1. Early Intervention Project 20 th Anniversary November 5, 2004

2. Early Intervention Project Revisiting Our History

3. EIP Vision The Early Intervention Project (EIP) empowers people to create interdependent partnerships to help all children learn and experience success.

4. EIP Goals The goals of the original grant (written in 1984) were: to reduce inappropriate referrals to special education; to reduce the number of inappropriate referrals for formal testing and evaluation; and to reduce the inappropriate special education classification of students, especially those from minority groups.

5. EIP Student Data For 2003-2004 Bethel Bloomfield Bristol Cheshire Colchester Danbury Eastford East Haddam East Hartford East Hampton Greenwich Manchester Mansfield Milford Naugatuck New Haven North Haven Plymouth Rocky Hill Seymour Shelton Southington Stafford Thomaston Tolland Vernon Wallingford Waterbury West Haven Wethersfield Windsor RSD #15

6. Student Data Data from 2003-2004 Number of Students Tracked=3,919 Words & Numbers

7. Student Data Words & Numbers undetermined Referred to PPT, 19% Data from 2003-2004 Number of Students Tracked=3,919

8. The Harvard Report In 2000, a Harvard study was conducted examining the issue of disproportionality in special education. Connecticut was cited as one of the states identified as in need of improvement in this area. As a result, thirty-four (34) districts were invited to a summit based on overrepresentation data. Eighteen (18) of these districts had some level of EIP involvement at various schools. This prompted questions about sustainability and implementation integrity of EIP since the results do not demonstrate progress toward one of the original EIP goals.

9. EIP Survey In 2001, a survey was conducted by Words & Numbers with EIP team members to examine issues regarding the implementation integrity and sustainability of EIP. –Sustainability is difficult to maintain without on- going high quality professional development and an actively involved building administrator. –Teams tend to have difficulty implementing the problem-solving process with integrity.

10. Additional Questions That Have Been Raised Does EIP meet its original goals? Does EIP influence inclusive practice for all students, including students with disabilities?

11. RTPs Quality Team Assurance, renamed Reflective Team Process (RTP), has been utilized to examine the sustainability of EIP and is a leading source of information about the status of implementation of the project. Eighty-four (84) schools have participated.

12. Early Intervention Project Lessons Learned

13. Lesson # 1 Concepts of pre-referral tend to impede the overall philosophy of EIP. EIP is not a specific model. EIP needs to be marketed as a philosophy.

14. Lesson # 2 Schools with productive and effective early intervention processes have committed building level leadership, who understand and embed the concepts and principles of early intervention within the school culture.

16. Lesson # 3 In order to ensure implementation integrity regarding interventions, school leaders need to increase accountability for instructional changes to improve student outcomes.

17. Leading Complex Change M. Lippitt (2003) Leading Complex Change. Enterprise Management, LTD. VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN SUCCESS CAPABILITIES Confidence UNDERSTANDING Engagement Commitment Advocacy

18. Leading Complex Change M. Lippitt (2003) Leading Complex Change. Enterprise Management, LTD. VISIONCAPABILITIES RESOURCES ACTION PLAN RESTRANT; RESISTANCE VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN ANXIETY VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES FALSE STARTS CAPABILITIES VISIONINCENTIVES ACTION PLAN FRUSTRATION CAPABILITIES INCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN CONFUSION CAPABILITIES VISIONINCENTIVESRESOURCES ACTION PLAN SUCCESS CAPABILITIES

19. Lesson # 4 Early intervention is a philosophy focused on collective responsibility that should be part of a whole school culture, not particular to a core team. Families are an integral part of the whole school culture.

20. (Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001) Intensive 1-7% (Specialized Student System) Intervention 5-15% (At-Risk System, Supplemental) Universal 80-90% (District, School-Wide, & Classrooms Systems) School-Wide Individual Support All Students in School Continuum of Support

21. One Example of the Three Tiered Approach (Adapted from Ortiz, 1987; Horner, 1998; Sugai, 2001) School-Wide Individual Support Partnerships with Families Collaboration with Colleagues Curriculum School-Improvement Positive Behavior Supports Case Partner Grade Level/Ad Hoc Team Focused Team Support Differentiated Instruction Common Planning All Students in School

22. Lesson # 5 General education membership has been a consistent and steady part of EIP. This practice needs to continue as an integral part of the process in order to ensure EIP is maintained as a function of general education.

23. Lesson # 6 More time appears to be spent on problem “admiration” rather than on actual problem-solving. Problem-solving needs to be viewed as a form of data-based decision- making.

24. Words & Numbers, 2000

25. Lesson # 7 Data are collected regularly, however, the analysis of assessments need to be used as a strategic part of decision-making and to assist with more accurate problem identification.

26. Lesson # 8 Reflective practice is consistently proving to result in refining and enhancing instructional practice. EIP is a vehicle of this type of job- embedded professional development.

28. Lesson # 9 Interventions tend to mirror general teaching strategies rather than researched-based, quality interventions. Brainstorming in and of itself does not necessarily result in quality intervention development. The skills and strategies taught must match specific student needs and reflect cultural and linguistic influences.

29.  Accommodations & Modifications Demands/ Skills Years in School  Skills & Strategies The Achievement Gaps

30. Lesson # 10 Schools need to have effective and efficient ways of documenting student progress as evidence of the impact of change in instructional practices. Monitoring needs to be emphasized as accountability for implementation integrity of interventions to ensure successful student outcomes.

31. Early Intervention Project New Directions

32. Components of EIP Leadership Collegial Support & Family Partnerships Strategic Decision-Making Assessment & Reflective Practice Instructional Repertoire Accountability & Documentation