SPED Strategies k-8

1. SPED Strategies k-8 Viviana Arias, Instructional Supervisor Education Transformation Office (ETO)

2. Today’s Agenda • Set up Appointments • SPED Background • Curriculum • Testing for Students with Disabilities  • Inclusion of Students with Disabilities • Instructional Techniques and Best Practices

3. Set Up Appointments with Clock Buddies http://www.online-stopwatch.com/full-screen-stopwatch/

4. KEY COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS in SPED

6. Accessing General Education • Each student’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP) provides details about the supports and services that the student receives and indicates accommodations or modifications that are needed. • The IEP is developed by teachers, parents, the student, and others as appropriate, and is reviewed annually. FAPE • A free appropriate public education (FAPE) is available to all students with disabilities upon determination of need. • The district assures provision of full educational opportunity to all children with disabilities, aged three through 21

7. Accessing the General Education Curriculum • According to NCLB and IDEA, students with disabilities must access the general education curriculum. In Florida, that means all students must receive instruction driven by the Sunshine State Standards (SSS). • Both NCLB and the IDEA provide guidance about how to educate students with disabilities. Neither laws, mention the word inclusion. • Instead they say that students with disabilities should be placed in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) and they should have access to general education curriculum and settings.

8. LRE– Where Are We? Where Do We Need to Go? • The District’s 2010 LEA Profile LRE Inclusion Data for % of students served 80% or more of their time with non- disabled peers is 51% • The State’s Average is 67% What’s your school’s inclusion percentage?

9. Florida Department of Education Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Local Education Agency (LEA) ProfileSelected Performance Plan Indicators • Indicator 3- • Participation and Performance of Students with Disabilities on Statewide Assessments • Indicator 4- • Rates of Suspensions of Students with Disabilities • Indicator 5- • FAPE IN the LRE, Students Ages 6-21

10. Best Practices for Indicator 3 Participation and Performance of Students with Disabilities on Statewide Assessments • Analyze FCAT and reports on progress/proficiency. • Compare/contrast subgroups, grade levels, for SWD • Ensure that school leadership teams are monitoring data and using it wisely to drive decisions • Try something different if it is not working for individual or groups of SWD in the learning communities) • Train staff to making appropriate decisions when developing IEPs and properly align to the students’ curriculum/instructional pathway, course schedule with the appropriate SSS standards and statewide assessment • Make sure teachers of SWDs who met exemption criteria are trained for the administration of the FLAA • Disseminate Accommodations: Services for Students with Disabilities, Next Generation Sunshine State Standards and Resources

11. Best Practices for Indicator 4 Rates of Suspensions of Students with Disabilities • Review the Code of Student Conduct and Procedures or Maintaining a Safe Learning Environment and make sure there is a universal understanding of it at School, Region and District. • Clearly Define the terms, “What is disruptive?” • Strive for implementing policies with consistency throughout School, Region and District • Analyze existing sources of behavioral data • Conduct Functional Assessments of Behavior and Develop Behavior Intervention Plans for all Students • Review Suspension Reports for SWD • Monitor reports and use the problem solving approach to implement strategies to provide alternatives to suspension • Implement PBS (district wide/school wide)

12. Best Practices for Indicator 5 FAPE IN the LRE, Students Ages 6-21 • Analyze your schools LRE Data with a focus on Inclusion (e.g. Adequate yearly progress (AYP), student growth • Expand the implementation of more inclusive practices • Always consider general education first • Provide for a continuum of services • Ensure teachers are implementing Differentiated Instruction, Inclusive Practices, Accommodations, Flexible Scheduling, Collaborative Practices, problem Solving and Response to Intervention • Maximize efficiencies of instructional resources through scheduling • Use SPED teachers to both provide resource (pull out) or (push in) instructional support such in class support, support facilitation and provide direct instruction to SWD in regular Ed classroom • Participate in training and support provided through the Florida Inclusion Network to increase the school’s capacity • Implement co-teaching when appropriate

13. Possible Strategies before deciding to give Outdoor Suspension to a Student with Disabilities • Strengthen the use of SCSI programs within schools • Utilize Alternative to Suspension Program • Limiting outdoor suspensions to fewer than ten days for minor infraction  • Review and revise, if needed Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP) and Positive Behavioral Supports and Interventions • PBS, PBS, PBS

14. CURRICULUM • Sunshine State Standards (SSS) • With accommodations • SSS Access Points • With modifications

15. Accommodations • Change HOW students are taught and demonstrate what they have learned • Use the SSS to set the goals and expectations • Allow students to work toward a standard diploma.

16. Modifications • Change WHAT students are expected to learn and demonstrate. • Focus on different objectives. • Lead to a special diploma. • Align with the SSS Access Points

17. The Use of 7700, 7800, and 7900 Course Codes • The 2010-2011 Course Directory clearly defines the students for whom the 7700, 7800, and 7900 courses maybe used. • The newly adopted language is: • "Access courses are intended only for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities who are eligible under IDEA and meet the Florida Alternate Assessment criteria set forth in the Florida Statutes and State Board of Education Rule 6A-1.0943."

18. Course Requirement Continued • To meet these new FLDOE compliance requirements, only students with disabilities who meet exemption criteria from the FCAT and are assessed using the Florida Alternate Assessment may be enrolled in the 7700, 7800, and 7900 Access core courses. • SEE IEP • •Students with disabilities who do not meet exemption criteria from the FCAT or other state assessments may NOT be enrolled in the 7700, 7800, and 7900 core courses. Core courses include all math, reading, language arts, English, science, and social studies courses.

19. What are Access Points? •Expectations written for students with significant cognitive disabilities (SWSCD) to access the general education curriculum. •Aligned directly to Sunshine State Standards. •Reflect the “core intent” of the standards with reduced levels of complexity. •Have three levels of complexity: • Participatory, • Supported and; • Independent • Participatory level being the least complex.

20. Who are access points designed for? •Only students with significant cognitive disabilities •Students who meet criteria for alternate assessment •Other students with disabilities should be working on the regular SSS with accommodations as necessary

21. Where to find Access Points?http://www.floridastandards.org

22. Access Points

23. Testing for Students with Disabilities

24. STATE ASSESSMENT • FCAT • Must be given to all SPED students grades 3 to 10 that do not meet exemption criteria • Florida Alternate Assessment • Must be given to all SPED students grades 3 to 10 that are exempt from the FCAT • Sunshine State Standards with Access Points • For students on a modified curriculum

25. Pay Attention to SWD Subgroups Achievement Data Florida Assessment for Instruction in Reading (FAIR) Interim Assessments FCAT SAT-10 Criterion Referenced Tests Florida Alternate Assessment

26. Florida Alternate Assessment Results from the Florida Alternate Assessment will be available via SPI.

27. Reminder • Scores for students who take the Florida Alternate Assessment will count toward AYP AND School Grades!

28. Think- Pair- Share How can I increase student achievement for SWDs at my school?

29. Implement Inclusive Practices • Research and Data Supports that SWDs spending 80% or more of their time with non-disabled peers out perform on state assessments those SWDs served in more restrictive educational learning environments. • Work with your school staff through the IEP process to identify more SWDs that could be served and scheduled in general education settings with supports.

30. The results of both reading gains (for two years 2009 and 2010) and the average Developmental Scale Scores indicate that students in the 80-100% inclusion settings are scoring higher.

31. Inclusion • Preference for educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms with appropriate aids and services. • Requirement that the general education classroom be the first placement considered by IEP team. • Removal of a student from the general education classroom only when the nature of a student's disability makes education in that setting unsatisfactory, even with supports and serves.

32. A Closer Look at Inclusion Inclusion of students with disabilities

33. #1 TEAM APPROACH • INCLUDE ALL KEY PERSONNEL • PRINCIPAL, AP, APC, COUNSELORS, GENERAL ED DEPT CHAIRS, SPED PROGRAM SPECIALIST, REGISTRAR, CURRICULUM, SUPPORT PERSONNEL • IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF INCLUSIONARY PRACTICES

34. #2 MODELS OF SUPPORT • How are the inclusion models determined? • What are the roles of the teachers? • What type of students get “included”?

35. Collaborative Instructional Models • One Teach One assist • One teacher takes primary responsibility for delivering instruction, while other monitors. • Station Teaching • Student rotation through academically based teacher directed centers. Rotations every 15-20 minutes. • Parallel Teaching • Option 1- Class is divided into 2 groups. Each teacher presents a lesson to the groups. After a period of time, teachers switch groups and present lesson to other groups. • Option 2- Class is divided into 2 groups. Each teacher is teaching the exact lesson. • Alternative Teaching • Teacher A- works with a large group of students. • Teacher B- Works with a small group of students for enrichment, remedial or targeted instruction. • Teaming • Teacher A and B present a lesson together, showing students different ways to process the same concept.

36. #3 PREPARE SCHOOL PERSONNEL • OPTIONS FOR PREPARING STAFF: ADMINISTRATIVE AND FACULTY AWARENESS • FACULTY OVERVIEW • STUDY GROUPS • TEACHERS’ INPUT COLLABORATIVE TEACHING • PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • TRAIN THE TRAINERS AT SCHOOL SITE • EMPOWER / SUPPORT TEACHERS • SCHEDULING ASSISTANCE • SCHOOL SITE • FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING PD • INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES • MEETING THE NEEDS OF DIVERSE LEARNERS • DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION STUDY GROUPS • ACCOMMODATIONS AND ACCESS

37. #4IMPLEMENTATION • STRUCTURE FOR FOLLOW-UP • ONGOING PARTNERSHIPS • Is there time allotted at faculty meetings? • Is inclusion addressed at all? • Is it a special education issue? Offer Inclusive Practices “Tune-Ups”

38. #5 CONTINUOUS MONITORING • Regularly scheduled follow-up centered around student issues • Opportunities for collaboration between general education and SPED partners

39. What to Look For in Secondary Collaborative Classrooms? • Collaborative Environment • The names of both teachers appear on the board/documents • Inclusive language is used (us, we, our) • Respect between adults and students • Students appear to accept and seek out both teachers’ help in the learning process • Both teachers enforce/ model expectations • Space, materials, and equipment are equitably shared

40. What to Look For in Secondary Collaborative Classrooms? (Continued) • Collaborative Instruction and Assessment • The voices of both teachers are heard during the teaching/ learning process. • Both teachers and students are actively engaged. • Instruction is presented in a variety of ways. • Instructional intensity is greater than in classrooms with 1 teacher • Collaborative Planning is evident • Accommodations/ Modifications are provided. • Multiple methods are used. • Students know what they are learning and how it is connected to what they already know. • Research based instruction. • Data Driven Instruction

41. Best Practices and Useful Techniques

42. Best Practices to Support Inclusion • Differentiated Instruction (DI) • Multiple Intelligences • Multi-Sensory Instruction • Interactive Learning • Cooperative Learning • Flexible Grouping • Integrated Curriculum • Scaffolding • Accommodations & Modifications • Tiered Lessons • Partial Participation • Positive Behavioral Supports • Assistive/Instructional Technology • Peer Supports

43. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) •  According to the National Center on Universal Design for Learning, educators must strive to develop multiple paths for learning, since not all students are able to learn in identical ways. • This occurs through three basic principles: • providing multiple means of representation, • providing multiple means of action and expression • and also providing multiple means of engagement. • Video Clip

44. Ways to Differentiate: Content:What is taught Process: How it is taught Product: How learning is assessed

45. Accommodations • Presentation • Use a video to accompany a mini-lecture. • Provide a note-taking guide for use during a lecture. • Demonstrate expected student work on a transparency or whiteboard in addition to describing it. • Response • Have students use graphic organizers or diagrams rather than write notes of what they see. • Provide practice worksheets that let students have a preview of how assessments will be conducted. • Provide additional practice opportunities. • Structure student responses by providing clues on worksheets. • Use performance assessments rather than exclusively paper-and-pencil testing. • Provide individual feedback when criteria are not met. • Scheduling • Allow students additional time and practice to gather information or practice. • Setting • Take students out of the classroom to observe in addition to hearing about information. • Let students work in pairs or groups rather than individually.

46. Useful Techniques • Activate background knowledge • Connect new information or skills to what students have already learned. Provide additional instruction or support to students who lack necessary background knowledge. • Ask questions to prompt student recall of relevant prior knowledge. • Make comparisons between the new concept and things students already know. • Relate the topic to current or past events that are familiar to students. • Relate the concept to a fictional story or scenario known to the students. • Use instructional materials that provide easy access to critical background knowledge.

47. Techniques: • It is important to help students make connections between concepts and learn to use higher order thinking skills. • problem-solution-effect • Graphic organizers: Important ideas and details are laid out graphically to help students see connections between ideas. Semantic webs and concept maps are examples of graphic organizers. • Give clear verbal explanations and use visual displays flow charts, diagrams, or graphic organizers to portray key concepts and relationships. • Help students use techniques like outlining or mind mapping to show connections among concepts. • Increase the use of Anchors to help students

48. Techniques • Make linkages obvious and explicit • Actively help students understand how key concepts across the curriculum relate to each other as you are teaching. • Thematic instruction: Instructional units combine subject areas to make themes and essential ideas more apparent and meaningful. Lessons and assignments can be integrated or coordinated across classes.

49. Techniques • Provide temporary support for learning • Provide support scaffolding while students are learning new knowledge and skills, gradually reducing the level of support as students move toward independence. • Provide verbal or written prompts to remind students of key information or processes. • Provide study or note-taking guides to support learning from text or lectures. • Use mnemonics to help students remember multiple steps in a procedure.

50. Create Action Plan What would be your Collaborative Teaching Plan?