their work will address common problems Persistent Problems in Transition:Our Success Depends on Others...Do Our Actions Show That?

What Is Our ‘Box” Special education Secondary years Youth with disabilities Compliance Can We Imagine : ‘All agency’’ strategy Education across the grade span An ‘all youth’ agenda Compliance with Quality Persistent Problems in Transition:Can We Get Outside the Proverbial ‘Box’

Where is the ‘Smart Power’? : The Push or the Pull To achieve what we have been unable to achieve...what might be more effective? • Rely on a ‘push strategy’ for discrete transition initiatives based on mandates • Create a ‘pull’ for experience, knowledge and critical networks around shared work

Transition in Context:Cross-walking the Current Issues The ‘Biggest’ Picture School Improvement Aligned Systems: P-16 The ‘Big Picture’ at the Secondary Level HS Renewal/Redesign

The Interconnected Issues • Transition to HS • Student Retention/ Drop Out Prevention • High skills, sufficient to command individual futures • Graduation with a Diploma • Transition from HS to Post–Secondary and Employment • Success for All Students Three Coherent Strategies • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) • Response to Intervention (RTI) • Intentionality at ‘Transitions’

“If people begin the see the educational system as a single entity through which people move, they may begin to behave as if all of education were related.” Harold Hodgkinson in “All One System’, 2000 P-16: Envisioning a Pipeline

Think/ Pair /Share To what extent do you facilitate an open pipeline? Y N Do you know how the elementary schools in your district are doing? Y N Do you know what happens at the transition from elementary to middle school? Y N Do you know how the middle schools in your district are doing? Y N Do you know what career education takes place in middle school? Y N Can you describeyour school’s approach to support in the ninth grade? Y N Do you know how your high school/tech center is doing academically? Y N Do you know what career education and career assessment takes place in the HS years? Y N Do you have opportunities to talk with subject area teachers about your common goals and common responsibilities? Y N Do you know the drop out/non-completion rate for your school? Your program? Y N Do you know how your graduates are doing in post-secondary education? Y N Do you know how your graduates are doing in employment? How did you do? 10-12 8-10 6-8 Fewer than 6

Focus on our own immediate issues and needs Fragmentation across levels and content areas Divisions across general, special and technical education Ineffective articulation between secondary, post –secondary and employment Lack of relationships that support communication Insufficient opportunities to learn about levels that precede and follow our own Failure to focus on the student in the system Infrequent opportunities to think about and study the pipeline. What Keeps Us from Seeing the Pipeline?

P-16: The Design for Investment by the Administration • In Speeches, the ARRA ( the Stimulus) and the 2010 Budget • EC • K-12 • Post-secondary • Some thoughts: • With education as a priority investment in the federal budget in these tough economic times, we will be expected to have a coherent vision for the investment. • There are lessons to be learned from the public reaction to the banking and auto investments. • Will we meet the public’s standard for stewardship? • Everyone must be a more informed and better spokesperson for education.

Focus on HS Renewal/Redesign • Targeted look at the secondary level by policymakers • NASSP : Translating the Policy to Practice • Breaking Ranks • Breaking Ranks ll • Breaking Ranks in the Middle • Can we learn to work on transition in the language of Breaking Ranks?

Three Coherent Strategies across the Pipeline • Universal Design for Learning (UDL) • Response to Intervention (RTI) Approach • Intentionality at Transitions

Coherent Strategy # 1: UDL “…flexibility in the way information is presented, in the ways students respond or demonstrate knowledge and skills, and in the ways students are engaged; ...reduces barriers in instruction, provides appropriate accommodations, supports and challenges…” The Higher Education Act

UDL: A Personal Reflection • Do you know about the UDL strategies that are being applied to instruction for all students? • Do you know about the national effort to create a digital standard for translating text to voice and other medium (NIMAS)? • Can you see how UDL might enhance the participation of students with disabilities • in general education? • In special education support? • In post-secondary?

Coherent Strategy # 2: An ‘RTI Approach’ RTI is not entirely new. Many elements have been practice for years in successful schools. RTI is the systematic and intentional application of these elements in a coherent approach to better outcomes. • Good core instruction • Universal screening • Progress monitoring • Tiered interventions using evidence-based practices • Data-informed decision-making • Problemsolving

Multi-Tier Model

What is the problem? Why is it happening? Did it work? What should be done about it? Problem-Solving Method

An RTI Approach to School Improvement • A look at how all students are doing • A ‘tiering’ of all interventions • A consistent monitoring system that gives information and points the way to better decisions • An expectation the faculty will have quality professional development on ‘what works’ • An expectation that all faulty will use the framework to assess their success in meeting student needs • An expectation that faculty will use proven strategies in designing core instruction and interventions

Coherent Strategy #3: Intention at the Transitions • Transitions are important; every transition! • EC to School Age • Elementary to MS • MS to HS • HS to post-secondary and employment • Post-secondary to employment* • Transitions must involve those that are transitioning and those that support them! • Youth and family engagement is imperative! Families and youth are the service coordinators across the years. They must learn the system! • During the MS and HS years, transition is ongoing...not episodic! • The ninth grade year is critical!

Transition under IDEA: A Personal Reflection • How are we implementing? • As a mandate or key part of the bigger picture? • As a ‘check off’ orwith astudent focus? • How are we interacting? • Other special educatorsorkey groups that will impact or ultimate success, including families, youth general educators and agencies staff? • Those that deliver service a the same level of the system orthose that work with us, as well those that work before and after us? • Our own organization, division or district orthose that share an interest in persistent issues/emerging practices in other locations?

IDEA Partnership's Work on Behalf of Stakeholders • Make the connections explicit for those in a variety of roles • Bring the perspective of stakeholders into the national discussions • Build relationships with researchers to ensure that ‘real world’ issues are a more routine part of the research agenda • Disseminate and promote the use of funded research and practice information. • Broker connections to free and low-cost training that is trustworthy • Involve stakeholders in developing the tools that will help them to lead in their school community • Showcase examples of good practice

National Community of Practice on Transition (CoP) • 13 states committed to: • Working across groups to improve transition • Learning from and with each other • 12 national organizations that represent those that are key implementers

What Can You Do? • Use the Pipeline Handouts to begin a dialogue in your school or district. • Use the Breaking Ranks Handout to begin a HS Redesign discussion among special education staff. • Keep the connections from this Forum going! • Keep the discussions from this Forum going! • Turn discussions into action!

Thanks for joining me... Visit us: • www.ideapartnership.org • www.sharedwork.org Call us: • Toll Free: 1-877-IDEAINFo

One System: A New Look at Transition