Closing the Performance Gap with Research-based Interventions

1. Closing the Performance Gap with Research-based Interventions Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators Don Deshler January 16-17, 2003

2. “A doctor can bury his mistakes, but an architect can only advise his client to plant vines.” Frank Lloyd Wright

3. “What matters most in the work that we do?”

4. CLOSINGTHE PERFORMANCE GAP

5. The Performance Gap Demands/ Skills Years in School

6. Current Realities for SWDs in Our Schools: A Partial Profile

7. Descriptive Research Studying • School culture • Instructional methods • Services • Attitudes • Student outcomes • Satisfaction

8. Descriptive Year 1 StudyResearch Questions • What is the school climate for SWDs? • How is instruction provided to SWDs enrolled in general education high school classes? • What support services are provided to SWDs enrolled in general education classes? • What are the outcomes of the instruction and the services?

9. Administrator Interviews • All administrators state that they want to help SWDs succeed (17 of 17) • Administrators do not have method for evaluating the outcomes of special education programs (8 of 9 schools) • Administrators do not have a plan for the improvement of special education programs (8 of 9 schools)

10. Administrator Interviews • Schools generally don’t have a written policy related to inclusion (8 of 9) • Special education administrators aren’t familiar with standards-based instruction (8 of 8) • Special education administrators aren’t familiar with the academic paths available within general education (7 of 8)

11. Administrator Interviews • General education teachers and special education teachers are two separate camps (7 of 9 schools) • Budgets are separate • Staff development is separate • General education teachers do not get training related to SWDs and other at-risk students • Planning time is separate • Roles are separate, and responsibilities are not shared related to SWDs and other at-risk students • Hostility is apparent bilaterally

12. Implications • Schools need written policies and integrated programs related to inclusion • Schools need specified outcome goals for inclusive programs • Schools need methods and measures for evaluating the outcomes of inclusive programs • Special education services need to be aligned with general education standards

13. Type A Courses taught by SPED teachers for SPED students Type B Courses for low achievers and at-risk students Type C Rigorous courses with heterogeneous groups of students Type D Advanced Placement courses Type E Other courses (e.g., vo tech electives) Course Options Taught by general education teachers SWDs

14. Rigorous General Education Enrollments for SWDs

22. High School Teachers Respond‘Why do Students with Disabilities Fail?’ General education teachers said: • They generally give up. • Not motivated to work. • SPED classification gives them an excuse not to try. • Ill-prepared. • Lack of parental involvement. • Appropriate accommodations not made because the disability isn’t understood.

23. High School Teachers Respond‘Why do Students with Disabilities Fail?’ Special education teachers said: • Lack of proper nutrition. • Previous low expectations from teachers/district. • Reading and writing skills. • Poor work habits and organization. • Lack of student motivation and caring. • No or very little accommodations.

24. Promoting Learning Over Coverage for ALL Learners is about Closing the Performance Gap only happens through results from attending to Strong Administrative Leadership The “Core” is promoted by the Continuum of Content Literacy

25. Promoting Learning Over Coverage for ALL Learners is about Closing the Performance Gap only happens through results from attending to Strong Administrative Leadership The “Core” is promoted by the Continuum of Content Literacy

26. What’s Should be at the Core? • Vision • Efficacy/Beliefs • Validated instructional practices • Administrative Leadership

29. Vaughn, Gersten, & Chard (2000) • Interventions that benefit SLD also benefit average and high achievers • Instruction that is visible & explicit • Instruction that is interactive between students & teacher & between students • Instruction that controls of task difficulty • Strategies that guide student learning

30. Small steps Probes Feedback Diagrams/pictures Independent practice Clear Explanations Teacher models Reminders to use strategies Step-by-step prompts Review the learning process Direct Instruction Strategy Instruction Swanson (1999)

31. Responsive Instruction • Continuous Assessment • Instructional Accommodations • Elaborated Feedback

32. Systematic Instruction • Structured • Connected • Scaffolded • Informative

33. Intensive Instruction • Sufficient Time • High Engagement

34. My, how time can slip away!! • 10 minutes lost/block (4 blocks/day) • 40 minutes lost/day • 200 minutes (3.3 hours) of lost/week • 105 hours/year or about 17 days!!!

35. Promoting Learning Over Coverage for ALL Learners is about Closing the Performance Gap only happens through results from attending to Strong Administrative Leadership The “Core” is promoted by the Continuum of Content Literacy

36. A Continuum of Action Key Components for Content Literacy Component 1: Ensure mastery of critical content. Component 2: Weave shared strategies across classes. Component 3: Support mastery of shared strategies for targeted strategies. Component 4: Develop more intensive course options for those who need it. Component 5: Develop more intensive clinical options for those who need it. .

37. . Component 1: Ensure mastery of critical content. All students learn critical content required in the core curriculum regardless of literacy levels. Teachers compensate for limited literacy levels by using explicit teaching routines, adaptations, and technology to promote content mastery. all most some For example: The Unit Organizer Routine

38. Content Enhancement Teaching Routines Planning and Leading Learning Course Organizer Unit Organizer Lesson Organizer Teaching Concepts Concept Mastery Routine Concept Anchoring Routine Concept Comparison Routine Explaining Text, Topics, and Details Framing Routine Survey Routine Clarifying Routine Increasing Performance Quality Assignment Routine Question Exploration Routine Recall Enhancement Routine Vocabulary Routine

39. The Unit Organizer Elida Cordora NAME 4 BIGGER PICTURE 1/22 DATE The roots and consequences of civil unrest. LAST UNIT /Experience NEXT UNIT /Experience CURRENT UNIT 3 2 1 CURRENT UNIT The Civil War The Causes of the Civil War Growth of the Nation 8 is about... UNIT SCHEDULE 5 UNIT MAP 1/22 Cooperative groups - over pp. 201-210 Sectionalism was based on was influenced by 1/28 Quiz pp. 201-236 1/29 Cooperative groups - Leaders over pp. 210-225 Areas of across the became greater with emerged because of the U.S. U.S. "Influential Personalities" projectdue Differences Events in 1/30 Quiz between the U.S. the areas 2/2 Cooperative groups - over pp. 228-234 2/6 Review for test 2/7 Review for test 2/6 Test 6 descriptive What was sectionalism as it existed in the U. S. of 1860? compare/contrast How did the differences in the sections of the U.S. in 1860 contribute to the start of the Civil War? UNIT SELF-TEST QUESTIONS UNIT RELATIONSHIPS cause/effect What examples of sectionalism exist in the world today? 7

40. Concept Diagram CONCEPT DIAGRAM Vertebrate 1 3 Key Words Mammal 3 CONVEY CONCEPT 2 1 2 OFFER OVERALL CONCEPT elephant 3 NOTE KEY WORDS Always Present Sometimes Present Never Present 4 CLASSIFY CHARACTERISTICS: O cold-blooded warm-blooded + walks on 2 legs human walks on 4 legs + nurse their young swims in water has hair + warm-blooded can fly nurse their moves on the ground young 5 Examples: EXPLORE EXAMPLES Nonexamples: whale human snake bird elephant alligator shark duckbill shark whale platypus walks on 4 legs bat bird can fly 6 PRACTICE WITH NEW EXAMPLE cold-blooded A mammal is a warm-blooded vertebrate that has hair and nurses its young. 7 TIE DOWN A DEFINITION

41. Concept Mastery Results Test scores of students with disabilities on unit tests

42. Section 1 of the Guide The Critical Question The question that will be the focus of the lesson

43. Section 2of the Guide Key Terms and Explanations Important words or phrases that must be understood in order to answer the Critical Question

44. Section 3of the Guide Supporting Questions The smaller questions that need to be answered in order to answer the Critical Question

45. Section 4of the Guide The Main Idea Answer A concise answer to the Critical Question.

46. Section 5of the Guide Use in a Related Area A question or statement that prompts students to explore the Main Idea Answer in greater depth and demonstrate their understanding of it in a related content area.

47. Section 6of the Guide Real-World Use A question or statement that challenges students to show how the Main idea Answer applies to the real world. Overall Idea A generalization derived from the main Idea Answer which can be applied to the world at large.

50. Instructional Methodology • CUE • DO • REVIEW