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CalSTAT Technical Assistance and Training

California Department of Education, Special Education Division’s special project, California Services for Technical Assistance and Training (CalSTAT) is funded through a contract with the Napa County Office of Education. CalSTAT is partially funded from federal funds, State Grants #H027A080116A. Additional federal funds are provided from a federal competitively awarded State Personnel Development Grant to California (#H323A070011) provided from the U.S. Department of Education Part D of the Individuals with Disabilities Education act (IDEA). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the position of the U. S. Department of Education.

Improving Special Education Services (ISES)
June 4, 2007
Workgroup Recommendations

Workgroup #1

Strategic Plan for Recruitment, Preparation, and Retention of Special Education Professionals

Recommendations:
E-survey for assessing "Teaching and Learning Conditions"
Plus
Develop Working Conditions Standards

Workgroup # 2

Indicator 9: Disproportionality Overall
Indicator 10: Disproportionalality Disability

Recommendations:

For All:
1.

2. Recommend BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) $ includes SE info and practitioners

3. SE should not be responsible for SST (Student Study Team) and is not end result of SST

For State:

1. Reconcile County Office of Education impact on CASEMIS (California Special Education Management Information System) data

2. How do we label students as disabled?

3. Consider a second look at identified districts to explain disproportionality

4. Dialogue with CTC (Commission on Teacher Credentialing) at Administrator Credentialing and teacher credentialing criteria

For District:
1. Ensure all sources of valid information are considered - and taken into consideration;

2. Dialogues with CTA (California Teachers Association)

3. Policy decision-making

For SELPA:
1. Training

2. Early Intervention

3. Paradigm shift

For State/Others/Feds:
1. Strategy for development for teachers/service providers for EL students

2. Make training available on website

3. Reduce/Eliminate disproportionality through ensuring LRE by making disproportionality data a significant factor to GE administration and SE gatekeepers

ADD instructional and behavioral to workgroup

Workgroup #3

Indicator 5: Least Restrictive Environment (LRE)

Recommendations:

Define a statewide policy to improve outcomes for all students within LRE.

Policy:
1. Statewide policy in alignment of accountability with decision-making - i.e. achievement disproportionality

2. Administrator - competencies in credentials and professional development

Pre-Service:
1. Develop collaborative teacher credential program standards.

In-Service:
1. Theory models (on going, long-term, outcome based)

2.  Coaching - TA for best practices

3. NASDE (National Association of State Directors of Special Education) - deaf or hard of hearing standards

Other Recommendations:
1. Link LRE to student improvement indicators - look at it as a systemic indicator
2. Use term “deaf or hard of hearing” instead of “hearing impaired”
3. GE teacher prep not aligned to intent to facilitate implementation
4. Change NCATE (National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education) -  standards
5. Job analysis - expectations of teachers GE-SE

Workgroup #4

Indicator 6: Pre-School LRE
Indicator 7: Pre-School Assessment
Indicator 12: Part C to Part B Transition

Recommendations:
*Over Arching Concern Preschool LRE will fall off the radar screen because it looks like we are exceeding the targets.

Recommendations for Improvement Activities
1. Filter data with new questions to get more informative information

2. What interventions support conditions for improving LRE? How is this measured to document?

Old Recommendation:
1. Key word “integration: of PS indicators into - Program Standards for AARP

For Preschool (and all)
LRE is more than the presence of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. It is the full, active participation in the curriculum and activities with appropriate supports, accommodations, and modifications as needed.

Workgroup #5

Indicator 13: Secondary Transition
Indicator 14: Post-School

Recommendations:

#1 (Transition)
Accept RSA (Rehabilitation Services Administration)/OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) definition of competitive employment by adding fields to CASEMIS. (California Special Education Management Information System)

#2 (Transition)
Additional fields should be added to CASEMIS, to include:

1. Number of hours/week
            Part time:           0-10 hrs, a-b
                                    10-20 hrs, c-d
            Full time:         21-30 hrs, e-f
                                    31-40 hrs, g-h

2. Wage
            Below minimum: a-b
                                        c-d
            Minimum & above
                                        e-f
                                        g-h

3. Time period/frame
Example:
            Worked in the last week
            Worked in the last month
            Worked in the last 6 months
            Worked in the last year

#3 (Transition)
Do data collection based on definition and data points and evaluate data to refine definition.

Consider:

Workgroup #6:

Indicator 8: Parent Involvement

Recommendations:

 

 

 

California Services for Technical Assistance and Training (CalSTAT)
A Special Project of the Napa County Office of Education| 5789 State Farm Drive, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
Fax: 707-586-2735 | email:info@calstat.org