Volusia County Public Schools School Social Services

Volusia County Public Schools School Social Services / Safe & Drug Free Schools Staff Meeting • January 28, 2013 Gria Davison, Consultant, School Social Work Services Florida Department of Education, K– 12 Public Schools Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services Student Support Services Project/USF (850) 245‐ 7837 gria. davison@fldoe. org gdavison@usf. edu 1

Overview FLDOE Leadership Changes Educational Performance Data Key Legislation State Education Priorities/Initiatives MTSS – (Rt. I/PBS) Teacher Quality – (SSPEM, Instructional Personnel) Common Core (College/Career Readiness) *Supports to address barriers to learning; e. g. student/family engagement; intervention programs; mental health prevention and crisis response 2

Florida Educational Performance Data • Quality Counts 2013 National Grades, Educational Performance ‐ Florida 6 th www. edweek. org/ew/qc/2013/state_report_cards. html? intc=EW‐QC 13‐LFTNAV • Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS) 4 th Grade Students – Florida demonstrated significant improvement in overall performance in reading when comparing the performance of 48 counties PIRLS 2011, http: //timss. bc. edu • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Above national average; one of the top states for improvement in performance gains www. naepnet. org 3

Legislation • Uninterrupted Scholars Act / FERPA – – Signed into law by President Obama (Jan. 14 th ) Allows schools to release educational records without parental consent to child welfare agencies; legally responsible for care and protection of students, including the educational stability of children in foster care Creates exception to requirement that parents be notified when schools disclose educational records pursuant to a court order • School Safety and Mental Health – House Healthy Families Committee focus • DCF; DOE; DJJ; Medicaid Behavioral Health; NAMI FL; Community Mental Health Council / Providers 4

The School Social Worker’s Viability – Visibility – Value • The capacity to – operate; be sustained under certain conditions • The ability to – be seen; be identified • Estimated or realized – worth; merit or importance 5

FL Certified School Social Workers 6

Taxonomy Profile Problem‐Solving team (MTSS ‐ Gen. Ed; ESE) Student / Family Engagement Counseling /Case Management / Referral Crisis Prevention; Intervention; Management Interagency‐Foster Care Homelessness: Mc. Kinney‐Vento Student Records ‐ FERPA Child Abuse Prevention Education For Military Dependents Section 504 / Manifestation Teenage Parent Program Transitions, Opportunities & Pathways 7

The School Social Worker: Addressing Barriers to Learning • Engaging in collaborative problem‐solving at district, school, and individual levels. • Providing culturally competent services to students, schools, and families within a multi‐tier model of service delivery (MTSS) • Developing and implementing evidence‐based interventions at each tier (level of support). • Conducting assessments that inform instruction (screening, progress monitoring, diagnostic). • Monitoring fidelity and effectiveness of instruction and intervention. 8

Student Support Services 9

Way-of-work in MTSS • The viability and value of the school social worker is influenced strongly by the impact of our practices on student performance‐particularly academic performance. WHAT DO WE KNOW? • Academic performance of students is influenced by social, emotional and behavioral factors. – The social, emotional and behavioral services provided by the school social worker has a strong, evidence‐based relationship with student academic performance. • Combining evidence‐based instructional strategies with evidence‐based strategies to enhance student engagement results in significant student gains. – Enhancing student engagement (at all levels) is a primary role of the school social worker. 10

Enhancing the blueprint for education reform…. 11

MTSS (Video) http: //florida‐rti. org/parent. Resources/videos. htm 12

http: //www. florida-rti. org/index. htm

Foster Care and FERPA • • • State/Local Interagency Agreement ELECTRONIC DATA SHARING ‐ FSFN Coordinates services for children served by the Florida Child Welfare System Establishes a guide to Improve Educational Opportunities for Florida’s Foster Youth Addresses school stability and access to services Addresses sharing information between school districts and DCF and the Community Based Care organizations ‐ FERPA Results in Foster Care Liaisons in each school district 14

Independent Living • The Independent Living Services Advisory Council (ILSAC) – Charged to review and report on the implementation and operation of independent living services to youth the Florida foster care system. • As of July 1, 2011 – 5, 308 youth aged 13‐ 17 eligible for independent living services – 3, 906 young adults (18‐ 22), formally foster care, accessing continued Road to Independence Services. 15

Engagement, Attendance or WHAT? Implications for Policy and Practice • School Success = H. S. completion and + outcomes… • Active participants in the learning process and school environment ‐ LOOK FOR: – Positive school climate – Family/community connectedness – Student‐focused activities / programs / strategies Then… • ENGAGEMENT = school, family & community partnerships dedicated to completion for every student • Role of attendance in the BROADER context 16

Mental Health Needs • Response to districts with MH resources • National data – 1 in 5 children experience signs of a MH problem – ~ 2. 7 million FL public school students – ~ ½ million children to have a MH problem/need 17

Few System of Supports for School-Based Mental Health Services Intensive, Individualized Interventions Brief individual counseling Targeted, Supplemental Interventions & Supports Small group interventions Anger management Targeted social skills training Peer counseling/peer mediation Student Engagement/Attendance All Some Individual Educational Plan w/ Counseling as a Related Service Behavior Intervention/Support Plan Crisis Intervention Multi‐agency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities Schoolwide, Preventive Systems of Support Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Safe & Healthy Schools (School Climate) Schoolwide Social Skills Training Bullying Prevention Social/Emotional Learning 18

Mental Health Services in Schools House Healthy Families Committee – January 24, 2013 • Panel to present and dialog, cross‐agency and with subcommittee • Offer recommendations for building and sustaining a better system of response to MH needs of children and adolescents Florida Children and Youth Cabinet – January 31, 2013 • Mental Health and School Violence Panel 19

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act • Ensures that all children with disabilities, birth– 21, have available a free appropriate public education (FAPE), in the least restrictive environment to: – Meet their unique needs – Prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living • FAPE = special education and related services that: – Are provided at public expense – Meet state educational standards – Include an appropriate education – Are provided in conformity with the individual educational plan (IEP) 20

What Are The Numbers? • • 2. 7 million children in Florida 20% Prevalence ½ million with serious mental disorder; impairment 352, 000 SWD in Florida 21, 000 EBD 22, 000 ASD 23, 000 OHI = Total = ~ 65, 000 21

Related Services Related services (e. g. speech therapy, , and transportation) help children with disabilities benefit from their special education by providing extra help and support in needed areas. 22

Section 504 District Implementation Guide • Revised 2011 with ADA amendments included • Expanded the definition of disability – Includes attention to mitigating factors – Disabilities that are in remission or episodic • Three key decision points – Is there a disability? – Does it substantially limit a major life activity? – Is a plan required in order to provide FAPE? http: //www. sss. usf. edu/resources/topic/section 504/index. html 23

There’s a Better Way 24

Effective Partnerships Between Families and Schools The outcomes cannot be overstated • Greater parent involvement results in – Higher student achievement – Improved student attendance – Higher aspirations for post‐secondary education and career development – Improved social competence – Lower rates of at‐risk behavior for adolescents 25

A Collaborative Culture: Parent Engagement Our work is best when we are able to build strong, collaborative partnerships with parents. WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE? • • Focus on points of agreement Work with parents as partners Involve parents versus informing parents Recognize the valuable information we need from parents to help identify the best strategies to support their children 26

High Quality Performance • Student Success Act – districts adopt a performance evaluation system incorporating student learning growth and instructional practices • FEAPs and instructional framework reflect classroom (teacher) instructional practices • Modification of instructional, non‐classroom FEAPS and instructional practices – AKA…. Services Personnel Evaluation Model (SSPEM) 27

http: //www. sss. usf. edu/resources/profess ions/sspem/index. html 28

Fundamental Principles • Fundamental Purpose: Improve academic and behavioral outcomes for students • Reflect a Multi‐tiered System of Support framework • Align with evidence‐based practices professional standards linked to positive student outcomes • Integrate common practice standards across student services professions • Support professional growth and continuous improvement. • Offer a state‐approved evaluation framework that is flexible & fluid; complies with the Student Success Act, for districts to adopt, adapt, or use as a guide. 29

Conceptual Model • Domains (5 Domains) – broad categories used to organize professional practices and help structure the evaluation. • Practices (25 Practices) – standards of practice within a a domain related to a specific area of professional skill. • Indicators (4 for each practice) – continuum of descriptive statements that assist in differentiating levels of performance for each practice (Highly Effective, Emerging, Ineffective). 30

Domains of Practice • Data‐based Decision Making and Evaluation • Instruction/Intervention Planning & Design • Instruction/Intervention Delivery & Facilitation • Learning Environment • Professional Learning, Responsibility, & Ethics 31

Evaluation Rubric 32

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Common Core States www. corestandards. org/

Florida’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Implementation Plan 2011‐ 2012 Full Implementation Grade K Begin Implementation of Literacy Standards in ALL Content Areas for Grades 6 ‐ 12 2012‐ 2013 Full Implementation Grades K‐ 1 Full Implementation of Literacy Standards in ALL Content Areas for Grades 6 Begin Implementation of Rich and Complex Text and ‐ 12 Informational Text for Continue Implementation Grades K‐ 12 of Rich and Complex Text and Informational Text for Grades K‐ 12 http: //www. fldoe. org/bii/ 2013‐ 2014 Full Implementation Grades K‐ 2 Implementation of a Blended Curriculum (CCSS and Supplemental NGSSS Aligned to FCAT 2. 0 and EOCs) for Grades 3‐ 12 Continue Implementation of Rich and Complex Text and Informational Text for Grades K‐ 12 2014‐ 2015 Full Implementation Grades K‐ 12 PARCC Assessments Aligned to CCSS

Other Resources Individual Health Care Plans/Sec 504 White Paper Guiding principles for Section 504 Committees on students with Individual Health Care Plans (IHCP) as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act of 2008 (ADAAA). (April 2012) http: //sss. usf. edu/resources/format/pdf/Individual_Health_Care_Plans_Section_504_final. pdf (National Center School Engagement/NCSE http: //www. schoolengagement. org Web‐based Course on Child Abuse Reporting http: //www 3. fl‐dcf. com/rcaan/ or http: //www. myflfamilies. com/service‐programs/abuse‐hotline 37

THANK YOU! Questions 38