From Managing Instruction to Ensuring Learning By Susan Beck Ellen Oderman Phyllis Veith Student

What Is Personalized Learning? Student

Specific Support for Personalized L earning Disabilities

Discussion Within Sessions Shift in Federal Policy Shift in Responsibility Shift in Specific Learning Disabilities Eligibility Shift from Early Intervention Model to K-12 Model Shift from Response to Intervention to Support for Personalized Learning

Discussion Within Sessions continues… Shift from Reading to Reading, Math and Written Language Shift from Academics to Academics and Behavior Shift from At-Risk to At-Risk and Accelerated Learners Shift from Special Education Driven to WVDE Driven

Special Education within the context of General Education 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) Studies on Performance were Disappointing Shift in Federal Policy

EAHCA Reauthorization as IDEA 1997 and IDEIA 2004 – Shift from Access to Educational Benefit General Education Standard Improved Outcomes Not Just Process Supporting Students Access to Post- Secondary Education and Employment Shift in Federal Policy Continues…

Shared Responsibility Between General and Special Education Teachers Responsibility for Learning Outcomes For All Students Shift in Responsibility

Evolving Understanding of SLD… IDEIA 2004 required states to adopt criteria: – Must not require use of severe discrepancy – Must permit LEAs to use process based on childs response to scientific, research-based intervention – May permit use of other alternative research- based procedures Shift in Specific Learning Disabilities Eligibility

Summary of Eligibility Criteria and Determinations The multidisciplinary team must determine through a body of evidence: – Level of Learning – Rate of Learning – Exclusionary Factors

Underachievement cannot be the result of a lack of appropriate instruction, specifically in the essential components of reading and mathematics. In Addition…

Meets the eligibility criteria as Specific Learning Disabilities; Experiences an adverse effect on educational performance; and Needs Special Education Eligibility is based on final determinations that the student …

Incidence: Chart 1 National – Specific Learning Disability Percent of Total Special Education by State in 2009

West Virginia – Number of identified Students with SLD Incidence

Achievement Achievement Gap Between Students with SLD and Students without SLD

What Is a Multi-Leveled Framework? CoreTargeted Intensive

Public Health Prevention Model Address needs of most students through CORE Instruction Provides TARGETED Instruction for students not meeting certain criteria Reserving INTENSIVE Instruction for students with most significant needs Shift in Conceptual Framework

Various models are all based on the same framework Not specific curriculum or program Provides framework for allocating instructional services and resources in response to students needs Shift in Conceptual Framework continues…

School wide Multi-level instructional and behavioral system Identify students at-risk and who need acceleration or enrichment Monitor student progress Provide interventions Adjust intensity and nature of interventions Support for Personalized Learning Framework

General classroom instruction Monitoring of student performance Screening Multi-levels of instruction SPL Framework Core Characteristics

Majority of student needs are met within the Core Screening used to identify needs Progress monitoring used to measure effectiveness of instruction Interventions are proportionate to students individual needs Decision making is data based SPL - Key Principles

Solid CORE Program Universal screening Differentiated support within the CORE Program Progress monitoring of students within the CORE program Supplemental (TARGETED) Instruction for students slightly below grade level Implementing and Monitoring an SPL System

Progress monitoring of students within TARGETED Instruction INTENSIVE Instruction for students well below grade level Progress monitoring of students within INTENSIVE Instruction Referral for formal evaluation for Special Education eligibility Implementing and Monitoring an SPL System continues…

The Core is every schools initial instructional practices – the teaching and school experiences every student receives daily. The Core should meet the educational needs of at least 80% of the students. The CORE

Differentiated instruction Small group activities Focusing on most critical standards and objectives Ongoing analysis and response to assessment data Ensure of quality teaching Maximizing instructional time Implementing programs as intended Characteristics of Effective CORE Instruction

Must meet the needs of: – Students who despite their struggling have not been successful – Intentional nonlearners – students who fail to try Must group students by the cause of their difficulties, not the symptoms Targeted Instruction

Characteristics of Effective TARGETED Instruction Supports for intentional nonlearners… – Mandatory study hall – Mandatory homework help – Frequent progress reports – Study-skills classes – Goal-setting and career planning support – Targeted rewards

Characteristics of Effective TARGETED Instruction… continued Supports for struggling learners… – Initial pedagogic practices dont correspond with learning style – lecture vs. visual/tactile – Additional time – Prerequisite skill review – Smaller groups formed around reasons for not learning

Is designed for students who show low content area skill and/or lack of progress over time when quality CORE and TARGETED instruction have been provided. INTENSIVE Instruction

The main differences are not necessarily the interventions themselves, but the: – frequency; – duration; and – progress monitoring requirements. INTENSIVE vs. TARGETED Instruction

Refers to the… – Amount of time per day – The number of days per week – The number of weeks of instruction – The number of students receiving the intervention at a given time INTENSIVE Instruction

The Eight Components of Support for Personalized Learning

SPL - Component # 1 School Climate and Culture A positive school climate provides the foundation on which instruction will occur and all students will be engaged in learning and depends on four essential elements.

SPL – Component # 2 Leadership Leadership is critical for effective implementation. Success will be determined, to a great extent, by the degree to which district and school leaders are able to move the focus from philosophical understanding to actual practice.

SPL - Component # 3 Teams and Processes The purpose of the problem-solving process is to assist educators, parents and service providers in selecting and/or designing strategies that have high probability for success in maximizing the academic and behavioral performance of students.

SPL - Component # 4 Family and Community Partnerships Central to effective partnership is the recognition of shared responsibility and ownership of student challenges and successes by parents, families, students, community members and educators.

SPL - Component # 5 Assessments Effective use of assessments provides data to drive the decision making process at the individual student, classroom and school levels.

SPL - Component # 6 Core Instruction … Must be viable, rigorous, relevant, standards-driven and characterized by teachers: Scaffolding Immediate response Multiple strategies Emphasizing student responsibility Emphasizing 24/7 learning

SPL - Component # 7 Targeted Instruction … Is characterized by evidenced-based instructional strategies and strengths- based interventions based on the students specific learning and/or behavioral needs. Targeted Instruction serves a two-fold purpose.

SPL - Component # 8 Intensive Instruction...Is intended for students with significant and/or chronic deficits as well as for students with significant underachievement. Intensive Instruction is used to provide: Interventions Enrichment and/or advancement in a specific area of study; Training on student-specific learning needs.

Defining Personalized Learning

…about getting the right instruction to each student as quickly as possible for the greatest amount of time. Support for Personalized Learning is...

… about understanding that solutions to problems are context specific. Support for Personalized Learning is...

... about having rich conversations about students that put their performance into a personalized context. Support for Personalized Learning is...

… about determining whether an identified problem exists for one student, a small group of students, or a large group of students and using this knowledge to form the most appropriate response. Support for Personalized Learning is...

...about the individuals closest to each student collecting pertinent data and actively participating in designing the most appropriate response. Support for Personalized Learning is...

…about utilizing a problem-solving process to analyze possible reasons for a students academic and/or behavioral needs and providing the most effective configuration of support. Support for Personalized Learning is...

...about envisioning and articulating viable expectations for every student. Support for Personalized Learning is...

… about identifying and manipulating the variables that affect a students performance. Support for Personalized Learning is...

… as dynamic as students are, and changes depending on the needs of every individual. Support for Personalized Learning is...

... is a broader, more flexible approach that we will use to provide the most appropriate instruction for every student in WV. SPL as a PROCESS...

The Success of SPL......will result from all of us; working together to define and responsively redefine what is needed student by student.

Every STUDENT in WV is different. Every DISTRICT in WV is different.

Your Next Steps Communicate clarifications 2. Collaboratively redefine how your district will collectively provide personalized learning for all students.

Translate SPL through the CONTEXT in YOUR COUNTY

Who do we need to be part of the team that will make these decisions in our district? What do we have that we can use? What is currently serving the personalized needs of our students, now? What is not? How will we communicate and ensure the shifting that needs to occur? Guiding Questions

1. Ensure everyone understands and accepts the givens. 2. Rally resources and forces to ensure every district, every school, every teacher has everything they need to give every single child as close to possible what they need to learn the most. Our Next Steps...

Not just us Not just you Not just teachers It will take ALL OF US working together...

...the direction we are expected and need to shift towards... Support for Personalized Learning is...

STEP 1 = What do we have that we can use? What already serves the personalized needs of our students? STEP 2 = Where do we need to focus our enhancements? Shifting Towards More Support for Personalized Learning Through Self-Assessment