FOCUSED MONITORING: FINDINGS, ISSUES AND BEST PRACTICES

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FOCUSED MONITORING FINDINGS, ISSUES AND BEST
PRACTICES
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• FOCUSED MONITORING OVERVIEW

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IDEA 2004 states

• The primary focus of Federal and State monitoring
  activities shall be on improving educational
  results and functional outcomes for all children
  with disabilities

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What is Focused Monitoring?

• A process that purposefully selects priority
  areas to examine for compliance/results while not
  specifically examining other areas to maximize
  resources, emphasize important variables, and
  increase the probability of improved results.

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What is the difference?

• Past Compliance
• ?
• Cyclical
• ?
• Citation Focused
• ?
• Corrective Action
• (effort focused)
• ?
• Special Education Cooperatives

• Present Compliance
• ?
• Targeted data
• ?
• Solution Focused
• ?
• Improvement Planning (results focused)
• ?
• School Districts

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Focused Monitoring in Illinois

• Centers around critical performance
  indicators from State Performance Plan (SPP)
• 2006-2007
• EE (Indicator 5)
• Statewide Reading assessment gap and performance

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District selection based on analysis of the
following data

• Student Assessment Data Files
• School Report Card
• FACTS Report
• Special Education Profile

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Grouping of School Districts
Like Group (Size/Type) District Enrollment Range Number of Districts
Group 1 Small Elementary Districts Fewer than 275 94
Group 2 Medium Elementary Districts 276 1757 188
Group 3 Large Elementary Districts More than 1757 95
Group 4 Small Unit Districts Fewer than 526 98
Group 5 Medium Unit Districts 527 1763 198
Group 6 Large Unit Districts More than 1763 99
Group 7 High School Districts All districts included 100
TOTAL 872
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Number of Districts Selected (2007-2008)
Group Number of Districts
Small Elementary 2
Medium Elementary 4
Large Elementary 7
Small Unit 2
Medium Unit 4
Large Unit 6
High School 4
Total 29
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Number of Districts per Group and Indicator
(2007-2008)
Group Reading Achievement Reading Gap
Small Elementary 1 1
Medium Elementary 2 2
Large Elementary 3 4
Small Unit 1 1
Medium Unit 2 2
Large Unit 3 3
High School 2 2
Total 14 15
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Focused Monitoring

• Focused Monitoring includes a review of
• Quantitative Data Statistical Results
• Qualitative Data District Documentation

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Pre-Visit Data Analysis Includes

• Any data pertaining to goal/priority area such
  as
• Performance data
• Parent/family participation and involvement
• Complaints/previous monitoring information
• Policies and Procedures
• Part B application
• District/School Improvement Plan
• Professional Development Plan

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• Triangulation of Pre-Visit Data

Performance data
Possible Root Causes

• Complaints
• Previous
• monitoring information
• Part B Application

Policies and Procedures District Improvement Plan
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Illinois Focused Monitoring Teams

• Include
• Two ISBE consultants one serving as team leader
• LEA peer (from another district)
• Parent

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On-site activities

• Gathering information
• Public Forum
• Teacher, administrator, service provider
  interviews
• Classroom observations
• Student file reviews
• And then

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• Triangulation . . . . . . . .

Public Forum
Findings
Observations and File Reviews
Interviews
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Post Visit Activities

• District/ISBE collaboration on improvement plan
• District completion of corrective actions within
  12 months of final report issue date
• Improved performance on critical performance
  indicator within 24 months of of final report
  issue date

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All leading to

• EVIDENCE OF CORRECTION AND CHANGE
• IMPROVED RESULTS FOR CHILDREN

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• Focused Monitoring Historical Overview

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2005-2006 Focused Monitoring Findings
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2005-2006 Focused Monitoring Indicators
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2005-2006 Focused Monitoring Issue Mapping
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2006-2007 Focused Monitoring Indicators
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2006-2007 Focused Monitoring Findings
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2006-2007 Focused Monitoring Issue Mapping
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• BEST PRACTICES

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ACCESS

• Access is the right for all individuals to be a
  member of
• an accessible educational community. Access in
  education provides academic accommodations and
  promotes universal design principles enabling
  students with disabilities the opportunity to
  fully participate in all aspects of the
  educational environment as successful and
  independent learners.

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ACCESS EXAMPLES

• Educational access
• Extracurricular access

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ACCOMMODATIONS

• Accommodations could allow for the provision of
  equitable instructional and assessment access for
  students with disabilities. Accommodations
  reduce or eliminate the effects of a students
  disability and do not reduce learning
  expectations.
• Accommodations are practices and procedures in
  the areas of
• Presentation
• Response
• Setting
• Timing/Scheduling

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ACCOMMODATIONS EXAMPLES

• Accommodations in Presentations
• Accommodations in Response
• Accommodations in Setting
• Accommodations in Timing/Scheduling

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COLLABORATION

• Friend and Cook's (2002) definition of
  collaboration states that it is a "style of
  direct interaction between at least two co-equal
  parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision
  making as they work toward a common goal".
• Through collaboration, ideas can be shared, new
  and better strategies can be developed, problems
  can be solved, students progress can be better
  monitored, and their outcomes evaluated more
  effectively. True collaboration will enhance
  effective inclusion and will be beneficial for
  all the individuals involved in the childs
  education including parents.
• Establishing a strong collaborative ethic in a
  school has the additional benefit of enhancing
  teacher morale and providing teachers with a
  support network.

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CO TEACHING

• Co teaching is a process that involves two or
  more professionals who jointly deliver
  instruction to a diverse group of students in a
  shared classroom space.
• Types of co-teaching
• One teaching, one drifting
• Station teaching
• Alternative teaching
• Team teaching
• Parallel teaching

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CURRICULUM MAPPING

• A plan where the curriculum is aligned throughout
  the entire district for use by all students. A
  curriculum map should be a document developed by
  all instructional staff working together to
  clearly map out, month-by-month, what
  instructional objectives will be taught by whom,
  through what activities and measured by what
  assessments. This map should ensure that all
  students in the district, horizontally and
  vertically, regardless of age or disability, have
  access to all aspects of the Illinois Learning
  Standards for that subject matter area.

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CURRICULUM MAPPING CONSIDERATIONS

• 1. Aligned text
• 2. Supplemental materials
• 3. Assessments
• 4. Data

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DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING STRATEGIES

• Data driven decision making strategy
• provides easy access to quality data
• provides teachers tools to monitor and shape
  student progress
• helps administrators identify whats working and
  where more resources are needed
• allows the district to demonstrate compliance
  with NCLB requirements.

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION

• Differentiated instruction is a teaching
  philosophy based on the premise that teachers
  should adapt instruction to accommodate the full
  diversity of academic needs.
• Differentiation can occur in various forms
  including
• Content
• Process
• Product
• Environment

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DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION EXAMPLES

• Differentiation of Content
• Differentiation of Process
• Differentiation of Product
• Differentiation of Environment
• Selected differentiation strategies should always
  be based on the curriculum taught and the needs
  of the students.

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DIVERSITY

• The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance
  and respect. It means understanding that each
  individual is unique and recognizes individual
  differences.  Diversity can occur in race,
  ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
  socio-economic status, age, physical abilities,
  religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other
  ideologies.
• For example, one educator, Dr. Ruby K. Payne is
  well known for her work in how to interact
  effectively with individuals living in poverty by
  understanding their social cues or "hidden rules"
  that govern how they think and interact in
  society -- and the significance of those rules in
  a classroom.

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EQUITY

• Equity in education is the fair and equal
  treatment of all members of society. All
  individuals are entitled to participate in and
  enjoy the benefits of an education. All students
  have the opportunity to participate fully and to
  experience success and human dignity while
  developing the skills, knowledge and attitudes
  necessary to contribute meaningfully to society.
• A commitment to the principle of equity means
  working to ensure that each person is able to
  reach his or her full potential and make a
  positive contribution to the community.

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MODIFICATIONS

• Modifications change, lower or reduce learning or
  assessment expectations.
• Modifications are more instructional or
  program-centered. They ask the questions "What
  is the array of interventions necessary for the
  student to master a topic or subject?" Is this
  all that can be employed to ensure the best
  learning environment?" The modifications are thus
  instruction or program-centered interventions
  that best provide optimal opportunity for
  learning.

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MODIFICATION TYPES

• Adaptation
• Parallel Curricular Outcomes
• Overlapping curricula

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RTI

• Response to intervention encompasses three
  essential components
• Provides high quality, research based
  instruction/intervention matched to student needs
• Uses learning rate over time and level of
  performance
• Results in important educational decisions

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STANDARDS ALIGNED CLASSROOM (SAC)

• SAC is a rigorously tested research-based program
  featuring proven strategies for aligning
  classroom instruction and assessment with the
  Illinois Learning Standards.
• SAC involves both teachers and students in the
  standards process by empowering them to create
  high quality classroom assessment together.
• Research has shown that when teachers involve
  students in the assessment process, students are
  more engaged, perform better, and gain greater
  confidence.

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SURVEY OF ENACTED CURRICULUM (SEC)

• The SEC is a practical, reliable set of data
  collection tools being used with teachers of
  Mathematics, Science and English Language Arts
  (K-12) to collect and report consistent data on
  current instructional practices and content being
  taught in classrooms. Teachers complete the
  survey questions though an online, web-based
  system. Upon completion, the group data are
  reported in user-friendly charts and graphs to
  facilitate analysis of differences across
  classrooms, schools, or districts.

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EXAMPLES OF DISTRICT BEST PRACTICES

• Access
• Accommodations
• Collaboration
• Co teaching

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EXAMPLES OF DISTRICT BEST PRACTICES

• Curriculum Mapping
• Data Driven Decision Making
• Differentiated Instruction
• Diversity

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EXAMPLES OF DISTRICT BEST PRACTICES

• Equity
• Modifications
• RTI
• Standards Aligned Classroom (SAC)

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EXAMPLES OF DISTRICT BEST PRACTICES

• Survey of Enacted Curriculum

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Contact Information

• Sally Tudor studor_at_isbe.net
• Betty Hendrickson bhendric_at_isbe.net
• Melanie Fleenor mfleenor_at_isbe.net
• Illinois State Board of Education
• Division of Special Education
• 100 North First Street
• Springfield, Illinois 62777
• 217/782-5589