jan cawthorne, ed.d. capacity building institute may, … pso data.pdf · transition influence the...

Jan Cawthorne, Ed.D.

Capacity Building Institute

May, 2016

Executive Director of Special Education

Largest school district in Arizona (64,000 students/ 9,000 students in special education)

Unified district (preschool, K-12)

6 comprehensive high schools

Post-School Outcome and Transition Indicators

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

National State District

Graduation Rates

All Students

Studentsw/Disabilities

3.5% 2.7% 4.1% 2.8%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

state district

Dropout Rates

All Students

Studentsw/Disabilities

82% 80%

19%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

NationalCompliance

StateCompliance

DistrictCompliance

IEP Compliance

73% 73% 74%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

National State District

Engagement Rates

As a special education director, how can I influence the practices of teachers to improve

outcomes for students with disabilities?

??????

"If you want to build a ship, don't herd people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work,

but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea." –Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The purpose of this action research study was to implement and study a systematic framework for using data and collaboration to improve post-secondary transition practices at each of the six high schools in my district.

Purpose of the Study

Designing the Innovation

Data-based Decision Making Tool

Review and analysis of indicator data using a data

discussion worksheet

Establish priorities and targets for change

Review and assess predictors of post-school success

Assess current strengths and needs with key stakeholders

Develop and implement an action plan

Evaluate the results of the action plan

The STEPSS Process



School-based Collaborative Teams

Pilot Year: Special education teachers, school

psychologist, counselor, administrator, transition specialist

Intervention Year:

All teams: special education teachers, school psychologist, transition specialists

Some teams: administrator

Next Year Ideas: Junior high school representative, community stakeholders

Team Composition

Google Drive Shared Folders for each team to

organize work products and data

Login and password to access STEPSS

Access to District Data Warehouse

Tools


Collaborative Networking Sessions



Facilitated sessions in large conference room

Three sessions at beginning, middle, and end

Opportunities for small group work with facilitator present

Team reporting and feedback

Networking Sessions


Collaborative Networking Sessions



District Facilitators

Members of special education leadership team

Provided consistency across groups

Provided resources as needed by teams

Reminded teams of timelines and commitments

Participation in site based meetings varied by team

Answered questions, reported concerns to facilitator

Facilitator group met between each large group sessions


Innovation

School-Based Collaborative

Teams

Data-based Decision

Making Tool

Collaborative Networking

Sessions


Continuous Improvement Process 2013-14 (Pilot) and 2015-16 (Innovation)

August 2015

Orientation to the STEPSS Process and Indicators

Presentation of School, District and State Indicator Data

(Team Work) Review and Analysis of School Data using the Data Discussion Worksheet

Report to large group

(Team Work) Identification of focus area and next steps

Report out to large group

Networking Meeting 1

August – November 2015*

Sharing of data with stakeholders

Refining of focus area

Reviewing and Assessing Predictors of Post-School Success

Establishing priorities for action planning

Site-Based Team Work

*For the 2016-17 we will be providing a full day on site PD day for the STEPSS team in addition to these sessions

November 2015

(Team Work) Review and Analysis of Additional School Data using the Data Discussion Worksheet


(Team Work) Final decisions or target areas and predictors

Report to large group

(Team Work) Establishment of final action plan and action steps to achieve it in 3 months



November 2015 – February 2016

Implementation of Action Plan

Evaluation of Action Plan

Site-Based Team Work

*For the 2016-17 we will be providing a full day on site PD day for the STEPSS team in addition to these sessions

March 2016

(Team Work) Evaluation of results of action plan and preparation of presentation of the results

Team presentations and feedback


Theoretical Framework

Research Questions

Organizational Framework

Methods

Process

Results

The Study

People create meaning in their lives through

collaborative experiences with others

Dialogue allows different realities and values to intersect.

(Gergen & Gergen, 2008)

Social Constructionism

Learning occurs through participation, as one “absorbs

and is absorbed into the culture of practice” (Lave and Wenger, 1991)

A community of inquiry benefits from structured opportunities for collaboration (Butler and Schnellert, 2012)

The interrelationships among different communities of practice can influence their patterns of participatory involvement and their learning outcomes during the process of meaning-making (Hotho et al., 2013).

Situated Learning Theory

Raw data becomes actionable knowledge when combined with

the expertise and understanding of stakeholders.

Making data useful and safe are important preconditions for use.

The process thrives when it involves opportunities for cross-site collaboration.

: Offering comprehensive supports that enable participants to use data is an essential component of successful implementation.

(Marsh, 2012)

Theory of Action for Data Use

How does participation in situated learning using a data-

based decision making model to examine post-secondary transition influence the social construction of meaning for school-based teams?

What factors contribute to the perceived value of the process for participating teams?

In what ways do teams change programs and practices at their schools to improve their post-secondary transition activities and post-school outcomes?

Research Questions

Pilot & Innovation:

Six school teams met during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years in continuous improvement cycle to address post-school outcomes for students with disabilities.

Organizational Framework

Case Study: Within the current study, a case study of one high school provided in-depth analysis of the process.

Current Study: Examined the continuous improvement process for all six schools as they examined data and created action plans from August-November 2015.

Qualitative Data

Large Group Meetings/ Case Study

Natural observations/ Semi-structured interviews and focus group

Group perspectives/Individual perspectives

“Snapshots”/Changes over time (artifact analysis)

Inductive data analysis/Deductive analysis

Quantitative Data

Team Perspectives through collaborative process

Complementarity of Methods

Three iterations of data collection and data analysis

Large Group Session (8/15): Transcripts of audio-

recorded observations, field notes

Case Study (8/15- 11/15): Interviews, focus group, school-based meetings

Large Group (11/15): Transcripts of audio-recorded observations, field notes

Qualitative Data Collection & Analysis Process

Social Construction of Meaning

INQUIRY PROCESS

sustainability(continuous

improvement)Building on ideas

from last cycle

Looking forward tofuture cycles

Team Relationships

Inequitycollaboration

leadership

co-construction

team composition

Cross-TeamRelationships

Affirmations

Adoption of ideas

Suggestions/Feedback

Sharing ideas

Sharing barriers


Added value

district buy-in/value

access to resources

keeping on track

Deepening theconversation

Roles

Not helpful

Use of data

understanding data

attribution

outside influences

practices

comfort and competence

Seeking more data

leading vs. lagging data

old data

Specific vs aggregate

Usefulness of datapresentation

web-based tool

raw data

StakeholderInvolvement

Buy-inco-construction

Who are stakeholders

Value

Catalyst for change

CollaborationTime

Making Data Connections

Relationships betweenpractice and outcomes

Outcomes:Action Plan

Changes in practice

Targeted Changes

Student outcomes

Process changes

Planning forsustainability

Alignment withschool initiatives

Use of data toguide action

Relationship to indicators

Using predictors

disseminatingwith others

conferencepresentations

Creating presentations for district

Assertions

Assertion 1: Data Inquiryimproves practices

Data creates buy in by providing they WHY

Teams use data with theirstakeholders to motivate

Data provides motivation andrationale for change

Data helps teamprioritze action

As teams gain expereince, it requires less effort

Value of process increases asthey become more skilled and

experienced

Teams make connectionsbetween data and practce.

Teams need to understand data in terms of theirpractices rather than attiruting to circumstances

beyond their control attribution).

Teams develop relationship with data/ ownership

Teams need lagging and leading data tofully understnad the problem.

Participation in the porcess helkps themto overcome reluctance to engage due to

barriers and discomfort.

Assertion 2: Collaboration Adds Valueto Process and Outcomes

adding collaboration beyond thelocal school context adds depth to

the meaning making

collaboration with other schoolsenhanced and expanded the final

action plans of teams.

Diverse stakeholders need tobe part of the process, although

not necessarily a part of the core team.

Finding commonalities in both successesand barriers led to the sharing of stories and ideas for practice that became part

of action plans

Built a common sense ofpurpose and sense that "we are

not alone" facing barriers

Sharing barriers helped team seeother perspectives for problem

solving and gave hope

Shared/distributedleadershiphelped teams

Teams valued sharing ideas with one another and wantto disseminate their work

through group meetings andstate conference presentations

Sharing was valued as much as

receiving information and validated

the work the team did.

District facilitators added expertseabout content and process

linkages, resources, information

timelines, reminders

Collaboration within the team was enhanced when members added their perspectives andexperiences (craft knowledge)

Assertion 3: A formal continuousimprovement process addsstructure and sustainability

Linking to larger school-wideintiatives anchors the

process and outcomes

The process creates deadlines and timelines to help teams

prioritize the process among multiple priorities

District framework providesaccountability and validity

Stakeholders are more acceptingsince it is district initiative

"Competition" among schoolscreates buy in to the process

and outcomes

Linking data to other schools,district, and past data helps

them in meaning making

Participation in the processincreases competence of the

process and outcomes

Teams build on past actions and see their current action

plan in context of past and future

Participants increased their knowledge abouttranisition in a meaningful way through

participation in situated learning.

Construct M SD

Networking w/Schools 3.54 0.49

Collaboration 3.39 0.39

Data Inquiry Process 3.29 0.43

District Facilitators 3.08 1.15

Web-Based Tool 3.0 0.52

Quantitative Results

Means and standard deviations for the 5 constructs on the collaborative team survey as measured on a 4-point Likert scale

Assertions related to:

Data inquiry process

Collaboration

Continuous improvement

Qualitative Results

“We now recognize from our data that there is a disconnect between our post-secondary employment and what they [students] are doing in high school.”

School Psychologist

Jefferson High School

ASSERTION:

Teams construct meaning about their practices through data inquiry

Data analysis provides teams with a way to understand

their strengths and weaknesses.

Teams link data to broader contexts to understand their own data.

Data inquiry connects student outcomes with school practices.

Teams value their participation in a data inquiry process as a way to understand their work.

Data Inquiry Sub-assertions

ASSERTION

Through collaboration, teams develop deeper understanding of problems and solutions.

“It’s nice to hear where people took things and where they found roadblocks. If we were to take things in a similar direction would we encounter those same roadblocks, or could we prepare better for those roadblocks?”

Special Education Teacher Washington High School

Focus Group

Members of school teams enhance their work by

collaborating with stakeholders and one another.

Sharing practices and barriers with other schools deepens understanding.

Collaboration Sub-Assertions

“The process creates a commitment to improve our practices. It keeps us moving forward.”

Adams High School Team

Collaborative Team Survey

ASSERTION

Establishing a continuous improvement framework provides structure and sustainability.

Linking special education improvement activities to

school-wide initiatives anchors the process and outcomes at the school.

District support provides a framework for resources and accountability.

Through cycles of continuous improvement, teams build competence in the process and outcomes.

Continuous Improvement Sub-assertions

“How does participation in situated learning using

a data-based decision making model to examine post-secondary transition influence the social construction of meaning for school-based teams?”

Created rich dialogue from data discoveries

Found commonalities and differences

Provided time and resources to think deeply

Shared solutions/tools

Answering the Research Questions

“What factors contribute to the perceived value of

the process for participating teams?”

Networking with other schools enriched the process

Collaboration created different perspectives and distributed responsibility

The process created time for collaboration

The data inquiry process built capacity of teams to understand data and its role in practice.


“In what way do teams change programs and

practices at their schools to improve post-secondary transition activities and post-school outcomes?”

All teams created action plans based on their data

Action plans addressed changes in practices at each school

All action plans were based on predictors of post-school success


Adams HS: STEPSS Team provided professional

development for all special education teachers to learn about transition assessments and how these are connected to goals and coordinated activities to increase career awareness.

Jefferson HS: STEPSS team developed and implemented a competitive employment checklist for students with intellectual disabilities for use in developing IEP goals.

Changes in Practice and Programs

Lincoln HS: Using the district data warehouse to

track students at-risk due to absenteeism and poor grades, teachers developed a support plan for each student including weekly meetings and parent contact.

Madison HS: Teachers monitored caseloads for credit deficiency, failing grades, and absenteeism. Students were matched to an intervention provided to teachers on a checklist of interventions.


Roosevelt HS: Developed system of student-led IEPs

to increase student and parent involvement in the IEP process.

Washington HS: Expanded use of an assessment tool for IEP and transition planning to ensure input from students, teachers and parents.


My role as participant and researcher

Use of a single case study

Collective data vs. individual perspectives

Timing of the study and data availability

Structure vs. flexibility

Limitations of the Study

Support teachers with time and resources for reflection on practice

Provide “Just in time” professional development

Implement a continuous improvement model

My Practice Reflections

Use post-school outcome data to understand and address areas for improvement

Consider collaborative approaches to understanding data and improving practices

Establish a culture of innovation through a framework of data inquiry focused on improving outcomes

Implications for Practice

Need for longitudinal examination of changes in

indicator data and the continuous improvement process over time

Themes

Attribution

Distributed Leadership

Deeper interpretation of data

Involvement of community stakeholders

Implications for Further Research

I now have a way to engage with school teams to

address problems of practice

School teams now have access to data for self assessment and analysis

As teams engage in this process of discovery, they understand their role in solving the problem.

How did this Action Research Study Solve My Problem?

Jan Cawthorne, Ed.D.

[email protected]

For More Information…

mailto:[email protected]

jan cawthorne, ed.d. capacity building institute may, … pso data.pdf · transition influence the...

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