The Road to Sustainable Change The Brockton Public Schools ELL and

Special Education Task Force

Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative Spring 2012 Meeting

English Language Learners with Disabilities – Successes and Challenges

Session Goal The goal of this presentation is to illustrate through

collaboration the systematic changes between Special Education and Bilingual Department:

•  Initiatives of the Task Force •  Overview of how we systemically engaged in a

collaborative process to improve the identification of and services for English language learners and students with disabilities in our district.

Kay Seale

Introduction •  Kay Seale, Director of Special Education •  Kellie Jones, Department Head (K-8) of Bilingual/ESL

Services •  Lourdes Santiago, Principal of the Manthala George

Elementary School •  Connie Jonet-Branco, Cape Verdean Community

Facilitator •  Laurie Silva, 21st Century Coordinator

Kay Seale

•  Diverse urban system located approximately 30 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts

•  Student enrollment is approximately 16,162 •  24% of population is identified as limited English

proficient •  14% of students have disabilities •  70.8% of population is identified as low income •  While FLNE is reported as 34.6%, it is estimated that

over 60% have a language other than English spoken at home

•  36 languages are spoken in the school system, while major community languages represented include Cape Verdean, Haitian, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Brockton Public Schools

Kay Seale

Growth of ELLs

Kellie Jones

Special Education Enrollment

Kay Seale

•  Department of Bilingual/ESL Services (508-580-7508) –  Elizabeth Barry, Executive Director, Office of Teaching and Learning

(PreK-5) –  Jose Pinheiro, Director of Bilingual/ESL Services –  Kellie Jones, Department Head (K-8) –  Vula Roumis, Department Head (K-8) –  Ana Carreiro, Department Head (9-12) –  Lisa Mosley, Citywide Assessment & Monitor Teacher –  Gloria Cho, English Language Acquisition Coach –  Fernanda Vera-Cruz, English Language Acquisition Coach –  Nory Harris, English Language Acquisition Coach –  Bilingual Community Facilitators

•  2 Spanish •  5 Cape Verdean •  2 Haitian •  Chinese •  Hmong •  Portuguese

Department of Bilingual/ESL Services

Kellie Jones

Bilingual Community Facilitators

•  Facilitate communication between parents and school •  Interpret in a variety of contexts •  Work with the Department of Special Education

•  Assist SPED personnel with home assessment to gather more relevant information for proper placement

•  Assist parents in explaining procedures and their rights •  Explain parents the IST (interventions) procedure •  Help SPED Department obtain proper test authorization •  Attend Team Meetings to translate for parents •  Once the IEP is developed, meet with parents for verbal

explanation and signature.

Connie Jonet-Branco

•  SEI in Self-Contained Settings (Grades K-5) –  All students in class are English language learners

•  SEI in Integrated Settings (Grades K-5) –  Class Composition is mix of ELLs and Native English Speakers –  Each elementary school has designated Integrated SEI Classrooms –  Staff has gone/will go through professional development training

•  Spanish 2-Way Program (Grades K-5) –  Located at the George School –  Kindergarten Full-Day with parents providing transportation –  Placement determined by lottery system in kindergarten

•  Middle High –  SEI/TBE Content Strands –  ESL arranged by proficiency level for each grade (2 periods) –  Literacy classes

•  High School –  SEI/TBE Content Strand –  ESL arranged by proficiency level for each grade (1.5 Periods) –  Literacy Program for Limited Formal Schooling Students –  MCAS Preparation Class

Programs for Bilingual Students

Kellie Jones

Brockton Special Education Demographics

•  268 Special Education Teachers, Administrators, and Related Service Providers

•  2,237 Students with Disabilities – 272 (3-5) year olds; 1,965 (6-21) year olds •  130 Out of District Students •  63 Students at Goddard Alternative Public Day

School •  3,484 TEAM Meetings held (2010-2011)

Kay Seale

Special Education Department

•  176 Special Education Teachers & Related Service Providers •  Team Chairperson (8) & Out of District Coordinator – Facilitates all IEPTEAM meetings •  SPED Department Heads(6) - Supervise programs and special

education teachers, coordinate program development, manage student placement and transition

•  Special Education Diagnostician- Provides training to teachers in testing and assessment, assist teachers in testing and report writing, assess “High Profile” students within the district.

•  Home Teaching Supervisor – Coordinates home teaching and tutoring for students

•  Transition & Vocational Specialist – Responsible for monitoring transition planning process and program development for students to adult life

•  Autism Specialists – Provide consultation to teaching staff regarding best practices, accommodations, and modifications for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Kay Seale

Students With Disabilities March 2012

Kay Seale

The Way We Were

The Way We Were •  Relationships in Isolation •  Departments were Silos •  Either/Or Relationship •  Limited Communication •  Limited Sharing of Resources The Result of Silos:

•  Misinterpretation/Misunderstanding = Tension •  Scrutiny regarding Pre-referral Process and Eligibility •  Issues regarding the role of the Instructional Support

Teams

Kay Seale

•  Lou Caporiccio, City-Wide Assessment Monitor Teacher

•  Special Education Administrators Took SEI PD Courses

•  An Administrator from Each Department Taught a Course Together

•  Protocol Established between Departments for Special Education Assessment in Native Language or English

Relationships in Isolation

Kay Seale

Turn and Talk •  Are your relationships in silos? •  How are the relationships between the departments

in your district? •  How are the relationships between central

administration and schools in your district?

Laurie Silva

The Turning Point •  It all started with an invitation

•  The Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative •  Denver, Colorado •  October 29, 2009-November 1, 2009 •  Presentations from Alba Ortiz from University of

Texas and Janette Klingner from University of Colorado

•  Workshops with Miami-Dade and Chesterfield County, Virginia

Kellie Jones

•  And then it all started with an apple martini •  Strengthened Relationships •  Cognizance of Needs •  Renewed Energy

•  Establishment of Short Term Goal •  Task Force

The Apple Martini Effect

Kellie Jones

Turn and Talk •  How could you engage other targeted professionals

in your district around issues of Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners?

Laurie Silva

THE TASK FORCE 2009-2010

The Beginning

•  Members: •  Directors and Department Heads of SPED and

Bilingual Departments; •  Psychologists; •  City-wide Assessment Monitor Teacher; •  Bilingual MSN Teacher; •  English Language Acquisition Coaches; •  Spanish Speech and Language Pathologist

•  Met for 3 Hours Every Month

The Task Force

Kay Seale

Turn and Talk •  Who could you envision engaging on a task force in

your district? •  Who would you want to reach out to?

Laurie Silva

•  Community Building Activity – Find Someone Who…

•  Small Group Discussion – Similarities and Differences between the two Departments

•  Identification of Short-Term and Long-Term Needs –  Learn About Each Other Processes/Regulations – Determining SPED for those who are already LEP – Determining LEP for those who are already SPED – Appropriate classroom based interventions

The First Meeting

Kay Seale

•  Presentations on the programs, structure, laws/regulations, and process of both Departments

•  Presentations on assessments used by Both Departments

The Next Three Meetings

Kay Seale

May 2010 - Establishment of Special Interest Groups •  Special Interest Group #1 – Determining LEP status

for students already identified as having special needs •  Special Interest Group #2 – Response to

Intervention with diverse populations •  Special Interest Group #3 – Determining special

education needs for students already identified as LEP

Kay Seale

Turn and Talk •  What special interest groups may be of value in your

district?

Laurie Silva

ELL Task Force – Year Two 2010-2011

Expanded Membership •  Rationale – bring to the table all programs and

services around ELLs and SWD. •  Directors and Department Heads of SPED and Bilingual

Departments; •  Psychologists; •  City-wide Language Assessment Specialist; •  Bilingual MSN Teachers; •  Special Education Diagnostician •  English Language Acquisition Coaches; •  Title I Director; •  Coordinator of Literacy and Social Studies (K-5); •  Coordinator of 21st Century Learning Centers

Kellie Jones

Group One

•  Determine LEP Designation for those who are already identified as SPED

•  Goals •  Establish Protocols for Common Assessment and

Identification •  Establish Procedures for Native Language Support

when Necessary •  Establish systems for both English language

development and Specialized Instruction

Kellie Jones

•  Adaptation of Miami-Dade Protocol •  Continuum based on Socio-Communicative and Academic

Language Skills (receptive and expressive) •  Inclusion of Native Language data

•  Modifications •  Assessment Level A - Existing Initial English Language

Proficiency Assessment •  Addition of Assessment “C” due to large gap between levels •  Additional column “As Reported by Teacher” •  Alignment to the MEPA Proficiency Levels (1-5) •  Identified procedure for assessment (Citywide Language

Assessment Specialist)

Continuum of English Language Development Assessments for Special Needs Students

Kellie Jones

•  Pilot of Assessment 2010-2011 Academic Year •  Recommendations for SEI/ESL Services

•  Draft Matrix Established •  Performance on Assessment •  Type of Assessment

•  Pilot 2011-2012 Academic Year

Continuum of English Language Development Assessments for Special Needs Students

Kellie Jones

Group Two

•  Response to Intervention for Diverse Populations •  Goals

•  Meet monthly to make our yearly goals •  Deepen our understanding of the Response to Intervention

framework through discussions and research •  Where do ELLs fit in our tiered instruction? •  Participate in a book study using, Response to Intervention

(RTI) and English Language Learners: Making it Happen by Echevarria & Vogt (2011).

•  Gather evidence-based best practices for ELLs •  Determine what professional development is needed for

stakeholders (teachers and central administration) Kellie Jones

Group Two

•  Response to Intervention for Diverse Populations

How do ELL students fit into Response to Intervention? How effective is our universal instruction? How is ESL instruction defined? How do identify and support struggling readers?

Kellie Jones

Group Three

•  Determine SPED Designation for those who are already identified as LEP •  Goals

• Establish Procedures for Native Language Support when Necessary

• Establish systems for both English language development and Specialized Instruction

• Revisit current Response to Intervention Protocol

Kellie Jones

•  The IST process did not include specific information regarding factors related to English language development

•  Culture •  Educational History •  Amount of English exposure •  Length of time in America, school, or a SEI program •  Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) •  Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) •  L1 and L2 Language Proficiencies

Instructional Support Team (IST)

Kellie Jones

Brigance •  Use parts of the Brigance to assess students in English and

their native language •  English •  Haitian Creole •  Spanish

•  Train Facilitators, who are proficient in the native language, to administer the Brigance

•  Translate the Brigance into other languages •  Cape Verdean Criolu •  Portuguese

L1 and L2 Language Proficiencies

Turn and Talk •  What kinds of tasks would your special interest

groups focus on?

Laurie Silva

Year Three 2011-2012

Bringing it to The Next Level •  Phyllis Hardy from the New England Equity

Assistance Center •  Task Force works to become a Professional Learning

Community •  How is language learning at the center of our

instruction and assessment practices •  Identification of key questions that bring language to

the discussion •  Work with Manthala George Elementary School –

SEI, Two-Way, Inclusion, general education programs

Laurie Silva/Lourdes Santiago

Turn and Talk •  What external supports can be brought in to help

your team move to the next level?

Laurie Silva

Outcomes of the Task Force

•  Bilingual Department held book club with, Differentiating Learning Differences from Disabilities:  Meeting Diverse Needs through Multi-Tiered Response to Intervention, for teachers who have completed category training

•  Department Head for Bilingual/ESL Services present at intake for severe special needs students from linguistically diverse backgrounds

•  Students in substantially separate classrooms receiving more ESL services

Increased Collaboration

Kay Seale

Increased Professional Development •  Special Education Procedures and Protocols workshop for

Bilingual Community Facilitators •  RtI workshop for the Bilingual Community Facilitators •  Category One training for Bilingual Community Facilitators •  Category One Training for MSN Teachers and Team Facilitators •  Category Two Training for MSN Teachers and Team Facilitators •  Special Education Procedures and Protocols Workshop for ESL

Teachers (May 2012) •  Bilingual Department held book club with, Differentiating

Learning Differences from Disabilities:  Meeting Diverse Needs through Multi-Tiered Response to Intervention, for teachers who have completed category training

Kellie Jones

Protocols Established •  Identifying LEP status of students on IEP through the

Continuum of English Language Development Assessment for Special Needs Students

Kellie Jones

Special Education Outcomes •  Cultural/Historical backgorund awareness and

sensitivity as part of the problem solving team process

•  BICS and CALP checklist and formula •  Team discussion on language differences as opposed

to disabilities •  Community liaison training on special education

eligibility and team process •  Increased awareness of the biases of most evaluation

tools

Kay Seale

Bilingual Department Outcomes •  Growth in professional understanding of students

with disabilities •  System established to accurately identify LEP status

of Special Education students •  Meeting Department of Elementary and Secondary

Education mandates for hours of ESL Services •  Language assessments in both languages as part of

the conversation at SPED and LAT meetings •  Massachusetts districts establishing own Task Forces

– Worcester, Milton, Attleboro,

Kellie Jones

School Based Outcomes •  ESL Services drove school-wide schedule •  Common Planning time – grade levels and program •  Community Climate - English Language Learners and

SWD as equal parts •  Phyllis Hardy, NEEAC, facilitation of school

instructional leadership team (ILT) and instructional support team (IST)

•  Educator investment in language development needs across programs and grades

Lourdes Santiago

Parent Community Outcomes •  More informed about processes and procedures for

Special Education and accurately convey information •  Parents as a result make more informed decisions •  Increased collaboration and understanding between the

parents and district

Connie Jonet-Branco

Community Schools Outcomes •  Leveraging of funding and resources for the provision

of enhanced quality and comprehensiveness of out of school time (OST) services

•  Fostering a seamless connection between the school day and OST academic supports and workforce development programs

•  The provision of OST services for targeted youth who traditionally did not access such services

•  Increased awareness of necessary supports for youth and increased communication between OST staff and school day staff to ensure a continuity of the supportive services

Laurie Silva

LONG-TERM GOALS

•  Procedures and Protocols to be included in a Program Manual

•  Response to intervention and IST with diverse populations including culturally/linguistically appropriate instruction, interventions, and progress monitoring

•  In-Service Plan •  Executive Team and Relevant Administrators •  Principals and Instructional Leadership Teams •  Team Facilitators •  Staff

Codify Protocols

Kellie Jones

Systemic Change •  Transformation of the Task Force into a Professional

Learning Community •  Distribute leadership so that no one Department or

personnel is leading the process

Kellie Jones

GETTING STARTED

•  Stakeholders open to the change process •  Cordial/Friendly Relationships Between Departments •  Facilitator to manage the group •  Openness and Flexibility •  Standards for interaction – assume the best in each other •  Acceptance of diverse personalities and positions •  Common Understanding about Each Department •  Common Goals

–  Short-Term –  Long-Term

Key Elements

Kay Seale

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU!!!