2. 2011 OSEP Leadership Mega Conference Collaboration to Achieve Success from Cradle to Career 2.0 You Can’t Dance by Yourself Improving Outcomes for Students in Large Urban Districts through Partnerships for Accountability and Continuous Improvement Ronald Felton Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative Presentation #221

3. Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative MISSION: Improve educational results and life opportunities for children and youth with disabilities in urban schools www.urbancollaborative.org www.facebook.com/urbancollaborative Over 100 Urban School Districts

4. Challenges In Large Urban Districts Resources Fiscal Human Size (population and geography) Consistency Monitoring

5. Challenges In Large Urban Districts Engaging Families (esp. minority and Low SES) Bureaucracy and Silos Ownership Stability of Leadership

7. How Collaboration Can Help Advocacy/Awareness Eyes, Ears and Feet Resource to Schools and Leadership Engaging Families (esp. minority) Outside Voice Expands Cultural Competency of District

8. “ Without trust there is nothing” -Anonymous "If two men on the same job agree all the time, then one is useless. If they disagree all the time, both are useless." - Darryl F. Zanuck

9. What Should Be In Place Trust/Honesty/Communication Need to respect and value each perspective the partners bring to the table. Desire to collaborate Understanding of legal, policy and procedural issues (contracts, human resources, etc.)

10. What Should Be In Place Shared belief in the role of parents in the process and an understanding or perspectives Willingness to share resources Parent/Community advisory committee structure (optional but helpful) Patience and fortitude

11. Cooperative Agreement Six Parent Liaisons ESE Coffee Talks Educational conferences Facilitate informal mediation with school, district & Access Center personnel/Attend Resolution meetings. Review IEP (Individual Education Plan) Transition meeting from the Early Intervention Programs Transition to the community Parent Conferences ESOL Presentations Parents as Faculty/The parent perspective

12. Contacts: Isabel Garcia Executive Director Parent-to-Parent Miami www.ptopmiami.org igarcia@ptopmiami.org Ron Felton Assistant Director Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative www.urbancollaborative.org rfelton@edc.org Debra Jennings, Co-Director, Region 1 PTAC, debra.jennings@spannj.org