Call to Community: Building Connections that Make a Difference for Students with Disabilities CA Community Meeting April 28, 2008

“In theory there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice, there is.” Yogi Berra”

The New Focus on Information and Experience “Knowledge is an asset to be managed like other assets” Etienne Wenger

We Need A New Way of Working We have a ‘knowing’ and ‘doing’ gap. We need to move promising strategies ‘to scale’. We have a need for security when undertaking change. Problems are complex and interrelated. We need to find a course of action through the complexity

The ‘Knowing’ and ‘Doing’ Gap ‘Knowing’ isn’t ‘doing’! Practices often do not transfer across organizations. Practices often do not transfer across sites within the same organization.

Moving Promising Strategies ‘To Scale’ Pockets of excellence persist! Many sites need direct and ongoing support to adopt practices. It is unlikely that we will have sufficient TA resources to provide direct assistance to all that will need it.

The Need for Security In Making Change Implementers are people first! Fear limits the ability of people to turn knowledge into action. People need support to make changes. In the absence of support, change does not go deep. In the absence of support, backsliding is common.

Finding a Course of Action through Complex Issues We need to be able to operate at the intersection of research, policy and practice. States as leverage points Stakeholders as partners State agencies as collaborators State investments as resources

What If..... The state agencies routinely connected to teachers, VR counselors, families, etc for their views The State agencies provided a way for you to connect with others that care about an issue The State agencies made you a real partner in creating new solutions to persistent problems

What If... The state agencies created a way to share best practice within the state and coach each other The state affiliates of your national organizations consistently offered opportunities for you to be involved in the real work of changing outcomes in CA You could learn and share with individuals in other states and they could learn and share with you

Communities of Practice for Strategic Advantage There is untapped knowledge that resides with those that do the work To achieve results, leaders need to partner with and support those that are closest to the work. Real change requires that leaders, practitioners and consumers build a shared sense of purpose around the change

What are Communities of Practice? A way of working Involving those who do shared work Involving those that share issues Always asking “who isn’t here?” A way of learning To create new knowledge grounded in ‘doing the work’ With those who can advocate for and make change

Can a ‘Community’ Strategy Address Unmet Needs? Communities Are a ‘way of working’ Are the natural bonds between people that share common work Are organized around common goals Are committed to using what we know Move from ‘knowing’ to ‘doing’ Open, inviting and supportive others ‘doing’ the work

What Do Communities Do? Seek and invite others doing shared work Share learnings within organizations, agencies and roles Share learnings across organizations, agencies and roles Decide to do things together that will address a shared concern Create new knowledge grounded

Why Are Communities of Value? Provide the support that implementers need Respect the ‘expertise’ that implementers bring Recognize the differences in the settings where implementer do their work Inviting differing viewpoints Seek commonality within differing viewpoints Unite individuals in in action Focus on ‘lesson drawing’ and ‘learning’ Turn existing ‘networks‘ into ‘communities’ Use the ‘community’ to transform practice Building bridges between research, policy and practice

How Do Communities Make a Difference? Build on a voluntary affiliation Use the natural bonds between people that do common work Create communication mechanisms Maintain communication that strengthen natural bonds Use the ‘community status’ to bring attention to issues Use the ‘community status’ to engage the people that can help move the issues Keep the community members focused on ‘learning by doing’ Keep community members focused on outcomes

How Do Organizations and Individuals Get Their Needs Met Within a Community? Communities focus on ‘big picture’ goals ‘Practice Groups’ unite individuals with special interests or specific issues Practice groups help the community understand specific interests and issues in more depth The community keeps the practice group focused on the ‘bigger picture’ Both the ‘community’ and the ‘practice group’ are necessary to get needs met Both the ‘community’ and the ‘practice group’ are necessary to respond to issues in context

How Do Organizational and Stakeholder Groups Enlarge and Enrich the Community? Individuals ‘hear’ messages differently from groups with which they voluntarily affiliate Individuals are more open to influence from their organizational/stakeholder networks Organizational/stakeholder network support moves ideas more quickly Organizational/stakeholder networks translate ideas and make concrete connections for their constituents When organizational/stakeholder networks are engaged, they create leadership opportunities for their members When organizational/stakeholder networks are engaged they can bring the learning the realities of implementation into the work When organizational/stakeholder networks are engaged they can disseminate new learning that is grounded in the realities of implementation The community provides organizations and stakeholders with a stronger voice in bringing policy and practice together!

An Example of A Community and It’s Practice Groups Community Focus: Interagency Transition Potential Practice Groups: Employment Health Post –secondary issues Transition and high school redesign Transition for youth with unique needs: youth with autism, youth returning from the juvenile justice system, youth in foster care, etc. Youth empowerment and leadership Data Sharing and data-based decisionmaking

Learning as a Community Focus Local-to-Local State-to-Local Local-to-State State-to-State

National Community on Transition: We Are Trying to Model a New Way 10 states, 12 national organizations… connected with federal investments in ED and VR Focus on learning across states and modeling community within states Key Issues: oInteragency (engagement, roles, relationships, common goals, unique indicators and data systems) oYouth role oImpact of HS redesign on transition oYear-round program oLocal engagement and local-to-state learning oState meetings as catalysts for community building and allied action

First Steps to Community Building among Stakeholders Ask: Who is interested in this issue and why? What efforts are underway separately to address the work? How can we build new connections? What ‘real work’ goal could unite us?

Helping State Agencies Learn the Value of Community Ask: What does the data tell you? If you are to improve the data, who needs to be involved? What will make the work need fulfilling for others? Reach out and invite through the community!

How Can Separate Work Become Shared Work? Be intentional about collaboration Invite others into core work Invest in collaborative strategies Plan together Share training Make shared work your ‘work style’…not an ‘add on’ Invent new ways to connect Issue Forums Routine Learning Calls Create Issue Focused Practice Groups Involve Practice Groups in advising and decision making Create online workspace for connecting Focus on the task, the relationship and the learning!

New Eyes on Challenges through Communities of Practice For you, is there value in building a community that aligns separate initiatives in support of transition? For you, is there value in building a community that supports relationships and learning within states? For you, is there value in building a community that supports relationships and learning across states?