1. Time for Change: Examining Utah Data Relating to Student Performance
and
Implementing a State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) to Improve Student Outcomes

2. The Purpose of IDEA
To ensure that all students with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.
First purpose is huge.
(1B) to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and parents of such children are protected;
(1C) to assist States, localities, educational service agencies, and Federal agencies to provide for the education of all children with disabilities;
(2) to assist States in the implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary, interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families;
(3) to ensure that educators and parents have the necessary tools to improve educational results for children with disabilities by supporting system improvement activities; coordinated research and personnel preparation; coordinated technical assistance, dissemination, and support; and technology development and media services; and
(4) to assess and ensure the effectiveness of efforts to educate children with disabilities.

3. December 1, 2013 Child Count
75,767 Students with Disabilities in Utah Ages 3-21
2012 Intellectual Disability % Hearing Impaired % Speech/Language Impairment % Visual Impairment % Emotional Disturbance % Orthopedic Impairement % Other Health Impairment % Specific Learning Disability % Deaf-Blindness % Multiple Disabilities % Autism % Traumatic Brain Injury % Developmental Delay % Total 71233

4. Perception Check
Utah has approximately 76,000 students with disabilities ages 3–21 (approximately 71,000 ages 6–21) served with an IEP.
Of those ages 6–21, approximately 46% are students with an SLD, 22% have an SLI, and 10% have an Other Health Impairment (OHI).
Using disability category data alone, up to 86% of Utah students with disabilities have mild/moderate disabilities.

5. 6-8th Grade Math Proficiency Non- students with Disabilities 2013-2014

6. 6-8th Grade Math Proficiency Students with Disabilities 2013-2014

7. Utah SAGE Results for Students with Disabilities in Mathematics 2013–2014 by Grade
Grade Level
Percent Proficient 3
22.3% 4
21.4% 5
16.1% 6
9.2% 7
9.5% 8
6.6% 10
4.5%

8. Utah’s 2013–2014 SAGE tests show 42
Utah’s 2013–2014 SAGE tests show 42.2% of students without disabilities in grades three through eight and ten were proficient in mathematics, but just 12.9% of students with disabilities were proficient.
29.3% achievement gap

9. SWD have Made Slight Gains in Math and ELA over the Past Four Years, but no Significant Progress
The majority of SWD are not proficient in math.
ELA scores show similar gaps, but more SWD are being assessed than in math.
Not all SWD are tested in grade-level secondary math assessments.
Those SWD enrolled in general education math courses had higher rates of proficiency than those in more restrictive settings.
Special educators express lack of understanding of core, instructional methodology for the core, and the need for SWD to access the core.

10. Utah NEEDS to IMPROVE the OUTCOMES of students with disabilities.
This drives the SSIP.

11. Access to General Education by Grade 2014-2015

12. Utah State-identified Measurable Result (SiMR)
Increase statewide proficiency by 11.11% for students with Speech Language Impairments (SLI) or Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) in grades six through eight on SAGE mathematics over a five-year period.

13. Three Root Causes
Administrator, teacher, parent, and student attitudes and behavior (resulting in some IEP team decisions that limit grade level core mathematics instruction);
Teacher understanding of mathematics standards and effective instruction; and
An educational system that decreases general education instructional support and interventions in the secondary settings, during a time when the mathematics core standards become more rigorous and abstract (i.e., Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)).

15. Needed Vital Changes in Utah
Administrators, teachers, parents, and students will see the need to expect students with disabilities to master mathematics content (resulting in IEP team decisions that require and scaffold grade-appropriate Core mathematics instruction);
General education and special education teachers will understand mathematics standards and effective instruction will improve; and
The state and local educational agencies will increase general education instructional support and interventions in the secondary settings, to scaffold mathematics Core standards as they become more rigorous and abstract.

17. Broad Coherent Improvement Strategies to Address Root Causes
Inclusion in Grade-Level Core, Assessment, Graduation Requirements, and College and Career Ready (CCR) Plans
Leadership
Preservice and Inservice Professional Learning
Data and Evidence-Based Practices and Decisions
Active Engagement of All School Personnel
IEP team Decisions
Fiscal Support

18. What Next? Nine LEAs selected for SSIP reporting (Indicator 17)
Collaboration between USOE and LEA to identify specific schools, methods of implementation, improvement strategies, and available funding
Decisions made based on LEA data and PIP
RDA
All LEAs expected to improve (Indicator 3)