Rochester City School District Specialized Services Report

• Addressing Equity and Access for All Students • Focusing on Culturally Relevant Practices• Knowing Each Child by Name and Face

History

Consent Decree 1980s: Focused on compliance, process, procedures, timeliness, accessibility

Council of the Great City Schools Report 2008-09: Three main focus areas; Achievement, Equity (in reference to distribution of resources based on needs) and Accountability.

P. Tydings report 2014 on CSE process: Recommended training for managing CSE meetings and IEP development

C. Suriano: Summary of Proposed Special Education Redesign, January

2014: Focus on CSE, Continuum of Services and Administrative Structure

C. Suriano: Special Education Strategic Action Plan, May 2014: Focus on Continuum of Services, CSE, and Career and Technical Education

J. Elliott, Ph.D. report 2016-17: Looking at systems and achievement gaps for students

History cont’d

Since the 80’s the Rochester City School District has been carefullymonitored by groups over concerns with our services and complianceissues for students with specialized needs. A great variety of studies andreports have been conducted. The district worked under a consent decreethat lasted 20 years. In addition, the State Education Department hasrequired a number of reviews and corrective action plans to be conductedover a variety of non-compliance issues. Most recently, the districtsuccessfully completed an action plan in working with the State involvingfive school buildings, on suspension practices. As a district we conduct ourown reviews as well.

History cont’d

The district's general student population has declined over the pastten years, but the number of students being provided specializedservices has grown. A disproportionate number of African Americanmales have been noted in this growth, as well as an increase in Latinomales being classified. The district adopted a new Code of Conductprior to the 2016-17 school year. At the heart of this community wideeffort is training in Restorative Practices and Relational Theory,which has changed practices in the district in approaching studentswith behavioral needs.

Goal of Presentation

• To inform our Board of Education and community of our intent and methods of meeting the needs of all children including Students With Disabilities

• To inform our Board of Education and community of the response and action that will be taken

Enough discussion and looking back about what happened or didn’t happen. This is the time of action!

Keeping this perspective: What will parents and students see that is

different in the Fall?

Know each child by name and face

• Hired a Chief of Special Education and Student Services

• IEP copy given to parent/guardian at conclusion of meeting

• Centralized team for all program reviews, new referrals, external placements

• TCOSE in classroom 80% of time providing instructional support to Special Education teachers

• CASES assigned to multiple buildings expected to monitor all Special Education programs and IEPs for compliance and implementation

• CASES will conduct audit of services in both district and external placements

• Assigned duties to CASES and Directors for 504, Manifestation procedures, student placement, transition plans

• Data flow committee reconstituted under Executive Director with regular meetings scheduled

• Establish Program review teams around common student needs: MH, Autism, ICT, speech both programs (STEPS/ LEICT) and related services, ED/behavioral, and alternative education

• Identify appropriate high school level programs to include CTE opportunities: part time, ½ day, four year, late afternoon, evening, job coaching

• Oversee all transition plans for ages 15 and up for career and technical education

• Develop clear resource materials for all program options in the district and out of district using digital sources

Actionable items year one

Every five weeks data review:

• Attendance

• Student achievement

• Enrollment

• Suspensions

• Staffing openings

• Student placement reviews

• Compliance issues

• Medicaid issues

• School /program visits: external and internal

• Website review for updates

Actionable items year one cont.’d

• Monthly training plans/calendars

• Work with SESIS and regional SED offices

• Friday memos to Superintendent’s office: summary of week’s activities

• Program review updates

• Rapid response team report

• Initial referral report

• Track number of required translated documents: Translation Direct

Actionable items year one cont.’d• Transition plan for all student transfers and changes of placement requiring

discussion, visiting and establishing timelines

• Implement program review teams around common student needs: MH, Autism, ICT, speech both programs (STEPS/ LEICT) and related services, ED/behavioral, alternative ed

• Work with the School Chiefs to identify high school level programs to include CTE opportunities: part time, ½ day, four year, late afternoon, evening, job coaching

• Develop clear resource materials for all programs in the district and out of district using digital sources to better inform our principals of student options

• Continue specialized training for IEP, FBA and BIP development

• Conduct mini-reviews of compliance issues regarding services, timelines and quality of IEPs

Years two -three

• Develop culturally relevant curriculum with Teaching and Learning teams

• Provide training/certification opportunities for all staff– Credentialing in urban education; restorative practices; relational practices

• Bring students “home” to district from outside placements– Build a system that equals or surpasses other opportunities

• Review facility needs for programs– Therapy pool, OT/PT space, sustain help zones and ISS rooms/training, develop sensory training rooms

• Recruit and retain highly qualified staff– Stability is key– Bilingual staff and racially diverse

• Embed best practices in restorative practices and relational theory with continuous training

• Develop professional learning communities

• Develop support/programs for students with mental health needs

Dr. Elliott’s report; Four areas critical to Special Education Services

Performance of Students Receiving Special Education Services

Establish early warning indicators to track student progress: attendance, disruption, academic failure, movement (examples)

Provide increased “dosages” of support and interventions: Twilight School, extended school day, Rapid Response Team support

Engage parents as partners in the instruction of all children: training, Parent Engagement Office, Parent Advisory Committee

For students with disabilities, ensure high quality IEP development and implementation: with fidelity and equity

Dr. Elliott report cont.’d

Organizational Structures to Support Special Education

Distribute and train staff on Special Education Handbook (newly revised) including all policies, procedures, standards and practices. It will be digitally available and on our website

A Chief of Special Education and Student Services was hired and oversees special education, alternative programs and all related/student services. The position works in cooperation with the Deputy Superintendent particularly in the areas of teaching and learning, bilingual education and pre-school education

Move some of the CASE positions to TCOSE positions to provide more classroom instructional support for teachers working with special education students

All initial referrals, program reviews, change of placements, external reviews will be conducted by a centrally deployed CSE Chairperson that will hold meetings in the location of the student’s program. All annual reviews and reevaluations will be conducted by a building-based, trained and approved team

Dr. Elliott report cont.’dInstructional Practices, Supports and Special Education Service DeliveryReview all ENL students both general and special education in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning office to assess needs, identify programs, consider locations and general patterns of success and concerns

Urgently recruit highly-qualified bilingual staff for all staffing levels in the district

Select nationally successful retention practices to hire staff

Identify a nationally successful, urban and racially appropriate Social and Emotional curriculum/practice for all students PreK – age 21

Provide career and technical education opportunities both within our middle school/high school settings as well as further develop full time placement options at Edison and OACES (supporting non-traditional adults) committing to providing employable opportunities and skill development for all students

Establish clear guidelines and monitor the development and implementation of all IEPs with regular training, auditing and discussion

Deploy all central office special education administrative positions to be highly visible within the schools through visits and meetings to support the work of the building teams and to create a resource that problem solves through barriers and challenges faced daily

Continue to strive for a wider continuum of services/options for all students to minimize student movement and to enrich the opportunities for student success with staff who have created a community of need and support

Case manage students (by name and by face) through Instructional Support Teams in each building through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS).

Dr. Elliott report cont.’d

Accountability, Compliance and a Continuum of Services

Ensure that timelines are met within the expectation of Education Law through regular, every five week review of data and share this review through the channels of the School Chiefs and building administration

Establish a data dashboard that allows access to up to date data utilizing systems available within the district. Identify data that must be monitored including timelines, due dates, student achievement, attendance, suspensions, graduation rates, assessments

How we are different this time ?Our Central Office is undergoing major changes in our work practices

From: Central Office Transformation for District-wide Teaching and Learning Improvement

The Wallace Foundation

Our findings reveal that leaders in these systems, first and foremost, understood

what decades of experience and research have shown: that districts generally do

not see districtwide improvements in teaching and learning without substantial

engagement by their central offices in helping all schools build their capacity for

improvement. Central offices and the people who work in them are not simply part

of the background noise in school improvement. Rather, school district central

office administrators exercise essential leadership, in partnership with school

leaders, to build capacity throughout public educational systems for teaching and

learning improvements

How are we different this time?The Five Dimensions of Central Office Transformation

Dimension 1: Learning-focused partnerships with school principals to deepen

principals’ instructional leadership practice

Dimension 2: Assistance to the central office–principal partnerships

Dimension 3: Reorganizing and re-culturing of each central office unit, to support

the central office–principal partnerships and teaching and learning improvement

Dimension 4: Stewardship of the overall central office transformation process.

Dimension 5: Use of evidence throughout the central office to support continual

improvement of work practices and relationships with schools

How are we different this time?

We are promoting the discussion of racially biased decision making and facing our internal principles and differences in how we have viewed the world. We are challenging our personal values and experiences to consider the lens in which our students and communities deal with life and learning. As educators, how can we approach education in a manner that is culturally sensitive and appropriate?

Importance of Program Reviews

Using Design Thinking principles:

• How do we address the mental health needs of our students?

• How do we engage our parents and students in learning?

• What are the best strategies for instruction/classroom design/engagement?

• What does a continuum of services mean and look like?

• How do we implement programs with fidelity?

• How can Principals/Directors lead the conversations/study of culturally relevant curriculum and high quality content?

Partnerships in the Conversation on Special Education

University of Rochester, Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities

St. John Fisher College, Wegman’s School of Nursing

Nazareth College: Dr. Jim Black for instructional strategies and research

Mary Cariola Center

Roberts Wesleyan College, Dr. Cheryl Repasse

Monroe BOCES One and Two

Hillside Children’s Center

Starbridge

Center for Youth

Urban League

SUNY Geneseo

Summary

Action has been taken

Training has begun

Dates of review are being calendared

Regular reports/monitoring every five weeks

Materials for reference are being completed (website handbook)

Strategic multi-year plan will be published prior to September 1