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MA DESECareer Vocational Technical Education Institute

October 10-11, 2012 Sheraton, Framingham

Robin AhigianSilvia DeRuvo

George Dowaliby

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• Madeline Levine, Director, Office of Tiered Systems of Support

• Lisa Sandler, Asst. State Director, Office for Career/Vocational Technical Education

• Ramona Foster, Office for Career/Vocational Technical Education

• Linda Tarmy, Office of Special Education Policy and Planning• Holly-Anne Neal, Office of Special Education Policy and

Planning

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Opening & Welcome

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Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical H. S.Bristol County Agricultural High SchoolFranklin County Technical SchoolLynn Vocational Technical InstituteMcCann - Northern Berkshire Vocational Regional School DistrictNorth Shore Regional Vocational School DistrictPathfinder Regional Vocational SchoolWestfield Vocational Technical High School Worcester Technical High School

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Participating Districts

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• Introduce yourself and the members of your team

• What challenges led you to participate in the institute?

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Introductions

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• Effective collaborative practices • Inclusive practices that ensure access to the same

opportunities and curriculum as non-disabled students

• A culture of high expectations, shared responsibility and accountability for all students

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Goals of the Institute: Increased career/vocational technical education opportunities for students with disabilities contributing to improved results for all students through:

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Working Together to Improve Results for Students with Disabilities

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The overall theme for the Institute is effective collaboration and coordination of special education services with academic and vocational technical instruction to improve post secondary outcomes through access for students with disabilities

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Working Together Defining Collaboration Concepts

Collaboration is a style for direct interaction between at least two coequal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work TOWARD A COMMON GOAL.

(Friend & Cook, 2009)

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Developing Collaborative Norms 1. To know one’s intentions and choose congruent

behaviors 2. To set aside unproductive patterns of listening,

responding and inquiring 3. To know when to self-assert and when to integrate4. To know and support the group’s purposes, topics,

processes and development

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Seven Norms of Collaboration

1. Pausing to allow time for thought2. Paraphrasing to ensure deep listening3. Putting inquiry at the center 4. Probing to clarify5. Place ideas on the table6. Paying attention to self and others7. Presuming positive intentions

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Norms of Collaboration Activity

Complete: Norms Inventory: Rating Perceptions of Myself What did the inventory reveal to you about your own

collaborative behaviors?

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Day 1: Special Education Directors and Team Members• Overview of Institute: purpose and goals• Topics Review • Instructional Supports for Students with Disabilities

Day 2: Superintendent-Directors; Special Education Directors with Team Members• Tom Hehir: A Study of Students with Disabilities in CVTE in MA• Needs Assessment Review • Action Planning Process for Project Development

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Agenda for Kick-Off Institute

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Cell phones…offStart on time—end on timeBe a good listenerBe an active participantStay focused -- multi-tasking interferes with focus.Think about what you want to learn from others ANDWhat you can contribute to the learning of othersBe fully “present” and maximize your ability to use this

precious professional development time for YOU!What’s said here, stays here.

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Ground Rules X

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People First Language …students first and foremost

Say…Child with autismA person who has Uses a wheelchairStudent with a disability instead of SPED student

Instead of …Autistic childAfflicted or suffers from Confined to a wheelchairDisabled or handicapped

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Overview of the Institute

• Overview of institute goals • Institute syllabus • Logistics and communication

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• To provide school administrators and leaders with the opportunity to assess district needs and develop an action plan to address improved performance and post secondary outcomes for students with disabilities

• To foster collaboration between general education (academic and vocational) leaders/administrators and special education leaders

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Goals of the Institute

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• Schedule• Six Days: Face-to-Face Sessions

Kick-Off: October 10-11, 2012 Four additional one-day sessions Nov. 29, Feb. 7, April 4, May 16

• Virtual meetings: two Webinars• January 10, 2013• March date TBD

• Individualized virtual coaching as needed • Local Systems Change Project• Graduate credit-Framingham State University

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Structure of Institute

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• Intended outcomes• Topics/curriculum • Structure • Institute experience • Assignments & Requirements• Attendance and Participation • Outside Project • Project Mini grants• Professional Development Credit • Graduate Credit • Grading

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Syllabus

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Institute Sessions-• All sessions will be held at the Sheraton Framingham from 9am to 4 pm• Materials and meals provided at no cost • Participants will cover own travel costs Questions? Contact Julie Colton- jcolton@wested.org

Wiki information-http://votechinstitute.wikispaces.com/At the Wiki sites: • Documents from trainings • Readings • Resources Questions? Contact Tanner Petry- tpetry@wested.org

Co-directors – • Robin Ahigian – rahigia@wested.org• Silvia DeRuvo- sderuvo@wested.org 1

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Logistics and Communication

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Break

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Data Review Discuss with your team: • Why do you think the achievement gap in MCAS

scores in reading and math continues to persist for students with disabilities at your school?

• Why do graduation rates differ between the general education and special education student populations?

• What does the data tell you about differences in placement rates for students 6 month after graduation?

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As a team review your current practices and how these are aligned to the institute goals in the following areas:• Collaboration practices that support coordination of services

between special education, general education and career/technical education programs

• Inclusive practices that support access for students with disabilities

• A culture of high expectations, shared responsibility and accountability for students with disabilities

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Current Practices- Alignment with Institute Goals

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Instructional supports for students with disabilities in CVTE environments

Collaborative processes and practices

Differentiated instruction through Universal Design for Learning in CVTE environments

Inclusive collaborative instructional practices in CVTE environments

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Topics Identified Through the Pre-Institute Self-Assessment

Team Activity: •Identify current practice in each of these areas •Prioritize and rank these topic areas based on team’s response •Use sticky dots to rank priorities for institute development•Use blank poster to identify other topic areas not addressed

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Lunch

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Identify the article you would prefer to discuss and move to the discussion area for that article

• Eliminating Ableism in Education • Review of Special Education in the Commonwealth of

Massachusetts Discuss the following questions: 1. In what ways do you agree or disagree with the points made in

the article?2. What implications does this information have on current

practice in CVTE environments? 3. What additional questions arose as a result of this reading?

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Reading Reviews Activity: Choose a Corner

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Instructional Supports for Students with Disabilities- Frame of ReferenceDefining Students with Disabilities

Finish the sentence frame: Students with disabilities are students who:___________________________________________________________

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Instructional Supports for Students with Disabilities- Expectations Make a Difference

Come to a consensus within your group: How many of the 13 federal disability

definitions have the terms “intellectual disability” as a defining characteristic?

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Instructional Supports for Students with Disabilities- Think-Pair-Share: Reflection

Reflect on what you learned from this activity- How did it change your expectations for students with

disabilities? Share with your table group partners

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National Categorical Incidence

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While intellectual disabilities do NOT preclude a student from learning, the vast majority of students with

disabilities have average cognitive abilities

Therefore:

Cognitive abilities will not impede the majority of students with disabilities

from mastering the grade level content

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Specific Learning Disability Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Instructional Supports for Students with Disabilities- Mild to Moderate Student Profiles

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Specific Learning Disability A neurological disorder in one or more of the basic

psychological processes affecting the ability to understand or use language affecting: • Listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling or

math calculations

The disability interferes with the individual’s ability to: • Store information • Process information • Produce information

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SLD- Characteristics • Unexpected underachievement• Lack of motivation • Difficulty generalizing information• Faulty information processing • Insufficient problem solving strategies • Immature social skills• Disorganization

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Students with Learning Disabilities Struggle..These students struggles are not related to cognitive

ability… is it due to a lack of motivation, or a result of “Fear, Anxiety and Tension?”

Experience a few moments in their shoes…• Auditory processing difficulties• Visual perception difficulties• Reading comprehension difficulties• Decoding difficulties

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SLD- Academic Interventions • Intensive instructional interventions should focus on word study and the

development of conceptual math skills• Instructional across grade levels should focus on strategy instruction to

support organization, memory and writing weaknesses • All content provided in an accessible manner

• Electronic text readers • Audio books • Visual technology • Graphic organizers

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SLD- Behavioral Interventions • Consistent classroom structures and routines • Clear expectations and visual supports • Direct instruction with frequent repetition • Implementation of accommodations • Social skills instruction • Positive and proactive behavior supports

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Break

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Recognizing ADHD: Primary Symptoms and Common Impairments

Primary symptoms• Inattention• Hyperactivity• Impulsivity

To be diagnosed with ADHD• Symptoms must be present in at least two settings• Must be clear evidence of interference with developmentally

appropriate social, academic, or occupational therapy • Connors Scale utilized for assessment most often

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Types of ADHDADHD Combined TypePredominantly inattentive

andhyperactive without

significantimpulsivity

ADHD PredominantlyInattentive TypePrimarily inattention

withouthyperactivity or impulsivity

ADHD, PredominantlyHyperactive-ImpulsiveTypeHyperactive with impulsivity

ADHD, Not OtherwiseSpecified (NOS) Doesn’t meet full criteria of

ADHD,but still have some continuingADHD symptoms Normally diagnosed in

adolescentsand adults

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The Nerve Cell and Neurotransmitters

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What Are Executive Functions?

The term executive functions refers to an individual’s selfdirected actions that are used to help that person regulate his orher behavior, that is, actions a person performs that help him orher exert more self-control and better reach his or her goals.Executive functions represent the internalization of behaviorthat helps us anticipate changes in the environment and eventsthat lie ahead in time. It provides a sense of readiness, theability to inhibit habitual responses, delaying gratification, andadjusting ones actions to changing conditions. It is, in someways, a cognitive process that serves as a kind of supervisor orscheduler that helps one select a strategy to integrateinformation from different sources (Lougy, et. al., 2009).

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Activity- Jig Saw

Read the section of Why does the adolescent with ADHD struggle with Executive Function Skills? assigned to you.

Discuss in your group: Why is it important to understand the role Executive Function Dysfunction when working with students with ADHD?

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ADHD- Academic Interventions • Consistent classroom structures and routines • Instruction that is relevant and meaningful• Strategy instruction to support organization and

memory weaknesses • Engaging cooperative instruction • Chunking of content and tasks • Implementation of accommodations

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ADHD- Behavioral Interventions

• Consistent routines and expectations• Explicit instruction and reinforcement of

expectations • Reinforcement of appropriate behaviors • Review behavioral expectations explicitly • Reward direction- not perfection • Maintain a “perky pace”

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Instructional Supports for Students with Disabilities- Moderate to Severe Student Profiles

• Intellectual Disabilities• Emotionally Disturbance • Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Autism Spectrum Disorder Developmental disability affecting verbal and non-

verbal communication and social interactions that can range from mild to severe

Often characterized by: • Engagement in repetitive activities • Stereotypical movements • Resistance to environmental change • Unusual response to sensory experiences

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Core Deficits of ASD Difficulty with • identifying global concepts and elements of tasks• Processing auditory information- understanding, retaining

and retrieving • Generalizing skills• Sequencing information or steps in a task• Transitioning between different activities • Time concepts and time management • Atypical and/or uneven academic, social, or emotional

development

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ASD-Behavioral Issues • Students with ASD exhibit immature and

developmentally inappropriate behaviors that cannot be attributed to cognitive skills

• Behavior results from frustration and anxiety due to difficulties with communication, sensory regulation, and social interactions.

• Aggressive acting out behaviors usually result from heightened levels of anxiety due to unexpected changes in routines, schedules or an inability to transition to a non-preferred activity

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Video: Teaching Students with Autism

As you watch- list the instructional strategies identified by the teacher.

Discuss with your team: How do you see these classroom interventions being

implemented in the CVTE setting?

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ASD-Academic Interventions

• Consistent classroom structures and routines • Clear expectations communicated visually • Use of visual technology • Breaks from sensory stimulus • Use of visual agenda, timer for transitions • Keep communication simple and free of idioms and

figures of speech

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ASD- Behavioral Interventions • Consistent classroom structures and routines • Clear expectations for behavior • Preferred activities when tasks are completed

• Recognize when behavior signals show signs of distress and anxiety

• Provide opportunities away from overwhelming stimulus

• Provide social stories to relieve anxiety related to new situations

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Intellectual Disability Characterized by sub-average intellectual functioning that

includes an impairment of adaptive abilities including: • Communication • Self-care• Home living • Social/interpersonal skills• Use of community resources• Self-direction • Functional academic skills• Work, leisure, health and safety skills

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Intellectual DisabilitiesDefinition:

• An Significantly sub-average intellectual functioning• impairment resulting from an injury, disease or abnormality that

existed before age 18• An impairment in adaptive abilities

IQ scores• Mild (requiring intermittent support) 50-55 to approx.

70• Moderate (requiring limited support) 35-40 to 50-55• Severe (requiring extensive support) 20-25 to 30-35• Profound (requiring pervasive support) below 20-25

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Intellectual Disabilities – Fact Sheet

Discuss with your team how your school staff can meet the needs of these students in the following areas:

• Adapting curriculum • Demonstrating tasks and providing visual cues • Providing immediate feedback • Supporting daily living skill development • Occupational awareness and exploration • Social skills

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ID- Academic Interventions • Simple, short, uncomplicated sentences to ensure maximum

understanding • Repeat instructions or directions frequently • Reduce distractions and transitions • Teach specific skills • Encouraging, supportive learning environment• Capitalize on student success and self esteem• Appropriate program interventions to maximize success

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ID- Behavioral Interventions • Consistent classroom structures and routines • Direct explicit instruction of behavioral expectations • Frequent and immediate feedback• Social skills directly taught and reinforced • Opportunities to practice social skills in multiple

environments

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Emotional DisordersTwo Categories of Behavior• Externalizing behavior

• Characterized by aggression and hostility• Behaviors include: hyperactivity, high level of irritating

behavior that is impulsive, distractive and persistent aggression

• Internalizing behavior• Characterized by withdrawal• Behaviors include: depression, anorexia, bulimia, anxiety

• These disorders commonly occur with other disabilities such as learning disability and ADHD

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Emotional Disturbance (ED)

The term means a condition exhibiting one or more of thefollowing characteristics over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects a child's educational performance• An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or

health factors• An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal relationships

with peers or teachers• Inappropriate types of behaviors or feelings under normal circumstances• A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression• A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with

personal or school problems

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ED- Planning for Transition

As you watch the video, identify strategies that would support the transition of these students in the CVTE environment.

Discuss with your team how you might implement these strategies.

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ED – Academic Interventions • Behavior management, including a point system for appropriate behavior

and task completion, charting good behavior and earning rewards• Systematic intervention plans where a hierarchy of tactics is used

dependent on student’s behavior• Hone-school communications that include notes home and a home-based

reward system• Peer involvement• Classroom structure with guided practice and well-organized transitions

from activity to activity• Supervised free periods (recess, hall changes, lunch)• Consistent standards (held by all staff members) applied to behavior, with

high expectations for academic performance• Teach social skills directly

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ED- Behavioral Interventions Prevention school wide

• Consistency of rules, expectations and consequences school wide• Positive school climate• School wide strategies for conflict resolution • High levels of supervision• Cultural sensitivity• Strong feelings by students of identification, involvement, and

bonding with their school• High level of parent and community involvement• Well utilized space and lack of overcrowding

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Reflection- • Identify at least three new learnings of the day • How will you use this new learning at your school? • Be ready to share in the morning Wrap up- Next Steps4:30-6:00 – Personal Time 6:00-7:00- Dinner 7:00-8:30 Evening Activities

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Wrap up day 1 Application-Reflection

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In school teams:7:00-7:30- Investigate various websites from list

provided 7:30-8:00- Identify a website for review and answer

the questions on the handout – put information on poster paper

8:00-8:30- Team share out 8:30- Closing

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Evening activity- Website ReviewsInstructional and Behavioral Support Resources

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• Reflection and Team Sharing • Introduction of Superintendents • Tom Hehir-A Study of Students with Disabilities in Career

Vocational Technical Education in MA • Cross Group Discussion- Working Together to Ensure

Student Success • Site level Needs Assessment Discussion/Review • Facilitated Action Planning for Project Development • Next Steps

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Day 2 Agenda

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Reflection and Team Sharing

Reflect on answers to questions posed at the end of the day yesterday-

• Identify at least three new learnings of the day • How will you use this new learning at your school?

Share responses with team members- use this information for action planning in the afternoon

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Tom Hehir-

9:15-10:30 -Presentation: A Study of Students with Disabilities in Career Vocational Technical Education in MA

10:30-10:45 -Break 10:45-11:15 –Discussion: Review of Special Education in

the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 11:15-12:00 6565- Questions and Answers

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Lunch

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Facilitated Discussion Working Together to Ensure Student Success • MASPED Academy and CVTE Institute participants will

participate in a facilitated panel conversation to debrief points raised during Tom Hehir’s presentation

• Discussion points will include transitions to CVTE environments and issues related to sending and receiving schools

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Team Review • Each team reviews the CVTE Pre-Institute Self-

Assessment • Come to agreement on rating as a school • Identify top two or three challenges, or primary

concerns based on team reflection • Use these top two or three challenges in the action

planning process

Site Level Needs Assessment- Review

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Facilitated process to use priorities identified in needs assessment to develop a doable action plan for systems change and improvement

Involves: 1. Identify primary concern2. Contributing factors 3. Possible barriers4. Action step development

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Facilitated Action Planning Process

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Refining Your Primary Concern

What is a primary concern?

A primary concern is an issue or problem you have identified by analyzing your data and reviewing your Pre-Institute Self-Assessment

There are three guiding questions you should consider when selecting (and refining) your primary concern

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Three guiding questions for selecting a primary concern:

1. What would have the greatest benefit for students with disabilities in reaching their post secondary goals?

2. What would have the greatest positive impact on the other challenges you identified in your needs assessment?

3. What does your school/district team have the greatest potential to impact and change?

Refining Your Primary Concern

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Refining Your Primary ConcernPrimary Concerns

SHOULDPrimary Concerns

SHOULD NOTReflect a problem identified by your needs assessment data

Be related to students with disabilities in the Career Vocational Technical Education environment

Be something within your control

Describe the solution to a problem in your school/district

Include the word “need”

Be unrelated to students with disabilities in the CVTE environment

Be something outside your control

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Example primary concerns:• Staff has an unclear understanding of the instructional and

behavioral needs of students with moderate disabilities, resulting in resistance to having these students participate in the school program

• Vocational, academic and special educators do not have regular collaboration opportunities in order to identify strategies that support students with disabilities in shop classes

• Disability labels drive student placement decisions limiting placement options within the CVTE programs for students with disabilities

Refining Your Primary Concern

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• Work with your team members to review and refine your primary concerns• Consider the guiding questions

• Use checklist for examples

• Make any needed modifications to your primary concern

• Write revised primary concerns on flip chart

Refining Your Primary Concern

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A contributing factor is a possible underlying cause of the problem identified in your primary concerns.

Contributing Factors

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Primary concern: Staff does not have a clear understanding of the instructional and behavioral needs of students with moderate disabilities, resulting in resistance to having these students participate in the school program

Possible contributing factors:• There is trepidation on the part of the staff that these students will be

unsafe in shop classes • Staff do not have the appropriate skills or training to support the

instructional and behavioral needs of these students across classes • There is an unclear understanding of what role the CVTE plays in meeting

the post secondary goals of this population of students

Example: Contributing Factors

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As a team, brainstorm possible contributing factors in relation to the areas identified as your primary concerns

• Record all possibilities on flip chart paper

• Discuss all options and vote on top 1-3 contributing factors for each primary concern area

Contributing Factors

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Barriers stand in the way of addressing the contributing factors which have caused the primary concern

• What is standing in the way of addressing each of the contributing factors?

• In other words, why haven’t we fixed this problem to date?

Barriers

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Primary concern: Staff does not have a clear understanding of the instructional and behavioral needs of students with moderate disabilities, resulting in resistance to having these students participate in the school program

Contributing factor: Staff do not have the appropriate skills or training to support the instructional and behavioral needs of these students across classes

Possible barriers:• Staff have not voiced a need for this type of training due to few students with

these disabilities involved in CVTE • Staff overall do not believe that this population should be in a CVTE environment

since they may not be able to meet graduation requirements• These students are not referred nor admitted to the CVTE program • There has not been a priority of funding for this kind of training

Example: Barriers

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As a team, brainstorm possible barriers for each contributing factor

• Record all possibilities on flip chart paper

• Discuss all options and vote on top 1-2 barriers for each contributing factor

Barriers

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Pair up with a partner and review the following:

• Primary concern

• Contributing factors

• Barriers

Before moving to action steps

Critical Friends/Peer Review

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How can you move forward from barriers to specific action steps?

How do we take the good ideas generated today and translate them into concrete improvements?

Action Steps

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• Consider each primary concern and its contributing factors

• Review the barriers for each contributing factor and develop your action steps

• Identify which action steps can create a doable action plan

• Based on this knowledge, identify a primary concern that you will address in your project.

• We encourage you to leave here today with concrete ideas for your action plan and systems change project

• Do not feel like you have to make final decisions today

• Use the following guidance…

Action Steps for Planning

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Writing Action Steps Guidance:

• Begin with an action verb that describes what will be done by staff.

• Write clear, concise statements that describe what should be accomplished.

• Make sure each action step addresses each of the barriers you’ve identified.

• Refer to your checklist for examples

Action Steps

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• Draft an Action Plan related to your primary concerns

• Have co-directors review draft Action Plan prior to follow up meeting in November

• Come prepared to develop short term steps to accomplish project based on your Action Plan

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Next steps-

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Dates of upcoming Institute sessions• November 29th • February 7th • April 4th • May 16th

Webinar scheduled for January 10th

Second Webinar TBD in March 89

REMINDERS…

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• “Now that you mention it” Activity

• Homework: Draft Action Plan to Co-directors for feedback

• Logistics for follow up meeting on November 29th

• Evaluation

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Closing and Evaluation

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What we do for ourselves Dies with us;

What we do for others Remains for all

immortality

Anonymous91

Thank you!