Improving the Special Education System in California
A State Improvement Grant (SIG) Program
Prepared By:
Cheryl "Li" Walter, Ph.D.
California Institute on Human Services
This project is fudned through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education, California's State Program Improvement Grant (CFDA 84.323A) as described in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
April 2005
Kelly Bucy, CalSTAT
Janet Canning, CDE Consultant
Special Education Division
Assessment, Evaluation, and Support Unit
Special Education Division
SIG Evaluation Task Force
This report is available for review and printing online (as a pdf) at: www.calstat.org in the Evaluation and Results section.
Summary Report on Progress Toward Achieving the SIG Objectives 1999-2004.
For questions concerning this report, please contact Cheryl "Li" Walter: li@sonic.net or 707-849-2268.
The California Department of Education's Special Education Division, along with its collaborative partners, is engaged in an effort to improve the special education system and the educational outcomes achieved by individuals with disabilities. In the State Improvement Grant (SIG), California's Partnership Committee on Special Education (PCSE) outlined measurable objectives that, if met, would indicate progress toward achieving the desired outcomes. The SIG objectives serve as an evolving set of intended outcomes--for students, teachers, and the system--at the statewide level.
Ongoing revisions of the SIG outcome objectives serve to keep them aligned with the key performance indicators (KPIs) being used in the Quality Assurance Process at the district level, ensuring that the collaborative partners statewide are working toward the same outcomes.
The goals underlying the KPIs are listed in italics at the beginning of each group of related SIG objectives listed below. All of the KPIs and their measures are included as SIG objectives. In addition, there are several SIG objectives that focus on the outcomes of system improvement efforts and the outcomes of SIG activities, which were defi ned by the Partnership Committee on Special Education's (PCSE) collaborative stakeholder members during development of the SIG.
All individuals with disabilities will meet high standards for academic and nonacademic skills.
a) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities participating in the STAR
b) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities who are performing equal to or better than the national average (50th percentile) on the STAR
c) To increase the statewide average 4th, 7th, and 10th grade reading scores of students with disabilities
d) To increase the percentage of students in special education who return to general education
e) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities earning a high school diploma
f) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities who complete school with other than a diploma
g) To decrease the percentage of students with disabilities dropping out of school
All individuals with disabilities will be served or taught by fully qualifi ed personnel.
h) To increase the percentage of special education staff who are fully certifi ed
i) To decrease the percentage of special education teachers operating under emergency permits or credential waivers Implementing Research-Based Strategies
j) To attain a high percentage of special and general education teachers (and other related personnel) accessing trainings, resources, and/or technical assistance reporting that these activities have helped them implement research-based strategies in the classroom, particularly those strategies related to increasing reading/language arts skills, academic achievement, and post-school results; improving transitions; ensuring positive behavioral supports; and increasing involvement/collaboration of parents in their child's education
All individuals' unique instructional needs will be accurately identified.
All individuals with disabilities will be successfully integrated with nondisabled peers throughout their educational experience.
All individuals with disabilities will successfully participate in preparation for the workplace and independent living.
k) To improve the equity of placement across ethnicity and socioeconomic status by disability
l) To increase the amount of time that California's students with disabilities spend in the general education environment
m) To decrease the percentage of students with disabilities expelled or suspended
n) To increase monitoring of the positive results achieved by individuals with disabilities on the school preparedness, school, and post-school outcomes developed and articulated in statewide standard
o) To increase the number of individuals and/or parents that are rating their satisfaction with the assistance and support provided for themselves or their individuals with disabilities in making transitions
p) To increase the timely issuance of fi ndings reports within 60 days in response to written complaints
q) To develop, and make broadly accessible, an integrated database system linking the various databases that contain information pertaining to the special education system and its participants
To improve the extent to which the needs of individuals with disabilities are considered and addressed in carrying out educational reform initiatives to build a unifi ed system, as demonstrated by the following indicators:
r) To improve the balance of active participation representing the diversity of the California population from:
on state, regional, and local committees involved in the planning, implementation, or evaluation of general and special education system change and educational reform efforts, including joint training
s) To attain a high percentage of general and special education teachers, other professionals, and families who have participated in training, technical assistance, and using other resources provided by the initiative, reporting that these activities have assisted or will assist them in addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities
t) To increase the extent to which state funding of special education is placement neutral and refl ects cost-effective strategies, as described in state statutes
This progress report presents available data related to the SIG outcome objectives, along with commentary upon the progress made over the course of the grant. For most of the objectives, data are now available for fi ve to seven years. A July-June fi scal year is used to refl ect how data are gathered and reported at the state level. Data in this progress report are presented for the following years:
Data sources for this report include the following:
A summary of fi ndings on the progress made toward achieving the SIG outcome objectives is provided on page 6.
Following the summary, each set of objectives (for students, teachers, and the system) is presented, along with graphs of related data and narrative commentary on the progress made.
| 97-98 | 98-99 | 99-00 | 00-01 | 01-02 | 02-03 | 03-04 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STAR participation (% special education [SE] students) |
69 | 64 | 62 | 52 | 65 | 95 | 97 |
| STAR performance (% of SE students at the 50th percentile or greater) |
14 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 22 | - | - |
| STAR 4th grade reading (average scaled score of SE students) |
599 | 605 | 612 | 615 | 614 | - | - |
| STAR 7th grade reading (average scaled score of SE students) |
635 | 636 | 642 | 645 | 641 | - | - |
| STAR 10th grade reading (average scaled score of SE students) |
656 | 659 | 662 | 660 | 656 | - | - |
| CST 4th grade English Language Arts (% of SE students proficient or above) |
- | - | - | - | - | 14 | 16 |
| CST 7th grade English Language Arts (% of SE students proficient or above) |
- | - | - | - | - | 6 | 7 |
| CST 10th grade English Language Arts (% of SE students proficient or above) |
- | - | - | - | - | 5 | 5 |
| Returned to general education (% of SE students) |
9 | - | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 |
| Graduated with high school diploma (% of SE students) |
32 | - | 38 | 52 | 59 | 59 | 60 |
| Graduated with other than a diploma (% of SE students) |
- | - | 13 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 5 |
| Dropped out of school (% of SE students) |
7 | - | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Fully certified staff (% Category 1-5 Teachers--Special Ed Personnel Rpt) |
84 | 80 | 78 | 76 | 75 | 76 | - |
| Teachers on emergency permits or credential waivers (% of SE teachers) |
17 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 22 | - | - |
| Research-based strategies were implemented (by % of training participants) |
- | - | - | 86 | 84 | 88 | 85 |
| Equity of placement by ethnicity (% point disparity between high and low) |
- | - | 10.7 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.3 | 10.5 |
| Time in general education environment (% of SE students in GE 80% or more) |
- | 50 | 53 | 56 | 53 | 54 | 53 |
| WorkAbility participant transition assistance satisfaction (% satisfied) |
- | - | - | 92 | 92 | 91 | 91 |
| Parent satisfaction with transition assistance (average level, scale of 1-5) |
- | - | - | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.2 |
| Timely issuance of response to written complaints (% within 60 days) |
24 | 47 | 80 | 87 | 92 | 93 | 93 |
| Learning will/did assist in addressing needs of individuals with disabilities (% of activity participants reporting that) |
- | - | 80-90 | 86-89 | 86-98 | 87-100 | 83-92 |
| Year | Percent Participating in STAR |
|---|---|
| 97-98 | 69% |
| 98-99 | 64% |
| 99-00 | 62% |
| 00-01 | 52% |
| 01-02 | 65% |
| 02-03 | 95% (382,269 students) |
| 03-04 | 97% (404,980 students) |
a) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities participating in the STAR assessments
This objective has been met. In the baseline year, approximately 69 percent of students in special education were participating in STAR testing. In 2003-2004, 97 percent of students in special education participated in STAR testing by taking the CST in English language arts and mathematics. This fi gure meets the 95 percent requirement for participation by all subgroups, including students with disabilities, to meet annual yearly progress under NCLB.
Of all test takers in the state, in 2003-2004, 0.7 percent took the California Alternative Performance Assessment (CAPA), which comes to approximately 7 percent of all special education students. These students are included in the participation rates presented above.
In 2002-2003, the California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program changed its testing tools and the relative weighting of various tests. Specifi cally, the Stanford-9 (which has been used in the two charts below to track progress on SIG objectives during the early phase of the SIG) was changed to the CAT/6, which is not comparable. Thus, since 2001-2002, scores have not been added to the charts.
b) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities who are performing equal to or better than the national average (50th percentile) on the STAR assessment
There was a steady increase in the percentage of California's special education students scoring at or above the 50th percentile on the Stanford-9, rising from 14 to 23 percent from 1997-1998 through 2000-2001. In 2001-2002, there was a slight decline to 22 percent.
| Year | Percent at or above 50th percentile |
|---|---|
| 97-98 | 14% |
| 98-99 | 17% |
| 99-00 | 22% |
| 00-01 | 23% |
| 01-02 | 22% |
c) To increase the statewide average 4th, 7th, and 10th grade reading scores of students with disabilities
The 4th and 7th grade scores showed some gains and then leveled off over the course of 1997-1998 through 2001-2002. The 10th grade scores showed small initial gains but then slid back to the baseline levels by 2001-2002.
| 97-98 | 98-99 | 99-00 | 00-01 | 01-02 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Grade | 599 | 605 | 612 | 615 | 614 |
| 7th Grade | 635 | 636 | 642 | 645 | 641 |
| 10th Grade | 656 | 659 | 662 | 660 | 656 |
Currently, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) profi ciency levels are being measured through the California Standards Test (CST) in English language arts and mathematics, bringing greater focus to student achievement on these tests. CST special education student profi ciency for 2003-2004 met the AYP criteria:
| English Language Arts | 14.7 percent proficient | (AYP criteria: met) |
| Mathematics | 17.2 percent proficient | (AYP criteria: met) |
The chart below illustrates the 2004 CST/English Language Arts profi ciency levels for all students and students with disabilities at the 4th, 7th and 10th grade levels, revealing that the majority of all students are less than profi cient and that the vast majority of students with disabilities are testing at below or far below basic profi ciency levels. Middle school and high school English language arts profi ciency, in particular, is an area of concern for students with disabilities.
| Proficient or Above | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic | Far Below Basic | Less than Proficient | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Grade All Students |
39% | 16% | 23% | 34% | 18% | 9% | 61% |
| 4th Grade Students with Disabilities |
16% | 6% | 10% | 23% | 27% | 35% | 85% |
| 7th Grade All Students |
36% | 11% | 25% | 33% | 18% | 12% | 63% |
| 7th Grade Students with Disabilities |
7% | 1% | 6% | 18% | 28% | 47% | 93% |
| 10th Grade All Students |
35% | 14% | 21% | 30% | 21% | 14% | 65% |
| 10th Grade Students with Disabilities |
5% | 1% | 4% | 15% | 33% | 46% | 94% |
There was little change in the proficiency levels between 2003 and 2004. The notable exception was that the percentage of students with disabilities in 7th grade testing far below basic decreased from 53 percent to 47 percent, with a corresponding increase in the percentage testing at below basic from 24 percent to 28 percent. On the following page is the 2003 CST/English Language Arts profi ciency chart.
| Proficient or Above | Advanced | Proficient | Basic | Below Basic | Far Below Basic | Less than Proficient | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Grade All Students |
39% | 15% | 24% | 35% | 18% | 8% | 61% |
| 4th Grade Students with Disabilities |
14% | 5% | 9% | 24% | 27% | 34% | 85% |
| 7th Grade All Students |
36% | 10% | 26% | 33% | 18% | 14% | 65% |
| 7th Grade Students with Disabilities |
6% | 1% | 5% | 17% | 24% | 53% | 94% |
| 10th Grade All Students |
33% | 11% | 22% | 30% | 22% | 14% | 66% |
| 10th Grade Students with Disabilities |
5% | 1% | 4% | 14% | 34% | 47% | 95% |
An examination of 2003 profi ciency levels for all students and students with disabilities on the CST/English Language Arts at the 4th, 7th, and 10th grade levels reveals that the majority of all students are less than profi cient and that the vast majority of students with disabilities are testing below or far below basic profi ciency levels. Middle school and high school English language arts profi ciency is clearly an area of concern.
| 97-98 | 8.5% |
| 98-99 | Data not available. |
| 99-00 | 6.4% |
| 00-01 | 6.0% |
| 01-02 | 6.3% |
| 02-03 | 5.6% (43,290 students) |
| 03-04 | 5.3% (40,475 students) |
d) To increase the percentage of students in special education who return to general education
There was a decrease in the percentage of California's special education students (grades K-12) returning to general education between 1997-1998 and 1999-2000, from 9 percent to 6 percent. After four years at 6 percent, there was a small decrease to 5 percent in 2003-2004.
In 2003-2004, over 40,000 special education students returned to general education.
| Year | High School Diploma | Certificate or GED |
|---|---|---|
| 99-00 | 38% | 13% |
| 00-01 | 52% | 11% |
| 01-02 | 59% | 6% |
| 02-03 | 59% (16,920 students) | 8% (2,176 students) |
| 03-04 | 60% (20,365 students) | 5% (1,585 students) |
e) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities earning a high school diploma
The percentage of California's special education students in the 12th grade or 18 years and older graduating with a high school diploma increased to 60 percent in 2003-2004, maintaining the substantial gains (over 20 percentage points) made since 1999-2000.
Over the course of the SIG, the percentage of special education students graduating with a high school diploma has increased, while the percentage graduating with a certifi cate has decreased.
f) To increase the percentage of students with disabilities who complete school with other than a diploma
In 2003-2004, 5 percent of California's special education students in the 12th grade or 18 years and older exited with certifi cates of completion. The percentage of California's special education students exiting with a high school profi ciency GED certifi cate remained steady (at 0.2 percent) in 2003-2004.
| 97-98 | 7.3% |
| 98-99 | Data not available |
| 99-00 | 4.5% |
| 00-01 | 4.1% |
| 01-02 | 4.0% |
| 02-03 | 3.6% (13,050 students) |
| 03-04 | 3.1% (11,643 students) |
g) To decrease the percentage of students with disabilities dropping out of school
Since 1997-1998, there has been a substantial and continuing decrease in the percentage of California's special education students (7th grade and higher or age 13 and older) who have dropped out of school, from 7 percent down to 3 percent.
| Year | Percent of Staff Fully Certified |
|---|---|
| 97-98 | 84% |
| 98-99 | 80% |
| 99-00 | 78% |
| 00-01 | 76% |
| 01-02 | 75% |
| 02-03 | 76% (26,291 teachers) |
| 03-04 | The information for 2003-2004 is not available because of changes in the data reporting structure. |
h) To increase the percentage of special education staff who are fully certified
From 1997-1998 through 2001-2002, there was a steady decrease from 84 to 75 in the percentage of teachers and instructors who were fully certifi ed. In an encouraging sign, the 2002-2003 percentage increased slightly to 76. These data are obtained from the Special Education Personnel Report.
Due to changes in the data reporting structure, this information is not available in the same form for 2003-2004.
| Year | Percent Teachers on Emergency Permits or Credential Waivers |
|---|---|
| 97-98 | 17% |
| 98-99 | 19% |
| 99-00 | 23% |
| 00-01 | 22% |
| 01-02 | 22% |
| 02-03 | The information for 2002-03 and 2003-04 for this objective is not available beacause of changes in the data reporting structure. |
i) To decrease the percentage of special education teachers operating under emergency permits or credential waivers
After increasing from 1997-1998 through 1999-2000 (from 17 percent to 19 percent to 23 percent), the percentage of teachers operating under emergency permits or credential waivers remained fairly consistent in 2000-2001 and 2001- 2002 (22 percent).
In 2002-2003, there was a change in how these data are gathered, making it diffi cult to specifi cally identify special education teachers on emergency permits and credential waivers. Therefore, data for 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 are not reported here.
Note: The permit and waiver fi gures, plus the fully credentialed fi gures (from the previous page), do not add up to 100 percent due to differences in both the time of year the information was gathered and the instruments used to obtain the data.
| 85% Implemented Learning at Least Once (responded 3, 4, or 5 on a 5-point scale) |
84% Shared Learning at Least Once (responded 3, 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) |
| 57% Implemented Learning Repeatedly (responded 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) |
61% Shared Learning Repeatedly (responded 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale) |
j) To attain a high percentage of special and general education teachers (and other related personnel) accessing trainings, resources, and/or technical assistance reporting that these activities have helped them implement research-based strategies in the classroom, particularly those strategies related to increasing reading/language arts skills, academic achievement, and post-school results; improving transitions; ensuring positive behavioral supports; and increasing involvement/collaboration of parents in their child's education
Between 1999 and January 2005, Training Follow-up Evaluations were conducted online several months following the trainings, asking whether participants had implemented and shared what they learned, with a response of 1 for "not at all" and 5 for "many times." The vast majority of participants had implemented and shared what they learned from the trainings, and the majority had done so repeatedly.
| Ethnicity | Number of Students | Proportion of Students in Special Education |
|---|---|---|
| African American | 78,431 | 15.5% |
| White | 221,534 | 10.9% |
| Hispanic | 285,762 | 9.9% |
| All Others | 16,872 | 6.7% |
| Asian | 25,538 | 5.1% |
| All Ethnicities | 628,137 | 10.0% |
k) To improve the equity of placement across ethnicity and socioeconomic status by disability
The proportion shows that among all African American students in California, 15.5 percent received special education services; whereas among all Asian students in California only 5.1 percent received special education services. In 2003-2004, there was a 10.5 percentage-point disparity between the ethnicities with the highest (African American) and lowest (Asian/Pacifi c Islander) proportions of students receiving special education services. This fi gure has remained fairly consistent over the course of the SIG.
| Year | Percentage-Point Disparity Between Highest and Lowest Proportion of Students Receiving Special Education Services |
|---|---|
| 99-00 | 10.7 |
| 00-01 | 10.2 |
| 01-02 | 10.3 |
| 02-03 | 10.3 |
| 03-04 | 10.5 |
The Special Education Division (SED) is convening committees to explore policies and programs to ameliorate ethnic disproportionality in California's special education programs. The results of a recently completed study exploring the intersection between socioeconomic status and special education enrollments are being used to inform and guide ongoing work by SED in this area. The division is also encouraging analyses of the CASEMIS data and collaboration with colleagues to foster a greater understanding of the issue and solutions. In addition, the State of California is working in partnership with the National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), a United States Department of Education Offi ce of Special Education Program-funded technical assistance organization.
| Year | Percent In General Education Environment 80% or More |
|---|---|
| 98-99 | 50% |
| 99-00 | 53% |
| 00-01 | 56% |
| 01-02 | 53% |
| 02-03 | 54% |
| 03-04 | 53% (317,885 students) |
l) To increase the amount of time that California's students with disabilities spend in the general education environment
There was a steady increase in the percentage of California's special education students spending 80 percent or more of their time in the general education environment between 1998-1999 and 2000-2001 (from 50 percent to 53 percent to 56 percent). Since then, there has been a slight decrease (to 53-54 percent), where it has remained for the past three years.
| Year | Number Suspended | Number Expelled |
|---|---|---|
| 00-01 | 5,689 | 833 |
| 01-02 | 4,878 | 882 |
| 02-03 | 4,707 | 957 |
| 03-04 | 4,208 | 953 |
m) To decrease the percentage of students with disabilities expelled or suspended
There has been a 26 percent decrease in the number of suspensions of students with disabilities over the past four years.
After three years of small but steady increases, the number of expulsions of students with disabilities leveled off in 2003-2004.
n) To increase monitoring of the positive results achieved by individuals with disabilities on the school preparedness, and school and post-school outcomes developed and articulated in statewide standards
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has signifi cantly impacted this objective by making special education students one of the mandated subgroups to be tracked at the school, district, and statewide levels for the key NCLB indicators.
Preschool/school preparedness outcomes will eventually be measurable using the Desired Results Developmental Profi le being piloted by the Early Childhood Content and Performance Standards Project.
Post-school outcomes are being measured through follow-up studies of WorkAbility participants. The WorkAbility I program provides comprehensive pre-employment training, employment placement, and follow-up for high school students in special education who are making the transition from school to work, independent living, and post-secondary education or training. Work is currently under way by the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Stakeholder Group to identify post-school outcomes based upon the WorkAbility follow-up data and other sources.
o) To increase the number of individuals and/or parents that are rating their satisfaction with the assistance and support provided for themselves or their individuals with disabilities in making transitions
The state-level Focused Monitoring and Coordinated Compliance Review processes have added parent focus groups and/or parent surveys as a monitoring tool. The focus group questions include inquiry into transition supports. Early Start Monitoring by the Department of Developmental Services and the CDE have also added questions concerning transitions to their parent survey instruments.
There was also a question regarding transition assistance included in a survey conducted by the WorkAbility program. See page 27 for the results.
Questions addressing the degree to which parents were satisfi ed with transition assistance have been added to surveys conducted by several organizations. See page 28 for details.
| Satisfaction | Percent | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Very Satisfied | 25% | 3,683 |
| Satisfied | 66% | 10,005 |
| Dissatisfied | 8% | 1,231 |
| Very Dissatisfied | 1% | 195 |
| Total Satisfied or Very Satisfied | 91% | 13,688 |
The WorkAbility program has integrated a transition assistance satisfaction question into its annual follow-up survey of program participants.
In 2003-2004, this survey showed that 91 percent of respondents were satisfi ed or very satisfi ed with the assistance they had received in making the transition from high school to adult life.
Over the three years this follow-up question has been asked, the percent of respondents reporting that they were satisfi ed or very satisfi ed has consistently ranged from 91-92 percent.
Average satisfaction level for all transitions = 3.2
A few Transition Assistance Satisfaction questions have been added to a parent survey that is conducted annually by Parent Training and Information Centers/ Family Resource Centers and as ongoing follow-up by California's two Diagnostic Centers. The main question was "How satisfi ed are/were you with the assistance provided to you and your child with a disability in making the most recent transition?"
Between 2000 and 2004, 940 parents were surveyed. Their average level of satisfaction was 3.2 (on a scale of 1-5), suggesting that parents were not particularly satisfi ed or dissatisfi ed.
On average, the level of satisfaction with the assistance provided for making the transition from middle school to high school received the lowest rating compared to all other transitions.
From among the different groups of parents surveyed, those who had attended workshops were generally slightly more satisfi ed.
| Year | Percent of Timely Responses | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 97-98 | 24% | 276 |
| 98-99 | 47% | 341 |
| 99-00 | 80% | 775 |
| 00-01 | 87% | 936 |
| 01-02 | 92% | 718 |
| 02-03 | 93% | 483 |
| 03-04 | 93% | 850 |
p) To increase the timely issuance of fi ndings reports within 60 days in response to written complaints *
* While this is not an activity area funded by SIG dollars, it is an area of concern to the SIG partners and was therefore designated as an outcome to be tracked and reported as part of the SIG evaluation of progress toward the objectives.
Data are obtained from the Complaints Management Division at the California Department of Education, Special Education Division. The number of complaints was expected to rise initially, given a major effort by the division to encourage and support calls for information and referrals, as well as its efforts to provide assistance in fi ling written complaints.
Major progress was made toward this objective between 1997-1998 and 2003-2004, with a 69 percentage-point increase in timely responses, even with a much higher number of complaints.
While the goal of 100 percent timely responses is still to be reached, for three years in a row, timely written responses (within 60 days) were made to over 90 percent of complaints.
q) To develop, and make broadly accessible, an integrated database system linking the various databases that contain information pertaining to the special education system and its participants
The direction this objective is taking has changed. The modifi ed direction allows the system to be coordinated with the California Department of Education's (CDE's) long-term enterprise software solutions. Therefore, the Special Education Division's Assessment, Evaluation, and Support (AES) Unit suggested that the objective be changed to read:
q revised) To develop and make broadly accessible various databases that contain information pertaining to the special education system and its participants
California's Internet-deployed information now provides district-level reports including special education enrollment; Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) expanded to include four years of data along with the district performance rating for each KPI; and special education student scores included in the STAR.
In an effort to support family partnerships, CalSTAT has created an online database that contains contact information for families, consumers, and students who wish to participate in a variety of activities to improve special education. The database allows users to conduct searches based on pre-determined search criteria, as well as user identifi ed keywords. The database was developed for the purpose of connecting schools and families. To access this database, go to http://www.calstat.org/learningCenter/databases.html.
In addition, a Training Evaluation Database (TED) has been developed by the SIG evaluators and is currently being piloted by a couple SELPAs and COEs in tracking trainings and training participants. TED has the capability for generating automated training evaluation reports and summaries of trainings and participants by topic area. The purpose of TED is to make data more immediately accessible and useable by those planning and presenting trainings and technical assistance so as to target resources more effectively and have information available to support data-informed decision-making. To learn more about TED, visit http://www.calstat.org/ted.html.
r) To improve the balance of active participation representing the diversity of the California population from the following:
on state, regional, and local committees involved in the planning, implementation, or evaluation of general and special education system change and educational reform efforts, including joint training
The overwhelming number of such committees at every level and the changing nature of those committees made this objective, as stated, challenging to track. The SIG Evaluation Task Force recommended that, in lieu of expending valuable resources in an attempt to track this objectives as stated, the focus be shifted to tracking the diversity of participants involved in SIG training, technical assistance, and leadership institutes.
See page 33 for a chart showing the composition of participants in SIG activities for 2000-2004.
| Role | Participants | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher: SE | 15,553 | 34% |
| Teacher: GE | 7,663 | 16% |
| Administrator: SE | 1,737 | 4% |
| Administrator: GE | 2,167 | 5% |
| Program Specialist | 2,508 | 5% |
| Family/ Parent | 2,318 | 5% |
| Psychologist/ Counselor | 3,989 | 9% |
| Paraprofessional | 1,598 | 3% |
| Speech & Language Pathologist | 1,615 | 3% |
| Other | 7,515 | 16% |
Between 2000 and 2004, approximately 78,374 participants attended trainings, technical assistance, and leadership institutes. The chart above shows the percentages for each of the roles that were represented. These percentages have remained consistent (within a few percentage points) over the fi ve years of grant activity.
Special education personnel represented the largest groups of participants, including SE teachers (34 percent), SE administrators (4 percent), and program specialists (5 percent), along with much smaller percentages of psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and paraprofessionals.
General education personnel had a smaller representation: general education teachers (16 percent) and general education administrators (5 percent).
Parents of individuals with disabilities represented 5 percent of participants.
"Other" was checked by 16 percent of participants, the majority of whom did not provide further detail concerning their role.
| Activity | End-of-Event Evaluation Percent Indiciating that Activities Will Assist Them |
Follow-up Evaluation Percent Indicating that Activities Did Assist Them |
|---|---|---|
| RCC-Sponsored Trainings | 97% | 88% |
| Technical Assistance | 98% | 86% |
| BEST | 97% | 91% |
| Leadership Institutes | 95% | 88% |
s) To attain a high percentage of general and special education teachers, other professionals, and families who have participated in training, technical assistance, and using other resources provided by the initiative, reporting that these activities have assisted or will assist them in addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities
End of event evaluations were completed by approximately 56,153 of the participants in SIG/CalSTAT trainings, technical assistance consultations, and institute meetings. Follow-up evaluations were completed a few months later by approximately 7,745 of those participants.
This objective was met over the course of the SIG, with 86-98 percent of the participants in various SIG activities reporting that the training/information they received will or did assist them in addressing the needs of individuals with disabilities.
t) To increase the extent to which state funding of special education is placement neutral and refl ects cost-effective strategies, as described in state statutes
This objective has been achieved through the passage of Assembly Bill 602, which was fi rst implemented in 1996-1997, shifting the funding base from per pupil to average daily attendance. The bill made several other changes to the system that allow for greater fl exibility in fi nding cost-effective approaches to providing educational services. The AB 602 Section 69 Work Group report will serve to further address this objective. Assembly Bill 97 came out as the result of the AB 602 Incidence Adjustment workgroup and has identifi ed further adjustments needed in the special education funding model specifi c to the multiplier.