Student Support Teams Training: March 7, 2006

Stephanie Wood-GarnettExecutive Director

State Improvement GrantDistrict of Columbia Public Schools

OBJECTIVES

• Review key components of the Master Education Plan (MEP)

• Examine DCPS data• Introduce the new Student Support

Team (SST) process• Discuss ways in which the SST can

support the instructional and behavioral needs of adolescents

The District’s Student Data…

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Charlotte Chicago h Atlanta District ofColumbia

NAEP 2005 Grade 4 Reading,African American-White Gaps

African American White

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer, http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde

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NAEP 2005 Grade 4 Reading,Latino-White Gaps

Latino White

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer, http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde

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NAEP 2005 Grade 4 Reading,Poor-Non Poor Gaps

Poor Non-Poor

Source: National Center for Education Statistics, NAEP Data Explorer, http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nde

Master Education Plan (MEP)

• Realities:• 15, 190 (¼ of students) are older than

their classmates by at least 1 grade (22)

• 3,619 are older than classmates by at least 2 grades (23)

• 71% of retained students eventually drop out of school (ASCD, 2003)

Master Education Plan (MEP)

• 1/3 of DCPS high school students drop out before graduating (22)

• 13 elementary schools failed to make AYP because of attendance failure (21)

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

• Rate of reading failure for African Americans, Hispanics, limited English speakers, and poor children ranges is 60% (70% in urban areas)

• Of the children who will eventually drop out of school > 75% report reading difficulties

• Approximately 50% of children and adolescents with a history of substance abuse have reading problems

INITIAL REFERRALS TO SPECIAL EDUCATION

• Prior to 2004, approximately 200-400 students were referred for special education each month

• Of those referred, 1/3 were found ineligible

DCPS Office of Special Education Programs

Percent of all Referrals by School Level and Year

School Division 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005

Elementary Schools 0.826 0.832 0.816

Middle/Junior High Schools 0.119 0.127 0.149

Senior High Schools 0.055 0.041 0.035

Total 1.0 1.0 1.0

DCPS SIG 2005

INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION

IMPROVEMENT ACT (2004)

Reflects heightened intensity that we must do more before referring children to special

education.

IDEA 2004

In making a determination of eligibility under Section 614(b)(4)(A) of IDEA:

• a child shall not be determined to be a child with a disability if the determinant factor for such determination is lack of appropriate instruction in reading, including in the essential components of reading instruction (as defined in Section 1208(3) of ESEA); lack of instruction in math; or limited English proficiency. [614(b)(5) of IDEA].

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (2000)

• African American students: • 14.8% of the student population• 20.2% of the students in programs for

students with disabilities• 2.9 times as likely to be labeled mentally

retarded (MR)• 1.9 times as likely to labeled seriously

emotionally disturbed (SED)• 1.3 times as likely to be labeled as having

a learning disability (LD)

Is there something in the way HE moves?!

Boys Over-represented…

• 1.9 million girls and 3.8 million boys are classified as special education (U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 2000)

• Boys dominate the emotionally disturbed category:• 90% in Kansas City• 55% in Milwaukee• 76% in Washington, DC

PURPOSE OF THE SIG

UNNECESSARY SPECIAL

EDUCATION

Student Support Teams (SST)

• SSTs are designed to meet the unique learning and behavioral needs of students in the general education environment

All students regardless of socioeconomic status– need

sustained support to succeed

James Comer, School Development Program, Yale University

Principles of SST• SST is not to “operate as a special

education eligibility or placement committee” (NABSE and ILIAD Project, 2002, p. 19)

• SST is NOT meant to deny services to students who may actually have a disability

• SSTs should NOT assume the difficulty lies solely within the child…

What other entities are focused on intervention

within DCPS?

Master Education Plan

Master Education Plan (MEP)

• DCPS will offer “increased supports and assistance that meet students’ individual needs” (p. 10).

• “All interventions will be regularly monitored and evaluate; as necessary, we will make revisions” (p. 11)

• Students: SSTs will “recommend specific steps teachers can take to help you catch up”

Master Education Plan (MEP)

• Goal: reduce the number of students for whom special education is the only option by ensuring group and individual interventions that quickly enable students to meet grade-level literacy and math standards (p. 57 – 58)

“No significant learning occurs without a significant

relationship”

James ComerSchool Development Program

Yale University

Impact of Effective SSTs

• Reduce unnecessary referrals to special education

• Support improved academic achievement

• Support improved student behavior

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DCPS: Intervening Earlier to Reduce the Over-reliance on Special Education

Services

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Special Education Referrals by Month

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DCPS: Intervening Earlier to Reduce the Over-reliance on Special

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Referrals SY02-03 to SY05-06

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DCPS: Intervening Earlier to Reduce the Over-reliance on Special Education Services

Schools Increasing Supports to Assist Students – 0 Referrals

• Adams ES• Amidon ES• Brent ES• Brightwood ES• Brookland ES• Burrville ES• Draper ES• Garfield ES• Ketcham ES• LaSalle ES

• Meyer ES• Noyes ES Oyster ES• Parkview ES• Peabody ES• Seaton ES• Shaed ES• Thomson ES• Tyler ES• Wheatley ES• Young ES

Contact Information

• State Improvement Grant• www.dcsig.org• 202-442-5539• Stephanie Wood-Garnett