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REGION 10 ESC
Special Education Program Needs Assessment
Rosemary Manges, Project Lead
5/9/2011
This is a systemic process to acquire an accurate and thorough review of the strengths and areas of need of this LEA that can be used in response to the academic and program needs of students with disabilities. It is designed to improve student performance. It is a process that collects and examines information about the program and then utilizes that data to determine priority goals, to develop a plan, and to allocate fiscal and human resources effectively. Students, staff, and parents should be included in gathering data.
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Steps in Conducting the Needs Assessment
Items in red should be answered with current information 1. Clarify the purpose of the needs assessment
a. What do you already know about your program?
b. Why is a needs assessment necessary?
c. What will you do with the information gathered?
d. How will the information be reported and to whom?
e. Who is responsible for the process?
2. Identify the population
a. Who: students, staff, administrators, parents?
3. Using the survey template, design the survey to fit your LEA
4. Collect Data
a. Determine baseline data
b. Organize data by key categories
c. Use the data summary sheets to help determine patterns and make calculations easier.
5. Analyze the Data
a. What are the strengths?
b. What are the major areas of need?
c. Is the data accurate? Check for data integrity.
6. Use the Results
a. Determine long and short term measurable goals—must have at least 3 data sources to justify a goal
b. Develop a plan
c. Allocate resources
d. Summarize findings
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7. Determination of fidelity of implementation of plan
a. How often and how will you check to ensure you are meeting your goals?
b. How will you ensure that stakeholders know of status? (progress, regress, or static)
c. How will you hold people accountable regarding implementation of the plan?
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Data Collection—Establishing Current Status (this will be baseline data for future planning) 1. Demographic data
a. Enrollment, attendance, dropout rate, graduation rate, ethnicity, gender, grade-level distribution, LEP, disability, instructional arrangement, and free and reduced meals of both the total population and program population
2. Compliance audit results
a. Is there a pattern of noncompliance in any specific topic area?
b. Is there a pattern of noncompliance that is personnel specific?
c. Is there a pattern related to instructional arrangement?
d. Is there a pattern related to campus origin?
e. Is there a pattern related to disability category?
f. Is there a pattern related to services (i.e. speech 2X’s per week, ESY )
3. Student Performance Data
a. State Assessment Results
a.i. Participation patterns?
a.ii. Performance results
a.ii.1. By object
a.ii.2. By campus
a.ii.3. By grade level
a.ii.4. By instructional arrangement
a.ii.5. By disability
b. Passing rates
c. IEP mastery/completion rates ( by what measures)
d. Percentage of students exited from program other than by graduation or age-out
e. RTI data:
4. Instructional Arrangement Data
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a. Data disaggregated by disability categories by campus and grade level
5. Staff Quality
a. Certification and HQ data
b. Staffing patterns (see worksheets)
b.i. Current Student/sped teachers ratios @ each campus by instructional arrangement@ each campus?
b.ii. Current Related service provider/student ratios @ each campus by instructional arrangement@ each campus?
c. Professional development
c.i. Training provided by LEA?
c.ii. Training sought out by individuals?
6. Curriculum and Instruction
a. Instructional activities, programs and strategies
a.i. Alignment to grade-level TEKS/general education curriculum?
a.ii. Research-based?
a.iii. Age appropriate?
b. Availability of technology for instruction
b.i. What kind by campus?
b.ii. How is it used for student learning?
c. Authentic assessments
d. Teacher observations
e. RTI process
7. Discipline Data
a. Office referrals by instructional arrangement/disability/campus- by grade?
b. ISS referral by instructional arrangement/disability/campus?
c. OSS referral by instructional arrangement/disability/campus?
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d. DAEP/expulsion by instructional arrangement/disability/campus?
8. LEA Processes
a. Parent and community involvement?
b. General education and program collaboration?
c. LEA-wide planning/program planning?
9. Databases
a. What kind of data is necessary to produce the reports when the intention is to analyze data over time?
b. Software
b.i. Does the software program match your program needs?
b.ii. Are reports/data easily gathered?
b.iii. Who has access to data reports?
10. State and Federal Program Results
a. PBMAS program ratings by indicator (3-year data trend is recommended)
a.i. What stage of intervention?
a.ii. Continuing CIP/CAP from previous year(s)?
b. State Performance Plan (SPP) Indicator Results
b.i. Specifically what are non-compliant areas?
c. LEA Determination Rating
c.i. What are areas of need for intervention?
d. Any complaints or Due Process Hearing Results
d.i. Areas of disagreement?
d.i.1. Sustained
d.i.2. Not sustained
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Needs Assessment Checklist
For your needs assessment, have you:
1. Determined what data you need to collect?
a. Is the question clear so that you can answer regarding student needs?
b. For whom is this evaluation being conducted?
c. Is the purpose of this assessment clear?
d. Did we get all the information necessary? What is the minimum required for your program?
e. Who helped determine where to find all the information needed?
f. Have you documented all the available resources?
2. Did we choose several key questions that we needed to evaluate for our program?
3. Did we choose our data collection methods?
a. How did we get the information needed?
b. Was there enough objective data?
c. How often will we need to collect data to keep current?
d. Is there any data that is necessary that we did not get?
4. Have we decided how to organize the data?
a. Does our data answer the required questions?
b. Is there any missing data?
5. How will we analyze the data?
a. From the data collected, can we develop a reasonable plan with appropriate goals?
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School Needs Assessment Survey
(The LEA should review the statements, modify or revise as necessary to more accurately reflect their program.)
The following information is being gathered as part of a program needs assessment. Your responses are important to assess the strengths and areas in need of improvement for your school. Please provide your responses to the best of your experience and knowledge about our program.
To rate each of the following statements; please use the rating scale of 1 to 4.
Check 1 for not satisfactory; 2 for less than sufficient; 3 for satisfactory and 4 for exceeds requirements.
Statements 1 2 3 4 Environment/Climate Provides a stimulating, welcoming, and supportive environment for students and staff Uses program space that is safe and clean Has program space that is appropriately equipped and suitable for activities being conducted Develops and manages effective arrival and dismissal procedures and plans for safe activities throughout the day Is aware of records and informs staff of special needs of students Establishes, maintains and communicates code of conduct to students, staff, and families Applies rewards and consequences for student behavior appropriately and consistently Administration/Organization Establishes clear attendance and behavioral expectations Maintains all required documents as appropriate Has developed program operating guidelines Has well-defined methods of communication between school and community/parents Has well-defined budgetary procedures and practices Has established a database that is updated regularly and is usable by staff Completes all reports in a timely manner Ensures that supplies, materials and technology are organized, maintained and accessible Records and tracks expenses Complies with all federal and state mandates Maintains current and accurate schedules of students and staff Develops, revises as necessary, and updates plan for family involvement Develops plan for community involvement Has scheduled meetings with stakeholders Maintains quality control in all documents and reports Supervises and evaluates quality of instruction Maintains staff certification and highly qualified records Relationships Has staff who respect and communicate with one another and are role models of
8 DRAFT; Not for distribution positive adult interaction Interacts with families in a comfortable, welcoming, and respectful way Treats students with respect and listens to what they have to say Teaches students to interact with one another in positive ways Teaches students to make responsible choices and encourages positive outcomes Is sensitive to culture and language of students and families Establishes and maintains meaningful community collaborations Staffing and Professional Development Has a program director who is committed to his/her own professional development and attends and participates in training Recruits, hires, and develops staff who reflect the diversity and culture of the community Treats staff as professionals and provides opportunities for advancement Ensures staff members have competence in academic areas where appropriate Assesses professional development needs of staff and provides appropriate training Maintains staff to students ratio as appropriate for sound programming Provides positive working conditions for staff and appropriate supervision, support, and timely feedback Ensures that all staff comply with required state and federal training Trains staff to plan suitable activities that correspond to the needs of students Works with staff to achieve and maintain credentialing and highly qualified status as necessary Programming Addresses academic, physical, social and emotional needs of the students Enables the students to develop new skills that are commensurate with age and aligned with grade-level standards that also address the skill level of the student Offers high quality academic and behavioral support that takes into account the culture and language of the students Establishes and follows the schedule identified that is known to all staff, the students and their family Provides a range of student response opportunities so that the students’ mastery of work can be demonstrated Integrates opportunities for the development of personal responsibility , self-direction and independence throughout the program Ensures implementation of all required components of the students’ programming Ensures instruction is rigorous and appropriate Student Engagement and Participation Provides students with a variety of engaging activities Enables students to develop life skills, resiliency, and self-esteem via activities Affords students opportunities to express their ideas, concerns, and opinions Promotes consistent and active participation Promotes teamwork and respect for others Parent/Family/Community Partnerships Involves parents in decision-making and planning Involves families and community in program events Communicates with families regarding the well-being of their child Seeks opportunities to share community resources with families that may meet their
9 DRAFT; Not for distribution needs Builds relationships with arts, cultural and other community resources to expand and enhance student experiences in the community Coordinates staff development activities as appropriate with school and community partners Establish and implement parent/family/community training or information meetings to help meet the needs of students Program Sustainability/Growth Has a written statement of mission and goals Employs staff members who understand and embrace the program’s mission and goals Involves students, families, staff, and administration in long-term decision-making and planning efforts Forges relationships with advocates for program quality and availability such as community leaders, businesses and elected officials Has effective communication strategies that publicizes the program, its purpose, and its achievements within the school and in the broader community Accesses resources within the community by seeking support from and building relationships with local businesses and institutions Measuring Outcomes and Evaluation Has measureable goals and objective that are aligned with the LEA’s mission and identified needs Develops and plans for program evaluation that includes gathering both qualitative and quantitative data Uses objective data to measure students’ academic and/or behavioral progress Identifies and shares promising practices Makes evaluation summaries of program available to public Creates an internal method for assessing program activities Creates an internal method for assessing student engagement levels Acknowledges and uses feedback from stakeholders in the program evaluation Uses evaluation findings for continuous program improvement
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Building Special Education Survey Date completed: This survey addresses the conditions necessary for a viable special education program and a climate that promotes retention of special educators. For purposes of this survey, special educator includes all licensed special education staff (i.e., teachers, speech/language pathologists, therapists, etc.) Respond by answering yes or no to each of the questions. Yes No � � 1. Students with disabilities are represented on building committees (i.e., parent advisory committees). � � 2. All licensed special educators have a duty-free lunch each day. � � 3. All licensed special educators have a preparation period during the student day. � � 4. Students with IEPs are scheduled for special education services according to their needs. � � 5. All licensed special education staff have adequate working technology equivalent to rest of staff (e.g., working phone, voice mail, computer, network access for e-mail and IEP writing, etc.) � � 6. Classroom supplies (e.g., paper, pencils, markers, etc.) are available to all licensed special educators. � � 7. Licensed special educators have an instructional materials budget in the building to purchase materials specifically for special education students. � � 8. Licensed special educators have assigned classrooms that do not change during the day and are equivalent to those of other teachers. � � 9. OTs, speech clinicians, PTs, itinerant teachers, school psychologists, (who are not present in the building all day, every day) have assigned space in which to work whenever they are in the building. � � 10. All licensed special education staff have scheduled time in the instructional day for evaluations, re-evaluations, and due process responsibilities. � � 11. Building staff development funds are available to special education staff (including paraprofessionals) in amounts equal to general education staff. � � 12. Special education staff are released to attend staff development activities essential to effective practice in area of licensure or assignment, that are paid for or sponsored by the district’s or cooperative’s special education department. � � 13. Students are assigned to special education teachers primarily by area of licensure, expertise, and/or training.
Workload Considerations for Effective Special Education
Yes No � � 14. During the instructional day, special education staff are assigned to reimbursable, special education activities (i.e., not study hall, homeroom, detention, in-school suspension, advisories, etc.). � � 15. The principal is aware of the issues of special educator workloads and
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how they are determined for all special educators in the building. � � 16. The principal is aware of how special education staff are allocated to the building, the district’s expectation for workload, and how to analyze a workload to determine reasonableness. � � 17. The contributions special educators make to the school are recognized, included, and overtly supported, and opportunities for meaningful connections between general and special education staff and students are created. � � 18. Licensed special educators are encouraged to attend disability or discipline specific meetings held at the district or cooperative level. � � 19. The multiple roles of special education teachers are understood by general education teachers and administrators. � � 20. Principal has clearly communicated the responsibility for directing the work of paraprofessionals. � � 21. When students with IEPs are suspended and/or disciplined, the appropriate special education staff are notified in systematic manner. � � 22. The principal is aware of special education staff who have variances to teach special education, the extent of their skills, and the responsibility for supervision. � � 23. The principal (in collaboration with special education administration) examines/analyzes the skills of teachers with variances to determine their qualifications for completing evaluations, IEPs, and general due process requirements. � � 24. General education staff: a. are notified of the students in their classes who have IEPs. b. have access to the IEPs for the students in their classes. c. understand and implement the components of IEPs required for students to participate in general education. � � 25. General education teachers have regular updates or staff development about their responsibilities for students with IEPs. � � 26. New special education teachers tend to stay or express a desire to stay in this building.
Total Yes: ______Total No: ______
Analyze those questions which generated a No response to determine specific issues or pattern.
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Staffing Considerations
The results of any needs assessment for staffing of special education programs should : � be based on the severity of student needs; � promote data-driven decision making; � be sensitive to increasing legal requirements; � include the time required to meet due process requirements during the instructional day; � apply to a wide range of service delivery models; � account for increased communication needs; � be based on student benefit and ensure a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE); � be grounded in political and financial realities; and � be supportive of special educators.
Caseload/Workload Considerations:
The six elements that comprise most of the workloads of special education teachers can be documented and are essentially quantitative in nature.
1. Specially Designed Instruction Includes direct instruction to meet the individual needs of students related to IEP goals/objectives. Includes indirect service, such as consultation with general education teachers, modification/adaptation of curriculum, demonstration teaching, planning with related service staff, etc. 2. Evaluations and Re-Evaluations Initial and re-evaluations average at least 10 hours per typical evaluation for a special education teacher. 3. Due Process Procedures & IEP Management Responsibilities IEP management includes all aspects of program development and coordination of services, parent communication related to the IEP, annual review, progress monitoring, progress reporting, functional behavioral assessments, manifestation determinations, and behavior intervention plans. 4. Preparation Time This is time provided within the instructional day to prepare instruction and includes finding materials related to students’ needs, devising/creating specific materials, etc. 5. Directing the Work of Paraprofessionals One-to-one, due process, program/resource paraprofessionals require supervision, training, and regular planning time. 6. Other Assignments These are regularly and intermittently scheduled non-special education assignments, such as a daily supervision, study hall supervision, homeroom duty, advisories, bus duty, field trips, etc.
Current Texas Rule leaves the determination of caseload for these services to the local district.
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Contact Minutes + IEPs Served= Workload Total special education service minutes provided by the special educator divided by the total number of minutes available for instruction = contact minutes.
1. Numerator: The total 2. Denominator: The total The final number number of special number of minutes represents the actual education service minutes available for instruction workload. per week for all students during the week. served, which includes: Combination of � providing specially students for whom designed instruction (direct the special educator & indirect) is the IEP manager � conducting and/or the students evaluations/reevaluations for whom the special educator is one of the providers on the IEP.
Contact Minutes - Numerator The contact minutes category is comprised of two components, containing three pieces of data. 1. Specially Designed Instruction is a direct accounting of the severity or intensity of student needs. It is comprised of the total number of minutes of service (direct and indirect) for all of the students for whom the special educator provides instruction and that is documented on the IEP. 2. Evaluations and Re-Evaluations is the number of evaluations and re-evaluations in which the special educator participates.
Instructional Minutes - Denominator Instructional Minutes are the exact number of minutes a teacher is available during the student day to provide specially designed instruction and to conduct evaluations. Subtract the following from the student day to arrive at the number of minutes per day the teacher is available: � duty free lunch (time varies based on individual district contracts) � preparation time � other assignments (general education duties such as monitoring a study hall, etc.) � travel time between buildings and/or districts if teacher is itinerant
Contact Minutes + IEPs Served= Workload
Summary of Steps Used to Calculate the Workload Analysis 1. Calculate Contact Minutes a. Total the number of minutes per week the special educator provides specially designed instruction (direct and indirect) and conducts evaluations. b. Calculate the number of instructional minutes available per day.
14 DRAFT; Not for distribution c. Multiply the number of instructional minutes per day x 5 days per week. c. Divide the total number of special education service minutes by the available instructional minutes.
Contact Minutes = Student Service Minutes Per Week/ Instructional Minutes Per Week
2. Students Served Add the total number of students served to the total contact minutes calculated.
3. Workload - What the Number Means The number derived from this model reveals the special educator’s workload based on actual service minutes and actual availability during the instructional day.
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Special Education Teacher Workload Analysis Directions The data requested for this form will help determine staffing levels for the coming school year. It may also be used to determine if there are inconsistencies in staffing during the current year. Please make sure each area of service is addressed for each student. If a column asks for information not relevant for the student, write NA. 1. Direct Student Minutes Per Week: The number of direct service minutes you provide per week for all students served. Direct service includes all specially designed instruction provided by you as found in the IEP no matter the location or type of service, and is all "face-to-face" time with students. 2. Indirect Student Minutes Per Week: The number of indirect service minutes you provide per week for all students served. Examples of indirect services are: adapting physical environments, implementing adaptations, consulting with general and special education teachers, training staff to meet specific students’ needs, etc. Make sure you document all of the time you spend on behalf of students in your IEPs. 3. Number of all types of re-evaluations predicted for the coming year. 4. Number of initial evaluations you completed this school year to use as a predictor for the coming year.
Teacher Name: ______Campus: ______
Estimated # Re-Evaluations Next Year: _____ # of Initial Evaluations This Year: ____
Total # of Evaluations x 6 hours ______
Current Students: You may add rows to the table to match current students served. Student Name Grade Instructional Primary Direct Indirect Setting Disability Service Service Minutes Minutes P/Week P/Week
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Total minutes
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Worksheet: Staff Workload Analysis Summary After completing the analysis of each staff member’s workload worksheet, complete the chart below with the information for each staff member. The completed worksheet will provide a “big picture” summary to determine whether workloads of specific roles are balanced.
Type of Job Reviewed: ______
Name of Staff member nam nam nam nam nam nam nam nam name e e e e e e e e Total Direct Min. per wk for all students served Total Indirect Min. per wk for all Students Total Number of Evaluations/re-evaluations Total hrs of Evaluations/re- evaluations Average weekly hours evaluation Total Number Student Served Minutes Special Ed instructional Min. available (deduct prep, lunch, travel, etc.) Total Contact Minutes per Week-ratio Number of Students Served Contact minutes + # of IEPs managed Workload
Special Notes:
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Alternate Method: Staffing Considerations Case Load
This example provides a formula for generating special teacher units. After calculation of the total number of weighted students, special education teacher units are derived by dividing by the following: • Pre-K-2: 20 weighted students: 1 teacher • Grades 3-12: 26.15 weighted students: 1 teacher A. Instructional Arrangement The first dimension of the Special Education Staffing Methodology is the instructional arrangement of each student with a disability. These instructional arrangements represent options along the least restrictive environment continuum. Such arrangements are part of the array of services that the Department of Education (DOE) provides for students who are eligible under IDEA. o General education class/Early childhood setting: 1. Ages 3-5: Early childhood setting designed primarily for children without disabilities 2. Ages 6-20: General education class more than 80% of the school day o General education and special education class: 1. Ages 3-5: Special education setting part time: Rest of the time at home or in early childhood setting designed primarily for children without disabilities 2. Ages 6-20: General education class between 40% - 80% of the school day o Special education class: 1. Ages 3-5: Program designed primarily for children with disabilities 2. Ages 6-20: General education class less than 40% of the school day o Special education/related services provided in the home as required by the student's IEP- Not solely for medical reasons o Special education school (greater than 50% of the school day): B. Levels of Support The second dimension of the Special Education Staffing Methodology is the intensity of specially designed instruction received by the student. o Intermittent Support: The student receives specially designed instruction/supports for at least one period per week or less than 5 hours per week or at least 1 of 6 periods when a period is less than 60 minutes. o Targeted Support: The student receives specially designed instruction/supports for at least one period per day or 5 to 12.5 hours per week or 2 of 6 periods. o Sustained Support- The student receives specially designed
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Worksheet for Weighted Caseload
Staff Member Name: ______Job Title: ______
The following are the four weight categories: 1. Intermittent Support - (one of six periods or less than 5 hours per week) - a weight of 2.0 shared between general and special education. 2. Targeted Support - (two of six periods or 5 to 12.5 hours per week) - a weight of 3.0 shared between general and special education. 3. Sustained Support - (at least half of each school day or three to five of six periods or 12.5 to 24 hours per week - a weight of 4.0 shared between general and special education. 4. Intensive Support - (the full school day or six of six periods per day or 25 to 30 hours per week) - a weight of 5.0 shared between general and special education.
Each teacher should fill the following out for the current case load. Rows may be added. Once all teachers have completed, analyze the total weighted FTE across teachers and campuses. After calculation of the total number of weighted students, special teacher units are derived by dividing by the following to determine efficient staffing: • Pre-K-2: 20 weighted students: 1 teacher • Grades 3-12: 26.15 weighted students: 1 teacher
Name of Instructional Type of Weight of Weighted Additional Student arrangement support support FTE notes
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Special Educator Role Clarity
Educational administrators, in partnership with special educators, need to design special education positions carefully in order to retain qualified special education teachers. Defining and redefining the roles of special educators is a key component of effective and efficient programming.
How are job descriptions for the special education program designed and reviewed?
Describe how each job description is reviewed and signed by the staff person prior to the first day of service?
Where are the signed job descriptions filed?
Describe how evaluation criteria are tied to job description?
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Procedural Compliance
There is a strong suggestion in the literature that technology and clerical support are underutilized as ways to alleviate the “paperwork” burden (Gersten, et al., 2001; Spense, 2003). Defining what clerical staff can do, providing administrative direction for clerical support, and providing access to new technologies for writing IEPs could streamline the paperwork process.
It is useful to collect data about the effectiveness of the referral process. These data will allow for analysis of the “hit rate” or the referral-to-eligibility ratio. This ratio is the total number of students evaluated versus the number of students found eligible for special education. A low rate-of-referral-to eligibility(i.e., 50%) typically means that a lot of students are evaluated but very few are found eligible. This may indicate a need to improve a school’s referral review process.
A high rate-of-referral-to-eligibility (i.e., 80%) typically means that fewer students are being evaluated, but they are more likely to be found eligible, which is indicative of a referral process that includes elements that are more predictive of the outcome of the process (Brown, 1983).
What is each campus’ “hit rate”? By grade on the targeted campus? By teacher in targeted grade?
Another useful data source is the number of referrals for special education evaluations and who is making them. Discerning a pattern of appropriate and inappropriate referrals can help a team rework its process and can provide data for staff development for general education teachers.
Is there a pattern of referrals by:
Campus?
Grade?
Teacher?
Campus?
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How often is a quality control compliance audit done on a selected sample of IEP documents? Is it routine or sporadic?
How are results of the audit used?
In matters of noncompliance, did staff follow the LEA’s Operating Guidelines and LEA’s board adopted policies?
When was the program’s Operating Guidelines reviewed? By whom?
What the date of the last revision?
Does the revision align with the Legal Framework ?
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Targeted Staff Development
When teachers are given opportunities to learn on the job, they are less likely to find reasons to leave. Serious professional development programs are not the only solution but tend to alleviate the problem (Gersten, et al 2001). Formalized and on-going staff development is absolutely critical to retaining expertise in a dynamic, fast-moving field such as special education. In recent years, special education teachers report that their ability to attend staff development opportunities designed especially for them has diminished due to their required participation in building-based activities, i.e., graduation standards training. This trend needs to be examined carefully by principals and district administrators.
Special education teachers, particularly new teachers, report feeling unprepared to address the individual needs of their students with interventions and methods that are research-based and effective (Lloyd, Forness, & Kavale, 1998; Klingler; Ahwee, Pilonieta, & Menendez, 2002; Billingsley, 2002; Nichols & Sosnowsky, 2002).
The following concerns were identified in studies of the practices employed by districts and special education teachers in working with paraprofessionals. Consider these issues in developing staff development or adjusting procedures within the district. � lack of teacher involvement in hiring decisions � lack of clarity about supervision � few regularly scheduled, sit-down meetings with paraprofessionals � overlap in duties and tasks or lack of clarity in roles and responsibilities � oral instructions as primary communication versus written plans.
Does your program provide staff development on the following?
. Back-to-School Legal Updates? . Back-to-School Workshops on your Operating Guidelines? . Monthly IEP Technical Assistance designed to fit identified needs of particular staff members? . Communication Systems such as newsletters or podcasts for Teaching Strategies/Interventions? . Include Paraprofessionals in Staff Development? . Provide time for Networking? . Staff Development for General Education Teachers on special needs topics? . Provide Professional Journals/Newsletters? . Develop New Areas of Expertise? . Working with Paraprofessionals? . Other topics: (detail please)?
How does your LEA determine staff development options for special education staff?
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Needs Assessment Checklist for Paraprofessionals
Use this checklist to help decide what kind of professional development is best for you. Go over the results with instructional leaders on your campus to help you find development opportunities that can best help you with the areas you have identified.
Address each statement below with one of the following codes:
A- I do not need assistance in this area
B- I need some assistance in this area
C- I definitely need training in this area
Communicating with teachers and/or my supervisor ____
Communicating with students and parents ____
Dealing with stress ____
Organizing and managing my work ____
Managing my time at work and at home ____
Motivating students ____
Managing student in small-group settings ____
Using office equipment to enhance my job ____
Basic computer skills and programs ____
Assessing student needs in specific subjects ____
Understanding district/campus/program policies ____
Helping students with different types of disabilities ____
Completing administrative work ____
Using instructional technology to assist teachers ____
Dealing with differences among students/staff members ____
Instructional/class content ____
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Directing the Work of Paraprofessionals Paraprofessionals work with and under the direction of certified teachers to support andassist in the provision of special education services. Over the past few years, the assistance provided to students with disabilities by paraprofessionals has become an important component of special education programming and staffing.
In order for a paraprofessional to provide quality assistance to students, the following is required of the special education teacher: � Regular Communication: requires the teacher to organize and manage schedules to ensure cooperation, planning, and information sharing. � Preparation for Instruction: requires the teacher to organize and provide materials and resources necessary to carry out the objectives for each paraprofessional’s activity. � Daily Direction: requires the teacher to identify skill areas and needs for staff development and provide ongoing constructive feedback. � Training: requires the teacher to train and model appropriate intervention and teaching techniques. � Accountability: requires the teacher to follow through with programming. (French, 2001; Riggs & Mueller, 2001)
What are the processes and procedures used by special education teachers to document how, the time involved, and the results of the following?
� Regular Communication: requires the teacher to organize and manage? Schedules to ensure cooperation, planning, and information sharing? � Preparation for Instruction: requires the teacher to organize and provide materials and resources necessary to carry out the objectives for each paraprofessional’s activity? � Daily Direction: requires the teacher to identify skill areas and needs for staff development and provide ongoing constructive feedback? � Training: requires the teacher to train and model appropriate intervention and teaching techniques? � Accountability: requires the teacher to follow through with programming?
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Parent Involvement/Training
Improvements in a special education program will occur through increased parent training and collaboration. Training on special education topics and compliance will reduce the individual communication demands for teachers and administrators, will increase the positive interaction between parents and school, and will decrease need for conflict resolution. Activities specifically focused on improving parent involvement and parent training can occur at the campus or LEA level.
Parent Training Needs Assessment Checklist LEA level
Training has been provided at the central LEA level by LEA staff or in collaboration with parent organizations. Please check all topics that have been provided over the past year: LEA-Level: 1. Facts about individual disability conditions and research-based instructional practices 2. Resources for families of children with disabilities 3. Training on federal and state law regarding the role of the parents on the ARDC 4. Information about the LEA and the continuum of special education services available 5. Information about state assessments, graduation standards, how to interpret test data, etc. 6. Transition to post-secondary life 7. Creation of parent-to-parent support groups or networks 8. Other:Describe ______
Campus Level: 1. Discipline policies 2. Participation of parent of students with disabilities on building planning and leadership committees 3. Information of transition between campuses or grade to grade—what to expect, what is different, etc. 4. Information about services to all students in the school and how to access all services 5. Other:Describe______
By Special Education Department: 1. Procedural Safeguards 2. Legal Framework 3. How to run an ARDC meeting in a child/family centered manner 4. Facilitation skills 5. Conflict Resolution continuum 6. Positive communication systems 7. Other:Describe______
28 DRAFT; Not for distribution
Alignment of Special Education Curriculum and Instruction
Please review the following topics to identify strengths and areas of need. Check all that indicate an area of need.
� Review of teacher’s familiarity with & use of curriculum guides
� Review of school curriculum alignment to state standards
� Review of class schedules- what is taught and time allotted to subjects: Is instructional time used wisely?
� List of instructional materials used at each grade level/content area (check for continuity across grades and content departments)
� Analysis of student progress in extended time activities and support services
� Analysis of student progress reports: What is the education benefit ?
� Technology assessment- availability, frequency of use at each grade level, how technology is integrated with curriculum and instruction, list of hardware and software available
� Effective use of paraprofessionals and special program staff; continuity of services for students
� Field trip logs (analysis of benefits of instructional purpose)
29 DRAFT; Not for distribution
Budget and Planning
What is the budget process for the special education program?
Who determines budget needs for federal and state funds?
Does the budget match the program plan?
Who codes expenditures? Is there justification/evidence of need for every expenditure?
How is inventory tracked? Who is responsible?
Who has access to current balance sheets?
How are budget adjustments made?
What percentage of your budget for state and federal is in the line items of? o 6100 State? Federal? o 6200 State? Federal? o 6300 State? Federal? o 6400 State? Federal? o 6500 State? Federal? o 6600 State? Federal?
Has Excess Cost been identified prior to budget preparation? o Who is responsible?
Has MOE been determined for current year? o Who is responsible?
30 DRAFT; Not for distribution
Developing Action Plans (or Work Plans) 1. Actions plans specify the actions needed to address each of the top organizational issues and to reach each of the associated goals, who will complete each action and according to what timeline.
2. Develop an overall, top-level action plan that depicts how each strategic goal will be reached. 3. Develop an action plan for each major function in the organization, e.g., marketing, development, finance, personnel, and for each program/service, etc. These plans, in total, should depict how the overall action plan will be implemented. In each action plan, specify the relationship of the action plan to the organization's overall, top-level action plan. 4. Ensure each manager (and, ideally each employee) has an action plan that contributes to the overall. These plans, in total, should depict how the action plans of the major functions will be implemented. Again, specify the relationship of these action plans to the organization's overall, top-level action plan. 5. The format of the action plan depends on the nature and needs of the organization. The plan for the organization, each major function, each manager and each employee, might specify: a) The goal(s) that are to be accomplished b) How each goal contributes to the organization's overall strategic goals c) What specific results (or objectives) must be accomplished that, in total, reach the goal of the organization d) How those results will be achieved e) When the results will be achieved (or timelines for each objective) Developing Objectives and Timelines 1. Objectives are specific, measurable results produced while implementing strategies.
2. While identifying objectives, keep asking “Are you sure you can do this?” 3. Integrate the current year’s objectives as performance criteria in each “implementer’s” job description and performance review. 4. Remember that objectives and their timelines are only guidelines, not rules set in stone. They can be deviated from, but deviations should be understood and explained. 5. Consider the following example format for action your plan. Program Plan Review Questions: Is there a current Special Education Program Plan in place? Does the current plan reflect the data gathered in this review? If not, explain:
Sample Program Strategic Plan
Strategic Strategy/Intervention Responsibility Resources Timeline/Evaluation Goal (by role) (Fiscal fund measures source/amt,
31 DRAFT; Not for distribution
material, human) 1. (Goal #1) 1.1 (first strategy to (who’s going to (when the reach Goal #1) accomplish that implementer is going objective) to accomplish that objective and how will we know it is accomplished)
32 DRAFT; Not for distribution
33 DRAFT; Not for distribution
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