UPDATE Winter 2014

Non-Traditional Programs ISSUE / Winter 2014

update Indispensable tool for School Business Management

Unmask the Potential of Your Non-Traditional Programs Cover Story

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14 Blended Learning 28 Special Education 32 English Language Learners

Over 60 sessions, 1000 like-minded professionals and unlimited ideas to help your district move beyond “business as usual.�

2015 Illinois ASBO Annual Conference April 29 - May 1, 2015 Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel

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Come and gain essential insights at the 2015 Annual Conference.

See all the Conference has to offer and register today at: www.iasbo.tools/essential2015

Inside

Illinois Association of School Business Officials Update Magazine / Winter 2014 / v.22 / i.02

Non-Traditional Programs issue

FACILITIES LEGAL ISSUES ISSUE / WINTER SPRING 2015 2012

INDISPENSABLE TOOL for SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Weighing the Issues

The Impact of New Laws on your District

The Next Issue: Legal Issues Keeping ahead of matters and staying above reproach.

Where the

Magic Happens Meeting the needs of all students can only be achieved through a collaborative relationship between the school business official, special education director and special education cooperative business official.

By Seth Chapman, Jennifer Pearson and Hillarie J. Siena, Ed.S., SFO

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Looking for past issues?

Visit ISSUU.com and search for Illinois ASBO.

Finding the Right Mix As Huntley CSD 158 enters their fourth year offering a blended learning program, they offer nine ingredients to successful program implementation and delivery.

By Marisa Burkhart and Erika Schlichter

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Perspective

One Model

From-the-podium School Business Management - A Juggling Act. 07

Fits All

Response to Intervention is much more than a new way of identifying students with specific learning disabilities. When implemented with integrity, it can meet the needs of every student.

From-the-office The Challenge of Supporting Possibilities for Every Child. 09

By James M. Surber, Ed.D.

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From-the-field The Annual Conference is Coming! 11

Path -To- success LPI - An Experience for Leaders at All Levels. 18

School Business 101 Special Education Programs: In-house vs. Outsourced. 19

The Anatomy of a

Special Education Audit Taking a hard look at the model, efficacy and performance standards of special education programs is a task every district should take on.

By Paul A. O’Malley, Ed.D. and Charles T. Skurka, Ed.D.

NEXT LEVEL

English Language Learners How DeKalb CUSD 428 made the programmatic shift to better meet diverse student needs.

By Amy Crook and Andrea J. Gorla 4 |

Update Magazine / Winter 2014

изучающих английский язык Englese lingua studente

Langue Anglaise Apprenant

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20 Inglés estudiante de idiomas

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αγγλική γλώσσα μαθητή

Resources

Full Spectrum Design Creating physical spaces that facilitate learning for special needs students.

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By Matt Bickel, AIA, LEED AP

ON MY LIST How other countries create "smarter" kids.

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The Final Word Julie A. Jilek Asst. Supt./Business Services & Facilities Northwest Suburban Spec. Ed. Org. Julie sees the focus of the special education cooperative business official as ensuring the budget reflects systemic changes that link student needs, program initiatives and the collective needs of the member districts. She believes pooling quality services is key to greater outcomes.

Find The Right Fit Special education, blended learning and special needs design.

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with Illinois ASBO

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Learn about available leadership opportunities at:

Update Magazine / Winter 2014

www.iasbo.tools/becomeleader

Perspective / Board President

From–the–podium School Business Management — A Juggling Act “Juggling is sometimes called the art of controlling patterns, controlling patterns in time and space.”

— Ronald Graham, Mathematician It is an understatement to state that school business managers are good at juggling. In fact, we have to be very good at juggling many balls of different sizes and weights all at once!

In the last UPDATE issue I spoke to the “art” of school business management. I believe the above quote from Ronald Graham provides insight into how we can be successful in the “art” of keeping many balls in the air. Just as juggling is about first seeing patterns and then being able to control them, we also must find structure, rhythm and patterns in our districts.

Nelson W. Gray Asst. Supt./Business Services Des Plaines CCSD 62

Simply Saying

In addition to the day-to-day operational issues, we are expected to juggle ever-evolving, complex and challenging issues.

There are different types of juggling involved in our roles as school business managers. In addition to the day-to-day operational issues, we are expected to juggle ever-evolving, complex and challenging issues that face our districts. And there are constantly new “balls” being tossed into our act!

In this issue of the UPDATE our peer authors provide you with a more in-depth look at your Special Education program needs. Their experiences and insights may help identify some of the rhythm and patterns you need as you juggle these services.

The list at times seems quite long, with some issues more complex than others. Sometimes we juggle very sensitive topics that require a soft touch, more akin to juggling eggs; other times difficult situations can feel like we are juggling chainsaws.

In closing, ask yourself – Is there a difference between juggling eggs and chainsaws? Not really, if the goal is simply not to drop any of them!

For example, understanding specialized service needs, such as ELL and special education (funding, expenses and programs) is challenging enough. But when you add them into your existing juggling act of hitting the maximum fund tax rates in your levy model, state funding reallocation and stretching resources to deliver quality instruction for all students, the stakes just got higher! You better be able to see and “control the pattern” in order to catch these flying chainsaws of death by the handles!

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It is our responsibility as educators to reflect upon the current state of education in Illinois and take action to create an education system that meets the needs of all students.

http://illinoisvision2020.org

@ILVision2020

FulďŹ lling the Promise of Public Education

Perspective / Executive Director

From–the–office The Challenge of Supporting Possibilities for Every Child Nearly every public school district mission statement includes a phrase that stresses the importance of educating all children to the limits of their capabilities, giving them opportunities to succeed in the 21st Century, educating the “whole child,” etc. These exist in mission statements because, in the United States, we truly believe that it is our responsibility to do that for every child. This ideal sets us apart as a nation.

Educating every child to the limits of their capabilities is a daunting task. It takes a certain level of individualization in the educational program, but also requires capacity within a school district to meet the individual needs of all students.

Michael A. Jacoby Executive director Illinois asbo

Simply Saying

With many budgets being cut or flat, the ability for some districts to meet their mission is significantly challenged.

A Budgeting Challenge In the end, capacity costs money and with many budgets being cut or flat, the ability for some districts to meet their mission is significantly challenged. Most of the cost to provide for the individual needs of students lies with the local district and local revenues and there can be fierce competition for these resources.

The magnitude of local financial stress can be seen in the annual Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Special Education Expenditures and Receipts Report. In 2013, the overall cost of state-wide special education was $4.8 billion.

• Dedicated revenues from state resources covered only $1.8 billion (38%) and federal resources supplied $0.5 billion (10%).

• The rest (52%) had to come from local sources. At the local level, the special education property tax levy covered $1 billion (21%) but other local revenues had to cover the remaining $1.5 billion (31%).

The average cost per special education student not covered by dedicated revenues was $4,163!

That places quite a large demand on resources that would otherwise be dedicated to general instruction.

The challenge is great and falls on the school business professional to design a budget that supports these services along with the other traditional and non-traditional instructional needs of students.

2013 Special Education Costs

by Source

This issue of UPDATE focuses on these extremely important issues. If meeting the unique needs of students is something your district desires to achieve, you will want to read this issue cover to cover. You might even pass the magazine around your office to others on your team who are trying to meet these student needs.

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The

Maga zine

Upcoming Winter

seminars

January 2015

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March 2015

February 2015

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S M T W 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11 15 16 17 18 22 23 24 25 1 2 3 4 8 9 10 11

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Date

Time

Session

Location

12/10/14

8:30am

Being a Player in the Legislative Process - AAC #1089

Arlington Heights

12/24/14 - 1/2/15

Holiday

Illinois ASBO Office Closed

1/21/15

9:00am

Delegate Advisory Assembly Meeting

Naperville

1/21/15

8:30am

ISDLAF+ School Seminar: East Peoria

East Peoria

1/22/15

8:30am

ISDLAF+ School Seminar: O'Fallon

1/23/15

8:30am

Introduction to School Finance for Support Staff

Naperville

1/27/15

8:30am

ISDLAF+ School Seminar: Naperville

Naperville

1/29/15

8:30am

2015 Leadership Day

Rosemont

1/29/15

1:30pm

PDC Meeting of the Whole

Rosemont

2/19/15

9:00am

Board of Directors' Meeting

Springfield

2/20/15

7:30am

Seminar on School Finance - AAC #1062

Naperville

3/10/15

8:30am

ISDLAF+ School Seminar: Naperville

Naperville

3/11/15

8:30am

ISDLAF+ School Seminar: East Peoria

East Peoria

3/12/15

8:30am

ISDLAF+ School Seminar: O'Fallon

3/13/15

8:00am

17th Annual Risk Management Seminar - AAC #1283

Naperville

3/13/15

9:00am

Editorial Advisory Board Meeting

Naperville

4/1/15

10:00am Service Associate Advisory Committee Meeting

4/8/15

9:00am

4/9/15

10:30am Board of Directors' Meeting

Delegate Advisory Assembly Meeting

DeKalb

O'Fallon

O'Fallon

Burr Ridge Naperville Conference Call

4/1316/15

7:30am

CPMM Facilities Certification Training & Exam

Location TBD

4/295/1/15

8:00am

64th Annual Conference

Schaumburg

5/1113/15

8:00am

CPS Facilities Certification Training & Exam

Location TBD

7/23/15

9:00am

PDC Meeting of the Whole

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Update Magazine / Winter 2014

Northern Illinois University, IA-103 108 Carroll Avenue DeKalb, IL 60115-2829 P: (815) 753-1276 / F: (815) 516-0184 / www.iasbo.org

Update Editorial Advisory Board

Check out www.iasbo.org or the latest Calendar of Events included in the UPDATE mailing for full seminar listings including location and PDC sponsorship and register for professional development today.

December June 2014 2014

Illinois Association of School Business Officials

Elk Grove Village

PDC members Richard A. Lesniak Ancillary Services Kristopher P. Monn Educational Enterprise Yasmine Dada Financial Resource Management Robert J. Ciserella Information Management Kevin Dale Information Management Amy McPartlin Materials & Services Management Paul A. O'Malley Sustainability BOARD & EXTERNAL RELATIONS members Hillarie Siena Past President Mike McTaggart SAAC Chair AT-LARGE MEMBERS Seth Chapman St. Charles SD 303 Anton Inglese Batavia USD 101 John A. Gibson Homewood SD 153 Dean Langdon Illinois Association of School Boards Eric Miller Skokie SD 69 STAFF MEMBERS Michael Jacoby Executive Director (815) 753-9366, mjacoby@iasbo.org Susan P. Bertrand Assistant Executive Director (815) 753-9368, sbertrand@iasbo.org Angie Byers Communications Coordinator (815) 753-9371, abyers@iasbo.org Rebekah L. Weidner Staff Writer/Editor (815) 753-9270, rweidner@iasbo.org Tammy Curry Senior Graphic Designer (815) 753-9393, tcurry@iasbo.org John Curry Graphic Designer (815) 753-7654, jcurry@iasbo.org

Illinois ASBO Board of Directors

Nelson W. Gray President Susan L. Harkin President-Elect Jennifer J. Hermes Treasurer Hillarie J. Siena Immediate Past President 2012–15 Board of Directors David H. Hill, Luann T. Kolstad, Ann C. Williams 2013–16 Board of Directors Dean L. Gerdes, Cathy L. Johnson, Lyndl A. Schuster 2014–17 Board of Directors Barry Bolek, Dean T. Romano, Paul Starck-King

Illinois ASBO Board Liaisons

Michael A. McTaggart Service Associate Advisory Committee Chair Audra Scharf Service Associate Advisory Committee Vice Chair Terrie S. Simmons ASBO International Liaison Debby I. Vespa ISBE Board Liaison Sherry Reynolds-Whitaker IASB Board Liaison Paul McMahon Regional Superintendent Liaison Calvin Jackson Legislative Liaison

Privacy Policy

All materials contained within this publication are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, displayed or published without the prior written permission of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content.

References, authorship or information provided by parties other than that which is owned by the Illinois Association of School Business Officials are offered as a service to readers. The editorial staff of the Illinois Association of School Business Officials was not involved in their production and is not responsible for their content.

Perspective / SAAC Chair

From–the–field The Annual Conference is Coming!

Now more than ever, it is our responsibility to offer essential solutions to the problems facing school districts across the state.

The 2015 Annual Conference at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center is just around the corner. The theme of the 2015 Annual Conference is ESSENTIAL. Service Associates should keep this in mind as you plan your Conference experience. Your involvement, investment of time and level of participation is critical in making this Annual Conference the best ever for everyone involved. The executive board has spent a lot of time working to offer the Service Associates even more ways to highlight how we are essential to the school business officials, as well as to the Conference.

Michael A. McTaggart President Quest Food Management Services, Inc.

Simply Saying

Your involvement, investment of time and level of participation is critical in making this Annual Conference the best ever.

Service Associates should plan to make the most of this Conference by attending social events planned throughout the week. These events will provide many opportunities to network with hundreds of professionals, giving you the opportunity to school business officials that you are essential to their success.

• Kick off the week on Tuesday at the Foundation Golf Outing or the Legacy Project, followed by a PreConference gathering.

• Wednesday is the official start to Conference and brings the opening of the Exhibit Hall including two and a half hours of hospitality, followed by an extended opportunity to host Conference attendees for dinner.

• There are several restaurants in the area that will be providing specials or discounts for Illinois ASBO Conference attendees.

• After dinner there will be a dessert and networking event held at the hotel for those that want to keep the night rolling.

• Thursday hosts the biggest Professional Development Committee meeting of the year. If you do not already participate on a PDC, be sure you attend this, as it is a critical part of the Conference experience!

• The Service Associate Annual Business Meeting will immediately follow and like in 2014, the SAAC will be looking to our Service Associate members for feedback on your membership and suggestions on how to keep the Conference as an essential part of your business objectives.

• Thursday night has been updated to offer more reasons to stay and more opportunity to interact with the business officials. There is a hospitality scheduled along with another opportunity to entertain on your own followed by Casino Night.

Do not pass up your opportunity to show why you are essential to the school business officials of Illinois.

Don’t just show up. Participate!

.

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Contributors

Matt Bickel, AIA, LEED AP

Marisa Burkhart

Seth Chapman

Partner Wold Architects & Engineers

Dir./Curriculum for Educational Technology Huntley CSD 158

Asst. Supt. /Business Services Comm. Unit Sch. Dist. 303

Has contributed to more than sixty K-12 facility projects during his 13 years at Wold Architects. Matt is a current member of the Illinois ASBO Service Associate Advisory Committee. When he’s not working, he is an active Rotarian, youth soccer coach and runner.

Has overseen the development of transformative blended learning and 1:1 computing programs over the past five years. Marissa was recognized as Illinois Computing Educators’ Educator of the Year for 2014 and is an ISTE presenter and panelist.

After working in the private sector, Seth served six years in special education cooperatives in both the North Shore and South Suburban areas before coming to CUSD 303 in 2013. He is currently pursuing his Ed.D. through Northern Illinois University.

mbickel@woldae.com

mburkhart@district158.org

seth.chapman@d303.org

Amy Crook

Andrea J. Gorla

Paul A. O’Malley, Ed.D.

Coordinator Bilingual Programs DeKalb CUSD 428

Asst. Supt./Business & Finance DeKalb CUSD 428

Associate Superintendent CUSD 308

Was inspired at a young age to work with English Learners growing up in Ferndale, Washington. Amy has worked as a bilingual second grade teacher, ESL resource teacher and bilingual specialist prior to DeKalb. She works with her staff to improve bilingual and ESL programs.

Began her career over 30 years ago as a staff accountant at an Illinois hospital.

Andrea has spent 27 years in education in elementary, high school and currently a unit district. She has been part of a supportive community and leadership team who has taken an active role in the transformation of DeKalb CUSD 428.

Responsible for facilities, construction, an annual budget of $140 million and a staff of 120. Paul began his education career teaching high school sciences and earned his doctorate in educational leadership from National Louis University. He has played baseball for the Houston Astros.

amy.crook@dist428.org

andrea.gorla@dist428.org

associate_superintendent@sd308.org

Jennifer Pearson

Erika Schlichter

Hillarie J. Siena, Ed.S., SFO

Dir. /Special Education Glenbrook HSD 225

Chief Academic Officer Huntley CSD 158

Asst. Supt./Business Affairs Glenbrook HSD 225

Provides overall direction and leadership for developing and evaluating the district’s special education programs. Jennifer brings over 20 years of experience in special education, presenting on research and best practices for transition, legislation, legal issues and future developments.

With 18 years in education, Erika has played a leadership role in curriculum, human resources, building administration and teaching. Erika now collaborates on a team to implement innovative blended learning and 1:1 technology initiatives for student success.

Earned her Education Specialist in Educational Administration and Master’s in School Business Management and completed her doctoral coursework in Educational Administration. She is a member of several professional organizations and sits on the Illinois ASBO Board of Directors.

jpearson@glenbrook225.org

eschlichter@district158.org

hsiena@glenbrook225.org

Would you like to be an UPDATE Contributor?

If you have an issue you feel needs to be brought to the forefront, present your ideas to Angie Byers at abyers@iasbo.org.

Charles T. Skurka, Ed.D.

James M. Surber, Ed.D.

Adjunct College Instructor

Assitant Clinical Professor Northern Illinois University/LEPF

Has served as a teacher and administrator for 38 years in Indiana and Wisconsin, with the last 24 years as a superintendent. Since his retirement, he has worked as a consultant, an advisor for Ed.D. Candidates for Edgewood College and a new teacher supervisor for Florida Gulf Coast University.

Is currently an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations and the cocoordinator of the Principal Preparation Program at NIU. He has a strong research interest in the area of RTI and data-based decision making.

cskurka@msn.com

jsurber@niu.edu

The issue themes that we will be soliciting articles for next year include: • Technology • Facilities • Budgeting We look forward to seeing new faces on this page as we continue to make the UPDATE an indispensable resource for school business management.

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Finding the Right Mix

Nine Ingredients to a Successful Blended Learning Program

By Marisa Burkhart

Article

Dir./Curriculum for Education Technology Huntley CSD 158

Erika Schlichter Chief Academic Officer Huntley CSD 158

W

hile the idea of “blowing-up” traditional learning models is exciting and full of opportunity, implementing a solid blended learning program that results in learning outcomes for students can be a daunting task. As Huntley CSD 158 enters their fourth year offering a blended learning program, the district has identified nine components that can aid any district in the planning and implementation process.

1. Create a vision firmly rooted in the educational mission and vision of the district.

Although there are many practical reasons to implement blended classes, at their core, these are simply learning programs utilizing innovative tools. It is important at the beginning for the focus to stay on the learning, so that all staff involved in building the program understand why the district is taking that path.

At District 158, the blended learning program connected to a specific learning goal related to student experience and mastery. The district is committed to offering more options for flexible learning that allow students to be independent learners in an environment that is more closely aligned to the learning they will face in college and their careers, while still maintaining a connection to Huntley High School teachers.

In communicating this goal, District 158 felt it was necessary to clearly articulate that the goal was NOT to outsource teaching staff. In fact, the opposite was true.

The blended learning program is an effort to maintain Huntley High School’s relevancy in this quickly changing education landscape, not to effectively make teachers irrelevant. Teachers are integral to the learning process and construction of the program around district curriculum.

As with any innovative program, it is important to have a vision driven by a leader who can commit to the concept and move groups of stakeholders through the visioning process and on to more foundational planning steps.

2. Approach staffing the same way you staff traditional brick-andmortar classes.

One key feature in all blended learning models is maintaining teacher interaction and instruction of students. This component is what makes a blended learning program different from a completely online class. In a true blended learning environment, the teacher is not simply an added resource; they are central to the student learning experience just as in a traditional class. Therefore, each blended learning class should be staffed with the same full time equivalent that a parallel traditional class would.

From a practical perspective, this staffing approach will assist with adherence to provisions in each district’s collective bargaining agreement. While some districts may need to bargain new language, maintaining a consistent staffing approach can often make this process much smoother and easier for all involved.

From a teaching perspective, the shift to blended learning requires staff members to embrace a new concept of learning, as well as to hone new skills needed to teach in the blended environment. The importance of excellent teaching staff who buy in to the program cannot be overstated.

A dedicated leader with the expertise and knowledge to support teachers, assist students in need and work with parents has also been an essential component in the success of District 158’s blended learning program.

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A Different Definition for Every District As is true with most education buzzwords, blended learning can mean many different things to different people. It is generally accepted that “blended learning” refers to a learning environment in which students experience a combination of online content and face-to-face interactions. A blended approach can take many functional forms, some of which deviate substantially from what a “traditional” classroom experience would be for students.

3. Identify leadership at all levels in the organization to take part in planning and implementing the program.

Centralized district leadership is essential for gaining buy-in and establishing the vision, as well as to support planning and implementation of any innovative program such as blended learning.

In addition to district-level leadership, it is crucial to have leaders who have the technical expertise to guide decisionmaking about complex curricular and technological issues.

Often this expertise resides in an administrative position focused on education technology, in conjunction with leaders in curriculum and assessment.

It is less important where technical expertise resides in planning and implementation. However, once the program is implemented for the best-sustained success it is advisable to have an expert in a leadership position at the building level. This can be a building administrator, lead teacher or other formal leadership role. This staff member will act as the on-the-ground problem solver and monitor the program on a regular basis.

4. Make a funding commitment to the program’s success using stable funding sources.

The funding needs for implementation will be unique to each district based on their infrastructure, staffing levels and curriculum tools. A blended learning program can be tailored to the district as long as some foundational structures are in place. While there are various competitive grants that can assist with initial startup costs if needed, it is best for a district to be able to make a funding commitment to the program’s success using stable funding sources.

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Update Magazine / Winter 2014

5. Determine your district infrastructure needs and what resources are at your disposal.

Students need access to technology and the Internet for a blended learning program. These resources may be already accessible in your district, or there may be a significant cost to enabling broader access to Internet and technology devices, depending upon current access levels. District 158 has allocated funds over the past three years to outfit the high school with Wi-Fi access, enabled a “bring your own device” network and reallocated more than 120 devices to the high school specifically for use by students in blended learning courses.

One of the most integral parts of the technical infrastructure is access to a Learning Management System (LMS) to manage the course content. This may be a system that stores data locally on servers or could be completely webbased. District 158 opted for a completely cloud based LMS, Haiku, that integrates with Google Apps for Education accounts. The combination of these tools has been powerful in the classroom and easy for technical staff to manage and maintain.

6. Clearly articulate program goals, potential gains for students and challenges they might face.

Blended learning is a completely different educational environment than what most parents experienced in school. Many will have misconceptions or questions about the student experience. District 158 conducted a large amount of outreach in the first year to make sure that students were informed of scheduling options and had access to staff if they had questions.

Although it was difficult to fill the initial three blended learning courses, now there are more students requesting blended learning courses than the district can support.

Huntley’s Flex Learning Model The Huntley High School model most closely aligns with the flex model of blended learning, one of several models that have emerged nationally. It works like this: • Most of the content is online, but teachers still have interactions with students in small groups, as a whole class or as individuals.

• These courses take place “during the school day.” In some cases, students can leave campus when their physical attendance is not required.

• Students have more flexible time within the day to work independently in the common areas of the building or to meet with other students or teachers.

7. Understand and follow the framework and parameters outlined in Illinois School Code.

Illinois School Code specifically addresses Blended Learning through the Remote Education Act. If a school district intends to have students attend remotely and still collect General State Aid for those students’ attendance hours, there are some steps that need to be taken on a policy level.

Districts must adopt a policy relating to Remote Education.

The code lays out the policy requirements fairly clearly so drafting a policy should be straightforward. The IASB Policy Reference Education Subscription Service (PRESS) has issued policy drafts related to this issue so districts can use that language as a guide. District 158 made some minor changes to the PRESS version to meet our local needs.

Districts must maintain a Remote Education Plan (REP) for every student and have an identified administrator oversee the program.

The code also clearly lays out what needs to be addressed in the REP – this task is more administrative than anything else. Depending on staffing and size of the program, this can present an issue from a capacity perspective. District 158 added an administrative position solely dedicated to this program.

Districts need to implement a system of attendance accounting for GSA. For every hour of remote participation, a student can be counted for one fifth of a day of attendance. ISBE is working on more clearly defining the specifics of the reporting process related to attendance. District 158 has developed internal procedures for monitoring students’ physical and remote attendance and continues to be confident that the district will have the records necessary when the state clarifies the process.

8. If internal resources allow, build online content internally in lieu of purchasing externally.

If a district has access and the expertise to use a learning management system, either free or purchased, staff can build the courses and their instructional approaches in the same way that they would build their lessons for a traditional class.

This allows for closer adherence to the curricular objectives of the district and ensures that students in the blended learning classes are achieving mastery of district learning expectations.

If a district lacks the resources or expertise to build the online portion of the blended curriculum, purchasing online content can be a feasible solution. However, in choosing and purchasing any online content, carefully outline your needs, philosophy and how the content will be used before choosing a provider. Providers offer varying degrees of quality, customization, platforms and user features.

9. Remember that all the hard work is worth the effort!

Implementation of a comprehensive blended learning program is a complicated task, but District 158 found that it has been well worth it. The district has seen enrollment grow exponentially in three years and now offers more than twenty different blended learning classes for students. Data indicates that students in blended classes have mastered material just as well as traditional classes.

Students in these classes have the opportunity to practice independent learning, self-advocacy and self-regulation.

They are prepared for similar online learning environments in their post-secondary education. District 158’s system for blended learning is sustainable, growth-oriented and student centered. The district looks forward to continued growth and success for students in years to come.

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Path-To-Success / LPI Academy

An Experience for Leaders at All Levels After reading The Leadership Challenge together during the 2013-14 school year, the Deerfield Public SD 109 administrative team called on Illinois ASBO to take their learning a step further.

Illinois ASBO facilitators came into the district to perform the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Academy for all 24 administrators in the district — including the superintendent, teaching and learning staff, principals and communications staff.

LPI – A Process of Self-Discovery

The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is the most widely used 360-degree leadership assessment tool available today. Leaders gain perspective into how they see themselves as leaders, how others view them and what actions they can take to improve their effectiveness.

A Clear Path for Improvement The process began earlier this year when each administrator recruited 20 or more peers to complete a survey on their observed leadership practices. They were also tasked with assessing themselves.

An Open Atmosphere for Dialogue One of the main benefits was that “the training allowed for healthy, professional dialogue with expert facilitators from Illinois ASBO.” Within this safe environment, team members could be honest and vulnerable with each other.

At their first academy session, with objective survey results and their meaning in hand, the team focused on areas of strength and areas in need of improvement. It was an eyeopening experience to see “the disconnect between where you think you are and where others perceive you to be.” One area in particular took many team members by surprise!

“This instrument and process applies to leadership at all levels! It created an open environment for addressing areas of improvement.”

Dr. Michael Lubelfeld, Superintendent

“Many of us perceived ourselves as being good at celebrating other people’s accomplishments, but survey results didn’t bear that result from observers.”

Greg Himebaugh, Asst. Supt./Finance & Operations Over the course of the next two meetings, the team not only set goals, but also had time to implement and evaluate those goals. Doing this exercise together as a team “allowed everyone to compare results, monitor each other’s progress and feed off of mutual successes.”

As a follow up, the superintendent has been able to engage in one-on-one conversations with each leader, referencing the goals and process as a part of their individual commitment to personal growth.

Interested in bringing this leadership experience to your administrative team?

Learn more at: www.iasbo.tools/leadershipadmin

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Perspective / On the Profession

School business 101 Which special education or vocational programs do your district provide in-house? Which do you outsource? What is the benefit? have twelve member districts in our coop. They utilize our services in diverse ways. “ We Mostly, early childhood, multi-needs, the STAR structured teaching program typically for students on the autism spectrum requiring intensive supports or other related disabilities support needs, programs for learners with cognitive impairments, alternative programs for social emotional supports, and a post-high school transitional program. We are a more cost effective option for districts; they can share the cost of these programs because we contribute to a comprehensive continuum of services. The students within the programs connect with several communities as a part of a larger peer group.”

Maggie A. Lesniak Business Manager, AERO Special Ed. Co-Op

Rockford is so large, most of these services are provided in-house. We “ Because utilize a cooperative for physical therapy, occupational therapy, vision and hearing. All instructional and vocational programs are handled in house. This is a benefit because we know the community, local businesses and transportation and how students with special needs coming out of our high schools could live in our community.”

Elliott Kallstrom Special Education Administrator, Rockford SD 205

recently brought our transition program in-house for special education students who “ We are graduating high school and need vocational training. We have also been able to partner with other programs to form a peer group. We believe it is important to educate as much as possible in the home district so these students can learn to live within their home community.

We often interact with them within the district — we even have a custodian who teaches Zumba to this group in the mornings! This change has been a win for the students, district and community.”

Brittany M. Tjardes Business & Support Staff Services Coor., Lake Forest SD 115

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The Anatomy of a

Special Education Audit Taking a hard look at the model, efficacy and performance standards of special education programs is a task every district should take on at some point. A special education audit can provide an opportunity to develop recommendations for improvements where needed and identify areas of concern before they become problematic.

An audit of this nature can be quite an undertaking. However, by putting a solid audit structure in place, Community Unit School District 308, comprised of over 18,000 students including approximately 1,300 special education students, was able to complete a thorough and comprehensive program audit in as little as four months.

Committee Breakdown Working with the district‘s director of special education, a cross sampling of community stakeholders were assembled to serve on a steering committee that would provide guidance, as well as do much of the leg work to complete the identified audit tasks. Members included special education and general education parents and teachers, support staff members and administrators.

In order to reach some semblance of structure for this massive undertaking, the audit was divided into five subcommittees. Steering Committee members were assigned to serve on one of the five sub-committees, each charged with specific responsibilities.

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By Paul A. O’Malley, Ed.D.

Article

Associate Superintendent CUSD 308

Charles T. Skurka, Ed.D. Adjunct College Instructor

Structural Organization Sub-Committee Charge: To compare and contrast District 308’s special education organizational structure with comparable like-size public school districts.

Additional information obtained by this sub-committee included whether any of the districts participated in a special education cooperative, the number of special education students served and the types and number of special education staff.

Finance Sub-Committee Charge: To compare the special education costs with like-size area districts.

Besides the cost by program, this sub-committee was asked to identify the number of special education students who participated in each program.

Cost-Impact Sub-Committee Charge: To estimate the financial cost impact to District 308 if one or more of the special education programs presently offered through the cooperative were “pulled back” and offered by District 308.

Survey Sub-Committee Charge: To assess the level of satisfaction of various stakeholders who regularly experienced the special education program.

These stakeholders included parents of general education and special education students, special education teachers, general education teachers, paraprofessionals and administrators.

The sub-committee’s task was to determine the strengths of the program and where opportunities for improvement were needed.

A questionnaire was created by the Survey Sub-Committee and distributed electronically to the abovementioned stakeholders.

Performance Sub-Committee Charge: To compare the educational performance of District 308’s special education students with like-size area districts.

The sub-committee made this comparison based on several factors: • Special education students’ standardized test results on the Illinois Standardized Achievement Test, the Prairie State Achievement Exam and the Illinois Alternative Assessment Examination.

• The districts’ percentages of time special education students spend in the general education classroom, their attendance rates, drop rates and graduation rates.

• The district’s Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) percentages versus area like-size districts.

Final Audit Document

Next Steps

The final audit document was presented to the board of education, superintendent and central administration after approximately four months of work. The document included:

Based on the findings and recommendations included in the audit, District 308 is also planning to conduct stakeholder focus groups to solicit input from all affected stakeholders to determine what elements of the present special education program must be preserved and what opportunities for growth should be considered as a new program structure is designed. The upcoming newly designed special education program will be stronger and more effective because it will be research driven and people affected by the program were involved in its restructuring.

• A chapter on District 308 past and present demographics.

• A chapter on “best practices” regarding recent research on successful special education instructional practices.

• A summary report by each of the five sub-committees.

• A chapter on major findings and recommendations.

The acceptance of the document was heightened through the involvement of stakeholders serving on the Steering Committee.

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With decreasing funds and ever-rising costs, meeting the needs of all students can only be achieved through a collaborative relationship between the school business official, special education director and special education cooperative business official.

Cover Story

By Seth Chapman Asst. Supt./Business Services Comm. Unit Sch. Dist. 303

Jennifer Pearson Dir./Special Education Glenbrook HSD 225

Hillarie J. Siena, Ed.S., SFO Asst. Supt./Business Affairs Glenbrook HSD 225

Within the current economic climate of public school finance, scarcity of resources plays a major role in the decision-making process relative to the delivery of educational services. Rising costs of instruction and instructional support, as well as costs associated with auxillary service, building maintennance and capital improvements, have rendered it impossible to adequately provide for students with “business as usual” methodologies — making a little magic necessary!

Collaborative problem solving has been key to efficient and effective program delivery that addresses the needs of multiple stakeholders and produces desired outcomes. This approach to providing a maximum level of service at a minimum level of cost is perhaps most applicable to the delivery of special education programs and services.

An Unparalleled School Business Challenge The programmatic area of special education places great demand upon school district budgets. Uniquely individualized services that require highly specialized personnel place significant stress on concurrently diminishing resources.

Many school districts have already banded together through the formation of special education cooperatives to achieve their mutual goals of maximizing services while minimizing costs. The cooperative may provide many types and levels of service that may not be possible to offer at an individual district level.

Further, cooperatives are structured to parcel out related services on demand. For instance, a district may have a need for vision services for an individual child who is blind. Though representing a small number of students, the cost to serve the unique needs of these students is high.

A cooperative arrangement affords needed services to the participating districts and

benefits the students each member district serves.

From an educational standpoint, this structure maximizes student opportunities. Notwithstanding, school districts are mandated by federal law to provide a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities, regardless of the cost.

From a financial viewpoint, however, the cooperative represents a cost center that is separate from the school district and outside of the purview of local budgetary control. Although cost allocations assigned through the cooperative may have a significant impact upon the overall district operating budget, the school business official may have very limited means to control these costs. From this cost-center perspective, it is imperative that strong collaborative working relationships exist between both internal and external entities.

Without a strong network of communication between the school business official, the district’s special education director and the cooperative business official, effective management of the special education budget is not possible.

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The School Business Official

The Special Education Cooperative Business Official

Challenge: Understanding the program development, delivery of services and organizational structure within the cooperative.

Challenge: Managing the large and diverse needs of the cooperatives constituents.

This is a role that very few in the field experience. While the functions of the job are similar to that of a business official at a school district, the process in which the job is handled is quite different. The complexity of the position often resides not in the technical expertise (e.g. managing grants or budgeting for programs and services) but in managing the large and diverse needs of the cooperatives constituents.

While most school business officials have a superintendent and board of education directing their work, a cooperative business official is often times expected to respond to requests from up to three additional stakeholders (superintendent, special education director and school business official) from each district that belongs to the cooperative.

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Update Magazine / Winter 2014

For the school business official, operational knowledge of the cooperative is necessary to furnish meaningful input relative to the special education process. Without this initial input, future collaboration and mutual goal setting is non-existent, resulting in costs associated with program delivery that are virtually out of control.

For cooperatives that have 12 or more member districts, the demand for attention can at times be quite challenging.

Furthermore, roles and responsibilities vary widely amongst school districts. One district may choose to have their special education director focus on ensuring that the cooperative is delivering quality services at a fair price. In another district, a school business official may be the point person for monitoring the effectiveness and efficiency of the cooperative.

In other cases, it is a blended responsibility. The cooperative business official must know the preference of the district and learn how to effectively communicate to the district no matter which approach is taken.

While cooperative business officials certainly have more at stake in the relationship (as a service provider), everyone shares in the responsibility and benefits of a collaborative relationship. It most certainly takes more effort to ensure the short-term and long-term objectives of the school districts are being met by the special education cooperative. The impact on both student outcomes and finances far outweigh any investment of time in the process.

Cover Story / Special Education Synergy

The Director of Special Education

Challenge: Acting as an intermediary between the cooperative and the district.

The desired outcomes for students with disabilities are the same as those for nondisabled peers, however achieving these goals requires specialized services and support. The special education director must be the conduit between the programs and services required to achieve the prescribed education goals and the provision of those services.

Part of the special education director’s role is to ensure that the cooperative is delivering quality services at a fair price. In a cooperative relationship,

fairness can create a source of tension. From year to year, there may be costs charged to a district that are not directly necessitated. The value lies in the fluidity and responsiveness to fluctuations in the student population that are unpredictable. One unanticipated student moving into the district can transpose the relationship and the numbers. As a result, costs appear to be out-of-control.

Tensions arise around the management of costs, competing needs of districts and rising trends across the state in special education due to increasing population of students with autism and mental health needs. While having the authority to allocate resources, directors of special education need to be mindful of how the decisions made for the provision of service can impact short-term and long-term finances, an area that is not within their expertise. That is where the relationship between the business officials and the director of special education become critical.

Point of View:

The Special Education Cooperative as a Vendor A special education cooperative is sometimes viewed in the field as a “vendor.� While the mission of the cooperative is generally aligned with that of the school districts in which it serves, in its simplest terms, a cooperatives provides services to districts in exchange for funding in order to continue to operate.

Given the high cost of special education services, this naturally can create tension when dollars become scarce. Often times, school district administrators are forced to make decisions on how best to serve kids, while also maintaining pressures from their communities to reduce expenses. Herein lays the relationship challenge.

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“Secrets� to Synergy Once these relationships have been established, the continuous cultivation of them cannot be ignored. The following principles will lead to the best possible relationships, to the benefit of all parties involved:

1. No Shortcuts

4. Everything Affects Everyone

With so many demands on time, it can be tempting to create shortcuts and to shift into one-to-one communication as the norm. That temptation must be resisted. As challenges relative to both student needs and fiscal concerns arise, all parties should maintain a role in problem solving.

It requires open communication, transparency and iterative problem-solving to generate creative solutions that are equitable and flexible. In a partnership, new and existing ideas need to be evaluated by each of the key stakeholders. What might appear to be a great solution for the district, may have unintended consequences for the cooperative and subsequently impact students. Challenging times present the opportunity to redesign a model that is sustainable and serves students well.

2. Multiple Perspectives Equal Better Outcomes Often times those that come up with ideas for improvement will do so outside their typical role.

The involvement of multiple perspectives allows for creativity and idea generation to flourish. School districts and special education cooperatives need to work together rather than in opposition to address their issues. Through this approach, true synergies are built that lead to better outcomes for students and the broader community.

3. A Common Goal The common goal is to deliver quality programs in a fiscally responsible manner, with as much predictability as is feasible. With budgets tighter than ever, increased federal and state mandates, and unprecedented reductions in special education funding, it is even more critical to work together to ensure funds are efficiently and effectively allocated to meet the needs of students and achieve improved outcomes.

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Update Magazine / Winter 2014

5. Frequent Communication Through Multiple Channels Understanding each other’s needs and priorities is key to optimizing business decisions. In an effective triangular relationship, the district business official, cooperative business official and director of special education are frequent and intentional with their communication. Though the message may not always be favorable, all parties involved walk away with a clear understanding of the issues and can communicate a shared recommendation for sound fiscal management.

Although at times the process of building a great relationship may be difficult, the positive impact upon finance and overall student outcomes is well worth the investment.

Did you know...

School business officials reported helping save their district an average of $577,000 in the past year by simply doing their job.

“I looked for inefficiencies or duplication of effort and eliminated or changed procedures to save on personnel costs.”

“We moved the insurance into a self-insured model saving a huge amount of ACA taxes on the plan.”

“Energy management and energy conservation efforts saved just over $100,000.

Debt management and refinancing efforts saved another $300,000!”

“We made a change in health benefits for employees and saved the district $750,000 in year one.”

“Three districts in our area banded together and bid transportation as a group. The annual savings to my district alone are $400,000.”

“I conducted a bidding process for custodial services. The new provider underbid the current provider of over ten years by over $300,000 per year…”

Illinois Association of School Business Officials

“The district re-bid every contract we had for labor and other services over the past year…”

“I was able to save over $200,000 in interest costs by refinancing and restructuring debt without an underwriter.”

Help us share the stories of all the good school business officials do in their districts: www.iasbo.tools/SBOvalue

One Model Fits All

How Response to Intervention can meet the needs of every student

Response to Intervention (RTI) is much more than a new initiative or a new way of identifying students with specific learning disabilities. Rather, when implemented with integrity, it has the potential to transform classrooms into highly motivating arenas of learning.1 There is a general consensus among educational experts that RTI is an excellent service delivery model for accelerating the academic growth and behavioral performance of all students statewide.

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Article

By James M. Surber, Ed.D. Assistant Clinical professor Northern Illinois University/ LEPF

Like any educational reform initiative, promising improved academic and behavioral outcomes for students comes with a price. Successful implementation requires the allocation of new or at least reallocation of existing resources in the form of people, supplies, equipment and yes, money.

To be successful on a long-term basis, this model must be developed with a vision for overall school improvement and integrated into every aspect of a district’s school improvement plan. It is also important for school business officials to have a working clear understanding of RTI and its implications for implementation at both the building and district level.

A System of Student Supports

A Special Education Solution

RTI is a research-based, three-tiered system of school supports that involves increased time and intensity of instruction and interventions at each level based on the nature and severity of the students’ difficulties.

For decades, educators have been concerned with the misidentification and resulting over identification of struggling students as learning disabled. With limited service options in the past, general education relied heavily on special education to address the needs of struggling students, resulting in ever increasing enrollments in special education. As a result, “too many students were being identified as disabled — not because they had a disability, but rather because they had not been successful in a general education program.”2

Tier I services focus on high quality core instruction in the classroom setting.

Tier II services are implemented in small groups of three to five students.

Tier III services are highly intensive and typically conducted in a one-to-one setting.

Ideally, Tier I services should meet the needs of 80% of all students in the district. However, many districts find this percentage a challenge to meet and maintain in the first few years of implementation. This is a concern due to the fact that valuable resources can be quickly exhausted as teacher-to-student ratios decline and a disproportionate number of students are moved to higher cost Tier II and Tier III programs.

This is not to suggest that districts should artificially adjust levels of services to save money, but merely to point out that all students need a strong foundation in core instruction.

District success is dependent on dedicating the time and personnel to ensure that students are demonstrating growth at all levels.

This traditional service delivery model resulted in a substantial escalation of special education costs over time.

In a 2003 study by the Special Education Expenditure Project (SEEP), it was determined that “expenditures for students with specific learning disabilities were 1.6 times the expenditure for regular education students.” The SEEP in 2004 revealed that most states have failed to make up the gap in federal funding and this in turn has created financial pressures on local school districts.

In response to these and other concerns, RTI became a legally mandated general education initiative in Illinois at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. In brief, the regulations state: “School districts in Illinois are required to use a process that determines how a student responds to scientific research based interventions (RTI) when determining whether that student is or continues to be eligible for and entitled to special education services under the category of specific learning disability (SLD).” 3 www.iasbo.org

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Not surprisingly, the RTI initiative may have already had a positive impact on school systems nationwide.

According to the Data Accountability Center: • The number of students aged 6-21 who receive IDEA Part B services has dropped 3.9% since 2004.

• The number of students identified as having a SLD has declined by 12.4% since 2004.

Although the decreased numbers alone cannot confirm that RTI programs are having the intended beneficial effect on rates of special education identification, the data are a positive and hopeful sign that this is the case.4

Supporting RTI: From a Funding Perspective With any new initiative, there are both start-up and maintenance costs as districts transition to new service delivery models. From both an educational and financial perspective we know that the cost of educating students at Tiers II and III in an RTI model is much higher than serving students in the core curriculum at Tier I. It is important for school business officials to collaborate with RTI building leadership teams to identify both the actual and anticipated number of students at each Tier. This will allow for greater accuracy in the budgeting process while utilizing a data-based decision making model that tracks students for the purpose of determining aggregate and individual costs at each level.

Districts in Illinois are encouraged to identify, consolidate, supplement and integrate resources from diverse funding sources to produce the infrastructure necessary to support the ongoing implementation of RTI and the realization of improved results.5 Districts in the exploration stage, as well as those in full implementation should consider some of the following funding sources: IDEA 2004 Part B Grant: The IDEA regulations allow an LEA to use up to 15% of its IDEA Part B grant to “develop and implement coordinated, early intervening services (EIS) for students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.” (34 CFR300.226(a)). When this money is used as a means of prevention, the money is available for use at all levels of intervention and teachers and staff will benefit from EIS funds in the form of professional development and coaching.

Title I, Part A Schoolwide Funds: According to ISBE, in Title I schoolwide schools, Title I funds may be used to provide services to any student. Consequently, in a Title I schoolwide approved school, all resources, services and personnel are blended to have a cohesive program that upgrades the educational opportunities for all students throughout the school.6 30 |

Update Magazine / Winter 2014

Illinois RTI Network: The services of the RTI Network primarily involve the delivery of high quality professional development consisting of training, technical assistance and coaching. The overarching goal of the I-RTI Network is to scale up a coaching-ofcoaches model to improve the performance of all students.

Local Education Fund: School districts may also choose to utilize money from their general education fund to support RTI services. These services may include additional personnel in the form of interventionists, reading coaches, behavioral specialists, data experts and school service personnel. Funds could also be earmarked for personnel training, supplies, materials and software for data management. This is not to suggest that adopting an RTI model will result in the need for these additional resource, rather these are options that districts may utilize to improve services to students and in some cases save districts money.

Article / Response to Intervention

Reaching RTI's Potential The RTI model is about creating learning environments that are effective, lead to improved outcomes and are provided to students as needed.7 If implemented effectively and efficiently, RTI has the potential to improve educational outcomes for all students while reducing the stress on school budgets. There are trends in national data to suggest that RTI may create opportunities for districts to shift resources to areas of more immediate need in general education, while reducing costs in special education.

School business officials should be partners in the development, ongoing implementation and monitoring of the RTI model. Providing a copy of the plan and the proposed budget is not sufficient. School districts struggling with the provision of essential services to students need a school business official who fully understands the educational and financial impact of effectively implementing RTI district-wide.

To access RTI-related resources, including a schedule of regional networking meetings that are open to all school and district teams, visit: www.illinoisrti.org/i-rti-network FOOTNOTES 1.

Shores, C. & Chester, K. (2009). Using RTI for school improvement. Corwin Press A Sage Company.

2.

Prasse, David. Why adopt an RTI model. RTI Action Network. Retrieved August 25, 2014.

3.

Illinois Special Education Eligibility and Entitlement Procedures and Criteria within a Response to Intervention Framework: A Guidance Document (ISBE, 2010).

4.

Martin, Jose. Legal Implications of Response to Intervention and Special Education Identification. RTI Action Network. Retrieved August 25, 2014.

5.

Batsche, G., Elliott, J. L., Kovaleski, J.F., Prasse, D., et al. (2005). Response to intervention: Policy considerations and implementation. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

6.

Munson, Anna M. Federal funding to support response to intervention. RTI Action Network. Retrieved August 25, 2014.

7.

Guidance Document 12-04 Illinois Special Education Eligibility and Entitlement Procedures and Criteria within a Response to Intervention (RTI) Framework (ISBE). Retrieved August 25, 2014.

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NEXT LEVEL изучающих английский язык Englese lingua studente

Langue Anglaise Apprenant

Inglés estudiante de idiomas

Yīngyū xuéxí zhě

αγγλική γλώσσα μαθητή

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

With more and more English Language Learners (ELLs) coming into the district, DeKalb CUSD 428 realized that their program wasn’t closing the achievement gap. Based on the latest bilingual education research, they embarked on a programmatic shift to better meet diverse student needs.

By Amy Crook

Article

Coordinator Bilingual Programs DeKalb CUSD 428

Andrea J. Gorla Asst. Supt./Business & Finance DeKalb CUSD 428

Better Together Educators without a bilingual education background believe that immersing students in English is the quickest way to bring students to a high level of proficiency. In three longitudinal studies, Thomas and Collier prove this not to be true.1,2,3 A program where both languages are strongly supported is necessary for students to achieve academic English proficiency and close the achievement gap.

Based on this research, a joint decision was made by the DeKalb CUSD 428 principals, bilingual coordinator, curriculum team and school board to expand their program to handle the diverse linguistic and academic needs of the district.

Making the Shift DeKalb Bilingual Programming 2007

2010

Early-Exit, Pull-out and Self-Contained Programs

Late-Exit Model fully implemented but still did not fully meet the academic needs of English Learners.

The district housed Early-Exit Bilingual programs in two elementary buildings, an ESL Pull-out program in one elementary school and self-contained ESL/Bilingual programs in one middle school and the high school.

Longitudinal research released in 1997 and again in 2009 with 6.2 million English Learners shows that Early-Exit, Late-Exit, Pull-out ESL, and Content ESL show promise through the end of third grade, but after that, student test scores take an extreme dip.1, 3

The district chose which elementary schools would house programs through a Bilingual Task Force who researched where the majority of English Learners lived. This resulted in properly staffing and equipping these locations with trained personnel, consolidating supplies and supporting services to fewer locations.

2009

Began Transition from Early-Exit to Late-Exit Model To make the transition, each year another bilingual grade level was added to the DeKalb bilingual program buildings.

2011

Transitioned Bilingual Program Model into Developmental Bilingual Education Program This program, along with Two-Way Dual Language, is the only Bilingual Education Program Model that shows a 100% achievement gap closure for English Learners.2

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A Challenging Endeavor Making this kind of shift in programming is not an easy one.

In order to expand their programs throughout the district, they faced many key challenges.

Elementary: Replacing English-Only with Bilingual Classroom Teachers This has been achieved through attrition. As an Englishspeaking teacher retired, a bilingual teacher was hired, with some movement between grade levels for Englishonly teachers. The change required a lot of professional development at the building level in the area of language acquisition and addressing the academic needs of English Learners (paid for with federal funds).

High School: Finding Highly Qualified Bilingual Content Teachers With the recent changes in licensure, teachers with a bilingual endorsement cannot teach a stand-alone class unless also endorsed in the content area. DeKalb participated in the ISBE Spain Teacher Exchange Program in FY14 and 15 in order to fill the need for bilingual content teachers. New foreign teachers will require mentor services utilizing current district employees.

ESL Program: Professional Development and Instructional Changes Staff embraced the shared responsibility for instruction of English Learners. Teachers participated in the Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol (SIOP®) training and dedicated a significant amount of planning time to its implementation. In 2011, a building principal provided the staff with co-teaching training. Funds were set aside in the LIPLEPS grant for the ESL specialists and classroom teachers to meet and plan for instruction.

Middle School: Implementing a Team Teaching Model At the middle school level, content area teachers participated in a district SIOP ® training along with ESL specialists. Rather than being placed in self-contained ESL/ Bilingual Classrooms, students are now placed in a grade level strand where classes are team-taught with both a content and ESL teacher. Teachers utilize co-planning time throughout the week to prepare for instruction.

Funds for the SIOP ® training came from the LIPLEPS grant.

The district made an initial investment and on a go forward basis limited funds have been necessary, since co-planning is built into the middle school schedule.

Language Learning Terms and Definitions ELL or EL – English Language Learner or English Learner.

Dual Language – A program using both English and the minority language to educate students. The goal of the program is to maintain both languages.

Two-way Dual Language – Speakers of English and the minority language are mixed. The goal for both groups of students is bi-literacy and bilingualism.

One-way Dual Language – Only speakers of the minority language are in the class but both languages are utilized in instruction with the goal of the students becoming biliterate and bilingual.

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Early-Exit Model – Native language is used K-2 and then students are transitioned into English only with no native language support.

Late-Exit Model – Native language is used more at the early grades and slowly reduced to English only by fifth grade.

Pull-out ESL – Students are removed from general instruction for one period per day to focus on English as a second language.

Content ESL – Teachers modify English instruction to fit the linguistic needs of ELLs.

Article / English Language Learners

Funding the Next Level ELL Program Revenues/Expenses $2,500,000 $1,964,024

$2,000,000

$ 963,032

$1,000,000

$0

$ 2,079,648

$1,579,300

$1,500,000

$ 500,000

$ 2,153,416

$ 311,473

$ 256,192

FY 09-10

FY 10-11

Total Revenue

$ 229,414

FY 11-12

$ 243,074

$193,339

FY 12-13

FY 13-14

It is clear the state and federal funding sources do not cover the cost to provide the educational services needed for this student population in DeKalb. In the 201314 fiscal year, the district received $243,074 in state and federal funds (based on student numbers). These funds reflect the prorated amount, both state and federal.

Total Expenditures (1800)

PreK-12 ELL Enrollments 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

497

431

499

FY 10-11

All ELL Students

504 456

413

FY 09-10

598

558

542

430

FY 11-12

FY 12-13

PreK-12 enrollment data shows that the total population of students receiving services or qualifying for these services has increased between 2009 and 2014. However, there have not been increases in funding that directly correlate to this growing population.

FY 13-14

ELL Students Receiving Services

True Program Cost and Benefits There are many people who believe that bilingual/ESL programming is expensive. The expense is not in the program itself, as these students would have to be educated with or without the program. Rather, it is in providing professional development to staff who implement the program.

ESL/Bilingual teachers are required to participate in two professional development activities per year. When paying certified/licensed employee salaries out of Title III/LIPLEP dollars, the district is required to pay an additional TRS expense. This has ranged from 33 – 40% over the past few years.

For DeKalb, the changes have proven worth the expense. Fewer dollars are needed for pull-out interventionists with fewer students needing those services. As more and more English Learners enter, without proper programming the district would be spending more money on RTI in English reading and the system would be remedial rather than an enriched education.

FOOTNOTES 1.

Thomas, W.P., & Collier, V.P. (1997). School effectiveness for language minority students. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition (NCELA) Resource Collection Series, No. 9.

2.

Thomas, W.P., & Collier, V.P. (2002). A national study of school effectiveness for language minority students’ long-term academic achievement. Santa Cruz, CA: Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence, University of California-Santa Cruz.

3.

Collier, V.P., & Thomas, W.P. (2009). Educating English Learners For a Transformed World. Albuquerque, NM: Dual Language Education of New Mexico – Fuente Press.

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Full

Spectrum

Design

Creating Spaces for Special needs

By Matt Bickel, AIA, LEED AP Partner Wold Architects & Engineers

Architects and designers devote significant resources to helping K-12 clients think through how their classrooms and facilities align with the learning styles of students. Research on how students learn most effectively, which came into prominence in the 1980s, is now well founded and widely accepted. As a result, learning environments today are planned in a completely different manner than a generation ago – fully aware of varying learning styles prevalent among student learners and how spaces can facilitate new teaching approaches and technologies.

Design That Meets Daily Challenges The discussion of classroom environments relative to the student learning styles becomes even more significant when it comes to designing spaces for students with special needs. Students with special needs benefit from environments that are designed with an awareness of the daily challenges and unique mental and physical characteristics each individual may possess.

The importance of understanding and responding to the impact of the physical environment on these students cannot be underestimated. Everything from finishes to furniture and how a space is arranged can have a significant impact on how the occupants experience their world every day. Spaces are designed with materials to accommodate individual students’ needs from comfortable and cozy, to durable and non-stimulating. Color use and quality of light must also be carefully considered to provide spaces that don’t overstimulate and that promote desired emotions and behaviors for an effective learning environment.

Flexible Solutions for Unique Learners First and foremost, designers must be aware of the fact that environmental needs will differ greatly depending on the severity of each student’s special needs. Each child is unique and will respond to the designed environment very differently depending on where they land on the spectrum.

It is also important to note that the special needs population within a given district changes every year.

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Do not over-stimulate. Children with special needs can be either hypo- or hyper-sensitive to sensory stimuli, therefore it is important that we identify a proper balance of these two extremes. Architecturally, this translates to making sure that we are thoughtful in planning spaces to ensure that the physical environment does not become a distraction. Ultimately, our objective is to support positive learning processes by taking steps to limit engagement of students’ senses to one or two at any given time. (Note: noise originating from mechanical systems or outside sources must also be considered as possible distractors and must be carefully managed in terms of limiting the activation of sensory experiences.)

•

Keep things simple. Again, given the sensitivity to sensory stimuli, we must be cautious to keep the shape and the volume of the learning environment as uniform as possible. Through providing classrooms configured with minimal changes of plane, we can again support the objective of minimizing potential distractions.

Reducing the amount of furniture and wall-hung items also reduces havoc on the mind and utilizing regular geometric patterns with complementary colors has been proven to maintain calm while encouraging pattern-seeking and concentration.

With all of this understanding as a basis, designers can set out evaluating the appropriateness of design principles and strategies. The objective is often to define flexible solutions that balance cost control with an adaptable learning space.

It is important to consider the question “How will students experience the spaces we are creating?” From there, begins the application of the following design principles: •

Create visual contrast. Individuals with special needs oftentimes struggle to interpret visual and environmental cues. There should be a visual contrast between surfaces and features to help with way finding and orientation.

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• Limit surprises. It is not uncommon for special needs students to experience difficulty adjusting to changes in environment and daily routine. Even minor changes in the classroom setting, such as having all of the chairs pulled out from the desks, may cause disorientation or agitation in certain students. Allowing the children to see into the classroom space before entering by means of openness or transparency of classroom walls is an effective strategy for reducing anxiety.

• Utilize quality lighting. Special consideration must be given to unanticipated effects classroom lighting may have on special needs students. The quality of the light, color rendition, glare, noise and flicker of light fixtures may produce unwanted stimuli. LED lights are a preferred option, however, fixtures equipped with electronic ballast fixtures are also effective in reducing potential distractions caused by flickering fluorescent lights.

Up-lighting, or indirect lighting, is also preferred to direct lighting in terms of reducing glare.

• Be deliberate with color. Limit the introduction of colors (specifically primary colors) to toys or products that can be removed from the space. This provides opportunity to introduce stimuli when appropriate while retaining the flexibility to remove stimulating items and reduce distractions on a case-by-case basis.

Color Theory and the Special Needs Classroom This idea of being deliberate with use of color in the learning environments for special needs students has many underlying implications that must be considered during the design process. Some of the factors to be aware of include: • In most instances, monochromatic color schemes are preferred to limit sensory engagement.

• Muted colors tend to have the most calming effect for children with autism. “Cool” blues and greens are the most soothing, however, pale pink tones are also preferred colors.

• Painting the window frame and using the same color shade can create an intentional uniform design that does not over-stimulate the child.

• Painting end walls of a classroom a medium tone and the side walls a neutral color can reduce eye strain and provide mental stimulation.

In addition, there are several specific rules of thumb for selecting and placing colors. District facilities management personnel, school principals and special education staff should meet to review and agree upon what color-theory strategies will be most appropriate based on the special needs population in each school.

• Classrooms: Green is widely acknowledged as the safest color because it generally creates sensations of calm without the risk of being overly depressing. Light blues can have a soothing affect, but darker shades may contribute to feelings of depression. Likewise, light (or melon) shades of orange are soothing, while darker tones are prone to energize or stimulate. Depending on the child, white can either be soothing or agitating.

Black is to be avoided as much as possible.

• Sensory Rooms: Light or pale pink is the preferred color for sensory spaces. Avoid using red whenever possible, as it vibrates with intensity that can produce aggression.

• Gym/Physical Activities Spaces: Yellow is a stimulating color. It may cause anxiety or cheerfulness depending on the child.

Just the Beginning Of course, there are many other factors that must be considered when designing for special needs learning environments.

• Age, gender and physical disabilities all have bearing on how to program and plan in response to each student’s unique needs.

• More and more, technology is being emphasized as a means to bring about equity between mainstream students and students with ASD, DCD, EBD and Level 4 needs.

All of these factors and more will guide the path for school districts as they move toward providing physical spaces that best facilitate learning for special needs students.

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Resources How other countries create “smarter” kids South Korea: Redefining “High Stakes” When Eric, 18, moved from a top performing school in Minnesota to Busan, South Korea, he noticed immediate differences. While classrooms at home had interactive whiteboards, in Korea things seemed sparse and utilitarian.

A bigger shock was finding a third of his morning class asleep! This seemed odd until he learned of the rigorous study schedule most every student faced, spanning from 8:00am to 11:00pm.

When compared to the rest of the developed world, U.S. K-12 education comes out average at best (and even below for math!) Yet, in 2009 there was only one country spending more money on average per pupil.

Many can be quick to blame poverty, lack of parent involvement or politics.

But when author Amanda Ripley of The Smartest Kids in the World took a closer look at these factors, they didn’t seem to solve the mystery.

So what is really leading to better outcomes worldwide? Ripley’s search for answers followed three students to countries where virtually all children were mastering critical thinking skills in math, science and reading: South Korea, Finland and Poland.

For these students, it all comes down to one test to determine their future success and they devote their high school years to studying for it. In essence, they “learn a lot, but spend a ridiculous amount of time doing so.”

Finland: A System Built on Trust When Kim, a 15 year old from the small town of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, entered her new school in Pietarsaari, Finland, she took note of a strange mix: more motivated students who actually had more freedom!

This model of freedom and trust extended to teachers as well. How is this possible? The key difference was that Finland’s major education reform began with more rigorous standards for entering the profession, rather than evaluation schemes to improve low performing teachers after the fact.

On My List The Smartest Kids in the World: And How they Got That Way

By Amanda Ripley

Overview: To help understand what was behind the latest world “education superpowers,” Amanda Ripley sent some agents into the field. These three high school students travelled across the world and reached some amazing conclusions.

Their insights, combined history lessons and interviews with countless others, form the basis for The Smartest Kids in the World.

This important read for educators sheds a new light on topics from high-stakes testing, to teacher evaluations to student expectations.

Although Finland once had its own version of No Child Left Behind, they found the requirements were no longer needed and they could extend more freedom as more highly qualified teachers came on board.

No Perfect Equation Although no model was without its flaws, Ripley’s key discovery from all three countries was that major change in an education system in a relatively short period of time (despite economic factors) is possible! She leaves the reader with keys to spotting a world-class education, no matter where you reside.

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Where the Magic Happens:

Unmask the potential of your non-traditional programs Find the Right Blended Learning Mix pg. 14-17 Find the definitions of different blended learning models along with a wealth of other useful white papers and online resources at the Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation.

www.christenseninstitute.org/blended-learning

Engage in a Full-Spectrum Design Process pg. 36-38 There are many things to consider when designing spaces for special needs.

Check out these resources to get a bigger picture of the elements that go into a successful design:

• Autism and Design — A webinar from the American Institute of Architects.

• Designing for Disabled Children and Children with Special Needs — A comprehensive design guidebook for mainstream and special schools.

• Interior Design for Autism — An article from Autism Key about creating peaceful physical environments.

• Sensory Stimulation and Autistic Children — An article from the Informe Design Implications Newsletter.

• Outdoor Environments for Children with Autism and Special Needs — An article from the Informe Design Implications Newsletter.

Engage in a Full-Spectrum Design Process Scan this code to find links to all five resources!

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Resources

Learn More About the Response to Intervention Model pg. 28-31 I-RTI Network Get more in-depth information about each of the tiers and access training, technical assistance and coaching in this one-stop Web resource!

www.illinoisrti.org Simplifying Response to Intervention: Four Essential Guiding Principles Based on the four essential guiding principles of collective responsibility, concentrated instruction, convergent assessment and certain access — learn how to create an RTI model that works.

Find the book for sale on Amazon.com by scanning the QR code!

Take a Proactive Approach to School Security School Security: How to Build and Strengthen a School Safety Program

by Paul Timm This new release can help educators and administrators at all levels to understand their role in school safety. Learn about basic loss prevention and safety concepts, including how to communicate safety information to students and staff, how to raise security awareness and how to prepare for emergencies.

Available for sale on Amazon.com

Illinois ASBO members can find all of these resources on the peer2peer Network online community under UPDATE Resources.

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The final word Speaking out about Special Education Cooperatives Julie A. Jilek Asst. Supt./Business Services & Facilities Northwest Suburban Spec. Ed. Org. jilek@nsseo.org

The role of the school business official…

The role of a chief school business official for a special education cooperative relates to the education of students in numerous systemic ways. One of the priority focus areas is ensuring that the budget is reflective of systemic changes that link student needs, program initiatives and collective needs of member districts.

The link between special education and the success of the district…

A special education cooperative provides a continuum of programs, services and supports to effectively address the needs of its member districts and to ensure that students' individualized needs are met in an effective and fiscally responsible manner. Cooperatives contribute to the success of member districts through progressive leadership, programs, services, professional development and supports that focus on improved student outcomes. This happens through advocacy at the state and federal levels and guiding best practices across the districts.

The most important issue to address immediately…

One of the issues that will impact special education and in a broader context the educational community, is the need for funding reform.

I believe that transparent, equitable funding structures should reflect research-based practices and provide an adequate level of financial support needed to educate students with a wide range of educational needs.

One practice districts can adopt…

Jim Womack / NIU

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To foster improved outcomes, districts should capitalize on various educational opportunities that exist to utilize economy of scale through special education cooperatives and other resources that reflect a cost efficient best practice approach. The opportunity to share and pool quality services allows the district to provide support and training that best align to student and staff needs and promote greater outcomes.

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TRAINING GROUND for School Business Leadership BEING A SCHOOL BUSINESS LEADER TAKES MUCH MORE THAN FINANCIAL SAVVY — BUILD ON YOUR COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP PRACTICES THROUGH PROVEN FEEDBACK TOOLS AS A PART OF

THE 2014 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE COHORT.

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My master’s coursework has laid the foundation for the basic skills needed to be a school business official, but the Leadership Institute taught me management skills and effective communication with others.

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