November 2, 2017 | National Conference Center, East Windsor, NJ

Exploring Disproportionality: Discovering Root Causes and Solutions-Based Approaches

Sponsored by: 2 Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 Schedule of Events 5 Welcome 6 PCG White Paper Executive Summary Reducing Disproportionality in New Jersey Schools: Practical Ideas and Promising Strategies for Interven- tion & Referral Services (I&RS) Teams 7 Sessions 8 Keynote Speakers 10 Featured Speakers 14 Participating Schools & Districts

3 8:00AM – 8:30AM Welcome Breakfast 8:30AM – 8:35AM Opening Remarks 8:35AM – 9:05AM Keynote: Dr. David Kirkland Advancing Culturally Responsive Education in New Jersey Schools

9:05AM – 9:35AM Keynote: Dr. Sharon Lohrmann NJPBSIS and the Implementation of Tiered Intervention Systems for Behavior and Conduct Needs 9:35AM – 9:55AM Coffee Break 9:55AM – 11:05AM Breakout Sessions A: Utilizing NJTSS (MTSS) - Planning & Delivery of I&RS to Ease Teacher Workloads and Improve Student Outcomes B: Family and Community Engagement C: Disproportionality: Understanding the Law D: At the School Level: Systemic Use of Data and SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Support to Address Significant Disproportionality

11:10AM – 12:20PM Breakout Sessions A: PBSIS Exemplars B: Family and Community Engagement C: Universal Design, Disproportionality, and Social Justice D: Disproportionality and LAUSD: A Case Study 12:20PM – 1:05PM Catered Lunch 1:10PM – 2:10PM Breakout Sessions A: At the School Level: Systemic Use of Data and Support to Address Significant Disproportionally B: Universal Design, Disproportionality, and Social Justice C: Utilizing NJTSS (MTSS) - Planning & Delivery of I&RS to Ease Teacher Workloads and Improve Student Outcomes 2:15PM – 2:45PM Moderated Panel, Q&A 2:45PM – 3:15PM Closing Remarks

4 New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT Public Consulting Group (PCG) is proud to sponsor the New Jersey Special Education Annual Summit.

With over 30 years of experience supporting states, districts, educators, and students, PCG has a long history of supporting the success of all students across the United States. For more than a decade, PCG has been a close partner to each public school district and charter school in New Jersey through a mix of state and district contracts. We provide professional development and technical assistance to teachers and administrators, and education data systems that help guide policy, programs and instructional practice – with a deep focus on special populations. Through our extensive experience working with schools and districts across the country, we know that over-identifying students of a specific racial or ethnic group can have long term consequences. Students affected by disproportionality suffer in their academic achievements, are less likely to access a rigorous curriculum, experience limited post-secondary opportunities, and face marginalized employment opportunities thereafter. We also understand the importance of developing comprehensive, district and school-based strategies to mitigate disproportionality. We are excited that you have chosen to participate in this Special Education Summit on “Exploring Disproportionality: Discovering Root Causes and Solutions-Based Approaches.” This event provides a forum for Superintendents, Special Education Directors, Supervisors of Special Education, and other special education professionals to discuss and learn about this complex and critical issue. We hope the conversations that begin today will continue back in your classrooms, schools, and district offices.

Thank you,

Bill Mosakowski President & CEO Public Consulting Group

New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT 5 PCG is proud to announce the release of our latest white paper: Reducing Disproportionality in New Jersey Schools: Practical Ideas and Promising Strategies for Intervention & Referral Services (I&RS) Teams. A copy of this white paper is available at the registration desk.

In the education field, the concept of racial achievement gaps on standardized tests has been widely reported. Education equity advocates, however, point out that there is a lesser known–yet far larger and more complex parallel issue–that is dramatically impacting the ability of schools to teach and support struggling minority students. It’s simply known as “disproportionality,” an overrepresentation of students from certain racial/ethnic groups, particularly Black/African American and Hispanic students, in special education programs. Affected students are disproportionately isolated, spending more time in restrictive environments relative to their non-affected peer students and facing greater rates of suspension and expulsioni. Because affected students are less likely to access a rigorous curriculum, these students experience limited post-secondary opportunities and marginalized employment opportunities thereafterii. Furthermore, affected students are significantly more likely to be incarcerated–both as juveniles and as adultsiii. While determining exactly how disproportionality is calculated is subject to much scholarly and policy debate, the evidence is clear: this substantial issue has long-term implications for affected students both locally in New Jersey, as well as nationally. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fortunately, there are a number of widely recommended steps that school teams can take to address and prevent overrepresentation issues. PCG offers a theory of action for remediating disproportionality, centered on the notion that highly functioning problem-solving teams, utilizing a consistent documentation tool and progress monitoring within a framework of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), have the potential to target and provide appropriate academic and behavioral supports for struggling learners and, thereby, positively affect the culture of a district. In this paper, we provide educators with current data and basic information about the root causes of disproportionality; discuss related policy, procedural, and practice issues both within the local New Jersey context and nationally; and offer recommendations within the framework of our theory of action about how I&RS teams can use data and technology system to provide, and monitor the fidelity of, targeted interventions to students.

Our purpose in developing this paper is simple: to demystify disproportionality and offer strategies that I&RS teams in New Jersey can employ to begin resolving it.

i Gartner, A., and Lipsky, D.K. (1999). Disability, Human Rights, and Education: The United States. In F. Armstrong & L. Barton (Eds.),Disability Human Rights, and Education: Cross Cultural Perspectives, 100-118

ii Harry, B., and Klingner, J. (2006). Why are so many minorities in special education? Understanding race and disabilities in schools. New York: Teachers College Press.

iii Annamma, S., Morrison, D., and Jackson, D. (2014). Disproportionality Fills in the Gaps: Connections Between Achievement, Discipline, and Special Education in the School-to-Prison Pipeline.Berkeley Review of Education. 5, 53-87.

6 New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT SESSIONS

Advancing Culturally Responsive Education Disproportionality and LAUSD: A Case Study in New Jersey Schools Sharyn Howell Dr. David Kirkland This breakout session will look at disproportionality This keynote will engage participants in the complexities from a large, urban school district perspective. of achieving culturally responsive education and the Participants will study the most compelling systemic complex social and economic forces necessitating it. drivers for change in the second largest school district The goal of the presentation is to raise awareness of the in the US. Disproportionality will be studied as it relates effects of relevance in the lives of youth. to IDEA as well as the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights. NJPBSIS and the Implementation of Tiered Intervention Systems for Behavior and Universal Design, Disproportionality, and Conduct Needs Social Justice Dr. Sharon Lohrmann Kirk Behnke This keynote will provide a grounding orientation in This breakout session will review the intersections using a Tiered Intervention to address behavior and between Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and conduct needs within the context of the New Jersey Social Justice. Participants will gain an appreciation Positive Behavior Support in Schools initiative, a for the UDL framework as a means of mitigating partnership with the NJ Department of Education, disproportionality by supporting all learners – Offices of Special Education. With an established regardless of socioeconomic, cultural, gender, language, framework and a compelling base of evidence, Tiered cognitive, physical, and emotional background— by Intervention Systems offer an opportunity to address providing exceptional, rigorous learning opportunities. the range of behavior and conduct needs present in schools using systematic decision making and positive Disproportionality: Understanding the Law and proactive practices. Sue Gamm, Esq.

Utilizing NJTSS (MTSS) - Planning & Delivery This breakout session will review state and federal definitions around disproportionality and how they of I&RS to Ease Teacher Workloads and Improve impact district policies and practices. In particular, Student Outcomes it will address the recent change in definition of Mollye Kiss disproportionality by the US Department of Education This breakout session identifies key success factors in Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the the implementation of I&RS at the school and district State of New Jersey as it relates to pertinent findings levels. The presenter will discuss the role of NJTSS in from the US Department of Education Office of Civil I&RS and how it can be successfully utilized to mitigate Rights (OCR) and relevance to NJ school districts. disproportionality. Family and Community Engagement At the School Level: Systemic Use of Data and Mark Mautone Support to Address Significant Disproportionality This breakout session will provide information and Sowmya Kumar strategies that parents, educators, and administrators will find beneficial for building relationships that lead This breakout session analyzes disproportionality to parental and community engagement in their child’s and discipline of students with disabilities as a education and subsequently reducing disproportionality. symptom of inequities and unintentional biases in practice. Understanding district and school level disproportionality data, and developing a continuous improvement plan with aligned resources and support are key to addressing the issue sustainability, systemically and systematically.

New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT 7 Dr. David E. Kirkland Dr. David E. Kirkland is the Executive Director of The NYU Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and The Transformation of Schools. He has also been described as an activist and educator, cultural critic and author. A leading national scholar and advocate for educational justice, Dr. Kirkland hold a PhD and JD. A Detroit native, his transdisciplinary scholarship explores a variety of equity related topics: school climate and discipline; school integration and choice; culture and education; vulnerable learners; and intersections among race, gender, and education. With many groundbreaking publications to his credit, he has analyzed the cultures, languages, and texts of urban youth, using quantitative, critical literary, ethnographic, and sociolinguistic research methods to answer complex questions at the center of equity and social justice in education.

Dr. Kirkland taught middle and high school for several years in Michigan. He’s also organized youth empowerment and youth KEYNOTE SPEAKERS KEYNOTE mentoring programs for over a decade in major U.S. cities such as Detroit, Chicago and New York. He currently leads efforts to enhance education options for vulnerable youth throughout New York City, and beyond. Dr. Kirkland has received many awards for his research and educational advocacy work, including the 2016 AERA Division G Mid-Career Scholars Award, the 2008 AERA Division G Outstanding Dissertation Award. He was a 2009-10 Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, a 2011-12 NAEd/Spencer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow, and is a former fellow of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Research Foundation’s “Cultivating New Voices among Scholars of Color” program. In addition to several other boards, he currently serves as a trustee for the Research Foundation of the National Council of Teachers of English. A Search Past Silence: The Literacy of Black Males, the fifth book that Dr. Kirkland has authored, is a TC Press bestseller and winner of the 2015 Daniel E. Griffiths Research Award, the 2014 AESA Critics Choice Award, and the 2014 NCTE David H. Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English. He is also co-editor of the newly released Students Right to Their Own Language, a critical sourcebook published by Bedford/St. Martins Press. Named by Ebony magazine as one of the most brilliant scholars in the U.S., Dr. Kirkland has been a pivotal intellectual voice promoting educational justice in the U.S. and abroad.

8 New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT Dr. Sharon Lohrmann Sharon Lohrmann, PhD is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities. She directs the NJ Positive Behavior Support in Schools initiative, a partnership with the NJ Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. Dr. Lohrmann works with families and professionals through training and technical assistance activities to promote the adoption of positive behavior support. She promotes statewide dissemination of resources through the www.njpbs.org website, trainings, and conference presentations. Dr. Lohrmann is actively engaged in research on the application of positive behavior support in schools and has authored a number of publications in peer-reviewed journals. She is the past Editor of Connections and serves on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions and Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities. Dr. Lohrmann is the recipient of the Dr. Irwin A. Hyman Service to Children Award, she is a two time elected Board of Director for TASH www.tash.org, and member of the Northeast PBIS Regional Network Advisory group.

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IEP Medicaid 504 Progress I&RS www.edplan.com Monitoring

New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT 9 Kirk Behnke delivers professional development, technical assistance and cultivates learning opportunities regarding Accessible Educational Materials, accessible and assistive technologies and Universal Design for Learning within the US, Middle East, Europe and Indonesia. His passion is helping to facilitate excellence in learning for all, whether it is in a classroom or presentation room. He has developed and implemented the “Assistive Technology Applications Certificate Program (ATACP)” at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and later adopted by University College of Dublin, Ireland. Kirk has served in many capacities at CAST. He initially was hired on as the Director of Technical Assistance for the National Accessible Educational Materials (AEM) Center, then was asked to become the Director of Professional Learning and lead a new team of UDL implementation specialists, throughout the country to develop and integrate UDL. He was then appointed as the Director of Business and Partnership Development where he supports and builds partnerships with state and other entities on UDL Implementation. He has also lead a national team to build the Universal Design for Learning Credential/Certification Initiative (UDL-CCI) and specifically in development of the district certification process. Kirk holds a Master’s degree from Temple FEATURED SPEAKERS FEATURED University in Education/Special Education, a credential as an Assistive Technology Professional from the Rehabilitation and Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) and a Certificate in Assistive Technology Applications from the University College of Dublin, Ireland.

Sue Gamm, Esq., has blended her 46 years of unique experiences as the chief specialized services officer for the Chicago Public Schools, attorney and division director for the Office for Civil Rights (US Department of Education) and special educator to become a national consultant, author, presenter, and evaluator. She and has worked in 30 states and the District of Columbia with more than 60 school districts and five state educational agencies to assess/improve instruction and support for students with low achievement and students with disabilities. She has written standard operating procedure manuals for MTSS and special education practices for more than 10 school districts, and has shared her knowledge of the IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act and related issues at more than 80 national, state, and local conferences. Sue has also authored/ co-authored numerous periodicals and publications, including: Online Guide to RTI-Based LD Identification Toolkit and Cautions When Using an RTI-Based SLD Identification Process (National Center for Learning Disabilities); Common Core State Standards and Diverse Urban Students; Using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (Council of the Great City Schools) and Disproportionality in Special Education: Identifying Where and Why Overidentification of Students Occurs (LRP Publications). She also testified before Congressional and Illinois legislative committees and participated in the preparation of U.S. Supreme Court Amicus Curiae briefs for the Council of Great City Schools in Support of Plaintiffs in Board of Education of the City School District of the City of New York v Tom F., On Behalf of Gilbert F., A Minor Child [special education placement] and in Forest Grove School District v TA (2007, 2009). Sue has also been recognized for her legal expertise in the area of special education through her engagement as an expert witness or consultant involving ten special education federal class action or systemic cases.

10 New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT Sharyn Howell has extensive experience in general education and special education as a teacher and administrator. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in literature, a Bachelor of Education degree in special education, a Graduate Diploma in Educational Policy and Administrative Studies, and a Master of Education degree in program development, program evaluation and school finance. Sharyn has been a general education teacher and a special education teacher at elementary, middle, and senior high school levels in both Canada and the United States. Sharyn has been an assistant principal and principal at the school site level as well as a central office administrator in positions such as director of instruction and professional development for special education in a large urban school district. She retired as the Associate Superintendent, Special Education, Los Angeles Unified School District in June 2016. During her education career, Sharyn has advocated for consistent implementation of best practices in identification of students for special education supports and services to eliminate disproportionate identification of students based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, English proficiency or factors related to socio-economic status. Her focus on disproportionate identification of students is also reflected in a strong commitment to inclusive education for all students and a reduction in inappropriate placement in special education programs.

Mollye Kiss has worked in the field of special education for nearly three decades as a teacher and administrator at the PK-12 level. Her extensive experience includes ten years in educational leadership and administrative roles. Prior to joining PCG in 2015, Mollye worked as a Special Education Coordinator for Martin County School District where she was responsible for implementing all special education programs, including staffing, budget, curriculum, materials, facilities, child find, due process hearings, and compliance with all state and federal requirements related to special education. She previously served as the Race to the Top District Grant Coordinator, RtI/MTSS Coordinator, Special Education Program Specialist, and Transition Specialist. Mollye has experience with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Through her experience as district liaison to community, advisory, and parent groups, Mollye has held fast to her commitment to children and families.

Sowmya Kumar has a systemic and student-centered approach to implementing programs and services for students who are at risk for learning due to disabilities, poverty, and limited language acquisition. She has a track record of improving programs and outcomes through continuous improvement planning based on data analysis and frequent monitoring of progress. Ms. Kumar is a proponent of balancing compliance monitoring with improving outcomes for students through targeted professional development, clear and accessible operating guidelines, aligned resources and ongoing coaching, mentoring and support. She has conducted program reviews for special education, bilingual education and federal title programs at the state, regional and national levels. In her 38 year career, Ms. Kumar has served in a variety of roles in New York, New Jersey and Texas at the school, district, and regional levels. For the last seven years, she was the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education for the Houston Independent School District, the seventh largest school district in the nation, ensuring quality services for students with disabilities under Section 504 and special education. She was an Education Specialist at Region 4 Education Service Center in Houston for thirteen years where she focused on developing products and providing professional development and technical assistance around school improvement, interpreting and implementing federal laws and state policies, funding, and state and federal accountability. Prior to moving to Houston, she served as Director of Special Services in Hackettstown, New Jersey for six years, and in teaching and educational diagnostician roles in a few other school districts in New York and New Jersey. Ms. Kumar has a B.A in Chemistry from Queens College and an M.A in Special Education/Supervision and Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University.

New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT 11 Mark Mautone is the 2015 NJ State Teacher of the Year. He is currently a lead teacher in the Hoboken Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program for educating children with autism. Mark graduated from Kean University with a Bachelor of Arts in Teacher of the Handicapped and Caldwell College with a Masters of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). He holds teaching certification in Teacher of the Handicapped and P-3. Mark was recently appointed to Education.com’s Teacher Advisory Board. In addition, he contributed writing in Chapter 7 on Autism Spectrum Disorder” in Pearson’s college textbook “Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education” 11th Edition. Mark began his journey in the field of special education while working for Bergen County Special Services School District and Bernards Township. He has taught children with diverse disabilities through teaching in multiple disabled classrooms and eventually ABA programs as they developed over the years. In the Hoboken ABA preschool program he employs specialized instruction delivered using ongoing in-depth educational assessments, empirically based teaching procedures and data analysis for his students. Each of his students receives individualized instruction that requires specific sets of materials. He uses traditional materials and innovative technologies to accomplish meeting the needs of his students. Mark is a proponent for enhancing instruction through using technology, specifically the iPad. He has been crafting the use of the iPad for children with autism and other disabilities since its inception in 2010. He not only uses commercial apps, but has also developed ways to customize content that can be easy imported onto the iPad for implementation. Mark’s contributions and accomplishments in the field of education are demonstrated in various environments and domains that include the technology field, school district, community, and home environments. He has presented in-district workshops on using iPads in education and Autism/Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). When Mark is not teaching he is active in various organizations providing technological and/or educational support. Organizations include Hoboken Cares, P.R.A.I.S.E, and NCPD Autism Task Force. Hoboken Cares is an effort that provides free workshops to the community on topics related to individuals with disabilities to increase awareness. Mark is also member of the P.R.A.I.S.E professional advisory committee for the Archdiocese of Newark. This committee serves as the catalyst to integrate children with autism into Mass and participate in religious education. He is a member of the Autism Task Force for the National Catholic Partnership on Disabilities (NCPD) in Washington DC.

12 New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT SPONSOR

Public Consulting Group (PCG) is a leading public sector management consulting and operations improvement firm that partners with health, education, and human services agencies to improve lives. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PCG has over 2,000 professionals in more than 50 offices around the US, in Canada, and in Europe. PCG’s Education practice offers consulting services and technology solutions that help schools, school districts, and state education agencies/ministries of education to promote student success, improve programs and processes, and optimize financial resources. To learn more, visit www.publicconsultinggroup.com/education.

PARTNERS

New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT 13 PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS & DISTRICTS

• Beloved Community Charter School • Lawnside Public Schools • Bergen Arts and Science • Manalapan-Englishtown Charter School Regional School District • Bergen Technical High School • Mantua Township Public Schools • Boonton Public Schools • Marion P Thomas Charter School • Central Jersey College Prep • Mastery Schools of Camden • Cherry Hill Public Schools • • Collingswood Public Schools • Morris School District • DCF Regional Schools - Ocean • Mount Olive Board of Education • Democracy Prep Public Schools • • East Orange School District • North Brunswick Township • East Windsor Regional School District Public Schools • Egg Harbor Township • • Essex County Vocational Technical • Pennsville School District Schools • Pittsgrove Township School District • Essex Regional Educational • Plainfield Public Schools Services Commission • Roselle Public Schools • Fairfield Township Public Schools • South Amboy Public Schools • Foundation Academy Charter School • South Hunterdon Regional • Gateway Regional High School School District • Haddon Township School District • The School District of South • Hillsborough Public School District Orange and Maplewood • iLearn Schools • TEAM Academy • Irvington Public Schools • • Jersey City Public Schools • University Heights Charter School • KIPP: New Jersey • Warren Hills Regional School District • Kittatinny Regional High School • Wenonah School • Lady Liberty Academy Charter School • West Orange Public Schools

as of October 25, 2017

14 New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT New Jersey Special Education | ANNUAL SUMMIT 15 For more information about how PCG can support your district, please contact: [email protected]

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