Including Students with Extensive Support Needs in Whole School ...

Including Students with
Extensive Support Needs in
Whole School Reform:
Implications for Preservice Training
Presenters:
RR
Ruth Falco, Ph.D. &
Regina Moreno, Ed.D.

The contents of this presentation were
developed under a grant from the
Department of Education, #H325K080217.
However, those contents do not necessarily
represent the policy of the US Department of
Education, and you should not assume
endorsement by the Federal Government.
Project Officer, Shedeh Hajghassemali, Ph.D.

Why the Interest in Whole
School Reform
• Plans for reauthorization of ESEA
challenge schools to support all students
by providing –
• Evidence-based instruction
• Access to challenging curriculum
• Preparation for college & careers
• Whole school reform is an effective,
systemic approach to addressing school
change (Tucci, 2009; Waldron &
McLeskey, 2010)

School Reform and Students
with Extensive Support Needs
Research-to-Practice Gap - Students
with Extensive Support Needs (ESN)
continue to need access to:
• General education curriculum in
general education classes
• Peer relationships/supports
• School-wide systems of support
(UDL/AT, RTI, PBIS)
• Parent involvement
• Teachers with sustained commitment
to leadership and advocacy for
inclusive education for all students

School Reform and Students
with Extensive Support Needs
• Whole school reform can address
research-to-practice gap for students with
ESN & improve schools -
• Establish leadership dynamics for
inclusive service delivery (Scanlan, 2009)
• Establish a collaborative school culture
(Waldron & McLeskey, 2010)
• Establish inclusive schools through
school-university partnerships (Causton-
Theoharis, et al., 2010; McSheehan, et al., 2006)
• Integrate specialized practices to
enhance learning for all students (Sailor &
Roger, 2005)

Implications for Preservice
Training – Requires:
• Preservice curriculum providing
current knowledge & skills:
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL) &
Assistive Technology (AT)
• Evidence Based Practices (EBP) for
students with ESN
• Integrated clinical practica supporting
use of knowledge of UDL, AT & EBP
with students with ESN
• Knowledge & skills for teacher
leadership & advocacy to sustain
teachers in field

Questions for Review of PSU
Special Educator Program
• Does the PSU Special Educator Program
provide:
• EBP for inclusion of students with ESN
in school reform
•UDL/AT (as well as RTI/PBIS)
•Evidence-based teaching strategies
for students with ESN
•Knowledge and skills for leadership &
advocacy
• Integrated clinical practica to support
application of EBP for students with
ESN in inclusive schools

PSU Special Educator Program Review:
Methods
Analysis of
course syllabi
Discussions with
faculty and
stakeholders
Review of
the literature
Evaluation of
field experience
sites
Context for
PSU
Special
Educator
Program
Interviews and
observations of
scholars/teacher
candidates

Context for Preservice Program
Review at PSU
• Generalist Special Educator Program
• PSU history of strong program for
specialists in education for students with
significant disabilities, but shifting
perspectives on priorities
• 325T Project focused on Evidence Based
Practices (EBP) for students with high
incidence disabilities
• Personnel Development Project (Futures)
focused on integrating EBP for students
with Extensive Support Needs (ESN)*

PSU Special Education
Curriculum Committee
Key committee members:
Amanda Sanford, Chair
Susan Bert
Regina Moreno*
Tiffany Jones
Chris Borgmeier
Ruth Falco*
Julie Esparza-Brown
Leslie Munson

Inclusion of Students with ESN
in Whole School Reform
Important practices identified through literature:
• Access to curriculum in general education classes
• UDL and integrated use of AT
• School-wide Response to Intervention (RTI) & Schoolwide
Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS)
• Environmental supports, including peer supports
• Person-centered planning/Supports for selfdetermination
• Family involvement
• Evidence-based, systematic instruction (EBP) for all:
• Flexible groupings
• Individualized environmental supports
• Individualized EB teaching strategies
• Progress monitoring

Analysis of Course Syllabi for
Important Practices
• Analysis of Special Educator Program courses:
• Consistent terminology used across courses
• Limited evidence
• Address important practices for inclusion of
students with ESN
• Limited evidence (except for 3 courses focused
on students with ESN)
• Academic, standards-based, core-content courses
address EBP for students with ESN (except 3
courses focused on students with ESN)
• Lecture content – Limited evidence
• Course work assignments – Highly limited
evidence
• Field-experience tasks – Highly limited evidence
• Teacher candidate evaluations – Highly limited
evidence

Special Educator Program
Faculty Survey
Themes from suggestions made by faculty regarding
students with ESN:
• Increase focus on school-wide systems of support:
RTI, PBIS, UDL
• Expand content on students with ESN across courses,
including academic, core-content methods courses
• Literacy, writing and math methods coursework
• Functional academics across courses
• Understanding of systematic and differentiated instruction
• Use of individualized data-based decision-making
• Behavior management for students with ESN
• EBP for students with autism spectrum disorder
• ELL and students with diverse backgrounds with ESN
• Expand focus on teachers as leaders and advocates
• Planning and working with paraeducators
• Setting up classrooms and case management
• Developing IEPs and leading meetings
• Using alternative assessment systems
• Add credit to Work Sample seminar courses to better
integrate course work & application in practicum

Special Educator Program
Discussion with LEA Leaders
• Examples of themes from suggestions of LEA
leaders for curriculum/competencies:
• RTI, PBIS, Environmental Supports for all
• EBP for students with ESN, such as those
with ASD and ID – Examples:
• Task analysis,systematic instruction & prompting
• Individualized data collection methods
• Person-centered planning, family support
• Leadership – Examples:
• Working with teams and paraeducators
• On-going training for paraeducators
• Team management & problem-solving

Opportunities for Integrated
Practicum Experiences
• Surveys of practices for students with ESN
observed by 2010-11 Teacher Candidates
& Supervisors in practicum experiences:
• Most consistently observed practices–
• Supporting paraeducators
• Organization and scheduling
• Student engagement and positive classroom
climate
• Somewhat consistently observed practices –
• Effective instruction
• Positive behavior support
• Student physical management

Opportunities for Integrated
Practicum Experiences
• Surveys (candidates & supervisors) of
observed practices for students with ESN:
• Inconsistently or rarely observed practices –
•Collaboration between special and general
education teachers
•Access to academic, standards-based
curriculum in general education classes
•Access to non-academic curriculum in
general education classes
•Use of supports for peer interaction
•Use of AT/AAC devices in general
education classes

Outcomes of Program Review
• Collaboration of all Special Education
Faculty in a process of curriculum reform
• Development of set of Critical Concepts to
be addressed across all courses
• Revisions of all syllabi intended to:
•Address Critical Concepts
•Address full continuum of learners
•Address other areas of need (e.g.,
diversity and use of technology)
• Efforts to improve integration of practica
experiences and address full continuum of
learners (Collaboration with LEA Partners)

Outcomes of Review:
Critical Concepts
Scaffolding Instruction – Use of temporary flexible prompted
supports faded towards independence
Data-Based Decision Making - Continuous, purposeful process
in consideration of student learning across school settings
Individualization – Systematic process to meet the educational,
cultural and diverse needs of students and their families
Collaboration &Teaming – Dynamic and effective mutual effort
across stakeholders in joint accountability for meaningful
student outcomes
Inclusion – Full membership for all learners
Leadership & Advocacy – Teacher-leaders as role models,
change agents and resources for promoting positive student
outcomes

Outcomes of Program Review:
Revised Course Sequence

Outcomes of Program Review:
Initial Revised Syllabi
• Positive changes in course work syllabi:
• Language across all courses refers to a
“full continuum of learners”
• More courses include lecture/assignment
elements addressing students with ESN -
•3 of the 17 had this content already
•5 of 17 added substantial content
•5 of 17 added some content
•4 of 17 continue to have no focus
• Increased field experience credits &
maintained credits for courses with specific
focus on students with ESN

Outcomes of Program Review:
Initial Revised Syllabi
• Continuing needs
• Increased content and assignments
addressing EBP for students with ESN
• Increased collaboration of faculty to
expand focus of syllabi and assignments
• Focus on students with ESN in Diagnostic
Assessment course
• Better information and support to adjunct
faculty
• Continued conversations among faculty to
expand course content and EBP across
full continuum of learners

Outcomes of Program Review:
Practica
• Positive changes across all field experience:
• Increased practica credits from 6 to 9 and
student teaching credits from 12 to 15
• Cumulative knowledge and activity
checklists for practica and student
teaching ensure comprehensive
experiences across the full continuum of
learners
• Teacher candidates use a portfolio/
practicum notebook to compile evidence
of activities across continuum of learners
• Pre-observation, observation & evaluation
forms include focus on students with ESN

Outcomes: Integration of
Course Work & Practica
• Classroom Practice Checklists for students
with ESN (Used by field supervisors,
expert faculty and teacher candidates)
• Revised Practicum Observation and
Evaluation Forms (across continuum of
students)
• Improvements in requirements for Work
Sample focused on students with ESN
• Revised Supervisor orientation & training
process (across continuum)

Work Sample outcomes Winter 12
N=26
Sections
Exemplary Proficient Emerging Unsatisfactory
(Major
revisions)
Total
initial
Revision
Context 19 4 3 0 3
IEP
Developmt.
Instructional
Plan
Data on
learning
Gains
14 6 5 1 6
18 7 1 0 1
14 9 2 1 3
Interpret &
explain • the
data
18 3 4 1 5

Outcomes: Integration of
Course Work & Practica
• 2/3rds of Teacher Candidates raised their
ratings from proficiency to exemplary,
after revisions
• Implementation of work samples resulted
in improvements in outcomes for
students with ESN taught by teacher
candidates:
• 21/26 focus students made noteworthy
gains (Decrease of at least two prompt
levels or increased performance of
50% over baseline)

Outcomes of Program Review:
Practica
• Continuing needs
• Improve access to students with ESN who
are included in general education classes
•In 2011-12 only 6 of 24 full-time
Teacher Candidates worked with
students with ESN in general ed classes
• Greater awareness across faculty of ways
to incorporate practicum activities & tasks
relevant to students with ESN in course
assignments
• Increase focus on students with ESN in
“Start of the School Year” practicum/class

Next Steps -
• Continue faculty conversations regarding
Critical Concepts across continuum of learners
• Continue & expand collaboration among faculty
to expand curricula, assignments & practica
activities across continuum of learners
• Build stronger partnerships with targeted LEAs
and expand professional development for LEA
educators
• UDL/AT/RTI/PBIS to benefit all learners
• Access to general education curriculum in
general ed classes for students with ESN
• Integrate EBP for students with ESN

Including Students with ESN
In Whole School Reform
• All students benefit when students with ESN
are included in whole school reform (Sailor &
Roger, 2005) by enhanced:
• School-wide systems of support (UDL/AT,
RTI, PBIS)
• EBP to support learning of all students
• Peer relationships/supports
• Commitment of teachers to leadership and
advocacy for inclusive education for all
• To achieve these reforms, preservice
education for special educators must be
reformed

Discussion Questions:
• How successfully are students with ESN
included in whole school reform in your
area
• How are preservice special educators
learning to enhance these efforts
• How do LEA partnerships enhance these
efforts
• What are the challenges and barriers we
face in preparing preservice special
educators to include students with ESN in
whole school reform
• What strategies help to overcome the
barriers

References
Causton-Theoharis, J., Theoharis, G., Bull, T., Cosier, M., & Dempf-
Aldrich, K. (2010). Schools of promise: A school district –
University partnership centered on inclusive school reform.
Remedial and Special Education, 32: 192 originally published
online 30 March 2010.
McSheehan, M., Sonnenmeier, R.M., Jorgensen, C.M., & Turner, K.
(2006). Beyond communication access: Promoting learning of the
general education curriculum by students with significant
disabilities. Topics in Language Disorders, 26(3), 266-290.
Sailor, W., & Roger, B. (2005 ). Rethinking inclusion: School-wide
applications. Phi Delta Kappan, March, 503-509.
Scanlan, M. (2009 ). Leadership dynamics promoting systemic
reform for inclusive service delivery. Journal of School
Leadership, 19, 622-660.
Tucci, T.N. (2009). Whole school reform: Transforming the nation’s
low-performing high schools. Washington, D.C.: Alliance for
Excellent Education.
Waldron, N.L., & McLeskey, J. (2010). Establishing a collaborative
school culture through comprehensive school reform. Journal of
Educational and Psychological Consultation, 20, 58-74.