Special Education For Administrators

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Special Education For Administrators

• Module 2
• Improving The Instructional Program

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Module 2 Agenda

• Day One
• Focus Activity
• Norms of Operation
• Exceptionalities and Action Research Assignment
• Walkthrough Epsteins Model of Partnerships
• Setting Direction
• Leading the Instructional Program
• Future Trends in Special Education

• Day Two
• IEPs and Instructional Leadership examined
• School Effectiveness Framework Components 2 and
  4
• Inclusion/Segregated Classes
• Mental Health
• Post and Pre Assignments

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Norms of Operation

• Go slow to go fast
• Listen and speak with an open mind
• Take risks
• Respect others and ourselves
• Leave positions at the door
• What we say here stays here
• Begin, end, and transition on time

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Quote to share

• Read the following to yourself
• Effective principals do not allow managerial
  tasks to consume their days. They create
  adequate time to focus on being the instructional
  leaders of their schools. It is the key part of
  their job.
• Discuss with an elbow partner how you
• demonstrate that you are an instructional
  leader for your students with special needs.

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Voices of Our Students and Parents

• Reach Every Student
• http//www.youtube.com/watch?vvNZVV4Ciccgfeature
  related
• http//www.thestar.com/living/article/1126164--the
  -maternit21-ltd-test-could-make-people-with-down-s
  yndrome-a-rarity
• http//resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/framew
  ork/curriculum7.shtm Grade 7/8 Length 353l
• Whats your view?

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The Leadership Framework

1. Inspire a shared vision of leadership in schools
   and boards
2. Promote a common language that fosters an
   understanding of what leadership and what it
   means to be a leader
3. Identify the competencies and practices that
   describe effective leadership and guide
   professional learning

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Strategies For the Principal as Improving the
Instructional Program in Special Education
Walk-Through
Crucial Conversations
PLTs
Focused Task Forces
Group Learning
Leaders Strategies
Talented and Gifted
Book Reviews
Mentoring Matters
Committee Leadership
Thinking Breakfasts
Periodicals Periodically
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Leadership Framework

• Review the Leadership Framework
• Improving The Instructional Program
• On your own identify two or three goals that are
  personal to your work in your school today with a
  focus on special education.
• Wildly Important Goals (WIGS)
• How will your Personal Leadership Resources
  social, cognitive, and psychological drive your
  work?
• Think- Pair- Share your goals

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Review of Group Assignment Categories of
Exceptionalities

• Research in a group of two/three an area of
  exceptionality as identified in the Education Act
• Include the following
• Category of exceptionality including the Ministry
  criteria e.g., intellectual, deaf/hard of
  hearing
• Definition of the exceptionality Ministry and
  Board
• Student learning strengths and challenges
• Instructional, environmental and
  assessment/evaluation strategies for
  accommodation integration and inclusion
• Differentiation of instruction and learning
• Differentiation of assessment for, as and of
  learning.

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Group Assignment Categories of Exceptionalities

• Based on the exceptionality what are best
  practices?
• What would a demonstration classroom for this
  exceptionality look like, sound like, feel like?
• How as the principal or vice principal will you
  utilize change theory to move your school forward
  in terms of best practices for students with this
  exceptionality?
• What would be the best resources for students
  with this exceptionality? Include community,
  school, and web based.
• Discuss the manifestations of behaviour that may
  be seen with this exceptionality. How as a
  principal or vice principal would you mitigate
  discipline based on the exceptionality? Develop a
  case study and discuss how you would mitigate
  based on the case you develop.
• How will you engage parents? Use Dr. Joyce
  Epsteins six types for parent and community
  partnerships as your framework.
• Research and discuss the intersection of race,
  socio-economic status (SES) and identification of
  a disability.
• Design a Walkthrough for ISP classrooms for
  students with this exceptionality.

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Categories of Exceptionalities

• Presentation of Final Product
• Experiential activity so that the audience knows
  what it feels like to have the exceptionality
  that you are presenting. (10 to 15 minutes)
• PowerPoint presentation to staff, parent
  community with handouts. (10 to 15 minutes)
  (emailed to all)
• Walkthrough with handouts (10 to 15 minutes)
• Each candidate will provide a one page personal
  reflection based on key concepts from this
  exercise including next steps for personal growth
  to be submitted to the instructor.
• Reflection and PowerPoint documents are to be
  submitted to the instructor electronically.
• Be prepared to share your research and
  information with the group during Modules 3 and 4.

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Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy

• Theoretical Underpinning
• caring for students (academic, social and
  emotional well being)

Growth is expected in academics and
behaviour Necessary supports are
provided High-Yield Teaching Strategies Precise
and Consistent Assessment AS FOR Learning
Asset based approach to families/communities-not
deficit Utilize Students Cultures as a Vehicle
for Learning Connections to Knowledge of Families
and Communities Students Social Identities and
Lived Realities are Valued and Respected
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
Students develop a broader socio-political
consciousness Students critique the cultural
norms, values, mores, and institutions that
produce and maintain social inequities
Gloria Ladson-Billings
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Walkthrough

• Equity Walkthrough Template
• https//www.principals.ca/stream/video/launchVid.a
  spx?vidID21Stop on Its Up to You

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THE KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL-FAMILY-COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS DR. JOYCE EPSTEINS SIX TYPES OF
INVOLVEMENT
PARENTING Assist families in understanding
child and adolescent development, and in setting
home conditions that support children as students
at each age and grade level. Assist schools in
understanding families.
COMMUNICATING Communicate with families about
school programs and student progress through
effective school-to-home and home-to-school
communications.
VOLUNTEERING Improve recruitment, training,
work, and schedules to involve families as
volunteers and audiences at school or in other
locations to support students and school programs.
LEARNING AT HOME Involve families with their
children in learning activities at home,
including homework, other curriculum- related
activities, and individual course and program
decisions.
DECISION MAKING Include families as
participants in school decisions, governance,
and advocacy through School Council, committees,
action teams, and other parent organizations.
COLLABORATING WITH COMMUNITY Coordinate
resources and services for students, families,
and the school with businesses, agencies, and
other groups, and provide services to the
community.
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Epstein School, Family, Community Partnership
Special Education Department

• Parenting
• Offer 6 week discussed based course on parenting
  my child with special needs
• Information regarding parenting the child with
  special needs is available on the website
• Communication
• Special Education Plan/ Board Improvement Plan
• Presentations on IEP/IPRC/Shared Solutions
  giving voice also shared on DVDs
• Website
• Brochures
• Ward meetings
• Good news stories
• Conferences
• Procedures
• Volunteering
• On committees, in special education classes, on
  SEAC, in integrated settings, class parents,
  partnering
• Learning at Home
• How I can help my child at home by exceptionality
  ? format Webcasts, Curriculum Services Canada
• Present workshops on Strength Resiliency Training
• Assistive technology workshops/website
  information
• Access to assistive technology at home Read and
  Write Gold

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ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL EXAMPLES for a
One-Year Action Plan for Partnerships to IMPROVE
MATH SKILLS by 3
MATH GOAL
TYPE 1 PARENTING Workshops for parents to explain how to help children with math at home and to demonstrate and discuss how math skills are taught to students
TYPE 2 COMMUNICATING Articles for parents in school or class newsletters or posted on the school Web site by students and math teachers on interesting math topics and skills
TYPE 3 VOLUNTEERING Volunteer math tutors to assist students who need one-on-one tutoring and extra help with specific math skills
TYPE 4 LEARNING AT HOME Weekly interactive homework assignments for students to demonstrate mastery of a math skill for family partners and to discuss how each skill is used in everyday situations
TYPE 5 DECISION MAKING School Council involvement in planning a Family Math Night for fun and learning
TYPE 6 COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY After-school programs funded by business and community partners to provide students with extra help and enrichment activities in math
AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT
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HIGH SCHOOL EXAMPLES for a One-Year Action Plan
for Partnerships to IMPROVE POSTSECONDARY PLANNING
COLLEGE CAREER GOAL
TYPE 1
Workshops for parents and students on course
credits and requirements for high school
graduation, financial aid, pathways, and career
planning
TYPE 2
Series of DVDs for families to learn about high
school graduation requirements and postsecondary
planning
TYPE 3
Field trips for students and parents to
apprenticeship programs, local colleges and
universities
TYPE 4
Interactive homework that requires students to
discuss their academic goals and career plans
with a family partner and to outline strategies
for reaching these goals
TYPE 5
A postsecondary planning committee of parents,
teachers, and students to implement a series of
activities on career options from 9th to 12th
grade
TYPE 6
Careers club linking students and families with
alumni from the school to increase knowledge and
actions on postsecondary pathways and
opportunities
AND MANY OTHER IDEAS FOR EACH TYPE OF INVOLVEMENT
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Debrief

• Look at the elementary and secondary examples of
  work plans and how this relates to you as a
  principal.
• What would you be able to do in your school
  regarding students who have special education
  needs?
• What further support do you need to use the
  Walkthrough Framework and the Epstein Model?

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Review - Option 1 Collaborative Inquiry

• Select an exceptionality to focus on.
• Decide on your question.
• Provide a rationale for the investigation.
• Gather baseline suspension data your school and
  TDSB.
• Examine your office referrals and behaviour
  patterns of students with this exceptionality.
• Design a questionnaire and/or use interviews or
  surveys to obtain data. Gather and analyze the
  information.
• Research this exceptionality in terms of
  behavioural manifestations that may arise due to
  the exceptionality. For example, Exceptionality
  Behaviour OCD, ODD, and ADHD. Create an annotated
  bibliography.
• Examine two students IEPs who have been
  frequently suspended with this exceptionality for
  SMART goals and personalized and precision
  teaching. Share your reflections on the IEPs.
• Reflect on equity issues.
• Provide professional learning for your staff or
  for a school staff on the manifestations of the
  behaviour. Submit a workshop that you will use
  with staff.
• Write a final report including appendices of
  tests, surveys, questionnaires, etc administered
  in your inquiry

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Review - Option 2 Collaborative Inquiry

• Develop a question
• Share a rationale for the investigation.
• Candidate selects two students identified
  exceptional
• Review IEPs
• Complete an OSR review for each student.
• Analyze IEPs for SMART Goals, specificity/instruct
  ional strategies, detail in IEP/ personalized/
  precision
• Investigate the instructional strategies in the
  classrooms
• Decide on how and where change much be
  implemented and develop a plan
• Investigate the progress of the student
  (diagnostic, formative, summative)
• Interview the parents/guardians
• Interview the students
• Interview the teachers and the special education
  teams
• Analyze the information gathered
• Research best practices, conduct a literature
  review and submit an annotated bibliography.
• Reflect on equity issues.
• Work with the teacher/team/parents to implement
  personalized and precise teaching strategies
• Assess progress
• Decide on next steps
• Write a final report including appendices of
  tests, surveys, questionnaires, interviews, etc
  administered in your inquiry

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School Effectiveness FrameworkComponent
2School and Classroom Leadership

• A support for school improvement and student
  success!

Goal Indicators Where we are now? Where do we want to be? What student work/evidence will tell us we are there? What do we have to do differently? Who can help us? Who is monitor-ing? What? When? How?
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
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School Effectiveness FrameworkComponent
4Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

• A support for school improvement and student
  success!

Goal Indicators Where we are now? Where do we want to be? What student work/evidence will tell us we are there? What do we have to do differently? Who can help us? Who is monitor-ing? What? When? How?
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
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Leadership

• Reflect while viewing the clips from the SEF and
  be prepared to share
• Have you observed the instructional practices
  being used for your students with special needs
  and if so, what did you learn?
• Have you fostered leadership/created many leaders
  to provide the needed supports for your students
  with special needs?
• In what ways have you facilitated staff planning
  and learning together to further the success of
  your students with special needs and did you
  attend the PLC with your staff?
• In what ways have you specifically supported best
  practices/ high quality instruction for students
  with special needs?
• How have you enabled co-planning, co-teaching and
  co-assessing that supports students with special
  needs?

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School Effectiveness Framework

• Component 2 School and Classroom Leadership
• 2.4 Job-embedded and inquiry-based professional
  learning builds capacity, informs instructional
  practice and contributes to a culture of learning
• http//www.curriculum.org/secretariat/framework/le
  adership4.shtmlStreaming WMV Option Length 228

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Leadership and Student Learning
After teaching, the second most influential
factor on student learning is leadership (shared
formal and informal).
Most-effective leadership dimension ? promoting
and participating in teacher learning and
development
Vivian Robinson, 2007, School Leadership and
Student Outcomes Identifying What Works and Why
in Earl and Katz, Creating a Culture of Inquiry
in Blankstein, 2010 Data Enhanced Leadership
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Component 4 Curriculum, Teaching
SEF - Component 4 Curriculum, Teaching and
Learning

• Indicators
• Reinforce the importance of teaching and learning
  through alignment of curriculum, instruction,
  assessment and resources in order to meet the
  diverse learning needs of students. Grades 912
• http//resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/frame
  work/curriculum5.shtml
• Streaming WMV Option Length 232
• Develop policies and funding to help ensure that
  learning resources are current, culturally
  relevant and inclusive. http//resources.curriculu
  m.org/secretariat/framework/curriculum6.shtml
• Streaming WMV Option Length 220
• Timely and tiered interventions, supported by a
  team approach, respond to individual student
  learning needs.
• http//resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/framew
  ork/curriculum6.shtml Grades 78
• Streaming WMV Option Length 205

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Student Work
One of the most powerful ways to ensure that any
(learning team) stays focused whether within or
across schools is by making sure that it is
anchored by actual student work. p. 76 Having
actual student work is at the center of the
collaborative inquiry exercise. It creates the
opportunity for evidence-driven, focused
professional learning conversations. p. 76
Katz, Earl, Jaafar, 2009 (Corwin)
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Professional Learning Cycle

• For each unit/module
• PLAN
• examine student data and work to identify areas
  of need
• determine/access professional learning in order
  to address areas of student need and to
  differentiate to reach all
• ACT/OBSERVE
• implement, adjust, engage in professional
  learning, share practice
• REFLECT
• examine student data and work to determine
  impact, lessons learned, next steps for student
  and educator learning

• STUDENT LEARNING
• EDUCATOR LEARNING

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OBSERVE SHARED PRACTICE SCENARIOS

• They are not just accountable for creating the
  conditions in which results might happen
  accountability presumably resting with teachers
  but rather they are responsible to ensure that
  results do happen. Ken Leithwood
• Please see handout
• Co-assessing Student Work
• Co-teaching
• Peer Observation
• Marker Students/Data and Evidence

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• Debra King identifies six tasks that comprise
  Instructional Leadership -The Principal
• Leads learning
• Participates in regular, collaborative,
  professional learning experiences, working with
  teachers in adult learning activities, and
  developing a broad knowledge base in curriculum,
  instruction, and assessment
• Focuses on teaching and learning
• Helps teachers improve instructional practices
  and makes student achievement the schools
  highest priority
• Develops leadership capacity
• Distributes leadership responsibilities to
  include those who have no formal leadership roles
  and provide regular opportunities for all
  stakeholders to share what they are learning
  about their practice

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• Creates conditions for professional learning
• provides regular opportunities for stakeholders
  to work on teaching/learning issues
• allocates time during the school day to work on
  teaching/learning issues
• participates with colleagues to give and receive
  feedback about performance
• Uses data to inform decisions
• collects and uses data from a variety of sources
• works with a variety of stakeholders to interpret
  and create improvement plans
• answers questions about student achievement and
  trends in achievement
• Uses resources creatively
• uses time, money and people to foster school
  improvement
• uses the school schedule to support student
  achievement

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Instructional Leadership

• Activity
• Think first of what you are doing currently in
  each category (1-6)
• What are you doing in your school to demonstrate
  your instructional leadership for students who
  have special needs? Think about your personal
  practice.
• You will be then sharing on a Consulting Line

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Consulting Line.
Candidates stand opposite one another Each have 2
minutes to Give and Get One Then everyone
rotates one person to the left
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Future Trends in Special Education

• Individual Presentations to share trends
• Handouts

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Ministry of EducationDistrict Reviews

• The SEF is the lens for school improvement
  province wide
• Candidates are expected to collate the School
  Effectiveness Framework placemats completed in
  each module as evidence of school improvement
  goals in preparation for their school district
  review
• As well, goals selected for your school should be
  highlighted on the general overview sheet

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Special Education OverviewMinistry of Education
Strategic Directions
Overall Goals High levels of student
achievement Reduced gaps in student
achievement Increased public confidence and
support for public education

• Special Education Policy and Programs Branch
  (SEPPB)
• Goals for Special Education
• Improved outcomes for students receiving special
  education
• Increased capacity of schools to effectively meet
  the needs of a variety of learners in settings
  ranging from typical to intensive support
  classrooms
• Improved balance between a focus on teaching and
  learning, and the need for appropriate process,
  documentation and accountability
• More cooperative connections between schools and
  families of students facing learning challenges
  promoting a positive environment

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(No Transcript)
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Individual Education Plans

• The Special Education Policy and Programs Branch
  (SEPPB) has now posted 50 IEP samples on the
  Council of Ontario Directors of Education (CODE)
  website
• http//www.ontariodirectors.ca/IEP-PEI/index.html
• http//www.ontariodirectors.ca/IEP-PEI/IEP-PEI_Eng
  _Downloads/Sept-09/Autism20-20elem20-.pdf
• http//www.ontariodirectors.ca/IEP-PEI/IEP-PEI_Eng
  _Downloads/DD_Elm.pdf
• http//www.ontariodirectors.ca/IEP-PEI/IEP-PEI_Eng
  _Downloads/MID-Sec.pdf
• http//www.ontariodirectors.ca/IEP-PEI/IEP-PEI_Eng
  _Downloads/Sept-09/gifted20-20sec20-.pdf
• The samples are written using the provincial
  electronic IEP template
• Professional Activity Day resources to support
  IEPs are available on the CODE website which may
  be found at
• http//www.ontariodirectors.ca/PA_Day/index_en.htm
  l

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Improving The Instructional Program Through IEPs

• IEP journeys tell the story of one of the
  students selected including
• The process that was used to gather data to be
  used to inform your decision making
• How did you use the data to construct the IEP?
• How was the School Support Team used?
• Describe the IPRC process if the student was
  brought to IPRC Do we have the will to educate
  all students?
• AsaDo we have the will to educate all
  students?
• 
  Asa Hilliard (1991) Hilliard (1991)

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Levelling IEPs

• Candidates will review an existing rubric and add
  to the rubric missing components in order to
  level the IEPs
• Some possibilities of missing
• components
• Use of SMART Goals
• Precise/personalized to the child

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DOING
KNOWING
IEPs AND CHANGE THEORY

• Staff may see barriers to implementing IEPs due
  to changes that need to occur in the
  instructional practices
• Consider how you might use your knowledge of
  change theory to support the changes that need to
  occur
• If you dont like change, youre going to like
  irrelevance even less.
• General Eric Shinseki, former
  U.S. Army Chief of Staff

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School Effectiveness Framework School and
Classroom Leadership Component 2 and
Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Component 4

• Review the goals outlined in Component 2 and
  Component 4
• Think of your Wildly Important Goal (WIG)
• Select the goals that fit with your WIG, School
  and DSB goals for these areas in relation to
  Special Education
• Complete both charts with one or two focus areas
  for each component
• Share with your elbow partner key issues for
  change!

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Strategies Principals can use to eliminate the
following barriers to Student Achievement

• Your view what is best for students with
  special needs?
• Share your thoughts with a think-pair-share.
• School structures that marginalize, segregate,
  and impede achievement, such as pull out
  programs
• A deprofessionalized teaching staff who could
  benefit from focused staff development
• A school climate that needs to be more welcoming
  to marginalized families and the community and
• Disparate student achievement levels

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Special Education and Mental Health

• Schools and school boards play an important role
  in promoting awareness, prevention, and early
  intervention, and in connecting students to
  community services, the strategy explicitly
  recognizes the need to build school-based
  capacity in this area.
• Supporting Minds http//www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/docu
  ment/reports/SupportingMinds.pdf

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New Ministry Policy Memorandum

• The Ministry of Education has just released
  Policy/Program Memorandum 156 Supporting
  Transitions for Students with Special Education
  Needs. A transition plan must be developed for
  all students who have an IEP, whether or not they
  have been identified as exceptional by an IPRC
  and including those identified as exceptional
  solely on the basis of giftedness. The transition
  plan is developed as part of the IEP.
• The requirements of this memorandum take effect
  September 2, 2014.
• What steps will you to take to prepare your staff
  for implementation
• View PPM 156 http//www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/pp
  m/ppm156.pdf

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POST ASSIGNMENTS ( 5 HOURS)

• Reflective Journal
• Identify three key areas of learning from Module
  2 and outline how you have implemented the
  content or strategies in your daily practice and
  how each demonstrates the connections to the
  personal goals you identified in the OLF and the
  component(s) reviewed in the SEF.
• Do Schools Kill Creativity?
• Ken Robinson from Ted Talks View TED Talk
• Candidates are asked to view the TED TALK
  webcast, and then complete the Module 2
  discussion topic Do Schools Kill Creativity.
• Identify a time how your LEADERSHIP has created a
  culture in which creativity thrives and is
  actively nurtured and supported in and outside of
  the classroom.
• Complete the following assignments as directed by
  your Instructor
• Ontario Leadership Framework Chart 2013
• SEF Component 2 - School and Classroom Leadership
• SEF Component 4 - Curriculum, Teaching and
  Learning

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MODULE 3 PRE-ASSIGNMENTS ( 5 HOURS)
All pre-assignments are located at
www.principals.ca in my folder SPECED ACCESS