Janet M. Sloand, Ed.D. Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)

1. Pennsylvania’s Approach to Ensuring Positive Educational Outcomes for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities Janet M. Sloand, Ed.D. Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)

2. Question #1 • What work has your state done regarding the National Agenda for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing OR the National Agenda for Students with Visual Impairments? • We have adopted a state agenda for one or both • We use the National Agendas in developing priorities • We know about the National Agendas but have not used them • We are unfamiliar with the National Agendas

3. National Agendas • The National Agenda: Moving Forward on Achieving Educational Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students • The National Agenda for the Education of Children and Youth with Visual Impairments, Including those with Multiple Disabilities • Grassroots efforts to improve results for children • Stakeholder involvement • “A journey with a destination but without a complete roadmap”

4. Pennsylvania’s Agendas • Based on the National Agendas, tailored to meet the specific strengths and challenges of Pennsylvania • Developed by key stakeholder groups using state data • Educational Resources for Children with Hearing Loss (ERCHL) • Pennsylvania’s Approach to the National Agenda (PANA) • Aligned to the State Performance Plan Indicators • Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education support

5. Pennsylvania’s Agendas • Each agenda consists of: • Set of goals • Actions to be performed to attain each goal • Desired outcomes based on those actions • Range of goals • Formal authorization from PDE via guidelines • Professional development • Local Educational Agency involvement • Functions as a “road map” to improve systemic changes that influence the educational results of students • Living document that is revisited annually • Based on data or the need to collect data

6. Data Elements • LRE data disaggregated by disability • State Achievement data disaggregated by disability • Referral data • Perception information from students, parents, and supervisors • Personnel data – retirement, qualifications, number, retention, etc… • Personnel Preparation information • Program and service delivery data

7. Question #2 • How readily available are data elements and how are they used to drive your low incidence improvement efforts? • Readily available and used extensively • We have some data and have identified gaps that we are working to rectify • We have data but it is widely dispersed and hard to use to inform improvement efforts • I really don’t know what we have and what we don’t have

8. Focus on: • Pennsylvania’s Approach to the National Agenda for the Education of Children and Youth with Visual Impairments, Deafblindness, and Visual and Multiple Disabilities • Pennsylvania Agenda for Students Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deafblind

9. Goal Areas of the Pennsylvania Agendas • Language and Communication Access • Early Identification • Family Involvement • Placements and Programs • Technology • System Responsibility • Professional Standards and Preparation • Collaborative Partnerships • Deafblindness • Referral • Parent Participation • Personnel Preparation • Provision of Educational Services • Array of Services • Assessment • Access to Instructional Materials • Curricular Needs • Transition Services • Professional Development Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Students with Visual Impairments

10. D/HoH AgendaGoal I: Language & Communication Access • All students who are D/HoH will develop age-appropriate receptive and expressive language and communication • A Communication Plan will be required by Chapter 14 of the PA State Regulations • Compliance Monitoring will reveal that 100% of all IEPs designed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing contain Communication Plans

11. VI Agenda Goal 3: Personnel Preparation • Universities will prepare a sufficient number of teachers and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists. • Develop an accurate count of: • The number of students with visual impairments • The projected need for TVIs and O&M specialists in PA over the next 5 years • Review university preparation programs to: • Examine enrollment trends • Work with PDE to develop a plan to meet personnel needs.

12. VI AgendaGoal 4: Provision of Educational Services • Caseloads will be determined based on the assessed needs of students. • Survey TVIs and O&M specialists to determine caseload sizes and the types and average amounts of services provided to students. • Research and identify tools to assist administrators and special education supervisors in determining appropriate caseload sizes.

13. D/HoH AgendaGoal VII: Professional Standards and Preparation • Develop standards to ensure the preparation, recruitment, retention, and ongoing professional development regarding the personnel serving children who are D/HoH • Increase the numbers of individuals who are D/HoH who are retained as professionals • Develop standards for educational interpreters and ensure that all practicing interpreters meet the standard

14. VI AgendaGoal 7: Access to Instructional Materials • Access to developmental and educational services will include an assurance that textbooks and instructional materials are available to students in the appropriate media and at the same time as their sighted peers. • Administer surveys to randomly selected instructional materials recipients in order to assess the timeliness and quality of adapted instructional materials

15. Discussion Questions • Tell us about your state’s efforts regarding the use of data to inform improvement efforts for low incidence disabilities: • What surprises have you found as you used data to inform your improvement efforts? • What data do you wish you had but are still unable to procure? • How similar or different has your process been to Pennsylvania’s? • What struggles have you experienced? • What partners have you included?