Shifting State Education Agency Approach through Stakeholder Engagement

1. Shifting State Education Agency Approach through Stakeholder Engagement Leadership for Stakeholder Engagement and Building Effective Educational Teams through Leading By Convening:A Blueprint for Authentic Engagement and Research on Stakeholder Engagement *Selected materials developed by: IDEA Partnership; National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI)

2. OSEP Disclaimer 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference DISCLAIMER: The contents of this presentation were developed by the presenters for the 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)

3. Presenters • Lead Presenters: Chris Suriano, christopher.suriano@nysed.gov NY State Education Department (NYSED), Office of Special Education (OSE) • Co-Presenter: Helene Fallon, hafallon@optonline.net LI Parent Center; Center for Community Inclusion; LIU LI Advocacy Center; Region 1 NY Collaborative PTIC • Co-Presenter: Anne Louise Thompson, althomp@wested.org National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI)

4. Rationale for Stakeholder Engagement in the Work of State Education Agency (SEA) • ‘Good governance’ encourages citizens to influence policy implementation (Bemelmans-Videc et al., 1998). • SEA leadership can encourage such influence from its constituents through partnering and collaborative work with stakeholders

5. These types of engagement are critical to addressing complex social issues (Williams, 2002), such as improving outcomes for students with disabilities (Thompson Granfield, 2019). Rationale for Stakeholder Engagement in the work of SEAs

6. Desire to discuss and learn more on how SEA LEADERSHIPvalues the role of partnering with other organizations and engaging stakeholder voice can bring to improving results for students with disabilities with other states’ colleagues and their partners and stakeholders. Rationale for Stakeholder Engagement in the Work of SEAs

7. Our Time Together Today • Why Leading for Stakeholder Engagement* and Authentic Engagement (AE)- Leading by Convening (LbC)** • Keys to Success • Approaches to Change • Challenges for Leadership • A New Way of Leading • New York’s Story • New York’s Application • Other State’s Applications

8. Building Effective Educational Teams is the Key to Success! • Meaningful participation by all • Respectful • Child focused • Courteous and civil • One speaker at a time SHARED OWNERSHIP includes… *All stakeholders*

9. School Improvement Requires Systemic Work on Multiple Fronts Five Essential Supports for School Improvement • School Leadership as Driver for Change • Robust Parent-Community Ties • Strong Professional Capacity • Student-Centered Learning Climate • Instructional Guidance • Narrow interventions are limited • Tools for improvement, not ends in themselves • Leadership requires work on multiple levels • The development of social capacity is critical *uchicagoconsortium; 2006

10. Can We Share Leadership across Groups with Differing Perspectives? • Engage National Organizations • Coalescing around issues • Learning from and with each other • Becoming allies with SEAs in forward leading states • Bringing policy and practice together • Building appreciation for stakeholders’ expertise • Creating new ways for stakeholder voice to be heard and valued • Fostering Communities of Practice that connect decision makers and stakeholders Yes! We Can *IDEA Partnership; NASDSE

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12. POWER IMBALANCESpresent a true challenge!

13. Approaches to Change • Technical challenges • Can be answered by expert guidance, tools, protocols, etc. • Content focused • Adaptive challenges • Requires attention to the human side of the issues, or practice change • Demands contextual focus

14. A Community of Practice “Group of people who share a concern, a set of problems or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their understanding and knowledge of this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.” (Etienne Wenger et.al., 2002)

15. Laws Impacting Students with Disabilities • Federal Regulations • Every Student Succeeds Act (http://www.ed.gov/essa?src=rn) replaced No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 2004.2007 • State Regulations • NYS Regulations of the Commissioner of Education • Part 100 All students • Part 200 Students with Disabilities • Part 201 Discipline of Students with Disabilities • http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/lawsregs/part201.htm QUESTION IS – ARE THESE LAWS “WORKING”???

16. Blueprint for Improved Results for Students with Disabilities • This Blueprint was developed in consultation with stakeholders and is consistent with the mission of New York State Education Department (NYSED), Office of Special Education - supported by all offices within NYSED - to ensure that students with disabilities have the opportunities to benefit from high quality instruction, to reach the same standards as all students, and to leave school prepared to successfully transition to post-school learning, living and employment. http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publications/2015-memos/documents/BlueprintwithCoverPage.pdf

17. Challenges... • Policy alone cannot change practice. • State policymakers, implementers and consumers are not all motivated to change for the same reasons. • Leaders believe they are already engaging stakeholders. • It’s difficult to address system deficits while also mobilizing widespread support. • Capability building usually focuses solely on technical skills. • There will never be enough direct technical assistance to change practice system-wide. Source: IDEA Partnership

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19. Importance of Relationships in Change There will never be enough laws, policies, processes, documents, etc. to force change. Change is best realized through the relationships we build with those people and groups that have a common interest toward solving a persistent problem or seizing an opportunity. Bill East, NASDSE, 2012

20. The Leadership Challenge • Learning that technical solutions are necessary but often not sufficient • Knowing when a persistent problem needs an adaptive (human) solution • Building adaptive (human) skills as a part of strategy

21. Persistent Challenges • Technical Challenge Requires information, knowledge or tools. • Adaptive (Relationship) Challenges Requires understanding and a willingness to make behavior changes. Source: Heifetz and Linsky, Leadership on the Line, 2002

22. Leading by Convening: A New Discipline • A connected world needs new thinking about leadership. • People expect opportunities for participation. • People ‘see’ a role for themselves…and want to take it! • Few issues can be successfully …or sustainably… addressed without collaborating with others. • Convening may be the leadership competency of the future….

23. Leading SEA asserts its role and authority to lead the implementation of the RDA process • Convening SEA identifies broad stakeholder input to include in the RDA process • Engaging SEA engages stakeholders in the RDA process • Supporting SEA provides the supports to assist stakeholders to be engaged in the RDA process and to assist with the management of the RDA process

24. Convening in the Landscape of Practice • Coalesce around issues Ask yourself: Who cares about this issue and why? • Ensure relevant participation Ask yourself: What work is already underway? • Do work together Ask yourself: What shared work could unite us? • Lead by convening Ask yourself: Can you successfully lead on this issue without your stakeholders? Source: IDEA Partnership

25. A Blueprint for Authentic Engagement Doing the Work Together Coalescing around Issues Leading by Convening Ensuring Relevant Participation

26. Leading by Convening: A Theory for the Present … and the Future When leaders decide to Lead by convening, entering into a learning partnership with parents, Lead Education Agency (LEA) decision-makers who are responsible for policies and programs individuals who implement, and those who are served by those programs: • strategies emerge, • gain acceptance and • are translated into action with enough broad support to make a practice change sustainable. Using this strategy begins a culture shift toward a more connected system that is more able to lead in a complex change environment.

27. SHIFTING THE APPROACH!! BUT…HOW DO WE GET THERE?? NEW YORK’S STORY OF SUCCESSFUL COLLABORATION

28. Rationale for Stakeholder Engagement in New York • Leadership changes at NYSED • NY SPP APR Results (New York State Performance Plan, Annual Performance Report) • Emphasis on Stakeholders and Partnerships

29. Engaging Partners • Federal Technical Assistance Centers (e.g., NCSI, IDC, CADRE, SISEP, CIPR, CEEDAR, ECTA, PTIC) • Statewide and Regional Partners – Organizations across the State through newly established network systems (e.g., NYSED Office of Special Education – Educational Partnership)

30. Changing the NY Approach through Leadership that Engages Stakeholders & Partners • Stakeholder engagement in the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) • Internal SEA Administrative structure • Statewide technical assistance network design • Format and function of State Advisory Panel • Strategies for decreasing noncompliance • Approaches for increasing collaborative dispute resolution and decreasing hearings

31. Example from NY Work Problem: • NYSED: one of the highest due process rates in the country • Inconsistent use of mediation and IEP facilitation Strategy for Change: • Utilize partners to develop solution • Engage stakeholders to discuss the issues • Proceed with actions to solicit change

32. Long Island Educational SUMMIT • Center for Community Inclusion; Long Island University • Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators • LI Principals Association, Teacher’s Union • Superintendents, Institutes of Higher Education • School Boards, Private and Religious Schools • Students, Families, Ecumenical Community • Community Based Organizations • LIPC, LIAC (Parent Centers) • NYS Education Department • Culturally Responsive - Diverse Participation

33. Questions for Discussion. • 1. What problems are SEAs solving through expanding stakeholder input and providing authentic voice for increased collaboration? • 2. What areas of the state’s general supervision system and infrastructure are states revising through partnerships and stakeholder engagement? • 3. How does stakeholder engagement look different from prior years? • 4. What lessons have been learned in expanding stakeholder groups and voice; and in using partnerships to create changes?

34. References • Cashman, J., Linehan, J., Purcell, L., Rossier, M, Schultz, S., & Salski, S. (2014). Leading by convening: A blueprint for authentic engagement. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Directors of Special Education. • Thompson Granfield, A.L. (2019). Examining stakeholder engagement among state special education agencies in the results driven accountability process (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts. • Williams, P. (2002). The competent boundary spanner. Public Administration, 80, 103–124. Retrieved from http://www.wiley.com.silk.library.umass.edu/WileyCDA/

35. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has!Margaret Mead Together we ARE better!

36. OSEP Disclaimer 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference DISCLAIMER: The contents of this presentation were developed by the presenters for the 2019 OSEP Leadership Conference. However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1221e-3 and 3474)