IDEA Partnership at NASDSE March 20, 2006 Better Outcomes Through Collaboration: New Opportunities for State Leaders IDEA Partnership at NASDSE March 20, 2006 IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE Why is Collaboration with Stakeholders Critical in the Current Environment? Moving from policy to practice has been a persistent challenge. Compliance alone has not achieved the results we desire. NCLB and IDEA 2004 present new challenges that cannot be met by special education alone. Increasingly, special education performance is affected by groups outside special education. To a greater degree, special education accountability is judged by how well others meet the needs of students in special education. There is new attention to a shared, common message. We need to partner with the groups that have the trust and affiliation of the those we need to engage. There is an urgent need to come together. The timelines are short and the stakes are high! IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE The IDEA Partnership at NASDSE: Using Collaboration to Address Current and Future Challenges We believe: States and stakeholders need each other to meet the challenges ahead Stakeholders can help states develop new strategies that will meet their needs in serving students with disabilities Professional groups and family organizations have networks that go deep into the groups we need to engage and into almost every local system Stakeholder networks can build support for a common message We must find and promote state models of collaboration that improve outcomes! We must work with state directors and state staff to develop these models. IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

Questions from the States About the Partnership Work Has anyone developed a logic model that they are using to link involving stakeholders with the goals of the state? How will each state determine where it stands and where it needs to go in terms of stakeholder collaboration as a major strategy in accomplishing state goals? 3. How will we know when we have been successful? 4. How will we determine what partners are needed and how to use them in “the right ways”? 5. How can we bring in the general education community? 6. What work is the Partnership engaged in across federal agencies (e.g., Social Security Administration, Workforce Investment Act, Rehabilitative Services)? 7. How will we show outcomes for work that is the combined effort of different services or agencies? 8. What if a state had an issue that was not considered a priority issue by the Partnership? IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

An Overview of Partnership Work in the States Professional Development / Adult Learning: HI, MD, MI, ND, NH, NY, OH, OR, SC, UT Interagency Transition AL, AZ, CA, DC, DE, NH, ND, PA,VA, WI, and possibly MI Shared Agenda: Education, MH and Families HI, MD, MO, NH, NM, OH, NC, SC, VT, and possibly return by OR and TX NCLB and IDEA Collaboration Currently reforming as of 12/05 with 14 states participating IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

New Ways of Relating to Achieve Goals In every state based effort we aim to: Involve stakeholder organizations in the effort to improve data on student outcomes Identify how each group can uniquely contribute Develop the potential for stakeholder groups to contribute through their existing networks and structures Create new structures together Make the connections to professional organizations and family networks routine and meaningful Move away from “rolling out” information to stakeholders Move toward engaging stakeholders as ‘critical change agents’ Collect evidence that collaboration can make a difference Share what works across states IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

Questions from the States Practical Considerations 1. What does it mean to be a state model in one of these topic areas? 2. What is the extent of resources available to states? 3. What are specific cross-stakeholder activities that the Partnership can assist in and what are specific resources that the Partnership can provide at the state and local levels? 4. Will our future agreements with the IDEA Partnership be for one year or would they be multiple year contracts with annual amendments? IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE For the Next 3 Years… The Partnership … Will continue to work with all the states …while seeking states that want to lead this change and become state models. Provide some technical assistance to all states …while providing more direct technical assistance to the states that want to become models Typical TA includes: Package of support customized for each group of states focused on a topic Opportunity to use a web-based site for collaboration, if needed Routine cross-state calls for state-state learning Web-based learning seminars, as requested An individualized story of progress that can be shared with policymakers, implenters and consumers: The Living Record Brokering the connections to state affiliates of national organizations Co-ordinate with other federally funded TA Centers that can offer support Highlight the work of the state nationally Customized TA includes All typical TA, plus direct work in the state with state staff Additional support for state efforts to bring in stakeholder networks Annual meetings with other potential state models IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE In the Next Few Months…. State teams will be coming to DC for Community of Practice Meetings Feb 6-7: Transition March 20-21: Professional Development and Adult Learning Shared Agenda (MH): Spring 2006, TBA We are asking State Directors to: Consider the strategic advantage in collaborating with stakeholders Consider whether they want to become a state model of collaboration Provide guidance to their teams about the level at which the state will participate Be actively involved in identifying how collaboration helps improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities Be actively involved promoting shared work in the state and with their colleagues across states IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

Questions from the States Leadership Issues 1. How do we measure our success in terms of students outcomes through quantitative measures when so much of our work is about building capacity and measured in qualitative terms? 2. How can we build a collective vision among partners? 3. How can we build a committed team? How can the IDEA Partnership strengthen connections between general education and special education systems and partners? What differentiates leading from managing change and improvement? How do we ensure accountability for shared work? How do we report each other’s contribution in shared work? 8. How do we create a sense of shared ‘ownership' for all children? 9. What is the role of technology in enhancing positive educational change ? 10.Can we approach this work in a customer service frame? How do we measure our success in terms of customer service? 11.Can we break out of the patterns of bureaucracy and insular work? 12.Can we begin to model learning with and from the range of stakeholders? 13.Can we find leverage points and coherent paths through complex and multi-layered issues? 14.How can we develop actionable agendas that have more predictable success? IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

Comments from the States Relevant Leadership Issues referenced in Public Education Network NewsBlast on “Public Involvement, Public Education, Public Benefit” sent by a state: “In the drive for education reform, how can we make sure the human element is not being lost?” “How can we develop civic leaders and stakeholders to mobilize ongoing political will of the community to fund a high-performing public education system? “ (See the following link for an example www.annenberginstitute.org/VUE/fall05/Akers.html) These sound like ‘Partnership-like’ pieces of work. Do you know of other efforts that are similarly aligned? Can we connect our work to forwarding leading educational work, in general? IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE

IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE In Closing…. State Directors, may we ask… That you learn exactly what your state is doing with the Partnership and who is involved, if you are not sure That you talk with your state team before they come to DC to attend the upcoming meetings Talk about the strategic advantage of collaboration and whether it fits into your vision for the state Talk about whether you want to pursue existing efforts or want to deepen the work and become a state model for collaboration That you become involved on a regular basis, either directly or through a designee, so that the work stays high level and connected with your state goals. That you communicate to state staff the importance of this groundbreaking work! Thanks for your ongoing support of the Partnership and NASDSE! IDEA Partnership @ NASDSE