Office of the Independent Monitor

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Office of the Independent Monitor

• 2003 - 2004 Monitoring Activities

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Monitoring

• Data Systems
• Performance Outcomes

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• Overview of Data
• Systems Monitoring

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Data Systems

• Concerns of accuracy of the data based on
  discrepancies found between data sources
• SIS, SESAC, and Welligent
• Discrepancies highlighted by AIR study,
  suspension data and disproportionality study.
• We conducted a survey of the implementation of
  the Welligent system to determine accuracy of
  data (2/17/04 2/27/04).

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Data Systems

• Welligent Survey Findings
• Results from 460 Schools identified as fully
  training
• 60 schools were fully implementing
• 21 schools partially implementing
• 19 schools not implementing
• Top Reasons for Not Implementing Welligent
• Technical Problems
• Lack of Training
• Access to the System
• Changes in Administration
• District continues to address these areas and
  improvement has been noted.

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• Overview of Outcomes Monitoring

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Process for Developing New Outcomes

• Review of data
• Expert consultation/reports
• Scientific studies
• Negotiations with parties

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Outcome 1 Participation on State-wide
Assessments

• Goal is to increase the number of students with
  disabilities participating in the state-wide
  assessments.
• 2003-2004 data expected September 2004.

School Year Outcome Benchmark Status
2003-04 75 65 No Data
2002-03 65 91.8
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Outcome 2 Performance on Statewide Assessments

• The parties agreed to the following outcome
• By June 30, 2006, the Percentage of Students
  with disabilities in grades 2-11 participating in
  the California Standards Test (CST) whose scores
  place them in the combined rankings of Basic,
  Proficient and Advanced will increase to at
  least 32.4 in English Language Arts and at least
  32.8 in Mathematics.
• 2003-2004 data will be available September 2004.
• Status (2002-2003)

Category of Special Education Students of SPED Students Ranked as Basic or Above Outcome
English Language Arts 50,605 11,318 32.4 22.4
Mathematics 50,605 10,060 32.8 19.9
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Outcome 3 Special Education Graduation Rate

• The goal is to increase the number of students
  with disabilities that receive a high school
  diploma.
• The rate of students with disabilities who
  graduated declined from 2001-2002 to 2002-2003.
• Data will be available September 2004.

School Year Outcome Benchmark Status
2003-2004 55 45 No Data
2002-2003 33.4
2001-2002 40.0
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Outcome 4 Special Education Completion Rate

• This outcome measures special education students
  that complete high school with a diploma or
  certificate and tracks drop-out.
• Data will be available September 2004.

School Year Outcome Benchmark Status
2003-04 Increase 49.7 No Data
2002-03 46.7
2001-02 72.6
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Outcome 5a Long-Term Suspensions (over 6 days)

• Goal is to reduce the percent of long-term
  suspensions to no more than 2 of the total
  number of special education students suspended.

School Year Outcome Status
2003-04 2 8.5
2002-03 9.9
2001-02 9.1
Data from 7/1/03 to 6/15/04
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Outcome 5b Overall Suspensions and Suspensions
in Comparison to Non-Disabled Students

• The parties agreed to the following outcome
• By June 30, 2006, the District will reduce the
  risk of suspension for the population of students
  with disabilities by 30 from the rate of 14.7
  in the 2002-03 school year, to a rate lower than
  10.3.
• By June 30, 2006, the District will reduce
  disproportionality in the District-wide rate of
  suspension of students with disabilities in
  comparison to their non-disabled peers to a
  relative risk ratio of no more than 1.75X
  discrepant, such that the population of students
  with disabilities is nor more than 1.75 times
  more likely to be suspended than the population
  of their non-disabled peers.

School Year Outcome 1 Reduction in of all SPED Students Suspended Status 1 Outcome 2 Reduction in Ratio of Sped Students Suspended vs. General Education Students Suspended Status 2
2003-04 10.3 12.7 1.75 Special Education Suspension to 1.00 General Education Suspension 2.24 to 1
2002-03 14.7 2.30 to 1
Data from 7/1/03 to 6/15/04
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Outcome 6 Least Restrictive Environment

• Students with Learning Disabilities and Speech
  and Language Impairments placed at least 60 of
  their school day in general education.

School Year Outcome Benchmark Status
2003-04 74 63 63.2
2002-03 66.1
CASEMIS Data
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Outcome 7 Least Restrictive Environment

• Students with all other disabilities spending at
  least 60 of their school day in General
  Education.

School Year Outcome Benchmark Status
2003-04 52 20.8 28.8
2002-03 34.5
CASEMIS Data
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Outcome 8 Placement of Students with
Disabilities at their Home School

• The parties agreed to the following outcome
• 8a The District will ensure that the
  percentage of students with disabilities with the
  eligibilities of specific learning disabilities
  (SLD) and speech and language impaired (SLI) who
  are in their home school does not fall below
  92.9 by June 30, 2006.
• Status

Total in Home School Not in Home School
32,215 92.5 7.5
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Home School Placement (continued)

• 8b By June 30, 2006, the District will increase
  the percentage of students with disabilities with
  all other eligibilities in kindergarten and sixth
  grade to 65 and the percentage of students with
  disabilities with all other eligibilities in
  ninth grade to 60.
• Status

Total in Home School Not in Home School
Kindergarten 609 51.7 48.3
Grade 6 979 54.8 45.3
Grade 9 950 45.5 54.5
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Home School Placement (continued)

• 8c By June 30, 2006, the District will increase
  the percentage of students with disabilities in
  the elementary grades one through five in their
  home school to 62.0. By June 30, 2006, the
  District will increase the percentage of students
  with disabilities in middle school grades seven
  and eight in their home school to 55.2. By June
  30, 2006, the District will increase the
  percentage of students within high school grades
  ten and above in their home school to 36.4.
• Status

Grades Total in Home School Not in Home School
1-5 5,603 59.0 41.0
7-8 1,963 52.6 47.4
10-PG 2,540 34.7 65.3
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Outcome 9 Students with Transition Plans

• Students with disabilities who are 14 and older
  are required under the law to have an individual
  transition plan that will contribute to their
  ability to transition into post-school life.
• Status

School Year Outcome Benchmark Status
2003-04 98 90 92.1
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Outcome 10 Timely Completion of Evaluations

• Federal law requires that all assessments be
  completed within 50 days.

Within 50 Days Final Outcome 90 Within 65 Days Final Outcome 95 Within 80 Days Final Outcome 98
Service Benchmark Benchmark Benchmark
Psycho-Educational Evaluation 65 64.6 75 81.1 98 89.8
DIS Services Evaluation 65 70.6 75 83.0 98 90.2
District Totals 65 66.2 75 81.6 98 89.9
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Outcome 11 Parent Complaint Response Time

• Based on current performance District is on
  course to meet outcome.

Outcome Within 5 Days Outcome Within 10 Days Outcome Within 20 Days Outcome Within 30 Days
25 36 50 64.4 75 91.1 90 97.8
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Outcome 12 Informal Dispute Resolution

• The District agreed to establish a systemic
  structure for the informal resolution of IEP
  disputes prior to due process.
• The District piloted IDR in four local Districts
  (B,C,E and H).
• As of 6/23/04, 140 families utilized the process.

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Outcome 13 Delivery of Services

• During the 2003-2004 School Year, the Independent
  Monitor and the American Institutes for Research
  conducted a study of the delivery of special
  education services in LAUSD.
• Based on the results of the study, the following
  two-part outcome was agreed upon by the parties
  
• By June 30, 2006, 93 of the services
  identified on
• the IEPs of Students with Disabilities in all
  disability
• categories except specific learning disability
  will show
• evidence of service provision. In addition, by
  June 30,
• 2006, 93 of the services identified on the
  IEPs of
• students with specific learning disability will
  show evidence
• of service provision.

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Outcome 13 Study Findings
IEP-Log Service Agreement IEP-Site Visits Service Agreement
of Service Observations of Services with evidence of Provision of Service Observations of Observed Services Provided
4,316 42.7 340 89

• Exclusion of SLD population increases log to
  service agreement to 63.7.

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Outcome 13 (continued)

• By June 30, 2006, The District will provide
  evidence that at least 85 of the services
  identified on the IEPs of students with
  disabilities will have a frequency and duration
  that meets compliance with the IEP.

IEP-Log Frequency Agreement IEP-Log Duration Agreement
of Service Observations of services with monthly frequency at least equal to IEP of service observations of services with monthly duration at least equal to IEP
2,200 57.2 1,876 61.5
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Outcome 14 Parent Participation

• During the 2003-2004 School Year, the Independent
  Monitor and WestEd conducted a study on levels of
  parent participation.
• Based on the study results and Welligent data,
  the parties agreed to the following outcome
• By June 30, 2006, the District will increase
  the rate of parent participation in IEP meetings
  in the area of attendance to 75. By June 30,
  2006, 95 of the records of IEP meetings in which
• the parent does not attend will provide
  evidence of recorded
• attempts to convince the parent to attend the
  IEP meeting in
• accordance with Section 300.345(d) of the IDEA
  regulations.
• Status

in Welligent Attended IEP Met with Staff No Data
59,659 29,612 49.6 8,746 14.7 21,301 35.7
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Outcome 14 Parent Participation- WestEd Study
Overview

• Telephone survey was conducted to determine
  levels of parent participation within LAUSD.
• A representative sample was drawn based on
  District demographics (ie. ethnicity, disability
  type, local district, school level).
• 627 respondents, from a sample of 1,164.
• Survey was conducted in 8 languages.

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Study Results

• 80 of the respondents reported attending their
  childs last IEP.
• 93.5 of parents report feeling like an equal
  part of the IEP.
• 54 of parents not attending the IEP report
  giving the school permission to proceed with the
  IEP.
• 65.7 of parents report being presented with
  different placement options.

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Outcome 15 Timely Completion of Future
Translations

• The District has not met the 2003-04 benchmark.
• The Office of the Independent Monitor has
  directed the District to complete those
  translations over 60 days by August 4, 2004.

of IEP Translation requested Completed Outcome 30 days Completed 30 days Outcome 45 days Within 45 days Outcome 60 days Within 60 days
13,543 7,947 85 7.6 95 13.3 98 17.6
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Outcome 16 Qualified Special Education Teachers

• The goal is to increase the percentage of
  qualified SPED teachers and reduce the gap
  between qualified SPED and General Education
  teachers.

School Year Qualified Gen. Ed Teachers Qualified SPED Teachers Difference Outcome
2003-2004 85.7 70.6 15.1 3.4
2002-2003 78.7 68.3 10.4
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Outcome 17 Behavioral Interventions

• The Office of the Independent Monitor presented
  the parties with information regarding the
  present levels of behavior support plans
  district-wide.
• The parties agreed to the following outcomes
• By June 30, 2006, the percentage of students
  with autism with a behavior support plan will
  increase to 40 and the
• percentage of students with emotional
  disturbance with a
• behavior support plan will increase to 72.

Eligibility Total of Students Outcome of Students with Behavior Plans
Autism 3,382 40 20.1
Emotionally Disturbed 2,326 72 41.1
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Outcome 18 Disproportionality

• The parties agreed to the following outcome
• By June 30, 2006, 90 of African American
  students identified as emotionally disturbed
  during an initial or triennial evaluation, will
  demonstrate evidence of a comprehensive
  evaluation as defined by the Independent Monitor
  and consideration for placement in the least
  restrictive environment as determined by the
  Independent Monitor.

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Outcome 18 Disproportionality African American
Students Identified as ED

• The OIM conducted a District-wide study to
  identify factors that may contribute to
  disproportionality.
• The OIM consulted with the following experts
• Dr. Gwendyln Cartledge, Ohio State University
• Dr. Stanley Trent, University of Virginia
• Dr. Dan Reschly, Vanderbilt University
• African Americans are 4.4 times more likely to be
  identified ED than all other ethnicities.
• African Americans are 4.9 times more likely to be
  placed in a more restrictive placement
  (non-public schools) than all other ethnicities.
• Current rate of Identification for African
  Americans

African American of total population African American SPED African American ED
12.1 18.0 36.0
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Disproportionality District-wide Study Overview

• Review of 270 ED students cumulative files from
  32 middle schools and 207 identifying schools.
• Sample consists of 123 African American, 118
  Latino, 24 White, and 5 other students. Sample
  is representative of the Districts ED
  population.
• Study reviewed the following areas Pre-referral
  interventions Co-morbidity or additional
  eligibilities Assessment practices
  Justification of ED Service Provision and other
  considerations for determination.

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Study Findings

• 32 of African American students demonstrated
  evidence of an SST vs. 54.2 of White students.
• 65.9 of African American and 66.9 of Latino
  students had evidence of a full psychological
  evaluation, compared to 83.3 of White students.
• 37.4 of all students newly identified as ED,
  demonstrated justification of ED with an
  eligibility statement.
• Approximately 50 of all students had a behavior
  support plan upon identification.
• Systematic deficits found in the identification
  process for all groups.

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Other Activities

• Selection of DVR parent members.
• Recruitment of Parents Council Members
• Annual Hearing
• School Site Visits
• Collection of feedback from Teachers, Parents,
  and Administrators

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