Rebecca H. Cort, Deputy CommissionerNYSED VESID

Presentation to NYS Staff / Curriculum Development Network

Targeted Activities to Improve Results for Students with Disabilities

September 2009

Academic Outcomes and Students with

Disabilities

39.3% 41.3%

55.0%

37.5%37.9%

2001 Cohort 2002 Cohort 2003 Cohort 2004 Cohort NYSGraduationRate Goal

NYSGraduationGoal 2012

Bo

ard

of

Re

ge

nts

dis

cu

ss

ing

Trend in Percent of Students with Disabilities Graduating with Regents or Local Diploma After 4 Years as of June

2004 cohort results of 41.3% exceeded the IDEA target of 38% Future targets are more rigorous:

2008-09 target is 44%2009-10 target will be 49%2010-11 target will be 52%

NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09 Indicator #1

(This slide presents data available when each APR was prepared. Later changes made by SED to 2001 and 2002 total cohort data are not reflected here.)

17.6

%

30.4

%

32.5

%

48.1

%

74.0

%

20.5

% 28.8

%

31.2

%

45.6

%

22.6

%

26.3

% 34.8

%

36.1

%

51.7

%

74.4

%

21.7

%

18.6

%

74.1

%

72.4

%

49.0

%

35.9

%

31.7

%

22.5

%

19.8

%

New York City Large City Urban-Suburban Rural Average Low

2001 Cohort 2002 Cohort 2003 Cohort 2004 Cohort

Average and Low Need districts exceeded the 38% target set for the 2007-08 school year.

High Need districts are improving but did not meet the target

Wide variations in outcomes across school districts

NYSED, VESID APR Feb 2009 data as of 1/23/09 Indicator #1

(This slide presents data available when each APR was prepared. Later changes made by SED to 2001 and 2002 total cohort data are not reflected here.)

Trend in Percent of Students with Disabilities Graduating with Regents or Local Diploma After 4 Years as of June

By Need Resource Capacity of School Districts

13,057

2,4994,154

4,969

2,832

6,7905,675

8,3057,226

8,4249,767

10,506

17,299

3,414

9,514

7,545

4,175

10,4618,606

11,1949,680

12,14413,079

14,325

25,046

4,419

5,647

12,60713,518

15,366

17,321

14,101

16,309

18,94920,081

22,735

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Number with Score of 65-100

Number with Score of 55-100

Total Number Tested

Since 1997, there has been more than 567% increase in the number of students with disabilities tested. Of the students tested in 2008, 69% achieved a score between 55-100.

2008 Regents English Examination & Students with DisabilitiesData represents Public Schools, Including Charter Schools

Regents Diplomas Awarded in 2007-08 to Students with Disabilities(Data represents Public Schools, including Charter Schools.)

774 8641,115 1,329

1,8392,257

2,865

4,673

5,3665,843

7,000

526 623

1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05* 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08

*Note: students that graduated with Regents diplomas in 2004-05 were required to pass five Regents examinations compared to eight required in previous years.

Since higher standards were adopted in 1996, more than 13 times as many students with disabilities are earning Regents diplomas.

2004 Total Cohort Status after Four Years as of June (n=31,252 students with disabilities)

Regents Diploma

21%

Local Diploma21%

IEP Diploma12%

Dropped Out16%

AHSEP Transfers

2%

Still Enrolled after 4 Yrs.

28%

*AHSEP = Alternative High School Equivalency Preparation program

41

.3%

16

.0%22

.6%

26

.3% 3

4.8

%

36

.1%

51

.7%

74

.4%

3.5

%

13

.4%

11

.7%

17

.4%

20

.3%

11

.3%

12

.1%

3.8

%

12

.1%2

1.6

%

31

.5%

16

.6%

19

.2%

New YorkCity

Large 4Cities

Urban/Suburban

Rural HighNeed

AverageNeed

Low Need Total Public

% High School Diploma % IEP Diplomas % Dropped Out

2004 Total Cohort

10,112 1,612 2,633 2,408 10,221 4,102

2004 Total Cohort after Four Years as of June:Graduation, IEP Diploma and Dropout Rates

NYSED, VESID APR 2009 Indicators #1 & 2

There are wide variations across school districts in the ways that students with disabilities leave school.

Different types of exit have post school consequences for young adults with disabilities.

Getting There from HereGrades 3-8

English Language Arts (ELA)

Increasingly students with disabilities are demonstrating proficiency by scoring at Levels 3 & 4 on Grades 3-8 ELA examinations.

Percent of Students with Disabilitiesat Levels 3-4 in ELA

Number Tested 2006 2007 2008 2009

Grade 3 = 23,811 26,692 27,285 27,702

Grade 4 = 26,474 28,281 29,983 29,562

Grade 5 = 28,987 29,985 30,661 31,410

Grade 6 = 28,883 29,055 31,195 31,021

Grade 7 = 29,237 29,842 31,180 31,840

Grade 8 = 29,119 29,514 31,017 31,312

Grades 3-8 = 166,511 173,369 181,381 182,847

Fewer students with disabilities are demonstrating serious academic difficulties by scoring at Level 1 on the ELA examinations.

Percent of Students with Disabilities at Level 1 in ELA

The Call to Action The Call to Action

• Annual Targets for Improvement– Graduation, Drop Out Rates

– Performance on State Assessments

– Effective Transition Planning

– Rates of Suspension

• Focused Monitoring – Compliance in Areas most directly related to results (e.g.,

transition planning, timely evaluations)

• Technical Assistance to Improve Core Instructional Practices– Literacy, Behavior, Special Education Instructional Practices,

Transition Planning and Activities

Determination Criteria• Graduation Rates• Drop Out Rates• AYP & Combined

ELA/Math 3-8 Performance

• Compliance Rates• Other factors

School District Accountability

2009-10 Determinations• 97 At Risk• 41 Need Assistance• 30 Need Intervention

Other Identifications• 64 show high rates of

long-term suspensions• 60 have data indicating

disproportionality on the basis of race/ethnicity

Other Identifications• High rates of long-

term suspensions• Disproportionality on

the basis of race/ethnicity

Focus on the Instructional Core

• What is the instructional basis for schools identified as needing assistance or intervention?

– How are students taught literacy across the grades?

– What behavioral supports are in place school-wide, in classrooms, in small groups and for individual students?

– What is the quality of the special education instruction and supports students are receiving?

– What instructional planning and supports need to be provided to prepare students for post-secondary living, working and education?

Technical Assistance (TA) Resources

NEW Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Centers (RSE-TASCs)

– Regional specialists (behavior, training, private schools, bilingual special education, secondary transition)

– Special Education School Improvement Specialists

13 Special Education Parent Centers

TAC –Disproportionality (NYU Metro Center)

Effective Practices - S³tair Project

Higher Education Support Center Inclusive Schools

Early Childhood Direction Centers

Response to Intervention State TA Center Supporting grants to 14 schools

Restructuring of former SETRCs, Transition Coordination Sites and PBIS Networks into 10 Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Centers

• Regional Specialists– Special education trainers– Behavior– Transition – Bilingual special education– Nondistrict program

technical assistance providers

• Special Education School Improvement Specialists– Each BOCES region– Each Big 5

Teams created in nine regions by Joint Management Team plus New York City

RSE-TASC Coordinators

Regional Planning Processto Strategically Deploy TA Resources to those Districts Most in Need

Cyndi Besig

Acts as a liaison between NYSED/VESID leaders, BOCES District Superintendents, Big 5 District Superintendents, NYSED

Special Education Quality Assurance officials, regional specialists & local SESIS and other NYSED funded technical

assistance networks

Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Centers (RSE-TASC)A VESID funded network supporting & improving instructional practices & outcomes for students with disabilities. RSE-TASCs are located in

nine Joint Management Team Regions of New York State and in New York City

(Regional)Nondistrict Programs Technical

Assistance SpecialistProvides

training and technical

assistance on special

education to selected approved

private schools and

other nondistrict programs

(Regional)Transition SpecialistProvides

training and assistance to

school districts

identified to improve transition

planning and services

(Regional) Behavior SpecialistProvides

training and technical

assistance to districts on

positive behavioral

supports and establishing & sustaining

PBIS

(Regional) Bilingual Special

Education SpecialistProvides regional

information & technical assistance related to effective

practices for students with

disabilities who are bilingual/English language learners

(Regional) Special

Education Training

SpecialistProvides training &

information to school

personnel from multiple school

districts in region related

to special education

compliance & effective

practices

(Local)Special Education

School Improvement Specialists

(SESIS)Provide targeted

technical assistance to school districts

designated by VESID focusing on improving instructional practices

for students with disabilities in the areas of literacy,

behavioral supports, special education

instruction.

1214

14 8 8 115

RSE-TASC Coordinator

(42 SESIS in NYC; 73 Rest of State)

56 Regional Specialists Statewide – 13 NYC; 43 Rest of State

Supported by research-based tools and high quality professional development

• Research-based Quality Indicator Review and Resource Guides

• State Professional Development Centers– PBIS– Transition– School Improvement– Response to Intervention

Identifying and Promoting What Works

Effective Practices - S³tair Project

• Regional facilitators in 7 regions of the State to identify and document practices of schools with high quality, effective instructional practices for students with disabilities.

• Grant funds to effective practice schools and districts in need of assistance/intervention to promote replication and mentoring relationships among the schools.

Key State Policy Issues

• IEP diploma

• Safety net options for graduation with a local diploma