The Road to Sustainable Change The Brockton Public Schools ELL and Special Education Task Force

Transcription

1 Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative Spring 2012 Meeting English Language Learners with Disabilities Successes and Challenges The Road to Sustainable Change The Brockton Public Schools ELL and Special Education Task Force

2 Session Goal The goal of this presentation is to illustrate through collaboration the systematic changes between Special Education and Bilingual Department: Initiatives of the Task Force Overview of how we systemically engaged in a collaborative process to improve the identification of and services for English language learners and students with disabilities in our district. Kay Seale

3 Introduction Kay Seale, Director of Special Education Kellie Jones, Department Head (K-8) of Bilingual/ESL Services Lourdes Santiago, Principal of the Manthala George Elementary School Connie Jonet-Branco, Cape Verdean Community Facilitator Laurie Silva, 21 st Century Coordinator Kay Seale

4 Brockton Public Schools Diverse urban system located approximately 30 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts Student enrollment is approximately 16,162 24% of population is identified as limited English proficient 14% of students have disabilities 70.8% of population is identified as low income While FLNE is reported as 34.6%, it is estimated that over 60% have a language other than English spoken at home 36 languages are spoken in the school system, while major community languages represented include Cape Verdean, Haitian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Kay Seale

5 Growth of ELLs Kellie Jones

6 Special Education Enrollment Kay Seale

7 Department of Bilingual/ESL Services Department of Bilingual/ESL Services ( ) Elizabeth Barry, Executive Director, Office of Teaching and Learning (PreK-5) Jose Pinheiro, Director of Bilingual/ESL Services Kellie Jones, Department Head (K-8) Vula Roumis, Department Head (K-8) Ana Carreiro, Department Head (9-12) Lisa Mosley, Citywide Assessment & Monitor Teacher Gloria Cho, English Language Acquisition Coach Fernanda Vera-Cruz, English Language Acquisition Coach Nory Harris, English Language Acquisition Coach Bilingual Community Facilitators 2 Spanish 5 Cape Verdean 2 Haitian Chinese Hmong Portuguese Kellie Jones

8 Bilingual Community Facilitators Facilitate communication between parents and school Interpret in a variety of contexts Work with the Department of Special Education Assist SPED personnel with home assessment to gather more relevant information for proper placement Assist parents in explaining procedures and their rights Explain parents the IST (interventions) procedure Help SPED Department obtain proper test authorization Attend Team Meetings to translate for parents Once the IEP is developed, meet with parents for verbal explanation and signature. Connie Jonet- Branco

9 Programs for Bilingual Students SEI in Self-Contained Settings (Grades K-5) All students in class are English language learners SEI in Integrated Settings (Grades K-5) Class Composition is mix of ELLs and Native English Speakers Each elementary school has designated Integrated SEI Classrooms Staff has gone/will go through professional development training Spanish 2-Way Program (Grades K-5) Located at the George School Kindergarten Full-Day with parents providing transportation Placement determined by lottery system in kindergarten Middle High SEI/TBE Content Strands ESL arranged by proficiency level for each grade (2 periods) Literacy classes High School SEI/TBE Content Strand ESL arranged by proficiency level for each grade (1.5 Periods) Literacy Program for Limited Formal Schooling Students MCAS Preparation Class Kellie Jones

10 Brockton Special Education Demographics 268 Special Education Teachers, Administrators, and Related Service Providers 2,237 Students with Disabilities 272 (3-5) year olds; 1,965 (6-21) year olds 130 Out of District Students 63 Students at Goddard Alternative Public Day School 3,484 TEAM Meetings held ( ) Kay Seale

11 Special Education Department 176 Special Education Teachers & Related Service Providers Team Chairperson (8) & Out of District Coordinator Facilitates all IEPTEAM meetings SPED Department Heads(6) - Supervise programs and special education teachers, coordinate program development, manage student placement and transition Special Education Diagnostician- Provides training to teachers in testing and assessment, assist teachers in testing and report writing, assess High Profile students within the district. Home Teaching Supervisor Coordinates home teaching and tutoring for students Transition & Vocational Specialist Responsible for monitoring transition planning process and program development for students to adult life Autism Specialists Provide consultation to teaching staff regarding best practices, accommodations, and modifications for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder Kay Seale

12 Students With Disabilities March 2012 Kay Seale

13 The Way We Were

14 The Way We Were Relationships in Isolation Departments were Silos Either/Or Relationship Limited Communication Limited Sharing of Resources The Result of Silos: Misinterpretation/Misunderstanding = Tension Scrutiny regarding Pre-referral Process and Eligibility Issues regarding the role of the Instructional Support Teams Kay Seale

15 Relationships in Isolation Lou Caporiccio, City-Wide Assessment Monitor Teacher Special Education Administrators Took SEI PD Courses An Administrator from Each Department Taught a Course Together Protocol Established between Departments for Special Education Assessment in Native Language or English Kay Seale

16 Turn and Talk Are your relationships in silos? How are the relationships between the departments in your district? How are the relationships between central administration and schools in your district? Laurie Silva

17 The Turning Point It all started with an invitation The Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative Denver, Colorado October 29, 2009-November 1, 2009 Presentations from Alba Ortiz from University of Texas and Janette Klingner from University of Colorado Workshops with Miami-Dade and Chesterfield County, Virginia Kellie Jones

18 The Apple Martini Effect And then it all started with an apple martini Strengthened Relationships Cognizance of Needs Renewed Energy Establishment of Short Term Goal Task Force Kellie Jones

19 Turn and Talk How could you engage other targeted professionals in your district around issues of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners? Laurie Silva

20 The Beginning THE TASK FORCE

21 The Task Force Members: Directors and Department Heads of SPED and Bilingual Departments; Psychologists; City-wide Assessment Monitor Teacher; Bilingual MSN Teacher; English Language Acquisition Coaches; Spanish Speech and Language Pathologist Met for 3 Hours Every Month Kay Seale

22 Turn and Talk Who could you envision engaging on a task force in your district? Who would you want to reach out to? Laurie Silva

23 The First Meeting Community Building Activity Find Someone Who Small Group Discussion Similarities and Differences between the two Departments Identification of Short-Term and Long-Term Needs Learn About Each Other Processes/Regulations Determining SPED for those who are already LEP Determining LEP for those who are already SPED Appropriate classroom based interventions Kay Seale

24 The Next Three Meetings Presentations on the programs, structure, laws/ regulations, and process of both Departments Presentations on assessments used by Both Departments Kay Seale

25 May Establishment of Special Interest Groups Special Interest Group #1 Determining LEP status for students already identified as having special needs Special Interest Group #2 Response to Intervention with diverse populations Special Interest Group #3 Determining special education needs for students already identified as LEP Kay Seale

26 Turn and Talk What special interest groups may be of value in your district? Laurie Silva

27 ELL Task Force Year Two

28 Expanded Membership Rationale bring to the table all programs and services around ELLs and SWD. Directors and Department Heads of SPED and Bilingual Departments; Psychologists; City-wide Language Assessment Specialist; Bilingual MSN Teachers; Special Education Diagnostician English Language Acquisition Coaches; Title I Director; Coordinator of Literacy and Social Studies (K-5); Coordinator of 21 st Century Learning Centers Kellie Jones

29 Group One Determine LEP Designation for those who are already identified as SPED Goals Establish Protocols for Common Assessment and Identification Establish Procedures for Native Language Support when Necessary Establish systems for both English language development and Specialized Instruction Kellie Jones

30 Continuum of English Language Development Assessments for Special Needs Students Adaptation of Miami-Dade Protocol Continuum based on Socio-Communicative and Academic Language Skills (receptive and expressive) Inclusion of Native Language data Modifications Assessment Level A - Existing Initial English Language Proficiency Assessment Addition of Assessment C due to large gap between levels Additional column As Reported by Teacher Alignment to the MEPA Proficiency Levels (1-5) Identified procedure for assessment (Citywide Language Assessment Specialist) Kellie Jones

31 Continuum of English Language Development Assessments for Special Needs Students Pilot of Assessment Academic Year Recommendations for SEI/ESL Services Draft Matrix Established Performance on Assessment Type of Assessment Pilot Academic Year Kellie Jones

32 Group Two Response to Intervention for Diverse Populations Goals Meet monthly to make our yearly goals Deepen our understanding of the Response to Intervention framework through discussions and research Where do ELLs fit in our tiered instruction? Participate in a book study using, Response to Intervention (RTI) and English Language Learners: Making it Happen by Echevarria & Vogt (2011). Gather evidence-based best practices for ELLs Determine what professional development is needed for stakeholders (teachers and central administration) Kellie Jones

33 Group Two Response to Intervention for Diverse Populations How do ELL students fit into Response to Intervention? How effective is our universal instruction? How is ESL instruction defined? How do identify and support struggling readers? Kellie Jones

34 Group Three Determine SPED Designation for those who are already identified as LEP Goals Establish Procedures for Native Language Support when Necessary Establish systems for both English language development and Specialized Instruction Revisit current Response to Intervention Protocol Kellie Jones

35 Instructional Support Team (IST) The IST process did not include specific information regarding factors related to English language development Culture Educational History Amount of English exposure Length of time in America, school, or a SEI program Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) L1 and L2 Language Proficiencies Kellie Jones

36 L1 and L2 Language Proficiencies Brigance Use parts of the Brigance to assess students in English and their native language English Haitian Creole Spanish Train Facilitators, who are proficient in the native language, to administer the Brigance Translate the Brigance into other languages Cape Verdean Criolu Portuguese

37 Turn and Talk What kinds of tasks would your special interest groups focus on? Laurie Silva

38 Year Three

39 Bringing it to The Next Level Phyllis Hardy from the New England Equity Assistance Center Task Force works to become a Professional Learning Community How is language learning at the center of our instruction and assessment practices Identification of key questions that bring language to the discussion Work with Manthala George Elementary School SEI, Two-Way, Inclusion, general education programs Laurie Silva/ Lourdes Santiago

40 Turn and Talk What external supports can be brought in to help your team move to the next level? Laurie Silva

41 Outcomes of the Task Force

42 Increased Collaboration Bilingual Department held book club with, Differentiating Learning Differences from Disabilities: Meeting Diverse Needs through Multi-Tiered Response to Intervention, for teachers who have completed category training Department Head for Bilingual/ESL Services present at intake for severe special needs students from linguistically diverse backgrounds Students in substantially separate classrooms receiving more ESL services Kay Seale

43 Increased Professional Development Special Education Procedures and Protocols workshop for Bilingual Community Facilitators RtI workshop for the Bilingual Community Facilitators Category One training for Bilingual Community Facilitators Category One Training for MSN Teachers and Team Facilitators Category Two Training for MSN Teachers and Team Facilitators Special Education Procedures and Protocols Workshop for ESL Teachers (May 2012) Bilingual Department held book club with, Differentiating Learning Differences from Disabilities: Meeting Diverse Needs through Multi-Tiered Response to Intervention, for teachers who have completed category training Kellie Jones

44 Protocols Established Identifying LEP status of students on IEP through the Continuum of English Language Development Assessment for Special Needs Students Kellie Jones

45 Special Education Outcomes Cultural/Historical backgorund awareness and sensitivity as part of the problem solving team process BICS and CALP checklist and formula Team discussion on language differences as opposed to disabilities Community liaison training on special education eligibility and team process Increased awareness of the biases of most evaluation tools Kay Seale

46 Bilingual Department Outcomes Growth in professional understanding of students with disabilities System established to accurately identify LEP status of Special Education students Meeting Department of Elementary and Secondary Education mandates for hours of ESL Services Language assessments in both languages as part of the conversation at SPED and LAT meetings Massachusetts districts establishing own Task Forces Worcester, Milton, Attleboro, Kellie Jones

47 School Based Outcomes ESL Services drove school-wide schedule Common Planning time grade levels and program Community Climate - English Language Learners and SWD as equal parts Phyllis Hardy, NEEAC, facilitation of school instructional leadership team (ILT) and instructional support team (IST) Educator investment in language development needs across programs and grades Lourdes Santiago

48 Parent Community Outcomes More informed about processes and procedures for Special Education and accurately convey information Parents as a result make more informed decisions Increased collaboration and understanding between the parents and district Connie Jonet-Branco

49 Community Schools Outcomes Leveraging of funding and resources for the provision of enhanced quality and comprehensiveness of out of school time (OST) services Fostering a seamless connection between the school day and OST academic supports and workforce development programs The provision of OST services for targeted youth who traditionally did not access such services Increased awareness of necessary supports for youth and increased communication between OST staff and school day staff to ensure a continuity of the supportive services Laurie Silva

50 LONG-TERM GOALS

51 Codify Protocols Procedures and Protocols to be included in a Program Manual Response to intervention and IST with diverse populations including culturally/linguistically appropriate instruction, interventions, and progress monitoring In-Service Plan Executive Team and Relevant Administrators Principals and Instructional Leadership Teams Team Facilitators Staff Kellie Jones

52 Systemic Change Transformation of the Task Force into a Professional Learning Community Distribute leadership so that no one Department or personnel is leading the process Kellie Jones

53 GETTING STARTED

54 Key Elements Stakeholders open to the change process Cordial/Friendly Relationships Between Departments Facilitator to manage the group Openness and Flexibility Standards for interaction assume the best in each other Acceptance of diverse personalities and positions Common Understanding about Each Department Common Goals Short-Term Long-Term Kay Seale

55 QUESTIONS?

56 THANK YOU!!!