Creating an Inclusive Preschool Burbank Preschool Center and Special Education Diagnostic Center

1. Creating an Inclusive PreschoolBurbank Preschool Center and Special Education Diagnostic Center Jody London, M.P.A. , Oakland Unified School District Board President Sharon W. Casanares, Ed. D, Director of Special Education Christie Anderson, M.A. , Burbank Site Administrator

2. Oakland Unified School District • Oakland is the most improved urban district over the last seven years • Increased 92 API points • 90% of the schools have after school programs • Doubled the percent of students going to UC colleges since 2003 • Oakland is one of the nation’s most diverse school district • Over 44 different languages spoken in homes

3. Oakland Unified School District Challenges • African American and Latinos graduate from OUSD high schools at a rate of 54% and 56% respectively, compared with 79% for Asian Americans and 75% for white students. • According to CST data, only 30% of Oakland’s African American 3rd graders score proficient in English Language Arts. By the 8th grade, that rate is only 15%. • On the California High School Exit Exam taken in 10th grade, only 24% of African American and 26% of Latino students passed the English Language Arts section in 2010, compared with 51% of Asian Americans and 78% of white students. On the same test in math, 17% of African Americans and 27% of Latinos passed, compared with 66% of Asian Americans and 73% of white students.

4. Inequities Prevail outside the school experience Specifically, an African American child born in West Oakland is: • One and a half times more likely to be born premature • Seven times more likely to be born into poverty • Two and half times more likely to be behind in vaccinations • Four times less likely to read at grade level by Grade 4 • Likely to live in a neighborhood with two times the concentration of liquor stores and more fast food outlets • More than five and half times more likely to drop out (or be pushed out) of school

5. Oakland’s Response:Full Service Community District Community Schools- A Model for Change • A Community School is a strategy for organizing the resources of the community around student success. It is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, services, supports and opportunities leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities. Schools become centers of the community and open to everyone….These Community Schools are based on a “developmental triangle,” which calls for a strong instructional program, expanded learning opportunities through enrichment, and services designed to remove barriers to students’ learning and healthy development, so that they can thrive academically and socially. ----The Children’s Aid Society

6. Principles that guide the Full Service Community School work • Learning takes place in all contexts and does not privilege one learning environment over another. • Families and teachers primarily influence student success and should be supported by the district, schools and community in creating learning opportunities for students during and outside of instructional classroom time. • We need to approach students and families in a manner that is strengths-based and rooted in child, youth and human development principles, with the belief that all students and families have the ability to succeed if provided with adequate support. • We need to respect and build upon the cultural and linguistic identity of students and their families. • We need to use valid data to identify and prioritize needs and to measure success.

7. Special Education Data 2010-2011 OUSD is its own SELPA and serves approximately 4,973 special education students • 1,814 Specific Learning Disability • 1,292 receive speech only services • 565 Intellectual Disability • 391 Autism and climbing…. • 388 Emotional Disturbance

8. Special Education DataContinued… • Over 1,000 Special Education Staff, Teachers and Paraprofessionals - 94 Moderate/Severe SDC Teachers - 114 Mild/Moderate SDC Teachers - 85 Resource Specialist Teachers • 203 Special Day Classes throughout the District • Resources Services offered at each school site

9. Special Education’s Response:Coherent Continuous Service Offerings • Students were not able to stay at one site for more than 3 years if in an SDC • Students and special education staff were not considered part of the school community • Barrier for meaningful family and community engagement • Tilden Elementary Closure (School & District Response)

10. Tilden Elementary • School Year 2007-2008 • Tilden redesign process to rebalance the SDC and General Education populations and enhance the educational program • Spring 2008 • Major facilities issues were identified at the Tilden (John Swett) campus that resulted in significant repair and relocation needs • Cabinet decision to vacate Lower Tilden due to multiple significant facilities issues and review long-term solution • Some facilities issues will remain irresolvable (terrain, high moisture) • School Year 2008 – 2009 • Extensive engagement with Tilden community regarding relocation plans to prepare for closure at the end of SY 2009-2010 • SDC Pre-K-2 Students Currently at Tilden Elementary • Tilden Parent Community and District staff completed walkthroughs of and identified a minimal number of sites to transition students and families. • Future sites create a continuum of services to ensure that students do not need to make multiple transitions between grades K to 5. • Future SDC Pre-K Students beginning 2010-11 • Tilden Parent Community and District staff recommend creating a Pre-K and Diagnostic Center for students with special needs to be located on the Burbank Campus.

11. How Did We Get Here? - Board Decision (March 2009) • Tilden Community Collaboration with OUSD, Special Education and Board Members • Big Picture for All Special Education programs at Tilden

12. Board Decision March 2009 • Too Much Too Quickly • Parent and Community Engagement • Special Education Plan • General Education Plan • Board Meetings and Outrage • Reflection on Mistakes

13. Tilden Collaboration

14. Big Picture for Special Education

15. Luther Burbank

16. History or Burbank Preschool Center • Burbank Elementary School • High School Community Day School • Explore Middle School • Burbank Preschool Center

17. Why Burbank? • Effective Early Childhood Model • Promotes collaboration among pre-K teachers • Increases opportunity for students to participate in general education K programs • Opportunity for interaction with general education pre-K peers • Diagnostic Center • Access to data to develop high-quality IEPs and services • Parents can observe programs to help ease concerns or questions around program structure • Minimal Facilities Improvements • Installation of a pre-K play structure and creation of a safe loading/unloading zone

18. Burbank’s Response: Create a Full Service Preschool Center • Learning takes place in all contexts and does not privilege one learning environment over another. • Families and teachers primarily influence student success and should be supported by the district, schools and community in creating learning opportunities for students during and outside of instructional classroom time. • We need to approach students and families in a manner that is strengths-based and rooted in child, youth and human development principles, with the belief that all students and families have the ability to succeed if provided with adequate support. • We need to respect and build upon the cultural and linguistic identity of students and their families. • We need to use valid data to identify and prioritize needs and to measure success.

19. Burbank Preschool Center Campus Total Number of Classrooms: 15 Green: Pre-K Classrooms (10) Blue: Diagnostic Center (3) Red: Sensory/Speech/Motor Rooms (4) Orange: Office / ACOE & Infant Services - 19 -

20. Programs & Services at Burbank • 5 Autism PreK SDCs • 3 Severely Handicap PreK SDCs • 2 Non Severely Handicap PreK SDCs • 2 Language Enriched PreK SDCs • 1 Deaf & Hard or Hearing PreK SDC • 1 Infant/ Toddler Program • 1 Child Development Preschool (general education) • ACOE Infant/Toddler Prevention Program • SMARTI Toddler RTi Program • Diagnostic Center • Hanen Program (free for parents) • Sign Language Classes (free for parents) • Harvest of the Month (Cal Berkeley)

21. Community & Collaboration Mills College • Student Teachers • General Education Buddies • Leadership Program • Observation • Use of Campus • Services and Trainings for Families

22. Why Do You Love Burbank? At Burbank Preschool Center we will help all our students reach their greatest potential by approaching each child with optimism, respect and care and engaging each child in learning as a unique and capable individual.

23. Next Steps for your District • Look at your current PreK special education programs • Is there a need? • Funding for program and resources in your current district • Collaboration with other Districts • Visit model programs • Questions… Comments? 