National Center and State Collaborative General Supervision Enhancement Grant (NCSC GSEG)

1. National Center and State Collaborative General Supervision Enhancement Grant(NCSC GSEG) Community of Practice Orientation November 4, 2011 The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the Department of Education (PR/Award #: H373X100002, Project Officer, Susan.Weigert@Ed.gov). However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education and no assumption of endorsement by the Federal government should be made.

2. Community of Practice Presenters Alson Cole – alson.cole@uky.edu Sarah Kennedy – sarah.kennedy@edu.edu NCSC GSEG

3. Let’s agree to… • Show up • Physically, mentally, prepared • Pay Attention • Cell phones, email, note taking • Contribute to the Group • Minimize side chats, 1 person speaks at a time, Seek to understand • Take Care of Yourself and Others • Breaks, movement, food • Presume Competence NCSC GSEG

4. Goals of the Session • Understand the NCSC GSEG goals • Develop working understanding of College and Career Readiness (CCR) • Understand importance of communication • Develop an understanding of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Core Content Connectors (CCC), and Learning Progressions • Complete an individual action plan NCSC GSEG

5. You Say Tomato, I Say…. Assessment lingo: What does it mean? • Rating scales • Item-based tests • Portfolio • Constructed responses • Performance tasks • Writing prompt • State ‘alternates’ • Multi-dimensional matrices • Scaffold scales • Performance thread • Core Content Connectors • AYP • Alternate Achievement Standards • UDL • Learning Progressions NCSC GSEG

6. Overview NCSC GSEG NCSC GSEG

7. National Center and State Collaborative(NCSC) Building an assessment system based on research-based understanding of: - technical quality of AA-AAS design - formative and interim uses of assessment data - summative assessments - academic curriculum and instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities - student learning characteristics and communication - effective professional development NCSC GSEG

8. Theory of Action Long-term goal of NCSC: Our long-term goal is to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities achieve increasingly higher academic outcomes and leave high school ready for postsecondary options. A well-designed summative assessment alone is insufficient. To achieve this goal, an AA-AAS system also requires: • Curricular & instructional frameworks • Teacher resources and professional development NCSC GSEG

9. A Comprehensive Model All partners share a commitment to the research-to-practice focus of the project and the development of a comprehensive model of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and supportive professional development. NCSC GSEG

10. Key Ideas for Building the Foundation • Articulating College and Career Readiness • Defining the construct • Using the Least Dangerous Assumption • Developing communicative competence • Delivering PD, building capacity • Developing a validity argument NCSC GSEG

11. Teachers are given resources for and training on instruction in academic knowledge and skills needed for college and career readiness CoP’s focus is Instructional Context Groups 1 & 2 Group 3 Group 4 Teachers have the knowledge and orientation necessary to access the standards and provide academic instructions Appropriate communication methods/resources are recognized and made available to the student and teacher Teachers provide instruction aligned with grade-level content academic expectations necessary for college and career readiness NCSC GSEG

12. NCSC Partners Centers States • NCEO • NCIEA • UKY • UNC C • edCount, LLC NCSC GSEG

13. NCSC Work Group Structure Assessment Design Work Group 1 Lead: NCIEA and State Representatives Curriculum & Instruction Work Group 2 Lead: UNCC and State Representatives Management Team Lead: NCEO and State Representatives Professional Development Work Group 3 Lead: UKY and State Representatives Evaluation Work Group 4 Lead: edCount, LLC and State Representatives NCSC GSEG

14. Communities of Practice Overview

15. NCSC Work Group III PD NCSC GSEG

16. A Community of Practice - Stakeholders are selected by specific guidelines to represent a broad support group for teachers. Here’s the Research: • Barber & Fullan, 2005 - CoPs will provide a network of support in each state to build the curriculum, instruction, and assessment infrastructure through training and technical assistance. • Carroll, Fulton, & Doerr, 2010 - CoPs will try out and provide feedback on model curriculum resources for teachers serving SSCD and supports for developing communicative competence. NCSC GSEG

17. The Vision / Path / Goals of the CoP • The CoPs are stakeholders across participating states willing to assist in project activities: • cognitive labs and small-scale item/lesson plan tryouts, • item reviews, • field tests, • standard setting, and • validity evaluation activities (focus groups) NCSC GSEG

18. Over view College and Career Readiness NCSC GSEG

19. What if….. these were the “facts” of YOUR life?…… • Fact 1: You have a cognitive impairment with a low IQ score. • Fact 2: You can sign your name but reading/writing skills are minimal. • Fact 3: There are no inclusive post secondary education programs in your community. • Fact 4: Most individuals with IEPs like you go to “day programs”…. Except well…. • Fact 5: There is an extensive “waiting list” for the day program… • Fact 6: Your family has a tradition of affiliation with a particular college. NCSC GSEG

20. How would you proceed or want those acting on your behalf to proceed? College Bound Career Bound College or Career Bound with supports in place Day Program NCSC GSEG

21. Career Readiness for All Preparedness for workplace refers to the reading and mathematics knowledge and skills needed to qualify for an occupation’s job training program; it does not necessarily mean that the qualifications to be hired for a job have been met (NAGB, 2009). Sample pathways include: • Apprenticeship programs • Community College certification • Job training programs • On the job training • Vocational technical institutes NCSC GSEG

22. College and Career Ready for All… • Components in a Comprehensive Definition of College Readiness for typical high school students • Key Cognitive Strategies • Problem solving, reasoning, analysis, interpretation, critical thinking • Key Content • Full Access to the general curriculum to maximize life long learning • Academic Behaviors • Self monitoring, time management, using information resources, social interaction skills, • Contextual Skills and Awareness • Seeking help with admissions, procedures, group interaction skills • (Conley, 2007) NCSC GSEG

23. Meet Megan NCSC GSEG

24. Meet Mac NCSC GSEG

25. Did You Know? • The Higher Education Opportunity Act includes two major provisions that may facilitate entry into higher education for students with intellectual disability • Implementation of Model Demonstration sites. • Availability of financial aid if enrolled. NCSC GSEG

26. Survey Findings on College Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability(Think College, 2009) NCSC GSEG

27. Postsecondary College Programs are About Opportunities • Academic and Instructional • Employment/Career • Independent Living/Residential • Social NCSC GSEG

28. Cross Walking • All kids • Key Cognitive Strategies • Problem solving, reasoning, analysis, interpretation, critical thinking • Key Content • Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies • Academic Behaviors • Self monitoring, time management, using information resources, social interaction skills, working in groups • Contextual Skills and Awareness • Seeking help with admissions, procedures, career development • (Conley, 2007) • Students with Intellectual Disability • Academic Access • Career Development • Social Network • Self Determination • Integration with College Systems & Practices • Coordination and Collaboration NCSC GSEG

29. CCR: So, now what direction? NCSC GSEG

30. Here’s what Kearns et al recommend…. • Maximize communicative competence • Provide full access to the academic content for life-long learning • Develop appropriate social skills • Develop independent work behaviors • Develop support access skills • (Kearns, Kleinert, Harrison, Shepard-Jones, Hall, Jones 2011) NCSC GSEG

31. What if….. these were the “facts” of YOUR life?…… • Fact 1: You have a cognitive impairment with a low IQ score. • Fact 2: You can sign your name but reading/writing skills are minimal. • Fact 3: There are no inclusive post secondary education programs in your community. • Fact 4: Most individuals with IEPs like you go to “day programs”…. Except well…. • Fact 5: There is an extensive “waiting list” for the day program… • Fact 6: Your family has a tradition of affiliation with a particular college. NCSC GSEG

32. How would you proceed or want those acting on your behalf to proceed? College Bound Career Bound College or Career Bound with supports in place Day Program NCSC GSEG

33. Overview Communicative Competence NCSC GSEG

34. Is “intellectual disability” synonymous with “significant cognitive disability”? NCSC GSEG

35. Reading Skills for Students with SCD NCSC GSEG

36. Mathematics NCSC GSEG

37. NCSC GSEG

38. NCSC GSEG

39. More Concerning Only 50% of the students in the emerging or pre-symbolic levels in our seven-state sample used AAC as part of their educational programs. NCSC GSEG

40. Evidence Based Practice from 20 Years in Augmentative Communication Snell et al, 2010 • 116 articles published between 1987 and 2007 in refereed journals • described a communication intervention • involved one or more participants with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities • The evidence reviewed indicates that 96% of the studies reported positive changes in some aspects of communication. • These findings support the provision of communication intervention to persons with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities. NCSC GSEG

41. Research Rowland & Schweigert (2000) • In the beginning of the study, many of the students were “presymbolic” – they had not made the association between a *thing* and what it might represent. • The GOAL was to move students along the gradient from pre to symbolic. NCSC GSEG

42. Rowland & Schwiegert, cont. • The instruction provided amounted to 15 to 20 minutes per school day for an average of 6.5 months. • Of 41 participants, 35 acquired tangible symbols during direct intervention. • 28 of those 35 learned novel symbols within the first three exposures. NCSC GSEG

43. Rowland & Schwiegert, cont. • …progress through different levels of representation did not occur in a predetermined sequence, nor did it require experience with every level of representation. p.73 NCSC GSEG

44. Meet Bruce NCSC GSEG

45. Bruce Now NCSC GSEG

46. Intent MODE Listener Comprehension Successful Communication Language – implies standardization, rules, and symbols; implying mutual understanding by the individuals who share knowledge of the language system Communication – implies a much broader set of output behaviors and combinations of output behaviors which may or may not be of a standardized form, but which convey intent and are understood and “readable” by the listener NCSC GSEG

47. Meet Hunter NCSC GSEG

48. Meet Shelly NCSC GSEG

49. NCSC GSEG

50. Hunter NCSC GSEG