Oregon Department of Education Office of Learning / Student Services Unit

Oregon Department of Education Office of Learning / Student Services Unit

Office of Student Learning & Partnerships

Advisory Committee on Transition

Members:
x / Alverson, Charlotte / Garcia, Veronica / x / Lindsey, Heather / x / Simich, Sally
x / Ayer, Lyn / Huber, Julie / x / Lulay, Helena
(by phone) / Unruh, Deanne
x / Curley, Patricia
(by phone) / Ingledue, Marcie / x / Markle, Michelle
x / Dunn, Roberta / x / Johnson, Pattie / x / Ozols, Keith / x / Scribe: Ramona Reynolds

PURPOSE: The purpose of the Advisory Committee on Transition is to serve in an advisory capacity on issues related to determining transition priorities for documents, web information and development, and other issues that may arise. The ACT considers the services and postsecondary outcomes for students and informs the department on strategies and plans to improve transition for students beginning at age 16 and continuing through age 21.

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday November 19, 2014

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Agenda Item / Discussion / Action
Update on ODE activities
Sally / October SPR&I Trainings October
Last 2 Transition Technical Assistance Network(TTAN) trainings have been completed as of October. Sally and Heather are developing round 2 of trainings for next year -- May or June or even Feb or April.
Update on Transition Technical Assistance Network
Heather Lindsey / Heather Lindsey presented a PowerPoint on transition updates entitled "Expect me to succeed." She gave updates on the Executive Order and the work they have been doing at ODE, Voc Rehab, FACT, etc. Sally and Heather did seven Transition Educator trainings -- six in June and one in August. The two fall trainings were in Douglas County & Hood River.
The Executive Order transition aspect raises expectations and outcomes for people involved in developing the Transition Technical Assistance Network (TTAN). There is a need for training for teachers and administrators – on adult services Community partners living in specific areas presented so people could identify with those in their own communities. An outcome not anticipated was that teachers did not have an opportunity to share and this gave them a chance to exchange information. Many free resources and materials were available for people to take with them.
A Disability Rights Oregon representative came to four trainings and provided lots of resources on benefits planning
Pattie is head of TCN materials sharing and she will send a list of resources to everyone.
Evaluations of the effectiveness of the trainings generally showed ratings of 4 on a five point scale. The presenters gained experience as the trainings progressed, and small changes were made as needed. A highlight was generally the family keynote, where FACT parents talked about the experiences of their child, and their interactions with services. Many keynotes presented information on aspects that teachers were not as familiar with, such as PCP (person-centered planning). Take-back information was very high; the satisfaction that educators could use the PCP and curriculum was almost at 100%. Sally & Pattie developed a rubric form for exploring a wide range of curriculum samples that educators found very useful. Sally and Heather had collected curriculum materials that were available for the educators to explore and review. Participants appreciated the opportunity to see actual copies of the documents and materials. Participants had a lot of questions about what other teachers and districts are using. Heather & Sally learned that a lot of teachers were not given an opportunity to participate in curriculum selection.
Around 500 teachers and educators came to hear the first round of trainings.
There are 8 Transition Network Facilitators (TNF) that are contracted by 8 ESDs. Their responsibilities include connecting with all districts in their region to in accordance with the Executive Order requirements to provide support and collaborate efforts. They are connecting with YTP counties and identifying training where needed. The group is off to a great start.
One of the facilitators, Lon Thornberg, is doing a blog to help with training for all the state. Another facilitator, a School Psychologist, is also involved in supporting her region and others. Much of the training material is located in the annual transition booklet. The facilitators are bringing a variety of different perspectives to this effort. The group meets quarterly in person, but shares progress and challenges as needed.
High Desert ESD is putting together a mapping tool showing what different agencies are doing. There has been a great response from these Transition Educator Institute trainings so Heather is planning to do more on this.
Sally asked for ideas for upcoming trainings, partnerships so not just ODE staff. Suggestions included more work on the one page profiles from the Person Centered Plan approach, and more modeling of strong interagency interactions, with participants going over the process through the perspectives of the brokerages, IEP VR, or other partners.
One-page profiles can inform the situation; goals drive the IEP and other documentation. The 1-page profiles show why all the different parts are important. It’s a good idea to have others come in besides DD and Voc. Rehab. We need to have others involved in order to get statewide fidelity in our message. For example: What does Voc. Rehab want everyone in the state to know about VR?
Messages are always subject to interpretation. If anyone has ideas or thoughts or comments from agency partners, they are welcome to participate in planning for next trainings. / Heather will send ppt to me to send out to others.
(Done 11/21/14.)
Pattie
Predictors and Indicators
Charlotte Alverson / Charlotte mentioned the DCDT conference --it is coming to Portland on 11/5-7 next year (2015). She passed out some information cards showing events coming up this next year. Watch for more information coming soon. It is hoped a parents and youth strand of youth presenting to youth can be developed. Any help thinking through this is cheerfully accepted. We want a strong presence for Oregon and what is happening in Oregon. Logistics (cost, registrations, travel, etc.) will be available later.
Effective 1/1/2015, the NPSO (Charlotte’s group) will become part of a new transition group – focusing on building agency collaboration. Their work will continue, but with a new agency name and affiliation.
Charlotte is sending information on the predictors to us. Evidence-based practices or predictors are programmatic things such as parent involvement and research of high quality. The research shows that individuals will have a better chance to succeed if they have these predictors in place in their schools– career awareness, inclusion, etc. Charlotte talked about operational program characteristics that pertain to specific categories of work or knowledge.
As they go to different areas of the country, teams will get an idea of which part of the system is working well and which isn’t and how to make it work more efficiently. When they start to look at specific parts of the system they will be able to identify what works and what doesn’t.
If teachers aren’t allowed to access information, they aren’t able to help others. What is the State doing to help or to hurt their work? There are approximately 35-65 practices – very individualized, using simulations, and how to do them at a programmatic level.
Charlotte shared several documents that show predictors aligned with indicators and examples of evidence-based practices, etc. Graduation and dropout rate plus improved outcomes are all related. A lot of work needs to be done to show the relationship and how to improve it. Community experiences are predictors and indicators affected are I, 2, 13, etc. The question was asked if there was any talk of requiring school districts to show how predictors are aligned (as Charlotte’s doc shows) at their districts.
Charlotte talked about how some states may require it, but it is something that should be done anyway. In the past, it was not required, but now states have to identify child level improvement areas, outcomes, etc. Some states are doing this and some are not. It is currently a model that is being studied. OR is doing a model that seems to be working on this now.
Definitions vary for different indicators – it is not the same for all indicators. The local districts of some states are making huge changes.
Sally added that that schools are now required to address performance against their achievement compacts, they are asking how SPR&I can change to be more accommodating to the current accountability process. “Indy Star“ may be included as a crosswalk for this. The School Improvement planning process is asking school districts to use this tool (Indy Star) to tie all this together to make the necessary improvements.
It’s a good example of silos and IDEA and SEAs where one tool is used; and in Special Ed, OSEP has all the tools that came out of IDEA. It is expected that when ESEA is reauthorized, IDEA will be right behind it.
Change is hard – there’s no growth if we don’t stretch. The State Toolkit for Examining Post-School Success-Professional Development (STEPSS-PD) tool takes state and federal level and overlays it with predictors and program characteristics that need to be included.
This is all a normal process of systems development -- the work that NPSO and other agencies have been focused on to start implementation at a programmatic level that would put the state at a higher level. It raises expectations for all because it takes data and breaks it down in analysis. It segregates the data so you know what needs to be targeted for additional supports to be improved.
Charlotte was asked if she would go to a particular district to do additional training on evidence-based practices, etc. Charlotte responded she would be happy to do it.
There are gaps in knowledge of predictors and how data is collected. Who gets selected to be there? Pattie and Charlotte presented OR information in 2006-07 and had lots of questions about data-- why it was collected, what questions were asked, and why? They spent all their time answering questions. The n Charlotte was awarded a professional development grant to develop a system to display data in a meaningful way. What are the skills that a stakeholder/facilitator needs to know to drive data?
The Predictor self-assessment is designed to be used by local SDs (districts & schools) to ask if they are doing all 16 predictors and how are they using that information. / Charlotte
2014-15 Transition Resource Booklets / Sally showed everyone the new transition booklet and let them know it is posted on the TCN website. Mona is getting ready to post it to ODE web pages.
We had 160 people attend the SPR&I training on October 1st at the COSA pre-conference event . But then we had a lot more attend at the regular SPR&I training in Eugene later that month (10/21). There’s a lot of information about transition topics in the booklet.
Pattie and Sally spend months gathering material and discussing what goes into the booklet every year, but this year we want to include ACT in more of this planning. We are also including others as well.
For future reference, we have a tentative schedule for future ACT meetings. These are the dates: 1/21, 3/18, 5/20, 9/16 and 11/18/15. Usually these run along with SACSE meetings. The only problem might be in January – we may need to do it the week before the 21st to avoid any conflict. Mona will send out the schedule when it is finalized.
Pattie reported on the stakeholders meeting held in November,
where the process of determining the state directed indicator for the State Performance Plan was presented: Recommended SIMRs (State Systemic Improvement Plan, State Identified Measurable Results)
·  Part C = Increase in social/emotional and Approaches to Learning skills and performance for children B-5 (strong predictor of success in Kindergarten, which then leads to success in 3rd grade)
·  Part B = Increase in percentage of students with disabilities (SWD) reading at grade level by 3rd grade (literacy initiative started in 2009 focusing on all students)
·  The ACT group registered that it will take a long time to see transition-aged students profit from this indicators data.
Pattie passed out 4-year cohort and 5-year cohort data for graduation, and the trends in dropout, transition standards, and post school outcomes.
What is influencing kids to leave without a diploma after 4 years? The data should be examined to be sure the modified diploma option does not replace the regular diploma for students unless all the criteria are met.
When the 2013-14 data become available In February, it will be important to look at those students staying in school a year more to complete their education. Some districts are encouraging students to remain in school an extra year so that they have a greater chance of success.
As this is not statewide, and is beneficial to students, it may change in the future. Fewer students are leaving with a regular diploma in four or five years, the dropout rate is moving higher and may further increase as the graduation requirements increase.
ODE did not meet federal requirements specified for their FFY 2012, partly due to performance on B13, where 100% of files reviewed must be in compliance for all eight transition standards.
Last year the national total engagement rate average was 73.4%. This year in Oregon it is 69.7%. We need to do better.
Sally presented information on the Transition Assessment Goal Generator (TAGG). It is a newly released low cost option for districts. The system collects information from three surveys, and uses the results to create goals and a statement for present level. It costs $3 for each access. / Mona will mail out information that was handed out at the meeting to the persons who participated by phone.
(This was done on 11/21/14.)
11/21: Mona posted the current Transition Booklet to the ODE web pages and it can be seen here.
FFY 2013 Draft APR information / Tabled for now.
Role of ACT in looking at Curriculum and Assessment options for Districts / See discussion above.
Group Share / See discussion above.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

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