BOARD OF EDUCATION Attachment: Information 14 PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT Date: 04.26.11 TO: Kevin Skelly, Superintendent FROM: Ginni Davis, Associate Superintendent – Educational Services SUBJECT: Disproportionality Plan STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE Academic Excellence and Learning – 2010-11 Focus Goals 4. Develop and implement increasingly effective strategies that focus on academic needs as articulated below

a. Implement disproportionality plan as described in June 2010 Board agenda item c. Gather data and assess best identification and intervention practices of school site teams to

ensure students are individually reviewed for most effective instruction (e.g. Student Study Teams)

BACKGROUND In November 2009, the California Department of Education (CDE) identified Palo Alto Unified School District as having significant disproportionality pursuant to the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for 2007-08. (PAUSD is one of seventeen school districts in California with this finding.) Briefly, the California Department of Education has found that, based on 2007-08 data and reconfirmed by 2008-09 data, there is a disproportion of Hispanic and African-American students identified for Special Education. In looking at the data, this falls into two sub-sets of students who are identified for Special Education services: students who are in the regular classroom for 40%-79% of the school day and students who are identified based on a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). (Attachment A) The District was required to submit a plan to reduce the disproportion. The plan is called Significant Disproportionality Coordinated Early Intervening Services (SD-CEIS). This plan was discussed at the June 22, 2010, Board meeting. We are currently in the process of implementing that plan. The purpose of the plan is two-fold: (1) to enhance preventions, interventions, and progress monitoring prior to referral for Special Education; and (2) to refine the referral process. The first purpose is largely related to general education and the second purpose relates to both regular and special education. A Special Education update to the Board is planned for May 2011. ANALYSIS The SD-CEIS plan is comprised of four components. These areas of focus were determined in response to CDE’s finding of severely disproportionate. A District hybrid of components was created to uniquely fit the practices of our District. The components are listed as follows:

Incorporation of the 3-Tiered Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI2) model Enhancement of programmatic strategies for English Language Development for EL students Leadership Development in setting the tone and laying the foundation for culturally responsive

education Increased time for collaboration between (and among) regular and Special Education staff

District staff and schools at all levels have devoted a great deal of effort to supporting struggling students. The work ahead must be focused on increased coherence and consistency in those efforts in order to address the above areas and to pull the District out of the severely disproportionate designation. Specifically, the professional learning begun this year needs to continue in a focused, deliberate, and systematic way. As discussed in the prior Board meetings, outside instructional and counseling consultants are establishing foundational awareness and support for the process of “really good teaching” (RtI2). Each site, with the principal and leadership team, is developing its long term goals matched to professional learning days, contractual meeting times, and staff meetings. For this collaborative work to become embedded, coaching, observations, modeling, review of student work, and use of individual student assessments have to become instructional practice. This collaborative practice is lengthy and long term, with improving student outcomes always as the focus. PROGRESS 2010-11 The 2010-11 school year has been focused on building institutional and school level capacity. In Year 1 of the plan, emphasis has been placed on developing awareness, understanding, and knowledge of RtI2 and on deepening skills and broadening opportunities for collaborative work. These efforts should yield results with students as schools move into application during Year 2 and Year 3 of plan implementation. Both school site and District level staff have been engaged in all four of the plan’s components during the current school year. Every school has developed a team of regular and special educators, including teachers and administrators. These teams have participated in joint training and planning sessions, as well as in follow-up work at the school sites. Each school is developing plans for next steps at their sites. The WestEd organization serves in a consultative and facilitative role throughout these experiences. In addition, special education staff, EL teachers, secondary counselors, instructional supervisors, and elementary lead teachers have been provided job-alike opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills in the areas of RtI2 and collaboration. Professional learning for counselors and school site teams began this year was described at prior Board meetings. Resource specialists, school psychologists, speech-language specialists, EL teachers, and secondary counselors have participated in a newly created E=E training specifically designed for them (i.e. culturally responsive education). Significant to this work has been the redefinition of the roles of EL teachers and elementary lead teachers to focus on supporting the use of best first teaching practices, prevention methodology, and intervention strategies in the classroom through coaching and collaboration with classroom teachers at their sites.

Initiatives in curriculum and instruction have been designed to bring increased coherence and consistency in the instructional program. Intensive and ongoing professional have been provided to strengthen teaching practices in development of elementary curricular content and key instructional strategies of reading and math. These practices are the core of what is called Tier I, i.e. the teaching and learning that occurs in the regular classroom. In order to provide more coherence and consistency to both the pre-referral and the referral processes, materials are currently being developed for use at our schools in the coming school year. The SD-CEIS Plan Update Form is used to report progress to CDE. (Attachment B) BUDGET and AUDITING by CDE Under 34 CFR §300.646(b)(2), if a State identifies significant disproportionality based on race or ethnicity in an LEA with respect to the identification of children as children with disabilities, the identification of children in specific disability categories, the placement of children with disabilities in particular educational settings, or the taking of disciplinary actions, the LEA must use the maximum amount (15 percent) of funds allowable for comprehensive CEIS for children in the LEA, particularly, but not exclusively, for children in those groups that were "significantly overidentified." The District is audited in these expenditures and quarterly updates are submitted on our progress to the California State Department of Education (CDE). Santa Clara SELPA Director Michele Syth attends our monthly disproportionate meetings to provide direction and to report to CDE. Mrs. Syth wrote the following feedback after observing where we are right now:

You want to make sure that at Tier I it is all student centered. Tier I should be the largest section of the RtI2 triangle. It should be all about the students. What is going to look different in the general education classroom for kids who are struggling? A rich classroom environment with access to a strong core curriculum in ELA and math should be expected for all students by all teachers. Access to interventions built in to the core curriculum (small group, one-on-one) are essential to providing support to those students who need it. These interventions should be consistent throughout the district so data can be kept to monitor student improvement or need for more support. Students should move back and forth as they access skills. Tier II is about targeted interventions still implemented in the general education setting. This is where your Read 180, for example, should be implemented over time and student progress monitored. Tier III is intensive interventions outside of the classroom, after school or in a pull-out setting. Your district needs to develop assessment tools used districtwide, a process for referral into interventions in the general education setting, progress monitoring tools, and a data tracking system.

NEXT STEPS Continue to build capacity of awareness, commitment, and growth mindset by adults in the

District. Capacity building has a direct correlation to students' improved academic performance as awareness changes practices, attitudes, and expectations for all students. For example, the demographics of kindergarten retentions illustrate a need to examine teacher expectations and ability to teach all students in their classrooms.

Apply knowledge with several priority goals (such as continued emphasis on guided reading small group instruction in every K-5 classroom), using summative and formative individual student data points and District documents for the monitoring of progress. Understanding throughout the school staffs of the prevention and intervention levels or tiers is essential for building first teaching practices and for clarifying that effective instruction is for all students, every day. (Attachment C)

The outcome expected is increased application of Tier I instruction, embedding the school’s

goals, into practice for greater consistency in instruction and processes. Monitored student data must show fewer referrals to Special Education, specifically for students of color.

RECOMMENDATION This item is for information only and no action is required. Attachments: PowerPoint African American and Hispanic Students – Special Education Identification and Placement SD-CEIS Plan Update – April 2011 RtI2 Levels – “Best First Teaching” Graphic

Attachment A

AFRICAN AMERICAN & HISPANIC STUDENTS SPECIAL EDUCATION IDENTIFICATION & PLACEMENT

OCTOBER 2010

SP ED TOTA

L

DISABILITY PROGRAM VTP

EL

GRADE IDENTIFIEDSLD

SLI OTHER

RSP SL

BOTH

SDC

P K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 ?

ELEMENTARY TOTALS AFRICAN AMERICAN

19 8 5 6 9 3 1 6 7 2 6 6 2 1 2

HISPANIC 84 34 35 15 26 22 11+1?

24 30 42 31 12 9 16 12 2 2

MIDDLE SCHOOL TOTALS

AFRICAN AMERICAN

33 22 4 7 20 1 1 11 11 2 5 3 6 7 7 2 1

HISPANIC 76 52 7 17 51 2 4 19 23 11 8 4 11 12 10 10 14 5 2

HIGH SCHOOL TOTALS AFRICAN AMERICAN

47 38 1 8 36 11 14 5 5 7 5 4 2 6 1 2 7 2 1

HISPANIC 103 75 3 25 68 1 3 31 36 10 9 12 9 13 15 5 9 6 4 13 5 1 2

DISTRICT TOTALS AFRICAN AMERICAN

99 68 10 21 65 4 2 28 32 9 16 16 13 12 11 6 1 4 7 2 1 1

HISPANIC 263 161

45 57 145 25 18+1?

74 89 63 48 28 29 41 37 17 23 11 6 13 5 1 4

Attachment A

KEY: SLD = Specific Learning Disability; SLI = Speech Language Impairment; RSP = Resource Specialist Program; SL = Speech/Language Services; SDC = Special Day Class NOTE: Data includes students enrolled at the 17 PAUSD K-12 schools only

Attachment B

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SD-CEIS PLAN UPDATE

2010-2011 Update April 2011

WHAT OTHER PLAN COMPONENTS

WHEN

OVERSIGHT/PLANNING/COMMUNICATION

Disproportionality Planning Group maintains ongoing planning & monitoring role (Associate Superintendent, Directors Elementary & Secondary Education, Director Special Education, Coordinator for Student Success, School Psychologist, district Literacy TOSA, Special Education Coordinator, Student Services Coordinator, Regular Education Teacher, Special Education Teacher, SELPA Liaison, Project Coordinator)

All Components Monthly

IAASC Committee assumes oversight leadership role, receives regular updates, advances equity efforts (Associate Superintendent, Directors Elementary & Secondary Education, Special Education Coordinator, Coordinator for Student Success, 1 high school principal, 2 middle school principals, 3 elementary school principals, adult school principal, 2 high school & 2 middle school assistant principals, middle school administrative TOSA, district Literacy TOSA, 1 high school and 1 middle school guidance counselor, 2 parents, 4 teachers including high school AVID teacher, district nurse)

All Components Monthly

Cabinet reviews updates (Superintendent, Business Officer, Human Resources Ass. Superintendent, Educational Services Assoc. Superintendent & Directors)

All Components Ongoing

Learning Team reviews updates, plans activities (Educational Services Assoc. Superintendent, Directors, Coordinators)

All Components Ongoing

Final plan introduced to K-12 Administrators at summer retreat

All Components August

Plan introduced to K-12 Psychologists

All Components October

Associate Superintendent & SELPA Director attend state conference on disproportionality

All Components December

INCORPORATION OF RtI2 COMPONENTS

Training provided in Elementary Literacy best first teaching practices through Guided Reading •Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) training for Academy teachers, Reading Specialists, instructional aides (September) •Consultant sessions at several schools, including training in literacy instruction (October) •Lesson Study groups at several schools •Reading Study Group •Staff Development Days & PDCs at school request •Guided Reading rubric development session with principals,

Collaboration Various times throughout the

year

Attachment B

2

literacy lead teachers, reading specialists, literacy training team (January) •Sessions at Jordan Middle School on reading & reading behaviors (February) •Observations & debrief of Guided Reading lessons by literacy lead teachers, reading specialists, literacy training team (February-March) •Session with Jordan Middle School English Department on reading comprehension & fluency, role of core literature, etc. (March) •Ongoing support to principals through sessions at staff meetings, facilitating classroom observations, etc. •Work Products developed: Guided Reading Walk-through Rubric of Instructional Practice; Guided Reading Lesson Plan Template; Guided Reading Lesson Components outline; Reading Benchmark Behaviors tool; Observation Protocol; Guided Reading Key Strategies tool (in progress)Training provided in Elementary Mathematics best first teaching practices, including observation and feedback training for principals followed by classroom observations; activities have included: •Summer Institute 2010 •Study Groups on assessment, differentiation, connecting arithmetic to algebra •Lesson Study groups at several schools •Staff Development Days & PDCs at school request •MARS performance assessment scoring (March) •Sessions on principals as instructional leaders (February/March) •5th-6th Grade Articulation sessions, including 5th grade teachers’ observations of 6th grade math lessons

Collaboration Various times throughout the

year

RtI2 focus work reviewed with K-12 administrators led by WestEd consultant

Collaboration October

School and grade-level data gathered regarding Special Education identification of Latino & African American students

October

K-12 school-by-school information gathered about current pre-referral intervention strategies & programs, universal screening methods and progress monitoring tools/methods used for interventions

October-November

Elementary school teams participate in training focused on RtI2 & collaboration, facilitated by WestEd consultant consisting of three full days throughout year

Collaboration November February

April

Individual school meetings offered with RtI2 WestEd consultant to discuss site needs, strengths, & plans; Walk-throughs in classrooms by request

Collaboration December

Student Study Team processes refined based on current school practices by codifying current SST processes and incorporating components of RtI2 in order to align & clarify practices across the district

Collaboration January-June

Secondary school teams participate in training focused on RtI2 & collaboration; facilitated by WestEd consultants and District administrators consisting of two-three full days throughout year

Collaboration January March

Secondary Instructional Supervisors and principals January

Attachment B

3

participate in seminar about “Really Good Teaching” best first teaching model to support changing role of IS, led by WestEd consultant Secondary literacy enhanced: materials identified & Read 180 purchased, reading teachers trained in how to use, courses aligned to use materials

January

Secondary school teams visit Union Middle School in Los Gatos to observe school that is three years into implementation

Collaboration February-March

School psychologists attend conference on identification for Special Education and RtI2

February

Secondary counselors participate in 2-day training focused on articulation of counselor’s role and link to RtI2 tiers led by consultant

Collaboration March

Next steps discussed & reviewed with elementary principals, led by WestEd consultant

Collaboration March (& as appropriate)

Professional learning and classroom application planned for all teachers in Elementary Literacy Intervention & Math Intervention Summer School programs to increase expertise of general ed teachers in best first teaching practices, including prevention & intervention strategies

June-July

Summer professional learning offered to support school site RtI2 priorities: •Elementary: Elements of Instruction, Reading, Math Differentiation, Science/Literacy/EL, E=E, plus new teacher professional development series •Secondary: collaborative projects related to specific areas, i.e. Strategic Plan/WASC/RtI2, social-emotional health, student connectedness, school site plan priorities, literacy, college and career readiness, or Special Education, plus new teacher professional development

ELDCulturally Responsive Collaboration

July-August

“Read 180” to be piloted as research-based intervention in Middle School Reading classes

Planned for 2011-12

ELD PROGRAMMATIC STRATEGIES

Role of Elementary EL Specialists redefined to reflect emphasis on consulting, coaching, & collaboration

RtI2

Collaboration Ongoing

Science/Literacy EL Institute offered to all teachers, with multiple follow-up sessions

RtI2 August

Academic Language training provided for Year 1 secondary teachers & open to all secondary teachers

October

Elementary ELD Specialists participate in 1-day training in coaching and ELD support facilitated by WestEd consultant; Follow-up site coaching/modeling of classroom observation and debriefing with principals & EL specialists at many schools

Collaboration February

SIOP 2-day training offered to all teachers

February

CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION

Year 2 Teachers participate in 2-day E=E equity training

August

Attachment B

4

New site & district administrators, Year 2 teachers, and Board of Education representatives participate in 2-day E=E equity training

October

Year I teachers participate in E=E introductory 1-day equity training

February

Psychologists, resource specialists, speech-language specialists, EL specialists/teachers, secondary counselors participate in 2-day E=E training linking equity, disproportionality, and RtI2 (for those without prior E=E training)

RtI2

Collaboration Elementary=MarchSecondary=April

COLLABORATION

Role of Elementary literacy and math lead teachers redefined to reflect emphasis on consulting, coaching, & collaboration

RtI2 Ongoing

Various staff groups meet for professional learning, alignment, communication, & collaboration: counselors, Instructional Supervisors, Reading Specialists, literacy training team, secondary steering committees*, assistant principals, secondary coordinators, secondary student activities, Education Services department *Assistant Principals assume facilitator role for steering committees following training in facilitation/meeting management

RtI2 Throughout the year

Elementary Special Ed staff meet monthly in teacher-led discussions to enhance curricular alignment

RtI2 Monthly

Elementary literacy and math lead teachers meet with District TOSAs to increase their ability to coach and model with site teachers

RtI2 Monthly

Elementary lead teachers (literacy, math, science) & EL specialists participate in full-day seminar to develop understanding of coaching role through modeling & providing feedback to colleagues; principals’ joint participation to plan site staff development and staff meetings for the year

RtI2

ELD August

K-12 Principals develop teams consisting of administrators, psychologists, counselors, regular education teachers, special education teachers

All Components October

Secondary Administrators participate in morning session to introduce and prepare for team work led by WestEd consultant

RtI2 November

K-12 Administrators engage in mid-year retreat to deepen understanding of team roles & collaboration

January

Special Education staff participate in 1-day training focused on developing understanding of collaborative model, led by WestEd consultant (School Psychologists, Resource Specialists, Speech-Language Specialists, SDC teachers, behavior specialists)

March

Attachment C

TIER III

Intensive intervention outside the classroom

Referral to SST process, preliminary consideration of Special Education

Tier II Tier III Student Progress Monitoring

TIER II Best First Teaching Practices,

including assessment to monitor student progress

Prevention Methodologies

Intervention Strategies within & outside classroom

Collaborative Processes to Support Student Learning Tier I Tier II Student Progress Monitoring

TIER I

Best First Teaching Practices, including assessment to monitor student

progress

Prevention Methodologies

Classroom-Centered Intervention Strategies

Collaborative Processes to Support Student Learning

Use of PAUSD common written communication forms

Use of PAUSD common written communication forms

5% of students require this level of support to learn

10-15% of students need this level of support to learn

80-85% of students learn with these classroom strategies

RtI2 Levels “Best First Teaching”

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Palo Alto Unified School District

Disproportionality Plan Update

April 26, 2011

1

Strategic Plan Initiative -2010-11 Focus Goals

Academic Excellence and Learning 4. Develop and implement increasingly effective

strategies that focus on academic needs as articulated below a. Implement disproportionality plan as described in

June 2010 Board agenda item

c. Gather data and assess best identification and intervention practices of school site teams to ensure students are individually reviewed for most effective instruction (e.g. Student Study Teams)

2

2

The SD-CEIS plan is comprised of four components: Incorporation of the 3-Tiered Response to

Intervention (RtI2) model

Enhancement of programmatic strategies for English Language Development for EL students

Leadership Development in setting the tone and laying the foundation for culturally responsive education

Increased time for collaboration between (and among) regular and Special Education staff

3

In order to serve all students…

Research suggests three areas to address:

Gaps in curriculum and instruction implementation

Limited beliefs of ability

Inconsistent pre-referral process

4

3

Math Intervention Summer School Referrals

5

Grade Level# of

Students Recommended

# of Students at Grade Level

# of EL

# of RSP

# of VTP

Kindergarten 14 979 4 0 2

1 54 903 17 2 14

2 82 959 16 2 14

3 63 910 19 8 13

4 96 926 26 8 14

5 96 897 17 26 18

99 46 75

24% 11% 19%The number of students at each grade level is based on Cruncher data.

EL, RSP, VTP data is based on the classroom teachers’ recommendation sheets.

Total 405

Literacy Intervention Summer School Referrals

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4

Students with IEPs by Race – in 2006-07 and 3 years later in 2009-10

At one District middle school:

All students in fifth grade in 2006-07: African-American: 1/4 with IEPs, or 25%

Asian: 10/54 with IEPs, or 19%

Hispanic: 14/28 with IEPs, or 50%

White: 14/156 with IEPs, or 9%

All students in eighth grade in 2009-10: African-American: 2/6 with IEPs, or 33%

Asian: 7/68 with IEPs, or 10%

Hispanic: 16/29 with IEPs, or 55%

White: 15/189 with IEPs, or 8%

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Students with IEPs by Race – in 2006-07 and 3 years later in 2009-10

These are two snapshots of the same cohort, so totals for the same ethnicity change slightly.

A high percentage of students of color are in Special Education by the end of fifth grade and the numbers rise by the end of eighth grade.

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5

Progress 2010-11

The 2010-11 school year has been focused on building institutional and school level capacity.

Both school site and District level staff have been engaged in all four of the plan’s components during the current school year.

9

Progress 2010-11

Each school is developing plans for next steps at their site.

Job-alike opportunities have been provided to develop knowledge and skills for Special Education staff, EL teachers, counselors, instructional supervisors, and elementary lead teachers.

10

6

Progress 2011-12

Redefinition of the roles of EL teachers and elementary lead teachers to focus on supporting the use of best first teaching practices

Increased coherence and consistency in the instructional program

Key instructional strategies of reading and math have been provided to strengthen teaching practices

11

RtI2 Levels – “Best First Teaching”

Tier III – Intensive Intervention

3-5% of students

Tier II – Best First Teaching Practices

10-15 % of students

Tier I – Best First Teaching Practices

80-90% of students

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7

CEIS Requirements – Significantly Disproportionate Districts

15% of federal Special Education funding must be used on Coordinated Early Intervening Services Total federal Special Education funding for 2010-11:

$2,116,847

Total projected federal special education funding for 2011-12: $2,116,847

2010-11 requirement is $317,527

2011-12 requirement is projected to be $317,527

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CEIS Expenditures2010-11

Budgeted expenditures for 2010-11 include: Facilitation and process support for administrators and

staff - $80,000

College Bound at Barron Park– $60,000

Coordinator of Academic Success (percentage of position) - $22,000

Coordination of CEIS - $10,000

Math and literacy leads stipends - $41,000

Primary language tutors - $90,000

Counseling RtI facilitator - $17,000

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8

CEIS Expenditures2011-12 Preliminary Budget

Projected expenditures for 2011-12 include: Facilitation and process support for administrators and

staff - $70,000

College Bound at Barron Park– $60,000

Coordination of CEIS - $10,000

Math and literacy leads stipends - $41,000

Counseling RTI facilitator - $8,000

Summer literacy and math intervention professional learning - $40,000

RtI Tier III Psychologist - 1 FTE - $120,000

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