Embedded Professional Development: A District's Proactive Model with a Contracting Agency

1. Embedded Professional Development: A District's Proactive Model with a Contracting Agency WASA/OSPI Special Education Workshop 2013 Ken Heikkila, Ed.D. Riverview School District Tom Powers, Ph.D. Brooks Powers Group Allison Brooks, Ph.D. Brooks Powers Group Kire Dassel, M.Ed. Brooks Powers Group

2. Investing time and energy…. WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

3. Investing in teaching improvement: “…we need to invest in activities that have the characteristics that research shows foster improvements in teaching. A major challenge to providing this type of high-quality professional development is cost. Schools and districts understandably feel a responsibility to reach large numbers of teachers. But a focus on breadth in terms of number of teachers served comes at the expense of depth in terms of quality of experience. …funds should be focused on providing high-quality professional experiences.” P. 937 NOTE: emphasis added Reference: Garet, Porter, Desimone, Birman, Yoon (2001), “What Makes Professional Development Effective?” American Educational Research Journal. WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

4. Job-embedded PD “Job-embedded professional development (JEPD) refers to teacher learning that is grounded in day-to-day teaching practice and is designed to enhance teachers’ content-specific instructional practices with the intent of improving student learning.” (p. 2) Reference: Croft, Coggshall, Dolan, Powers, and Killion. Job-Embedded Professional Development: What it is, Who is Responsible, and How to Get it Done Well, published by National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center, and National Staff Development Council. WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

5. JEPD • School/classroom based • Integrated into school day • Focused on authentic and immediate problems • Ongoing process • Active teacher involvement • Cooperative practice • Inquiry-based work WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

6. Objective of workshop: Share our story of a professional development model that has: Benefits for student learning (qualitative data) Reduced costs over time (quantitative data) Provides for an ongoing, proactive approach (qualitative data) WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

7. Participants will: Identify concepts/ systems that can be applied in their context to strengthen professional development efforts WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

8. Riverview School District Location: Carnation and Duvall area (east King Co.) Community: A transformed community previously agricultural/logging to a family community with many parents employed in technology Students: • Approximately 3200 students (headcount) • District free/reduced lunch at 19.1% (May 2012) • 82% white; 10% Hispanic; 3% Asian; 3% Mixed race (May 2012) • 2% English language learners (May 2012) • 10.1% special education identified (May 2012) • One high school; one middle school; 3 elementary; 2 other WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

9. Special Education Services Inclusive: All students are served in their home school (regardless of disability) Realistic: Understanding that no one (special education) teacher has all the skills and knowledge to work effectively with all disabilities or learning needs Collaborative: Moving to break down “silos” of practice, i.e. goal to work more collaboratively between general and special education staff Data Driven: Ongoing process to improve practice WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

10. Vision for Sp Ed Services WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

11. Who we are: • Collaborative team of 12 individuals with complementary skills • Psychologists • Teachers • Mental health counselors • Behavior specialists WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

12. What we do:We work with really challenging kids (and their sometimes challenging adults) Individual Services School Services Independent evaluations FBAs, BIPs and direct behavior support In-situ teacher training Professional consultation and collaboration • Neuropsychological assessment • Individual counseling • In-home behavior support/ parent coaching WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

13. Riverview’s Partnership with BPG The benefits of networking with other directors/districts—positive info about Brooks Powers Group A chance encounter that made decision making fast and decisive WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

14. What drew us to Riverview Receptive to our “can we talk” inquiry Acted with integrity and even generosity toward a parent hostile to school district Committed to teaching staff skills and moving them toward independence from us WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

15. Five Years Later… Sharing data on: Benefits for student learning (qualitative data) Reduced costs over time (quantitative data) Provision for an ongoing, proactive approach (qualitative data) WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

16. Benefits to Student Learning Based on these steps: • Developing relationships/building trust • Observing and analyzing • Acting when the time is right: modeling, coaching, collaborating, etc… WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

17. Stories Highlighting Student Benefits Student AR (told by Ken) Teacher JL (told by Kire) Teacher JT (told by Kire) WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

18. Annual Cost of Services Start of pro-active model WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

19. Services Provided WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

20. Staff Professional Development WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

21. Costs by Service Average Annual cost = $70,071 Average cost by student: Year 1: $15,113 Year 5: $2,407 Average cost by staff Year 1: $3,239 Year 5: $923 WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

22. Proactive Approach Baseline (pre-BPG)—told by Ken Implementing change (DD or AR)—told by Ken Systems approach—told by Kire Model partnership example (RJ at CE)—told by Kire WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

23. Reflection Concepts/systems than can be applied in other districts: Leadership/vision Collaborative team of experts Relationship building Collaborative problem solving Real time/real situations/in the setting WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013

24. Questions/Dialogue WASA/OSPI Sp ED 2013