Quality Programs for Students with Significant Support Needs

Quality Programs for Students with Significant Support Needs Gina Quintana Senior Consultant Colorado Department of Education November 15, 2010 1

Questions • How are states determining the extent to which professional development under the SPDG has impacted students that they were intended to benefit? • What activities are states involved with in order to collect this data? 2

Programs for Students with SSN • • • 3 Lack of expertise Lack of direction from administrators Site visits indicated need Need for quality field placements Focus on Life Skills as opposed to Academics

Colorado Model Autism and Significant Support Needs Programs (COMASP) • Collaborative Initiative • Districts, IHEs and AUs • SSN Advisory and Autism Task Force • Improving educational services and outcomes • Provide model sites • Field placements for teacher candidates • Professional Development and Coaching • 1 Autism Site and 1 SSN Site per region 4

Process • Administrative Units (AU) self identify through an application process • Site visit is conduct • Sites are identified • Initial Meeting • Initial Evaluation (self and outside) • Action Plan Developed • PD needs identifies • Weekly Coaching Sessions Planned • 80% of the QI Fully Implemented 5

State Advisory • Formed an advisory committee • Discuss – Argue – Consensus building 6 • Definition of Student with Significant Support Needs • Developed Quality Indicators • Revised Quality Indicators multiple times • Rubric Developed

Rt. I / Progress Monitoring Inclusive Culture Communication Positive Behavior Support SE Teacher Itinerants Instruction Principal Students with SSN Health and Safety Gen Ed Teacher Paras Related Services Collaboration Self. Determination Legislation 7 Parents / Families Transition Paraeducators Research Based Practices

Quality Indicators • • • Inclusive Culture Collaboration Communication Instruction Paraeducators Progress Monitoring • Positive Behavior Support • Self-Determination • Health and Safety • Transition Quality Indicators Website 8

Findings • QIs have been very helpful for building level administrators. • Team “buy-in” is crucial. • Expert Coach is crucial. • Progress Monitoring common need across programs (SSN and Autism) • Increased Levels of Inclusion 9

Barriers • • End of Year one Follow through Staff turnover State Agency – Student specific consultation – Chavez vs. NMPED 10

Evaluation • Common evaluation form / questions – Coaching Activities – Onsite professional development activities – Large state-wide PD activities – Follow Up Surveys • Year 1 of implementation • Decisions about what data to collect – IEP goals – State Assessment Data – Other 11

Questions • How are states determining the extent to which professional development under the SPDG has impacted students that they were intended to benefit? • What activities are states involved with in order to collect this data? 12

Contact Information • Gina Quintana 303 -866 -6605 quintana_g@cde. state. co. us www. cde. state. co. us SSN Website Autism Website 13