Taking it all on in Tennessee: Aligning statewide initiatives at multiple levels

1. Taking it all on in Tennessee: Aligning statewide initiatives at multiple levels David Cihak, Susan Jones, Jennifer Nelson, & Kim Paulsen

2. Starter Question Turn to the person next to you and answer the following question: • What are some of the initiatives that are being implemented in your state that have potential for integration and alignment?

3. Essential questions and objectives • What facilitates alignment across multiple levels of complex organizations? Scaling up of initiatives? • What challenges are present and what strategies are helpful to maintaining momentum? • Share details about the TN context including statewide priorities and initiatives • Provide insight into the TN-CEEDAR partnership • Learn about how three initial EPPs are approaching integrating state priorities, HLPs, LEA partnerships, and spreading to other EPPs

4. Setting the Context for CEEDAR-TN Dr. Susan Jones l Director of Networks and Partnerships l Office of Educator Licensure and Preparation | April 2019

5. Agenda • Tennessee Context • MTSS Framework • Special Education in Tennessee • Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI²) • Literacy Preparation in Tennessee • Educator Preparation Partnerships

6. Objective • To provide CEEDAR Convening participants an overview of the Tennessee Department of Educator’s areas of focus as they support and inform the work of the state’s CEEDAR EPPs.

7. Tennessee Succeeds

8. DepartmentPriorities

9. Strategic Goals • Goal 1 – Tennessee will rank in the top half ofstates on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) by2019. • Goal 2 – 75 percent of Tennessee third graders 2 will be proficient in reading by 2025. • Goal 3 – The average ACT composite score in Tennessee will be a 21 by 2020. • Goal 4 – The majority of high school graduates from the class of 2020 will earn a postsecondary certificate, diploma, or degree.

10. What does success look like? • Districts and schools in Tennessee will exemplify excellence and equity such that all students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to successfully embark upon their chosen path inlife.

11. Tennessee Context • MTSS Framework • Special Education • Response to Instruction and Intervention • Literacy Standards • Partnerships

12. MTSS Framework • Essential to preventing student challengesacademicallyand non-academically and setting students up forsuccess • Supportsthe whole child • A systematic way to align instruction andsupports. It is a framework for what we do to support students • Keyfeatures: • assessment • problem solving • data-based decision making • tiered supports

13. Tennessee MTSS Model

14. Tennessee MTSS Model.

15. Impetus for Change • Summer 2014: • The division of special populations began a significant shift in how special education students viewed and served. • The division of special populations developed a new special education framework focused on developing instructionally appropriate individualized education programs (IAIEPs). • The shift aligned with the MTSS framework that focused on all students being general education students first.

16. Special Education Process • Special education intervention, which is in addition to core instruction, should focus on skill deficits that improve access to academic standards. • State board approved two new licensure endorsements: • Special Education Interventionist K-8 • Special Education Interventionist 6-12

17. RTI2 • The department guides districts by providing a tiered continuum of instruction and intervention to ensure regular use of assessment to make data-based decisions so that interventions can occur at the earliest sign of academic problems to prevent more significant problems later. • Key features include: • assessment • leadership • data-based decision making • multi-tiered instruction and intervention

18. RTI2… • Tennessee State Board of Education Policy 5.504 states that: • “…educator preparation providers shall provide training to support candidates’ readiness to deliver or lead instruction informed by Response to Instruction and Intervention Framework (RTI²).” • Teacher candidates not seeking endorsement in special education must be prepared to deliver instruction and intervention at the tier I and II levels.

19. Literacy Preparation in Tennessee

20. Impetus for Change… • Previous governor's office strategic priority (2017) – At least 75% of Tennessee’s third graders will read proficiently by 2025. • EPP Literacy Standards – adopted by the State Board of Education in 2017 • Round 1: • early childhood • elementary • special education • Round 2: • ELA middle/secondary • instructional leader • non-ELA middle/secondary • career and technical education • pre-K-12

21. Literacy Proposal Process • The literacy proposal review process was: • grouped in strands across educator preparation; • substantive rather than focusing on compliance; • aligned with Read to be Ready initiative and Tennessee Academic Standards; • iterative with rigorous feedback provided from trained reviewers; and • engaging and collaborative.

22. Educator Preparation Partnerships in Tennessee

23. Why partnerships? • Make explicit the connection between effective educators and improving student achievement • Improve quality of novice educators • Address teacher shortages, improve teacher production, and pipeline development

24. History of EPP/LEA Partnerships

25. CAEP Standard 2: Clinical Partnerships and Practice The provider ensures that effective partnerships and high-quality clinical practice are central to preparation so that candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to demonstrate positive impact on all pre-K-12 students’ learning and development.

26. Primary Partnerships • Primary partnerships require: • established and explicit processes for identifying and responding to LEA identified areas of need; • collaborative development of candidate selection criteria; • collaborative design of high-quality, needs-based clinical experiences; and • collaborative implementation of high-quality clinical experiences with engagement of both partners throughout.

27. Primary Partnerships.. • In addition, EPPs and their primary LEA partners may consider: • creation of shared short- and long-term visions for the partnership, and • LEA engagement in program design and delivery of program content.

29. TN-CEEDAR Partners

30. TN-CEEDAR Goals • Communication • Data • Standard Alignment • Policy

31. University of Memphis

32. TN-CEEDAR Related Goals • Professional Development #1 • James McLeskey– University of Florida • P-12 Partners (teachers, admin, central office) • Faculty • TDOE – Susan Jones • Goal: Introduce HLPs and course syllabi review

33. TN-CEEDAR Related Goals.. • Larry Maheady– SUNY Buffalo State • P-12 Partners (teachers, admin, central office) • Faculty • Goal: Deep dive into HLPs and • NIC usage

34. TN-CEEDAR Related Goals • Professional Learning Communities • Creation of PLCs with faculty and P-12 Partners • Collaboration with presentation and research • Implementation Fall 2018

35. What We Have Accomplished • Professional Development for P-12 and faculty • Knowledge of HLPs • Implementation of HLPs in syllabi • Presentations • Use of the NIC • Continued partnership in CEEDAR 2.0 • Participation in TAGS • HLPs • Clinical Practice

36. What We Still Plan to Accomplish • Professional Learning Communities • Collaboration w/ our EPP Friends • HLP implementation across all content areas

37. University of Tennessee – Knoxville

38. TN-CEEDAR Related Goals… • To conduct course and program reviews using CEEDAR’s NIC in priority areas (i.e., HLPs and Tennessee literacy standards). • NIC - Network Improvement Community

39. What We Have Accomplished • All programs cross-walked current program in relation to Essential Components (e.g., HLPs, EBPs) & TN Literacy Standards • Identified gaps

40. What We Have Accomplished… • Redesigned Elementary Education (K-5) program • Redesigned PreK-K program • Redesigned PreK-3 program • Redesigned Interventionist K-8, 6-12, and Comprehensive K-12 program • Redesigned Interventionist K-8 JEP program • Redesigned Interventionist 6-12 JEP program • Redesigned Comprehensive K-12 JEP program • Redesigning Secondary programs (e.g., English, Social Science, Math, and Science) • Redesigning P-12 programs (e.g., ESOL and Deaf Ed) • Development of ESOL JEP program • Development of Math 6-8 JEP program • Development of Science 6-8 JEP program

41. How We Achieved Our Accomplishments • CEEDAR NIC resources • UTK training regarding program alignment • Incentivized UTK faculty • Working with LEA partners (Knox and Blount)

42. Primary Partnership: Mutually–agreed upon expectations linking theory and practice, coherence across academic clinical components, and share accountability for candidate outcomes • UTK faculty and clinical supervisors model the use of HLPs and assist teacher candidates in understanding and implementing the use of HLPs in the classroom setting. • Clinical mentor teachers model the use of HLPs and assist teacher candidates in understanding and implementing the use of HLPs in the classroom setting.

43. What We Still Plan to Accomplish… • Redesigning clinical experiences to ensure candidate development and demonstrate the use of HLPs resulting in a positive impact on all students.

44. Vanderbilt University

45. TN-CEEDAR Related Goals.. • All early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special education programs will be reviewed for special education content • Identification of High Leverage Practices • Think tank will be established with partners from the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Peabody Faculty • 1. Identify key components of inclusion MNPS would like to implement • 2. Identify High Leverage Practices to include in general education courses • 3. Establish a plan for Departments of SPED and Teaching & Learning to enhance collaborative experiences for pre-service candidates

46. TN-CEEDAR Related Goals… • Program Directors will meet to discuss gaps in curricula and determine strategies for closing the gaps • Resources will be developed to assist faculty in implementing strategies in coursework and field experiences • Strategies will be implemented into coursework and field experiences during spring 2018 semester • Guidelines will be established for mentor teachers including HLPs, collaboration, co-teaching issues, data team meetings, IEP meetings, experiential learning through RTI, IEP, data team meetings, shadowing • Share materials/resources with other EPPs that utilized MNPS for field experiences • Faculty may apply for mini grants, up to $1000, to support their work in their courses and field experiences

47. What We Have Accomplished… • All early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special education programs will be reviewed for special education content • Identification of High Leverage Practices • Think tank will be established with members from the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and Peabody Faculty

48. What We Still Plan to Accomplish • Possibly through state required partnership – collaborate with Belmont, Lipscomb, and TSU (also partnering with MNPS) to implement HLP

49. Challenges, opportunities, and solutions Improvement Community (NIC)

50. Deeper dive discussions • You will now have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss what you learned from presenters in smaller group discussions (approximately 8 minute rounds). • Start with your responses to the starter question • Follow up on anything you heard