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Special Education Supports Information System Update

Greg Austin, WestEdDirector, Health and Human Development Program & Cal-SCHLS Systemgaustin@wested.org / 562.799.5155

Presented to the CA Strategic Plan Leadership Team Meeting, June 8, 2011, California Dept of Ed

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SE Staff Responsibility Questions

• Q1. What is your role at this school (Mark all apply): Teacher; Special Education Teacher

• Q2. Do you provide services to the following types of students: Special Education

• SESM: School personnel with responsibilities for teaching or providing services to students with IEPs, including general ed teachers who serve students with IEPs, paraprofessionals…other support providers (e.g., speech therapists).

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District Report Example

• All SE Providers vs. Others

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State Report

• Two-year aggregation of data from all districts

• Disaggregated by SE vs. Non-SE responsibilities

• Issue: Given 8 column report layout, what is the best approach to disaggregation?

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2008-10 Respondents

Core Module• Total Respondents:

95,000• SE Teachers

6,500 (07%)• Gen Ed Teacher w/ SE Services 40,000

(42%)• Other SE Services

17,000 (18%)

SESM Module• Total Respondents:

56,000• SE Teachers

5,700 (10%)• Gen Ed Teacher w/ SE Services 26,000

(46%)• Other SE Services

9,500 (17%)

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Main State Findings

• Results often vary for SE vs. GE Teachers compared with all SE Providers vs. Non-Providers

- Level of results overall lower for teachers only• Supportive workplace: T 36% vs 37%;

All: 39% vs 40%- Group differences often greater

• Safe for staff: T 39% vs 43%; All 45% vs 46% • Welcomes parents: T 41% vs 39%; All 41% vs

42%• Students well-behaved: T 65% vs 70%;

All 73% vs 70%• PD behavior/classroom management:

T 45% vs 38%; All 39% vs 38%

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Main Teacher Findings: Group Differences

• Elementary teachers more positive than Secondary

• Elementary SET more positive than GET

- Learning & working environment

- Staff collegiality and sense of mission

- Student learning readiness & motivation

- Adverse impact student behavior

- Learning supports

• Secondary SET often less positive than GET on same indicators as above

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Main Teacher Findings: Group differences

• Across schools SET higher than GET for:

- Welcoming parent involvement

- Materials reflecting student culture

- Need PD for (1) behavior/classroom management, (2) youth development

• Across schools SET lower for:

- Adults treating students (1) fairly, (2) with respect

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Findings for SE Teachers

• Half or more need PD in serving IEP students and meeting SEL/developmental needs

• Only about one-third strongly agree school positive working place, safe, collegial, have high expectations for students, treat students fairly/respectfully

• Less than one-quarter strongly agree provides resources to work w/ IEP students

• But 60% report provides a lot of services for students w/ disabilities or special needs and resources to do job effectively.

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Findings for SE Teachers

• Elem/Middle much higher than High School for doing a lot of service for students with disabilities/special needs (65% vs 46%)

• Elem much higher than Middle or High School for having resources to (1) do job effectively and (2) work with IEP students (31% vs. 16%; 29% vs. 21%)

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SESM Findings: SE Teachers

• Results become less positive across school types

• Six highest (30%-36%) strong agreement overall:

- Reduces instructional interruptions

- Effectively schedules mandated activities

- Integrates SE into daily operations

- High expectations for IEP students

- Provides positive working environment

- Climate encourages continued service

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SESM Findings: SE Teachers

• Six lowest (12%-19%) strong agreement overall

- Works to minimize paperwork

- Sufficient time to collaborate

- Alternative modes of communication

- Sufficient resources for SE programs/services

- Relevant paraprofessional training

- Adequate benefits/compensation

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SESM SE vs. Other Teachers (Strongly Agree)

• Integrates special ed into daily operations (35%/35%)

• Encourages genera/special ed teaming (27%/25%)

• Participation in decision-making (22%/17%)

• Has good communication to support IEP students (26%/17%) — biggest difference

• Service to IEP students shared responsibility (20%/21%)

• Adequate benefits/compensation (19%/15%)

• Sufficient resources for SE services (17%/15%)

• Provides relevant paraprofessional training (12%/11%)

• Minimizes paperwork (12%/14%)

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State Report Issues: Core

• Eight column limitation

• Total district results relevant?

• More specific breakdowns than all SE vs. Others:

- SE vs. GE teachers for MS and HS (4 columns)

- All SE staff at grade levels for comparison to district reports (3 columns).

- Separate reports• SE vs. GE teachers and SE Providers vs.

Others for MS and HS• All SE staff vs. all others by grade level

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State Report Issues: Summary Tables

• Recommendation: Combine agree with strongly agree

- Would wash out group differences

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State Report: SESM Issues

• Report separately SE Teachers vs. Other Providers?

• How handle non-SE respondents?

- 27% non-SE. Half of all non-SE respondents.

• Delete?

• Only four items not SE-specific: Paper work (recommended to delete), paraprofessional training, offers adequate benefits, decision-making (also in Core)

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SESM Item Factor Analysis

• Goal: Summarize and simplify results

• No factor into originally four categories:- Barriers to service delivery- SE Integration- Students expectations and supports- Personnel supports

• Two main factors not easily distinguished with several items not factoring well

- Sequential factors: Items 7-17 and 18-24

• Option: Explore single SE Supports Index

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CASPLT Instrument Revision Recommendations

What can we do to shorten, clarify, and simplify the survey — and provide more useful results — without affecting trends?

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Integrate all SESM into Core

• Issues: - Increases survey length for many- Would non-SE providers know answers?

• Decision-making already in Core (S24)

• Only add to Core other items more relevant to all staff at local level — disaggregate at state level?

- Paraprofessional training (S13), - Supports for teaching diverse students (S15),- State-adopted instruction (S18), - Adequate access to technology (S19),- Adequate benefits to continue work (S21)

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Combine SESM & Core Demographics

• Delete highest level credential and primary service setting (S3 & 4)

• Keep degree and credential questions (S1 & 2)

- Relevance in data use and analysis?

- Info available from other sources?

• Roles: Add Other Service Provider (Speech therapist etc.)

- Separate option or add to health aide category?

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Other Specific SESM Deletions

• Paperwork (S7)

• SE shared responsibility (S12)

- Rationale?

• SE high expectations (redundant from Core) (S14)

• State adopted instructions materials: delete reference to SE and move to Core. (S18)

- Relevant for all?

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Create District Response Section

• SESM questions related to (1) paraprofessional training, (2) alternative modes of communication, (3) adequate benefits. (S13, 16, 21)

• Encourages enrollment in rigorous courses (q 20)

• Instructional materials reflect culture (q 21)

• Issue: Original policy to not differentiate school from district

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Revisions to Core CSCS Questions

• Being reviewed by staff

• For clarification:

- Why delete close professional relations? Drawn from Futernick study

• Vary wary of changes that might affect trend monitoring

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Delete Learning Supports Module

• Revisions being explored with end-users

• Why directions deemed confusing?

• Other options for health-related information?

• Scale inconsistency is problematic