1. Closing the Opportunity to Learn Gap for Students with Disabilities Cross-State Research Results Opportunity To Learn– Instructional Alignment Least Restrictive Environment Impacts on Student Achievement Summary: What Was Learned?

2. A report of the KS State Consortium SEC Special Education Project US ED Enhanced Assessment Grant The contents of this presentation were developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal government.

3. Opportunity to Learn (OTL) Analysis of Instruction Question examined: How well aligned is Instruction in Classrooms to Standards and Assessments?

4. Opportunity to Learn Language Arts & Reading * * Alignment By Teacher Position Notable distinctions between General Ed. and Special Ed. teachers across all alignment targets Alignment By SWD Status Only alignment to Common Core is notably different when grouped on SWD Status CCSS Mod. Test State Test Ext. Stnds. State Stnds. General Ed. Teacher Special Ed. Teacher

5. Mathematics Opportunity to Learn Alignment By Position Alignment By SWD Status CCSS Mod. Test State Test Ext. Stnds. State Stnds. NCTM Stnds. Only alignment to Common Core is notably different when grouped on Position Alignment to Common Core and NCTM Standards are notably different when grouped on SWD status General Ed. Teacher Special Ed. Teacher

6. Least Restrictive Environment LRE >80%Test Z Score OTL CCSSState Ext. Stnd. OTL State Stnd Low-0.070.480.320.44 Med-0.080.460.300.41 High0.300.520.320.45 LRE >80%Test Z Score OTL CCSSState Ext. Stnd. OTL State Stnd Low-1.270.450.330.42 Med-1.450.430.300.38 High-0.580.520.350.45 Language Arts and Reading – School LRE Category A (>80% time) by Performance & OTL For All Students For SWD Students Performance | Opportunity To Learn |

7. Least Restrictive Environment LRE >80%Test Z Score OTL CCSSOTL NCTM OTL State Stnd Low-0.260.440.500.43 Med0.170.430.470.43 High0.060.450.440.41 LRE >80%Test Z Score OTL CCSSOTL NCTM OTL State Stnd Low-1.660.430.450.42 Med-0.530.46 0.44 High-0.930.47 0.40 Mathematics – School LRE Category A (>80% time) by Performance & OTL For All Students For SWD Students Performance Opportunity To Learn |

10. Variable Standardized Beta Coefficient Significance Prior achievement 0.700.000 Disability status -0.0960.000 Economic Disadvantage -0.0690.000 Level of Inclusion (LRE Cat. A) 0.0480.001 State Standard (pre-CCSSM) 0.0650.000 CCSSM -0.0730.000 NCTM 0.1320.000 Analyzing Information 0.0400.000 Mathematics Multivariate Regression Equation predicting mathematics achievement

11. Variable Standardized Beta Coefficient Significance Prior Achievement.777.000 Disability Status-.076.000 Economic Disadvantage-.065.000 Level of inclusion (LRE Cat. A).045.000 State Standard-.178.000 CCSS.090.000 State Mod. Test.062.000 State Ext. Standard.030.004 Generate Written Text.022.037 Language Arts/Reading Multivariate Regression Equation predicting achievement

12. What have we learned? (so what?) SEC Special Education Consortium Project –Final (1) Instructional content data from classrooms in 3 states show general consistency in opportunity to learn between general ed. and special ed. but instruction differs at the fine grain (specific topic) level in many schools The SEC data reported by teachers reveal wide variation in instructional practices used in Math and ELA, and among classes taught by special education and general education teachers Demonstrated for schools, districts, & states a method of analyzing and using data on alignment of instruction to standards –two dimensions are important – Topics by Cognitive expectations Cognitive expectations for teaching and learning were found to be a major gap between current instruction and Common Core Standards— SEC charts proved useful to focus shifts needed for transition to CCSS

13. What have we learned? (so what) SEC Special Education Consortium Project –Final (2) Analyzed school LRE indicator and instruction– Schools with more inclusive classrooms (higher LRE scores) had greater alignment of instruction to Standards –both students with IEPs and Gen.Ed. students Tested a new method of reporting on instruction to students with significant cognitive disabilities (1% group), and reporting on relation of instruction to Extended Standards Analyzed effects of instructional alignment on gains in student achievement: a) Better alignment of ELA instruction to Common Core positively related to student achievement gains, b) Math instruction alignment to prior standards related to gains in achievement Model for professional development with use of data at school level, involving teacher teams by grade level (Online PD Modules)