OUTCOMES MATTER IN SCHOOL SERVICES Purdue University Crossroads Conference October 19, 2013

1. OUTCOMES MATTER IN SCHOOL SERVICESPurdue University Crossroads Conference October 19, 2013 Jean Blosser, Ed.D., CCC-SLP Creative Strategies for Special Education jblosser23@gmail.com – 443-255-5854

2. Jean Blosser Jean Blosser, Ed.D. is President, Creative Strategies for Special Education, an organization that provides consulting and training services to schools, departments of education, universities, and businesses interested in reframing and improving school-based services for students with disabilities. Throughout Jean’s career, she has focused on researching, developing, and implementing innovative and effective school-based services. She believes that teachers and parents can and must play integral roles in helping students achieve their highest potential. Jean is passionate about creating systems that ensure special educators and therapists are providing outcomes-based, educationally relevant services. To Jean, collaboration is essential!

3. GIVEN YOUR CURRENT ROLE, WHAT OUTCOMES WOULD YOU LIKE TO ACHIEVE TODAY?

4. LEARNER OUTCOMES • Explain the benefits of measuring and reporting outcomes. • Describe 3 outcomes applicable to the school setting (student, partner, and systemic outcomes). • Cite examples of each type of service delivery outcomes. • Develop a systematic process for data collection and determining outcomes.

5. SOME HIGHLIGHTS • Explain 3 types of outcomes • Discuss our roles and responsibilities • Assess school culture • Utilize strategies for forming relationships and communicating effectively with administrators, educators, and families • Identify processes for achieving, tracking, and reporting outcomes

6. RESOURCES ON SCHOOL SERVICES • School Programs in Speech-Language Pathology: Organization and Service Delivery (Plural Publishing). • Outcomes Matter in School Service Delivery (Theime) • Let’s Talk and Listen Today: Calendars of Daily Activities for Teaching Talking and Listening Skills. (Blosser, CSSE) • Pediatric Brain Injury Proactive Intervention. (Cengage) • Integrating the Core Curriculum into Service Delivery (ASHA Leader)

7. Top Trends In School Delivery • RTI • Expected Outcomes • Technology • Performance Evaluations • Litigation • Others You’ve Observed? • Cultural Competence • Universal Design for Learning • Common Core Curriculum • Evidence Based Practice • Multiple Credential Levels

8. IMPACT ON OUR PROFESSIONS • National agenda - Likely to impact the way we deliver services. • Expectation that we align our interventions with the educational expectations. • Move from skills based goals to link with curriculum. • Must identify and measure what students know and what they are able to do.

9. NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME! Our identity crisis New roles and responsibilities Challenges Solutions

10. JUST LIKE THE ……………

11. WE WEAR MANY HATS

12. RESPONSIBILITY • Increasingly more responsible for students’ achievement • Ultimate task of related services providers and educators: identify and intervene with students whose learning problems significantly interfere with access to the curriculum and participation. • We need to understand school & classrooms. • Our school partners must understand us and our role.

13. EMBRACE YOUR NEW RESPONSIBILITIES

14. ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES4 KEY AREAS • Critical Roles • Range of Responsibilities • Collaboration • Leadership

15. CRITICAL ROLES SLPs, OTs, PTs, Special Educators have integral roles in education and are essential members of school facilities. • Work across all levels • Serve a range of disorders • Ensure educational relevance • Provide unique contributions to the curriculum • Highlight language/literacy, daily living & motoric skills • Demonstrate cultural competence

16. RANGE OF RESPONSIBILITIES Help students meet the performance standards of a particular school district and state • Prevention • Assessment • Intervention • Program Design • Data Collection and Analysis • Compliance

17. COLLABORATION Work in partnership with others to meet students’ needs. • Work with Other School Professionals • Work with Universities • Work within the Community • Work with Families • Work with Students

18. LEADERSHIP Lead efforts to define roles and responsibilities to ensure appropriate service delivery. • Advocacy for the Profession and Services • Supervision and Mentorship • Professional Development • Parent Training • Research

19. 3 TYPES OF OUTCOMES • Student Outcomes • Partner Outcomes • Program Outcomes

20. How do you define success? • How do you measure it?

21. Activity • Think of a child on your caseload. • Describe one goal or objective for that child. • How would you measure the success of that goal or objective?

22. Activity • Now write how write how success of that goal is represented in the school context and in the student’s school performance.

23. CRITICAL QUESTIONARE WE MAKING A DIFFERENCE? Need to have a good understanding of the structure, scope, and sequence of the general education curriculum for each grade and subject area

24. STUDENT OUTCOMES Focus on Students • Improved functional communication • Improved educational performance. • Measures: Change in functional communication skills, students’ test performance and grades, and comments from progress monitoring and teachers’ reports.

25. MATCH THE RIGHT STUDENT WITH THE RIGHT INTERVENTION, THE RIGHT SERVICES, AND THE RIGHT PROVIDERS

26. ELIGIBILITY Use standardized procedures and processes to answer 4 key questions • Is there a disability? Describe the functional level. • Does it impact on participation and performance? • Is special expertise needed? • Are specialized interventions required?

27. INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION NOT a new concept for us! Just packaged a little differently

28. ALIGN GOALS WITH THE CCSS • Education reformers suggest that schools should prepare students to meet specific education standard (Common Core Curriculum State Standards) • Why? • Raise standards • Increase school achievement • Students will be better prepared to enter post-secondary education and the world of work

29. CCSS Describe what students should know and be able to do (SLO – Student Learning Objectives) Provide clarity about the content and skills to be taught at each grade. Define “benchmarks” or key points along the learning path from K-12 (and soon for pre-K).

30. UDL UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING Captures key principles for providing an educational environment and instructional practices that enable learners to gain knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm for learning.

31. CAST The Center for Applied Special Technology Leading the way in developing the UDL (and individualized instruction) concept and exploring ways to use new technologies to provide better educational experiences for students.

32. INDIVIDUALIZING • Helps educators use flexible teaching methods and materials to remove barriers to the curriculum and provide the supports that students need to succeed. • Provides a framework and guidelines for: - modifying the educational environment - collaboration among professionals - co-teaching

33. UDLs FOCUS ON 3 BRAIN NETWORKS RECOGNITION NETWORKS The “What” of Learning STRATEGIC NETWORKS The “How” of Learning AFFECTIVE NETWORKS The “Why” of Learning

34. KEY PRINCIPLES Principle 1 Provide multiple means of representation Principle 2 Provide multiple means of action and expression Principle 3 Provide multiple means of engagement

35. How do you know when intervention is really making a difference to the children you serve? “Zoey can follow directions so much better now.” “She actually raised her hand to answer a question in history class.” “We’re so happy. Xzavier says he has a new friend.” “My kids’ parents tell me about the changes they see in their child’s skills at home.” “Mrs. Orlando is actually using the strategies we talked about when she teaches math.” “Now I can’t get Kim to stop talking.” “Asa’s playing on the playground with her friends. You should see her on the jungle gym.” “I understand what she wants – it makes life so much easier.” “Lennox is so much more organized.”

36. PARTNERSHIP OUTCOMES Focus on working with colleagues • Improved relationships with education partners and families. • Teachers’ and families’ increased understanding of impairments and the impact on performance. • Increased team cooperation and competency. • Measures: Teacher feedback, surveys, ratings of teacher and/or parent engagement.

37. MATCH THE RIGHT STUDENT WITH THE RIGHT INTERVENTION, THE RIGHT SERVICES, AND THE RIGHT PROVIDERS

38. ELIGIBILITY Use standardized procedures and processes to answer 4 key questions • Is there a disability? Describe the functional level. • Does it impact on participation and performance? • Is special expertise needed? • Are specialized interventions required?

39. ACHIEVING OUTCOMES WITHIN YOUR UNIQUE SCHOOL CULTURE

40. SCHOOL CULTURE Organizational culture is an idea in the field of organizational studiesand management which describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization. It has been defined as "the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization." (www.newteachercenter.org)

41. IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL CULTURE School community’s cultural values affect how quickly, effectively, efficiently we can work with our education colleagues. Partenrships require cooperation, trust, respect, developing similar goals, learning other perspectives and communication styles.

42. SCHOOL CULTURE Implement procedures to assess and understand your school’s culture Consider key culture attributes to create a profile and description Select strategies necessary to bring about change and transformation to achieve your program vision and goals

43. SCHOOL CULTURE PROFILE

44. COMMUNICATE TO EDUCATE

45. COMMUNICATE TO EDUCATE Engage education colleagues in your vision and goals Form meaningful partnerships Establish and join professional learning communities

46. COMMUNICATE TO EDUCATE Develop systems for ongoing communication and information sharing Increase visibility Organize resource materials to save time and increase efficiency

47. COMMUNICATE TO EDUCATE Build relationships Convey information Participate in school activities Provide meaningful messages Communicate regularly Use a wide range of venues Share tips and strategies

48. COMMUNICATION! COMMUNICATION! COMMUNICATION!

49. TOP TIPS TO SHARE WITH COLLEAGUES

50. COMMUNICATING WITH KEY GROUPS Who are your key groups?