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Strategic Plan Status UpdateSpecial Education Program Evaluation
February 10, 2020
2
Goal 2: Student Experiences
Objective: A program evaluation of our current service delivery model for students with disabilities will be conducted by the end of the 2018-19 school year. Approved recommendations will be implemented in subsequent years.
3
Program Evaluation Timeline
January–March 2019: Literature review and instrument development phase
March – November 2019: Data collection and analysis phase
November – December 2019: Draft report submitted for review and feedback
January - February 2020: Final report submitted and Board Presentation
4
Presented by Gibson Consulting Group, Inc.
to the York County School Division
February 10, 2020
Special Education Program Evaluation
Agenda
5
Introduction
Parent Insights and Satisfaction
Staff Input
Organization and Management
Program Implementation
Behavior Programs
Questions
6
Introduction
Gibson Consulting Group
7
Consulting and Research firm exclusively dedicated to the K12 industry
Evaluated more than 75 special education programs nationwide
Based in Austin, Texas
15 employees, plus alliance partners
Selected in January 2019 through competitive procurement
Evaluation Team
8
Presenting:
― Greg Gibson, Project Director
― Keri Munkwitz, Senior Evaluation Consultant
― Dr. Jill Carle, Research Scientist
― Dr. Cindy Elsberry, Special Education Technical Specialist
Others Involved:
― Eric Booth, Senior Research Scientist
― Marshall Garland, Senior Quantitative Analyst
― Rex Long, Qualitative Data Analyst
Project Objective
9
To solicit feedback from program stakeholders and identify opportunities for improving programs and services to students with disabilities in YCSD.
Evaluation Questions
10
What is the quality of special education services in YCSD as evidenced by historical trends in student performance outcomes, program participation, and comparisons with similar schools and divisions?
Are YCSD’s special education programs and services appropriately organized, staffed, structured, and supported?
Are students effectively identified, evaluated, and placed in special education?
Are special education programs and services meeting the needs of students in YCSD?
To what extent are staff and parents satisfied with the continuum of services provided to special education students in YCSD?
Elements of Work
11
Literature Review of Best Practices and Strategies
Data Analysis and Benchmarking
Individualized Education Program (IEP) Review
Site Visit / School Visits / Classroom Observations
Staff Survey
Parent Survey and Phone Interviews
12
Parent Insights and Satisfaction
Parent Insights and Satisfaction
13
Online parent survey (1,561 sent, 20% response rate)
Phone interviews with hard-to-reach parents (n=34)
Four domains:
― Satisfaction with instructional services and IEP development
― Satisfaction with school environment and family communication
― Parent involvement
― Transportation services
Overall positive feedback across most domains
Parent Survey Results
14
71%
77%
79%
83%
84%
85%
87%
87%
87%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
School communicates regularly regarding child’s progress on IEP goals
IEP covers all appropriate aspects of child'sdevelopment
Had positive experiences at IEP meetings
Discussed how child would participate in stateassessments
Concerns/recommendations documented on IEP
Placement decisions made using data/input from IEPteam members
Team selects accommodations child needs
Staff conveyed sufficient knowledge of IEP process
Had thorough discussions of goals during IEPmeetings
IEP Development
Parent Survey Results
15
65%
67%
68%
80%
80%
89%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Teachers/staff at school effectively manageincidents of teasing/bullying
I am satisfied with the quality of specialeducation services my child receives
School ensures afterschool/extracurricularactivities are accessible
School provides my child with all IEP services
General education teachers implement all IEPaccommodations/modifications
Child spends an appropriate amount of time ingeneral education classes, given learning needs
Quality of Student Services Received
Parent Survey Results
16
Communication
72%
80%
81%
93%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Teachers/staff regularly share dataabout how child is doing
Referral/evaluation process for testingwas clear/easy
Teachers/staff encourage participationin decision-making process
Written information received is writtenin understandable way
Parent Survey Results
17
30%
34%
35%
58%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
School connects parents to organizationsthat serve parents of children w/
disabilities
School connects families to other familiesto provide information/mutual support
School offers parents training if they needhelp understanding child's curriculum
School gives parents help they need to play active role in child’s education
Accessibility of Resources
Recommendation
18
Help connect parents of students with disabilities with community resources to support them and help them fully engage in their child’s educational life.
19
Staff Input
Staff Survey Participants
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Special Education Teachers
Non-Special Education Teachers
School Leaders
Para-educators
Related Service Providers
School Board Office Staff
Staff Survey Domains
21
Satisfaction with Special Education identification, placement, and service delivery
Specialized instruction and inclusion
Teaching supports and collaboration
Professional development
Job satisfaction and responsibilities
Organizational support
Staff Survey Results
22
1,610 online surveys sent; 67% response rate
Response rates similar to division population percentages
Level of satisfaction varied significantly across domains, employee groups, school types, and schools within a school type
Results woven into report observations where applicable
23
Organization and Management
Program Profile
24
YCSD serves 1,450 students with disabilities, representing 11.2% of total enrollment, below the state average of 13.2% and below most peers
9.7%10.6% 11.2%
12.5% 12.6% 13.0%13.8%
13.2%
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
16.0%
RockinghamCounty
Culpepper York County Albemarle Suffolk City FrederickCounty
FaquierCounty
2018-2019 State
Over the past 5 years, growth in students with disabilities (17.9%) has exceeded overall enrollment growth (2.1%)
Program Profile
25
Flat per-student spending on students with disabilities, and below available benchmarks
$10,957 $11,386 $11,335 $12,192 $11,676
$-
$2,000
$4,000
$6,000
$8,000
$10,000
$12,000
$14,000
FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 FY 2018
Improvement Opportunities
26
Organization structure:
― 22 positions report to the Director, resulting in excessive involvement in transactional details
― Peer divisions show much lower span of control
― Program accountability (instruction, compliance, data analysis) not reflected on organizational chart
Improvement Opportunities
27
Level of Student Services Coordinator support across schools is inconsistent and focuses more on administrative than academic support
More special education para-educators (114) than teachers (103), inconsistent with what research suggests
Staffing formulas and guidelines not sufficiently based on student needs (service hours) or division-established caseloads
Improvement Opportunities
28
Incomplete and/or outdated procedures and job descriptions
Insufficient data validation and analysis
Improvement Opportunities
29
Lower Medicaid Reimbursement Revenue per student than
available benchmarks
$243
$109
$122
$10
$96
$0 $50 $100 $150 $200 $250 $300
Suffolk City
Fauquier County
Culpeper County
Albemarle County
York County
Recommendations
30
Reorganize the Office of Student Services to achieve a reasonable span of control and a logical alignment of functions
Convert some para-educator positions to teacher positions to more significantly impact student learning
Establish targets for related services provider student-staff ratios and caseload maximums to ensure optimal staffing efficiency and effectiveness
Recommendations
31
Assign a dedicated staff resource to data analysis, data verification, and data entry training
Seek outside assistance to explore additional Medicaid Revenue opportunities
32
Program Implementation
Program Profile
33
YCSD is trending towards higher inclusion levels
Student achievement significantly higher than peer divisions and state average across all content areas, largely mirroring general education performance
Program Passing Rates
34
Graduation and Dropout Rates
35
Improvement Opportunities
36
RtI implementation fidelity and effectiveness
― Staff survey on effectiveness of RtI ranged from 33% to 80% agreement
70.837.1
7672.2
3561.5
53.164
75.933.3
65.168.8
80.443.3
73.555.6
77.572.7
66.7
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
The RtI process at my school is effective in addressing the needs of students who are experiencing difficultyin school.
Improvement Opportunities
37
Some components of IEPs do not meet best practice standards and quality is inconsistent across schools
― Measurable goals
― Well–written Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP)
― Annual revision timelines
― Mastery of goals and objectives
Improvement Opportunities
38
Staff survey showed wide variations in agreement with consistency of placement decision across schools
26.938.539.3
41.750
54.555.656.3
63.673.9
59.472.7
76.277.5
5061.8
71.483.9
85
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Placement decisions are made consistently across IEP teams and schools.
Improvement Opportunities
39
Inclusion:
― General education classes have high percentage of high-need students
― In-classroom segregation of students with disabilities
― Over-utilization of whole group instruction
― Limited use of instructional technology to differentiate instruction
― Classroom observations not reflective of training efforts
Recommendations
40
Update RtI standard operating procedures and centrally monitor school-level RtI data
Develop standards for IEPs and conduct periodic audits to ensure quality and compliance standards are met
Provide additional guidance and training to IEP teams regarding student placements, and continually evaluate YCSD’s continuum of program and services
Provide schools with a model for supporting instruction and inclusion in the general education setting
41
Behavior Programs
Program Profile
42
Favorable trends in special education suspensions (> 10 days)
― 4A Special Education over-representation risk
― 4B Race or ethnicity over-representation risk
8.19
10.63
5.144.56
5.06
3.03
1 1 1 1
3.38
1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19
Risk Ratio 4A Risk Ratio 4B
Improvement Opportunities
43
Behavior intervention implementation fidelity
Progress measurement and monitoring in Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs)
Recommendations
44
Expand on current efforts to build proactive and responsive behavioral support systems across YCSD
Identify and implement a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) initiative
45
Questions
46
Date Action Steps
February 13 Communication sent out to all parents
February 11-21 Form the Special Education Program Improvement Team
March 17 Update Special Education Advisory Committee
March 1- May 30 Improvement team develops an action plan based on evaluation findings and recommendations
June 1 Update School Board on Progress
Program Evaluation Next Steps
Strategic Plan Status UpdateSpecial Education Program Evaluation
February 10, 2020