Prepared for:EdVentures

July 17, 2014

“Special Education – Responding to the Changes”

Dr. Jovan JacobsCompton USD, CA

and

Dr. Philip E. Geiger

Workshop Goal

The goal of this session is to provide an understanding of the needs and continuum of

services with special educationin order to explore the wide array of business

opportunities available to innovators and entrepreneurs.

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Dr. Jovan Jacobs

Objectives

Participants will understand a basic understanding of: IDEA 2004 IEP process (referral, assessment, documentation, and

implementation) Continuum of programs and services School Districts expectations from venders and services

Participants will explore opportunities for products and services: Finding ways to reduce special education costs Improving performance of special needs students Monitoring and using data

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Dr. Jovan Jacobs

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What is the Status of Things?

South Dakota Gov. Rounds – “next year worst budget scenario ever seen” – 50% of state budget goes to education – “spending will need to be flexible”

North Carolina DPI cutting $117M - $59M from districts, $58 from lapsed positions and travel

Montana Gov. said next two years are going to be bad Guilford County, NC halts school construction California sold bonds to close cash shortage South Carolina cut education spending 3% California cut education funding $2.4 B Rhode Island cut $1M from School for the Deaf

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What is the Status of Things Now?

Hawaii raised school lunches from $1.25 to $2

LAUSD cut $200M-$400M by early retirements, layoffs, larger class sizes, unpaid furlough days

Hartford, CT froze school spending DeKalb, GA cut $20M and laid off 127 teachers,

cutting signature bus service

25% of the school budget goes to 12% of the students – SPECIAL EDUCATION

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What Are The IssuesImpacting Education Funding/Spending?

National Economic Crisis State Budget Deficits Taxpayer Fear

80 Million Baby Boomers Competing for health care Social Security Medicare – School Based Claiming Fewer than 1:5 households have kids in

school Infrastructure Decay High Enrollments Now; Decline Forthcoming Lack of Confidence in Schools (other people’s) New School Funding Plans

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What Are The IssuesImpacting Education Funding/Spending?

Equity Issues Competition – Charters (including online),

Private, Religious, Home Schooling New School Funding Plans Public Employee Pensions and GAP

Accounting Significant High School Drop Out Rate Fade into Postsecondary Education Technology in the Classroom Technology to Improve Efficiency and

Productivity

Compliance: IDEA Federal Law

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes:

Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE)

Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is to have the special

education Student’s educational program serviced as much as

possible in the general education setting based on the disability

Eligibility for Special Education Services

Supports: accommodations, modifications

Conflict: Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation, and Due Process

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Dr. Jovan Jacobs

Responsibilities

Principal Responsibilities

Ensure that special education teachers know all the goals for the students with disabilities

Ensure that teachers are providing appropriate modifications and accommodations

Ensure that teachers are providing differentiated instruction

Monitor compliance and process for students with special needs

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Dr. Jovan Jacobs

Teacher Expertise

General Educators bring to the team:– Expertise on the general curriculum– Knowledge of how the student is progressing in the general curriculum– Ideas about positive behavioral interventions

Special Educators and Related Service Providers bring to the team:– Expertise on disabilities, evaluations, and assessment– Provide, design, and/or supervise special education services– Ability to accommodate and/or modify instruction

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Dr. Jovan Jacobs

Continuum of Programs and Placements

Placements options

A. Regular Education Classes/Inclusion

B. Individual/Small Group Setting (Tutoring)

C. Resource Room

D. Separate Facility

E. Home Instruction

F. Institutions and Hospitals11

Dr. Jovan Jacobs

Continuum of Services

Adapted Physical Education Services Aide Services Audiological Services Behavior Consultant Braillist Interpreter Services Occupational Therapy Services Orientation & Mobility Services Physical Therapy Services School Psychological Services Speech and Language Services Transportation Vision Specialist Work-Study/Transition Services

Other Support Personnel/Programs Counseling Services Nursing Services

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Related Services are support services needed to allow children with disabilities to benefit from special education. These include:

Dr. Jovan Jacobs

The 9 Driving Forces

1. Culture

2. Out-of-District Placements

3. Professional Development

“Culture is not the most important thing in organizational functioning. It is the only thing that is important…” Peter Drucker

The more conversant the Superintendent was in Special Education issues, the lower the cost and more satisfactory the performance

Open and transparent systems = less cost and higher satisfaction

The further removed district leadership was from complete and routine appreciation of the data, the higher the costs and the less satisfaction with performance

Real costs of out-of-district placements:1) financial 2) organizational 3) equal opportunity 4) educational

Districts uniformly did not invest in professional development

Districts routinely spent more than 80% of the school budget on salaries; but less than 1% on training

District-wide routine and broadly inclusive training/mentoring = lower costs and greater satisfaction with outcomes

Broader view of professional development than just contract compliance = mentoring/coaching; blogs; conference calls; and study groups

The Response to needs of School Districts

Professional Development Coaching Case Management Software

• Data Management• Compliance• Parental Engagement• State and District Reporting

Attention to the Autism Spectrum–1:85 students

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MAXIMUS TIENET

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The 9 Driving Forces (continued)

4. Therapists and Clinicians

5. Utilization of Paraprofessionals

Districts without consistently strong and tight management had a higher incidence rate of self-referral, higher costs, and less satisfactory outcomes

An absence of electronic monitoring

Management issues: 1) schedules 2) discharges 3) entrance and exit criteria 4) 3 year IEP review 5) inclusion 6) stakeholder awareness 7) transparency Districts tended to focus on numbers/costs rather than utility/success

Management issues: 1) absence of entranced and exit criteria 2) disproportionality 3) personal versus professional decision making

Districts without tight management had higher costs and less satisfactory performance

The Response to needs of School Districts

• Outsource Clinical Services– Psychologists– Occupational Therapists– Speech Therapists– Physical Therapists

• Outsource Professional Services– Teacher Aides– Home Instructors– Nurses

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The 9 Driving Forces (continued)

6. Pre-Referral Performance

Districts that assigned this as a Special Education responsibility had a higher cost than districts assigning this leadership to regular education (RTI and IDEA)

Leadership less conversant with the data had higher costs and less satisfactory performance

The Response to needs of School Districts

• Response to Intervention– Software (TIENET RtI)– Professional Development –– Instructional Material– Performance Probes

• Early Childhood Programs – PreSchool 3-5

• Childcare - Infant - 5

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The 9 Driving Forces (continued)

7. Team Leaders

The more routine and compliance focused the function, the higher the cost

The greater the focus on case management skills, the lower the cost and the more satisfactory the performance

The Response to needs of School Districts

More Data Collection– Expectations for More Performance Data for Special Education

Students– Comparisons of Special Needs Student Performance with Cohort and

General Student Population– Federal Demands for Performance Data for Special Needs Students

Professional Development

Specialized Curriculum Material for Special Needs Students

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The 9 Driving Forces (continued)

8. Mental Health and Behavioral Issues

The most significant increase of incidents in Special Education service demands and the least accepted and recognized

The less the district invested in core capability of addressing mental health and behavioral issues, the higher the cost and more exclusive the service

The Response to needs of School Districts

Collection of Behavioral Information• Integrated Software with SPED Case

Management and SIS

Recommended Strategies for Addressing Behavioral Issues• Professional Development

Short Online Videos and Vignettes

• Software Programs for if this, then that

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The 9 Driving Forces (continued)

9. Money and Span of Control

Districts appear to already be spending the money; use “district-related groups” as an indicator of measurement tool

Districts where the Superintendent and Director of Special Education were conversant with all costs and % of children receiving services, the lower the cost and the greater perception of success

Most districts do not spend Special Education dollars efficiently or effectively; decision making is often characterized by response to crisis needs creating a system of “patchwork quilt” of add-ons

Districts utilizing resources to provide in-district programs attracting admissions from neighboring districts have lower costs

Districts attending to rethinking and reorganizing the delivery system had more stable costs

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Predicting The Future… There will be one!

More Professional Development

More Data Collection (analysis, prescriptive, resources)

More Specialized Curriculum Material

More Outsourcing of Specialized Services

Greater Consideration of the Autism Spectrum

Effort to Reduce the Number of Special Needs Students – RtI, Equity

Effort to Re-Direct More $ to General Ed

More on Line Instruction

More Technological Content

Greater Synergy between K-12 and Postsecondary

Demand for Greater Financial Transparency

Salaries will reflect demand

Consolidation of Back Office Functions

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Contact Information

Dr. Philip E. Geiger, Senior Vice President

MAXIMUS K-12 Education, Inc.1891 Metro Center Drive, Reston, VA 20190

703-251-8508 (Direct)703-251-8240 (Fax)

Contact

Dr. Jovan Jacobs, SELPA Director of Compton Unified School District

Email: jjacobs@compton.k12.ca.us

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