The Perspective of the National Community of Practice on Transition

1. What Does High School Redesign Mean for Transition?2007 Pennsylvania Community on Transition ForumJuly 18, 2007 1:30 – 2:45 The Perspective of the National Community of Practice on Transition

2. What is a Community of Practice? • A structure that enables routine communication, learning and action among individuals and groups that agree to meet regularly to improve current practice • A mindset, a way of working that promotes shared work and moves awayfrom isolated activity • Inclusive framework for creating dialogue around who and what is known as well as who and what we need to know

3. Who Are We? • Federal Agencies • State Communities • State Agencies • Consumers • Local Practitioners • National Organizations • Technical Assistance Providers

4. Alabama Arizona California Delaware District of Columbia Minnesota New Hampshire North Dakota Pennsylvania Virginia Wisconsin Communities in States

5. Where Is Our Focus? • Promoting interagency connections and shared work • Supporting the vision of a more meaningful youth role • Promoting year-round strategies, and state-wide meetings as a catalyst • Coalescing around emerging issues • Building the community within and between states

6. How Do We Expect To Change Practice? • Learning through Community Building • State-to-Local • Local-to-State • Local-to-Local • Focusing on issues and relationships • Moving from single events to year-round strategies • Movingfrom separate work to shared work: • Working across groups • Working across agencies

7. Federal to State State to State The IDEA Partnership Community of Practice State to Federal State to Local Local to Local Local to State The Communication Structure

8. Year-Round Communication Network: www.sharedwork.org sharedwork.org is a website funded by the U. S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and sponsored by the IDEA Partnership at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) for the purpose of connecting stakeholders in the national Communities of Practice (CoP), participating states’ CoP and Practice Groups to develop their shared work.

9. www.sharedwork.org This website is used to… • Announce new products developed. • Announce training events. • Disseminate the results of state pilot projects. • Share promising practices. • Encourage local-to-local sharing. • Seek input from the field on matters of shared interest that are being discussed by one or more of the Community of Practice partners. • Advise the development of the key national, state, regional, and local meetings. • Other opportunities that become evident as we communicate more routinely.  

10. What is the Practical Value of a Community of Practice? • Could a Community of PracticeApproachHelp Us to Address: • Some Persistent Problems • Some Emerging Trends

11. Why High School Redesign is Important for Transition? • Disability at the table • Congruence of ideas • New context • Validation of strategies • New opportunities and partners

12. Who is Leading High School Redesign Efforts? • National Governors Associationhttp://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.1f41d49be2d3d33eacdcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=01c48cc156de1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD • Council of Chief State School Officers http://www.ccsso.org/projects/Secondary_School_Redesign/ • National Association of Secondary School Principals http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec_inside.asp?CID=1162&DID=54968 • Gates Foundation http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/ • American Youth Policy Forum http://www.aypf.org/projects/statehsreformtrips.htm • National Conference of State Legislatorshttp://www.ncsl.org/programs/educ/HSProjOutline.htm • Education Commission of the States http://www.ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/ProjectbySubject.asp?issueID=108 • National High School Center www.betterhighschools.org • High School Alliance www.hsalliance.org.htm

13. The National Community Look at High School Redesign • How will High School Reform be good for transitioning students? • What do you know about High School Reform in your state?  What do you need to find out? • How do you expect to change transition outcomes?

14. High School Redesign in Pennsylvania • Project 720 • Four years and 118 schools • Focus on school climate and personalization in comprehensive high schools and career and technical education programs • Integrated into the School Improvement effort • Connecting Transition to Project 720 • Finding commonalities • Addressing issues • Building the partnerships

15. High School Redesign in Pennsylvania Current Efforts……. • Major focus on high school redesign at 2007 Transition Forum • Partnership with Special Education Institute at International Center on Educational Leadership • Shared learning across states and professional organizations involved in the National Community of Practice on Transition

16. High School Redesign in Pennsylvania • Next Steps • Roll out at local school level • Make connection to Project 720 and become an integral component of Pennsylvania ‘s comprehensive school reform effort.

17. Vocational Rehabilitation and High School Redesign VR AS A STRONG PARTNER WITH THE TRANSITION TEAM • VR 101-What, When, Why • PA VR Perspective • We're Here to Help Not To Hinder!!! • Working Together as a Community • Staying the Course • Transition to Adult Life

18. High School Redesign in New Hampshire • Commissioner’s Follow the Child Initiative: Encourages social, emotional, physical, academic development of all students • New legislation raising compulsory age of education to 18 • New state rules for school approval • NH Transition CoP - Student Ownership and Personalization Practice Group

19. NH’s Participation in PA Forum • NH Transition CoP priorities: • HS Redesign and Dropout Prevention • School-Business Partnerships at State and Local Levels • Youth Engagement and Leadership Development • Professional Development and Training for all Stakeholders • State-to-state learning • Statewide meeting as year-round strategy • Involvement/role of state agency leadership in supporting work of CoP • Youth Leadership and Engagement • Involving state chapters of national associations • Data and strategies supporting critical links between HS Redesign and opportunities for students with disabilities

20. High School Redesign in Wisconsin • Emerging Stages • Initial awareness of HS Redesign at National Community of Practice Meeting in Feb. 2007 • Making Connections • Jay Engeln, NASSP • WI HS Redesign Taskforce members • Al Hovey, Great Lakes Regional Resource Center • Disability at the Table

21. High School Redesign in Wisconsin • Congruence of ideas • Proposed creation of HS Redesign Practice Group • Include DPI transition consultant on DPI HS Redesign workgroup • Better connect general education and special education • New context • Present HS redesign at our state transition conference • Future planning includes establishing a practice group on HS redesign • Wisconsin Included HS Redesign in National & State Community of Practice work plans • Validation of Strategies • New opportunities and partners • Networking with stakeholders to create ongoing dialogue

22. Organizations as leverage for information spread Organizations as thought leaders and change agents Organizations as allies with SEAs to create opportunities to involve members in realchange Build sustainability by building understanding and involvement New Eyes: The Role of Professional Organizations in Communities of Practice?

23. Why Professional Organizations Care about High School Redesign? • National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) • National Education Association (NEA) • Division of Career Development and Transition (DCDT) • American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

24. NASSP’s Initiative on High School Redesign The National Community of Practice on Transition is working with the National Association of Secondary School Principals to translate the lessons of Breaking Ranks II and Breaking Ranks in the Middle for transition • Breaking Ranks II - Executive Summary http://sharedwork.org/documents/BreakingRanksII.pdf • Breaking Ranks in the Middle - Executive Summary http://sharedwork.org/documents/BreakingRanksintheMiddle.pdf

25. NEA’s Perspective on High School Redesign • ESEA/NCLB- 2014 and School Improvement • Federal Indicators- State Performance Plans, snapshot report cards on Special Education • States are at different stages • We now have national and state data- collectively we can make a difference • Undermine plans that have no validity.

26. NEA/PSEA • Educators want students to succeed • NEA supports publications that support members in their jobs • State affiliates like PSEA support members based on priorities • Urban locals training • Topical trainings based on needs • Publications for members and parents • Updates via websites and newsletters

27. DCDT’s Perspective on High School Redesign • Student outcomes should be a driving factor in high school redesign • High school diplomas & college prep should be assured • Research indicates that students’ (with disabilities) outcomes improve when they have • High self-determination skills • Opportunities for paid work experiences, & are • Prepared & encouraged to consider post-secondary educational opportunities • This typically translates to • inclusive classes, • small class sizes, • contribution to the life of a school, • community connections & • having mentorship opportunities

28. AOTA’s Perspective on High School Redesign Role of Occupational Therapists: • In school based practice, Occupational Therapists use their unique expertise to assist children to be prepared for and perform important learning and school related activities to fulfill their role as students. • Occupational Therapists support academic and non-academic outcomes, including but not limited to, social skills, math, reading, writing, recess, participation in sports, self-help skills, and pre-vocational or vocational participation for children with and without disabilities. • Occupational Therapists support student transition to life roles through interventions related to functional outcomes, technology, community mobility, supportive employment, social skills development, activities of daily living, and wellness/health promotion.

29. Why AOTA Thinks High School Redesign is Important? Based upon their education and training, occupational therapists have expertise in role assessments, client centered activity analysis, adaptations, and accommodations to support successful transition outcomes, quality employment, and independent living skills. Therefore, Occupational Therapists are uniquely qualified to participate in High School Redesign initiatives.

30. AOTA SPONSORED RESOURCES • Transition from School to Adult Life - Chapter written by Meira Orentlicher, found in Occupational Therapy Services for Children and Youth Under IDEA, 3rd Edition, for release summer, 2007 • Addressing Transition and School-to-Work in School Settings - written by Jayne Shepherd, elective session of the self paced clinical course entitled Occupational Therapy in School Based Practice: Contemporary Issues and Trends • OT Practice Framework, Document that outlines language and constructs that describe the profession’s focus and includes references to student outcomes in relation to outcomes related to occupational performance, client satisfaction, role competence, adaptation, health and wellness, prevention, and quality of life. • Participation in National Organizational Meetings and Conferences through the IDEA Partnership. • Member of IDEA Partnership of NASDSE, NAPSO, CCD.

31. Next steps … • Will we build state-to-state learning around High School Redesign and Transition? • Will we engage national organizations as partners? • Will Pennsylvania help us to lead?

32. The IDEA Partnership For more information on the National Community of Practice on Transition and High School Redesign go to: www.ideapartnership.org or www.sharedwork.org …or call us toll free at: 1-877- IDEAINFo