What Does High School Redesign Mean for Transition?

2007 Pennsylvania Community on Transition ForumJuly 18, 2007 1:30 – 2:45

The Perspective of the National Community of Practice on

Transition

What is a Community of Practice?

A structure that enables routine communication, learning and action among individuals and groups that agree to meet regularly to improve current practice

A mindset, a way of working that promotes shared work and moves away from isolated activity

Inclusive framework for creating dialogue around who and what is known as well as who and what we need to know

Who Are We?

Federal Agencies State Communities

– State Agencies– Consumers– Local Practitioners

National Organizations Technical Assistance Providers

Communities in States

Alabama Arizona California Delaware District of Columbia Minnesota New Hampshire North Dakota Pennsylvania Virginia Wisconsin

Where Is Our Focus?

Promoting interagency connections and shared work

Supporting the vision of a more meaningful youth role

Promoting year-round strategies, and state-wide meetings as a catalyst

Coalescing around emerging issues Building the community within and

between states

How Do We Expect To Change Practice?

Learning through Community Building

State-to-Local Local-to-State Local-to-Local

Focusing on issues and relationships Moving from single events to year-round strategies

Moving from separate work to shared work:

Working across groups Working across agencies

The Communication Structure

The IDEA Partnership Community of Practice

State to State

State to Local

Local to LocalLocal to State

Federal to State

State to Federal

Year-Round Communication Network: www.sharedwork.org

sharedwork.org is a website funded by the U. S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and sponsored by the IDEA Partnership at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) for the purpose of connecting stakeholders in the national Communities of Practice (CoP), participating states’ CoP and Practice Groups to develop their shared work.

www.sharedwork.org

This website is used to… Announce new products developed. Announce training events. Disseminate the results of state pilot projects. Share promising practices. Encourage local-to-local sharing. Seek input from the field on matters of shared interest

that are being discussed by one or more of the Community of Practice partners.

Advise the development of the key national, state, regional, and local meetings.

Other opportunities that become evident as we communicate more routinely.  

What is the Practical Value of a Community of Practice?

Could a Community of Practice Approach Help Us to Address:

Some Persistent Problems

Some Emerging Trends

Why High School Redesign is Important for Transition?

Disability at the table Congruence of ideas New context Validation of strategies New opportunities and partners

Who is Leading High School Redesign Efforts?

National Governors Association http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.1f41d49be2d3d33eacdcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=01c48cc156de1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD

Council of Chief State School Officers http://www.ccsso.org/projects/Secondary_School_Redesign/

National Association of Secondary School Principals http://www.principals.org/s_nassp/sec_inside.asp?CID=1162&DID=54968

Gates Foundation http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/

American Youth Policy Forum http://www.aypf.org/projects/statehsreformtrips.htm

National Conference of State Legislators http://www.ncsl.org/programs/educ/HSProjOutline.htm

Education Commission of the States http://www.ecs.org/ecsmain.asp?page=/html/ProjectbySubject.asp?issueID=108

National High School Center www.betterhighschools.org

High School Alliance www.hsalliance.org.htm

The National Community Look at High School Redesign

How will High School Reform be good for transitioning students?

What do you know about High School Reform in your state?  What do you need to find out?

How do you expect to change transition outcomes?

High School Redesign in Pennsylvania

Project 720 – Four years and 118 schools

– Focus on school climate and personalization in comprehensive high schools and career and technical education programs

– Integrated into the School Improvement effort

Connecting Transition to Project 720– Finding commonalities– Addressing issues– Building the partnerships

High School Redesign in Pennsylvania

Current Efforts……. Major focus on high school redesign

at 2007 Transition Forum Partnership with Special Education

Institute at International Center on Educational Leadership

Shared learning across states and professional organizations involved in the National Community of Practice on Transition

High School Redesign in Pennsylvania

Next Steps– Roll out at local school level – Make connection to Project 720 and become

an integral component of Pennsylvania ‘s comprehensive school reform effort.

Vocational Rehabilitation and High School Redesign

VR AS A STRONG PARTNER WITH THE TRANSITION TEAM

VR 101-What, When, Why

PA VR Perspective

We're Here to Help Not To Hinder!!!

Working Together as a Community

Staying the Course

Transition to Adult Life

High School Redesign in New Hampshire

Commissioner’s Follow the Child Initiative:Encourages social, emotional, physical, academic development of all students

New legislation raising compulsory age of education to 18

New state rules for school approval NH Transition CoP - Student Ownership and

Personalization Practice Group

NH’s Participation in PA Forum

NH Transition CoP priorities: – HS Redesign and Dropout Prevention– School-Business Partnerships at State and Local Levels– Youth Engagement and Leadership Development– Professional Development and Training for all Stakeholders

State-to-state learning– Statewide meeting as year-round strategy– Involvement/role of state agency leadership in supporting work

of CoP– Youth Leadership and Engagement– Involving state chapters of national associations

Data and strategies supporting critical links between HS Redesign and opportunities for students with disabilities

High School Redesign in Wisconsin

• Emerging Stages – Initial awareness of HS Redesign at National Community of

Practice Meeting in Feb. 2007

• Making Connections– Jay Engeln, NASSP– WI HS Redesign Taskforce members– Al Hovey, Great Lakes Regional Resource Center

• Disability at the Table

High School Redesign in Wisconsin

• Congruence of ideas – Proposed creation of HS Redesign Practice Group– Include DPI transition consultant on DPI HS Redesign workgroup – Better connect general education and special education

• New context– Present HS redesign at our state transition conference – Future planning includes establishing a practice group on HS

redesign– Wisconsin Included HS Redesign in National & State Community of

Practice work plans

• Validation of Strategies

• New opportunities and partners– Networking with stakeholders to create ongoing dialogue

New Eyes: The Role of Professional Organizations in Communities of Practice?

Organizations as leverage for information spread

Organizations as thought leaders and change agents

Organizations as allies with SEAs to create opportunities to involve members in real change

Build sustainability by building understanding and involvement

Why Professional Organizations Care about High School Redesign?

National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

National Education Association (NEA) Division of Career Development and

Transition (DCDT) American Occupational Therapy

Association (AOTA)

NASSP’s Initiative on High School Redesign

The National Community of Practice on Transition is working with the National Association of Secondary School Principals to translate the lessons of Breaking Ranks II and Breaking Ranks in the Middle for transition

Breaking Ranks II - Executive Summaryhttp://sharedwork.org/documents/BreakingRanksII.pdf Breaking Ranks in the Middle - Executive Summaryhttp://sharedwork.org/documents/BreakingRanksintheMiddle.pdf

NEA’s Perspective on High School Redesign

ESEA/NCLB- 2014 and School Improvement

Federal Indicators- State Performance Plans, snapshot report cards on Special Education

States are at different stages We now have national and state data-

collectively we can make a difference Undermine plans that have no validity.

NEA/PSEA

Educators want students to succeed NEA supports publications that support

members in their jobs State affiliates like PSEA support

members based on priorities– Urban locals training– Topical trainings based on needs– Publications for members and parents– Updates via websites and newsletters

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DCDT’s Perspective on High School Redesign

• Student outcomes should be a driving factor in high school redesign

• High school diplomas & college prep should be assured• Research indicates that students’ (with disabilities) outcomes

improve when they have– High self-determination skills

– Opportunities for paid work experiences, & are

– Prepared & encouraged to consider post-secondary educational opportunities

• This typically translates to – inclusive classes,

– small class sizes,

– contribution to the life of a school,

– community connections &

– having mentorship opportunities

AOTA’s Perspective on High School Redesign

Role of Occupational Therapists: In school based practice, Occupational Therapists use

their unique expertise to assist children to be prepared for and perform important learning and school related activities to fulfill their role as students.

Occupational Therapists support academic and non-academic outcomes, including but not limited to, social skills, math, reading, writing, recess, participation in sports, self-help skills, and pre-vocational or vocational participation for children with and without disabilities.

Occupational Therapists support student transition to life roles through interventions related to functional outcomes, technology, community mobility, supportive employment, social skills development, activities of daily living, and wellness/health promotion.

Why AOTA Thinks High School Redesign is Important?

Based upon their education and training, occupational therapists have expertise in role assessments, client centered activity analysis, adaptations, and accommodations to support successful transition outcomes, quality employment, and independent living skills. Therefore, Occupational Therapists are uniquely qualified to participate in High School Redesign initiatives.

AOTA SPONSORED RESOURCES

Transition from School to Adult Life - Chapter written by Meira Orentlicher, found in Occupational Therapy Services for Children and Youth Under IDEA, 3rd Edition, for release summer, 2007

Addressing Transition and School-to-Work in School Settings - written by Jayne Shepherd, elective session of the self paced clinical course entitled Occupational Therapy in School Based Practice: Contemporary Issues and Trends

OT Practice Framework, Document that outlines language and constructs that describe the profession’s focus and includes references to student outcomes in relation to outcomes related to occupational performance, client satisfaction, role competence, adaptation, health and wellness, prevention, and quality of life.

Participation in National Organizational Meetings and Conferences through the IDEA Partnership.

Member of IDEA Partnership of NASDSE, NAPSO, CCD.

Next steps …

Will we build state-to-state learning around High School Redesign and Transition?

Will we engage national organizations as partners?

Will Pennsylvania help us to lead?

The IDEA Partnership

For more information on the National Community of Practice on Transition and High School Redesign go to:

www.ideapartnership.orgor

www.sharedwork.org

…or call us toll free at:

1-877- IDEAINFo