Special Education for AdministratorsModule 2 – Improving The Instructional Program

Module 2 Agenda:

Day One:• Focus Activity • Norms of Operation• Leader vs Manager• OLF - Setting Directions:

Leading the Instructional Program

• SEF– Components 2 and 4• Equity Walkthrough

Day Two:

•IEPs and Instructional Leadership examined

•Inclusion/Segregated Classes

•Mental Health

•Future Trends in Special Education

•M2 Post and M3 Pre Assignments: Review

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Norms of Operation

• Go slow to go fast• Listen and speak with an open mind• Take risks• Respect others and ourselves• Leave positions at the door• What we say here stays here• Begin, end, and transition on time

Leader or Manager…OPC – OLF Research Foundations:

“so...one defining attribute of effective leaders is their ability to carry out even the most routine and seemingly trivial tasks in such a way as to nudge their organizations toward their purposes. This is one of the ways in which the separate parts of their especially effective organizations come to be productively aligned.”

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Quotes to share…

Effective principals do not allow managerial tasks to consume their days. They create adequate time to focus on being the instructional leaders of their schools. It is the key part of their job.

Discuss with an elbow partner how you demonstrate that you are an instructional leader for your students with special needs.

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1. Inspire a shared vision of leadership in schools and boards

2. Promote a common language that fosters an understanding of what leadership and what it means to be a leader

3. Identify the competencies and practices that describe effective leadership and guide professional learning

The Leadership Framework

RESEARCH SAYS….And you have heard this before…

There are five Core Leadership Capacities that lead you to your best practices:

Setting goals

Aligning resources

Promoting collaborative learning cultures

Using data

Engaging in courageous conversations

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OLF with a Special Education lens…Improving the Instructional Program

Review the OLF chart and keeping your SIP in mind regarding special education :

• Highlight in GREEN those areas you do ALWAYS

• Highlight in YELLOW the areas you do SOMETIMES

• Highlight in PINK those areas you do RARELY

• Your goal is to turn the SOMETIMES into ALWAYS

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All of that along with “ALWAYS, SOMETIMES, RARELY” for…

Personal Leadership Resources• Cognitive:

• Problem-solving• Knowledge about school and classroom

conditions with direct effects on student learning

• Systems Thinking (NEW!)

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As well as…• Social Resources: including the ability to…

• Perceive emotions• Manage emotions• Act in emotionally appropriate ways

• Psychological Resources:• Optimism• Self-efficacy• Resilience• Pro-activity (NEW)

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So now you have a goal for Module 2

Focused, ongoing learning that is job embedded and “in context.”

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School Effectiveness FrameworkComponent 2

…School and Classroom Leadership…

A support for school improvement and student success!

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Goal Indicators Where we are now?

Where do we want to be?

What student work/evidence will tell us we are there?

What do we have to do differently?

Who can help us?

Who is monitor-ing?What?When?How?

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

School Effectiveness FrameworkComponent 4

…Curriculum, Teaching and Learning…

A support for school improvement and student success!

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Goal Indicators Where we are now?

Where do we want to be?

What student work/evidence will tell us we are there?

What do we have to do differently?

Who can help us?

Who is monitor-ing?What?When?How?

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

4.6

4.7

Reflect while viewing the clips from the SEF and be prepared to share:

• Have you observed the instructional practices being used for your students with special needs and if so, what did you learn?

• Have you fostered leadership/created many leaders to provide the needed supports for your students with special needs?

• In what ways have you facilitated staff planning and learning together to further the success of your students with special needs and did you attend the PLC with your staff?

• In what ways have you specifically supported best practices/ high quality instruction for students with special needs?

• How have you enabled co-planning, co-teaching and co-assessing that supports students with special needs?

Leadership

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School Effectiveness Framework• Component 2: School and Classroom Leadership• 2.4 Job-embedded and inquiry-based professional learning

builds capacity, informs instructional practice and contributes to a culture of learning

http://www.curriculum.org/secretariat/framework/leadership4.shtmlStreaming WMV Option Length 2:28

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Leadership and Student LearningLeadership and Student Learning

Most-effective leadership dimension: Most-effective leadership dimension: promoting and participating in teacher promoting and participating in teacher learning and developmentlearning and development

Vivian Robinson, 2007, School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why in Earl and Katz, Creating a Culture of Inquiry in Blankstein, 2010: Data Enhanced Leadership

After teaching, the second most influential factor on student After teaching, the second most influential factor on student learning is leadership (shared; formal and informal).learning is leadership (shared; formal and informal).

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SEF - Component 4Curriculum, Teaching and LearningIndicators:• Reinforce the importance of teaching and learning through alignment of curriculum,

instruction, assessment and resources in order to meet the diverse learning needs of students. Grades 9–12http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/framework/curriculum5.shtmlStreaming WMV Option Length 2:32

• Develop policies and funding to help ensure that learning resources are current, culturally relevant and inclusive. http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/framework/curriculum6.shtmlStreaming WMV Option Length 2:20

• Timely and tiered interventions, supported by a team approach, respond to individual student learning needs.

http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/framework/curriculum6.shtml Grades 7–8Streaming WMV Option Length 2:05

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School Effectiveness FrameworkSchool and Classroom Leadership Component 2 and

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Component 4

• Review the goals outlined in Component 2 and Component 4• Consider your goal from OLF Framework then -• Select the goal or goals that fit with the OLF, School and DSB

plan for these areas in relation to Special Education• Complete both charts with one or two focus areas for each

component• Share with your elbow partner key issues for change!

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Context and Relevant Theory and Research Around the

Learner

Assignment REVIEW– Categories of Exceptionalities

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Ministry Categories of Exceptionalities

• Behaviour • Communications

• Autism • Deaf and Hard of Hearing • Learning Disability

• Intellectual• Giftedness • Mild Intellectual Disability • Developmental Disability

• Physical• Physical Disability/Blind Low Vision • Deaf/Hearing Impaired• Please indicate on one of the post it notes your first three

choices in order of preference.22

Research in a group of two an area of exceptionality as identified in the Education Act

Include the following:

Category of exceptionality including the Ministry criteria: e.g., intellectual, deaf/hard of hearing

Definition of the exceptionality: Ministry and Board

Student learning: strengths and challenges

Instructional, environmental and assessment/evaluation strategies for accommodation integration and inclusion

Differentiation of instruction and learning

Differentiation of assessment for, as and of learning.

Assignment Categories of Exceptionalities

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Assignment Categories of Exceptionalities

Candidates MAY use the following guiding questions to meet the expectations for this research assignment:

Based on the exceptionality what are best practices?

What would a demonstration classroom for this exceptionality look like, sound like, feel like?

How as the principal or vice principal will you utilize change theory to move your school forward in terms of best practices for students with this exceptionality?

What would be the best resources for students with this exceptionality? Include community, school, and web based.

Discuss the manifestations of behaviour that may be seen with this exceptionality. How as a principal or vice principal would you mitigate discipline based on the exceptionality? Develop a case study and discuss how you would mitigate based on the case you develop.

How will you engage students and parents?

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Group Assignment Categories of Exceptionalities

Candidates MUST include:

Research on the intersection of race, socio-economic status (SES) and identification of a disability.

A Walkthrough for classrooms for students with this exceptionality who are receiving instruction. This walkthrough should be based on the sample template from the Equity and Inclusive Education section of the OPC website.

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Categories of Exceptionalities

Presentation of Final Product MUST include:Group

• Experiential activity so that the audience knows what it feels like to have the exceptionality that you are presenting. (10 to 15 minutes)

• Multimedia presentation (or other format to be confirmed by the instructor) to staff, parent community with handouts. (10 to 15 minutes)

• A Walkthrough for classrooms with handouts for students with this exceptionality who are receiving instruction. This walkthrough should be based on the sample template from the Equity and Inclusive education section of the OPC website. (10 to 15 minutes)

• Research on the intersection of race, socio-economic status (SES) language, and identification of a disability.

Individual• Each candidate will provide a personal reflection based on key concepts from this

exercise including next steps for personal growth to be submitted to the instructor.• Reflection and multimedia documents are to be submitted to the instructor

electronically.• Be prepared to share your research and information with the group during Modules 3

and 4.

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Observations/Conversations as an

Instructional Leadership StrategyPurpose

•Gives principals a real time opportunity to gain insight into the staff focus on school goals and to use the information to engage the staff in conversations to improve the level of classroom and school success.

Benefits

•Monitoring commitment to school and Board goals (SIP/BIP)

•Showing principal’s interest in classroom instructional strategies and student learning

•Monitoring general conditions in the school (hallway behaviour, cleanliness, ventilation, currency of displays, representation of the students, etc.)

•Visibility to students, staff, volunteers, parents and community

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PRACTICUM: REVIEW AND WORKING GROUPS

This practicum is an opportunity for candidates to This practicum is an opportunity for candidates to illustrate a high level of professional knowledge, illustrate a high level of professional knowledge, skill, pedagogy, ethical practices and instructional skill, pedagogy, ethical practices and instructional leadership. It also includes reflections and leadership. It also includes reflections and analysis of your learning over time in the SEA AQ analysis of your learning over time in the SEA AQ course.course.

Instructors will set up consultation times with candidates Instructors will set up consultation times with candidates during the review.during the review.

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The Question/The Inquiry….Asking the “question” that gets your practicum started is the greatest challenge!

THINK ABOUT….– What issue related to special education in your school

is causing you concern or keeping you up at night?– What areas of learning in your school are not suitable

for students with special education needs?– What area of the SEF needs attention by you and your

staff in order to remove the barriers to learning for students with special needs?

– What changes in practices would support a “growth mindset” for your staff? For your community? For yourself?

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What to consider about data collection:

Your inquiry question will determine the form of data collection that is best. So…

Determine if the data will be collected from student performance, teacher performance, or what others in your community are doing. Then…

You want a variety of sources, triangulation of data.

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Data Collection Interviews Interview the individuals carrying out the action (i.e., " Fireside Chat”) Reflective Diary Ongoing account of the process Ensures nothing is missed in the process (e.g., Capture an “aha” moment during

the action) Questionnaire Questions geared directly to questions you need answers to Anonymous Focus Groups Gathering of information from a larger group of people at one time Determine how you will collect the information (i.e., Digital Recorder)

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Practicum…think about

1. Expectations for the SEA AQ Practicum include:

2. Clarify your key question (determining what you want to see – precise outcomes).

3. Articulate your key question in a summary statement (planning the best way to achieve or get to the outcomes).

4. A collection of data to inform your practicum.

5. Implementation ideas - specific action steps.

6. Reflection on the results, examining the data to see what it tells and decide how to act on it. Include communication with your critical friend and instructor. (minimum 500 words)

7. Note: Refer to Practicum Components Outline in Binder.

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Practicum Options:Your instructor will review the Special Education For Administrators Practicum Components outline.

The practicum is 20 hours of professional study completed outside of the face to face days.

Select one of the four options for your practicum:

1. Design a professional learning opportunity for a specific group (e.g., EAs, Special Education staff, ESL teachers, parent groups) which includes a variety of technologies and resources relevant to your key question OR

2. Develop a digital story, presenting an issue related to your key question OR

3. Create a portfolio of practical resources, artefacts, photographs, recording critical reflections for each components as it relates to your key question OR

4. Engage in action research by reflecting and acting upon a specific inquiry into professional practice as it relates to your key question.

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Walkthrough

https://www.principals.ca/stream/video/launchVid.aspx?vidID=21

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Instructional Leadership: from theory to practice!

Discuss the following quotes as they relate to the current delivery model for special education in your school and board:

“Something you’ll notice right away is there’s a lot of teachers and administrators who don’t know what to do with an EA. Not their fault really, anymore than it’s ours - but it’s an issue you have to work out.” Kana V. Gradualt of an EA program

“One defining attribute of effective leaders is their ability to carry out even the most routine and seemingly trivial tasks in such a way as to nudge their organizations toward their purposes…” Kenneth Leithwood (OLF Framework)

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Strategies For the Principal as Improving the Instructional Program in Special Education

Leader’s Strategies

Crucial Conversations

Focused Task Forces Committee

Leadership

Talented and Gifted

PLTs

Thinking Breakfasts

Book Reviews

Mentoring Matters

Group Learning

Periodicals Periodically

Walk-Through

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Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy

Cultural Competence

CriticalConsciousness

Academic Success

Growth is expected in academics and behaviour

Necessary supports are provided

High-Yield Teaching Strategies

Precise and Consistent Assessment AS & FOR Learning

Asset based approach to families/communities-not deficit

Utilize Students’ Cultures as a Vehicle for Learning

Connections to Knowledge of Families and Communities

Student’s Social Identities and Lived Realities are Valued and Respected

Students develop a broader socio-political consciousness

Students critique the cultural norms, values, mores, and institutions that produce and maintain social inequities

Culturally

Relevant Pedagog

y

Gloria Ladson-Billings

Theoretical Underpinning:• caring for students (academic, social and emotional well being)

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DebriefLook at the elementary and secondary examples of

work plans and how this relates to you as a principal.

What would you be able to do in your school regarding students who have special education needs?

What further support do you need to use the Walkthrough Framework?

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“One of the most powerful ways to ensure that any (learning team) stays focused – whether within or across schools – is by making sure that it is anchored by actual student work.” p. 76

“Having actual student work is at the center of the collaborative inquiry exercise. It creates the opportunity for evidence-driven, focused professional learning conversations.” p. 76

Katz, Earl, Jaafar, 2009 (Corwin)

Student Work

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Professional Learning Cycle

For each unit/module:PLANPLAN• examine student data and work to

identify areas of need• determine/access professional

learning in order to address areas of student need and to differentiate to reach all

ACT/OBSERVEACT/OBSERVE• implement, adjust, engage in

professional learning, share practiceREFLECTREFLECT• examine student data and work to

determine impact, lessons learned, next steps for student and educator learning

STUDENT LEARNING

EDUCATOR LEARNING

OBSERVE – SHARED PRACTICE SCENARIOS

“They are not just accountable for creating the conditions in which results might happen – accountability presumably resting with teachers – but rather they are responsible to ensure that results do happen.” Ken Leithwood

Please see handout•Co-assessing Student Work•Co-teaching •Peer Observation•Marker Students/Data and Evidence

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Debra King identifies six tasks that comprise Instructional Leadership -The Principal:

1. Leads learning• Participates in regular, collaborative, professional

learning experiences, working with teachers in adult learning activities, and developing a broad knowledge base in curriculum, instruction, and assessment

2. Focuses on teaching and learning• Helps teachers improve instructional practices and

makes student achievement the school’s highest priority

3. Develops leadership capacity• Distributes leadership responsibilities to include those

who have no formal leadership roles and provide regular opportunities for all stakeholders to share what they are learning about their practice

4. Creates conditions for professional learning• provides regular opportunities for stakeholders to work on

teaching/learning issues

• allocates time during the school day to work on teaching/learning issues

• participates with colleagues to give and receive feedback about performance

5. Uses data to inform decisions• collects and uses data from a variety of sources

• works with a variety of stakeholders to interpret and create improvement plans

• answers questions about student achievement and trends in achievement

6. Uses resources creatively• uses time, money and people to foster school

improvement• uses the school schedule to support student achievement

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Instructional Leadership

Activity:– Think first of what you are doing currently in each

category (1-6)– What are you doing in your school to demonstrate

your instructional leadership for students who have special needs? Think about your personal practice.

– You will be then sharing on a Consulting Line…

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Consulting Line….Candidates stand opposite one another

Each have 2 minutes to “Give and Get One”Then everyone rotates one person to the left

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Future Trends in Special Education

• Individual Presentations to share trends

• Handouts

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Ministry of EducationDistrict Reviews

• The SEF is the lens for school improvement province wide

• Candidates are expected to collate the School Effectiveness Framework placemats completed in each module as evidence of school improvement goals in preparation for their school district review

• As well, goals selected for your school should be highlighted on the general overview sheet

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Special Education OverviewMinistry of Education Strategic Directions

Overall Goals

High levels of student achievement

Reduced gaps in student achievement

Increased public confidence and support for public education

Special Education Policy and Programs Branch (SEPPB)

Goals for Special Education•Improved outcomes for students receiving special education

•Increased capacity of schools to effectively meet the needs of a variety of learners in settings ranging from typical to intensive support classrooms

•Improved balance between a focus on teaching and learning, and the need for appropriate process, documentation and accountability

•More cooperative connections between schools and families of students facing learning challenges; promoting a positive environment

Learning For All K-12Instructional Approaches group activity

Instruction that both responds to the various needs of a diverse group and precisely tailored to

individual needs is needed for student achievement for all

students……

Three instructional approaches form the basis of this document

Universal Design for Learning

Differentiated Instruction

The Tiered Approach

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ACTIVITY: GROUP COLLABORATION

1. Within your groups, choose the instructional strategy that you would like to know more about.

2. Break down the section in the Learning For All document on that strategy and have each person from your group read about one of the instructional strategies.

3. After everyone has finished reading, discuss your understandings together to gain a better grasp of the three instructional strategies.

4. Write down your findings on the chart paper provided and be prepared to present what you have read using MI (see handout in binder). Present your findings: 5 minute limit per group.

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Instructional Core:

” You don't change performance without changing the instructional core,” -states Professor Richard Elmore.

“ The relationship of the teacher and the student in the presence of content must be at the center of efforts to improve performance.”

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Group Discussion/Sharing Session:

1. How does your School Improvement Plan/Board Improvement Plan address instructional approaches to close the achievement gap and further the learning of students with special needs?

2. In what ways do the current instructional practices used by your staff incorporate the principles of Universal Design, differentiated instruction and the tiered approach?

3. What further steps can you take to ensure that they are implemented?

4. What resources do you need?52

REPORTING BACK ON YOUR SCHOOL HOUSE – BUILDING SCHOOL CULTURE FOR INSTRUCTIONAL

LEADERSHIP:

1. Share in your school house group what you learned from working with your staff on this exercise.

2. Revisit your school chart NEW AND REVISED and with post it notes as an overlay add those you would see/hear/experience/expect in school culture related to instructional leadership.

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Improving The Instructional Program Through IEPs

IEP journeys:

Tell the story of one of the students selected including:

The process that was used to gather data to be used to inform your decision making;

How did you use the data to construct the IEP?

How was the School Support Team used?

Describe the IPRC process if the student was brought to IPRC

Do we have the will to educate all students?

Asa Hilliard (1991) Hilliard (1991)

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Leveling IEPsCandidates will review an existing rubric and add to the rubric

missing components in order to level the IEPs

Some possibilities of missing components:

Use of SMART Goals

Precise/personalized to the child

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5656

IEPs AND CHANGE THEORY

KNOWING

DOING

Strategies Principals can use to eliminate the following barriers to Student

Achievement:

Your view – what is best for students with special needs?

Share your thoughts with a think-pair-share.

1. School structures that marginalize, segregate, and impede achievement, such as pull out programs

2. A deprofessionalized teaching staff who could benefit from focused staff development

3. A school climate that needs to be more welcoming to marginalized families and the community; and

4. Disparate student achievement levels

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Special Education and Mental Health

Schools and school boards play an important role in promoting awareness, prevention, and early intervention, and in connecting students to community services, the strategy explicitly recognizes the need to build school-based capacity in this area.

Supporting Minds http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/SupportingMinds.pdf

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New Ministry Policy Memorandum The Ministry of Education has just released Policy/Program

Memorandum 156: Supporting Transitions for Students with Special Education Needs. “A transition plan must be developed for all students who have an IEP, whether or not they have been identified as exceptional by an IPRC and including those identified as exceptional solely on the basis of giftedness. The transition plan is developed as part of the IEP.”

The requirements of this memorandum took effect September 2, 2014.

What steps will you to take (have you taken) to prepare your staff for implementation

View PPM 156 http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/ppm156.pdf

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Using Data to inform instruction in Special Education

In small groups share ways of monitoring special needs students currently in their schools and report back in form of a graphic organizers, locally developed checklists etc. This may be divided into the following areas: instructional, environmental, assessment.

Note: Instructor will share a sample of how he/she collects data to support special needs students and/or Learning for All K-12 at both the elementary and secondary levels:

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Group Discussion: Data use..

How can you use the following sources of information to support teachers in order to ensure informed decision making. Consider the following sources of information

Use of school based teams/multi-disciplinary teams

Class/Student profiles

Case conferences

Parent contribution/information

External resources – data warehouses (MISA)

Ontario School Record (OSR) including:

use of class and student profiles/formative and summative assessment

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Case StudiesReview case studies from Special Education In Ontario Schools, 7th Edition, and prepare a plan of action to assist the special needs students:

What information do you need?What key issues are there?What steps will you take to address the issues?What strategies would you expect to see in the

classroom?What resources will you need?

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Chapter StudyGroup sharing of the work completed for the

chapter study on Learning For All K – 12 chapter 5 and

Special Education in Ontario Schools (7th Edition): Chapter 5, The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Team Approach

Share prepared flyers, newsletter articles etc. in small groups

 

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POST ASSIGNMENTS ( 5 HOURS)Reflective Journal:

Identify three key areas of learning from Module 2 and outline how you have implemented the content or strategies in your daily practice and how each demonstrates the connections to the personal goals you identified in the OLF and the component(s) reviewed in the SEF.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Ken Robinson from Ted Talks View TED Talk

Candidates are asked to view the TED TALK webcast, and then complete the Module 2 discussion topic: Do Schools Kill Creativity.

Identify a time how your LEADERSHIP has created a culture in which creativity thrives and is actively nurtured and supported in and outside of the classroom FOR ALL SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS!

Complete the following assignments as directed by your Instructor

Ontario Leadership Framework Chart 2013

SEF Component 2 - School and Classroom Leadership

SEF Component 4 - Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

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MODULE 3 PRE-ASSIGNMENTS ( 5 HOURS)

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All pre-assignments are located at www.principals.ca in “my folder” SPECED ACCESS

1. SHARED SOLUTIONS: A GUIDE TO PREVENTING AND RESOLVING CONFLICTS REGARDING PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS (2007) MINISTRY OF EDUCATION.

2. Learning for All K-12 (2013) Chapters 3 and 5

3. Alternate Dipute Resolution and Restorative Justice:William Ury suggests that there is a “third side” to all conflicts. The third side is us. It’s us who act as the surrounding community around any conflict, who can play a constructive role. He suggests that we need to reframe how we see things –to change the frame from “”hostility to hospitality, or in educational terms – to change from exclusivity to inclusive. How can you as an administrator reframe conflicts that leverage “the third side” – the community?

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