The New York Higher Education Support Center for SystemsChange

1. The New York Higher Education Support Center for SystemsChange Peter L. Kozik & Gerald M. Mager School of Education Syracuse University Matt Giugno New York State Education Department VESID

2. Who’s on the HESC staff? Iris Maxon Administrative Secretary Steve Wirt Website & Technology Support Wilma Jozwiak SIG Project Coordinator Lori Alexander Budget Analyst

3. Your hosts for this presentation Matt Giugno VESID Program Manager Dr. Gerald Mager Project Director Chairperson, Task Force on Quality Inclusive Schooling Peter Kozik Project Coordinator

4. What is our history? • Started with “Systems Change” Project • Originally included about 10-15 colleges • Now includes over 70 colleges • Perceived inadequacies of teacher prep., especially with inclusive education • Share project with other major NYSED offices (general ed. and higher ed.) 4

5. What is our history? • Evolved over time • Worked with SIG schools • Now with SPDG schools • Key player in many NYSED initiatives • Staff requests for additional participation 5

6. Who are we? • The Task Force is a consortium of: • Over 70 colleges and universities throughout New York • State with teacher preparation programs • Special Education Training & Resource Centers • Boards Of Cooperative Educational Services • Regional School Support Centers • Teacher Centers • Parent and Advocacy Groups • Transition Coordination Sites • Early Direction Childhood Centers

7. How are we funded? • Through Federal Part B IDEA Discretionary Funds • 2nd 5 year cycle of funding through Vocational Education & Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) • 2nd year of a present State Contract Core mission remains the same

8. Statewide Connections for SystemsChange Boards of Cooperative Educational Services Regional School Support Centers Teacher Centers Special Education Quality Assurance Special Education Training & Resource Centers Transition Coordination Sites Parent and Advocacy Centers Early Childhood Direction Centers 180 Faculty & Researchers at over 70 NYS Colleges & Universities

9. What colleges and universities are members of the Task Force? Public and Private Institutions Graduate and Undergraduate Programs General Education & Special Education separately certified Dually certified General & Special Education Programs Inclusive Programs 9

10. What colleges and universities are members of the Task Force? State University of New York Private Institutions Adelphi University Alfred University Canisius College Cazenovia College College of Mt. Saint Vincent College of New Rochelle College of St. Rose  Daemen College Dominican College D’Youville College Five Towns College Fordham University Hartwick College Hofstra University Houghton College Iona College Keuka College  LeMoyne College Long Island University - Brooklyn • C.W. Post • Westchester Manhattan College Manhattanville College Marist College Marymount College of Fordham Marymount Manhattan College Mercy College Molloy College Mount Saint Mary College National Technical Institute for the Deaf - RIT Nazareth College New York Institute of Technology New York University Niagara University Nyack College Pace University - Pleasantville • New York City Roberts Wesleyan College The Sage Colleges Siena College St. Bonaventure University St. John’s University St. Joseph’s College - Brooklyn • Long Island St. Thomas Aquinas College Syracuse University Teachers College Touro College University of Rochester Utica College Wagner College Wells College Binghamton University Buffalo State College SUNY Brockport SUNY Cortland SUNY Fredonia SUNY Geneseo SUNY New Paltz SUNY Oswego SUNY Plattsburg SUNY Potsdam SUNY Stony Brook SUNY - University at Albany SUNY - University at Buffalo City University of New York Brooklyn College - CUNY  College of Staten Island - CUNY  Hunter College - CUNY  Lehman College - CUNY  Medgar Evers College Queens College - CUNY 10

11. What are our purposes? Our Goals: To develop and sustain high quality inclusive teacher preparation programs To engage in and support the professional development efforts of selected schools and districts in the 7 regions of New York State 11

12. What has been the usual approach of engaging with high needs schools? Numerous points of contact for technical assistance “One shot’ consultation by professors & researchers System addressed piecemeal Little or no program evaluation No stakeholder buy in Higher Education/Teacher Preparation on the periphery Data misunderstood & misused Parents and community left out Multiple overlapping resources

13. What is the HESC/Task Force approach to engaging with high needs schools? Program evaluation Coordination of services Involve higher education from the start for partnership development Single point of contact for technical assistance Begin solution with most vulnerable students Focus on capacity building Professional Development Schools Pre-service teacher involvement Expertise in parent/community relations Combine NYSED initiatives

14. How do we work? • Statewide Structure and Task Force Meetings • Regional Liaison Structure and Regional Activities • Funded Initiatives: • Summer Action Grants for Effective Practices Symposia on Supports for the Academic and Behavioral Performances of Learners • Building Partnerships between SPDG-Identified • High Need Schools and Teacher Preparation Institutions • Study Groups for Literacy, Positive Behavior Supports, & Special Education Practice • Investigating Promising Practice • Website 14

15. What are Statewide Task Force Meetings? Topics at the semi-annual one day meeting might include: IHE-School Partnerships SIG Evaluation Standards for Quality Inclusive Teacher Preparation Low Incidence Disabilities UDL Collaboration for Change Transition for Students with Disabilities Scientifically Based Research Behavior and Reading Web-Based Resources for Inclusive Practice 15

16. How is funding used for the Regional Liaison structure? • Identification of liaison(s) in each of the 7 NYS regions • Setting Statewide and regional agendas • Overseeing regional collaborations • and partnerships • Regional needs assessment • Recruit colleges and universities • Visit, observe, and report on efforts for inclusive • teacher preparation • Supporting ongoing professional development • Orient new faculty to the Task Force 16

17. 6 New York State Regions and New York City Lower Hudson Valley Mid-State Eastern Mid-West Western Long Island

18. The Midwest Region . Current Task Force member institutions: Alfred University * Houghton College Keuka College Nazareth College National Technical College for the Deaf/RIT Roberts Wesleyan St. John Fisher SUNY Brockport SUNY Geneseo University of Rochester . . . . . . . . . * Midwest Liaison

19. What is the history of funded initiatives? From 2001 – 2006 Over $1,200,000 provided for Co-Teaching Faculty Fellowships High Needs Partnerships Designing Inclusive Adolescent Teacher Prep & Leadership Groups on: Teacher Decision Making UDL Preparing Teachers to Engage with Families Teacher Retention Low Incidence Disabilities Transition 19

20. What initiatives are being funded currently? Regional Task Force, Partnership & Symposia • Continue regional Task Force structure • Coordinate regional partnerships • between effective practice & • high needs schools • Host a summer symposium on • regional promising practices 20

21. What initiatives are being funded currently? Study Groups for Literacy, Positive Behavior Supports, And Effective Special Education Practice in Schools Develop recommendations for how field documents can be integrated into Task Force teacher preparation programs 21

22. What initiatives are being funded currently? Investigating Promising Practices Faculty to join teams of professionals in the field to document and validate regional promising practices 22

23. How does the website work? www.inclusion-ny.org

24. What information and services does our website include?

25. Summary… • Ensuring quality teacher preparation programs focused on inclusion. • Facilitating IHE relationships with local school districts, BOCES units, various staff development networks, and the New York State Education Department • Supporting the development of guidelines and models for partnerships between IHEs and schools • Developing resources and materials for the support of quality inclusive teacher preparation and practice • Supporting web site communication, • forums, discussions, electronic media, • resources, and research focused on • inclusion and evolving general education • practice 25

26. What is the value of the HESC/Task Force approach to school districts? On site continual learning and professional development opportunities Access to current research and thinking on inclusion and promising practices Problem specific solutions to issues of AYP and State Performance Plan Indicators Connection to resources at over 70 institutions of higher education Opportunities for Action Research 26

27. What is the value of the HESC/Task Force approach to institutions of higher education? Continuing institutional research conversation around best practices for inclusion Connecting teacher preparation with the challenge and opportunity of high needs school and districts Flexible and timely response to changing needs and conditions Sharing resources, curricula, assistance with State and National accreditation processes Like-minded colleagues; research and publication 27

28. What is the value of the HESC/Task Force approach to the State of New York? SystemsChange – Whole system work with whole system results and effect Connection with districts, institutions, and technical assistance networks at a grass roots level Capacity building within the system on both the statewide and regional levels Audience and sounding board on policy for issues such as certification, accreditation, and dissemination of innovation and research 28

29. Where are we located? Syracuse University 030 Huntington Hall Syracuse, New York 13244-2340 phone 315-443-1881 fax 315-443-4543 Located on the World Wide Web at www.inclusion-ny.org 29

30. Questions? Contact: Peter Kozik 315-443-1461 plkozik@syr.edu 30