FORMATION OF AND USE OF COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Amy Jenks, NH SPDG Coordinator

SPDG Day Presentation July 18, 2011

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NH COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE

COP Support/ResourcesStructureChallengesTools and Techniques

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THREE NEW HAMPSHIRE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE (COP)

1. Transition COP Share information Develop and share

best practices 4-5 Regional COPs Since 2004 – 11+

states

2. School Behavioral Health COP

Share information Policy Reform Since 2004 -12 states

3. Employment COP Medicaid

Infrastructure Grant project team

Transform to COP for sustainability

Share information Develop and share

best practices Regional COPs

IDEA PARTNERSHIP OTHER NH COPs

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HTTP://WWW.IDEAPARTNERSHIP.ORG/

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IDEA PARTNERSHIP- SUPPORT/ RESOURCES

Provide monthly teleconference calls Provide Sharedwork.org website Sponsor National COP meetings Provide connections to other TA

Centers/organization/initiatives Develop COP Resources/Tools

Communities of Practice: A New Approach to Solving Complex Educational Problems http://www.ideapartnership.org/documents/CoPGuide.pdf

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The IDEA PartnershipHoused at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education is a grant funded initiative of the Office for Special Education Programs at the US Department of Education. The IDEA Partnership brings together colleagues and partners across child-serving systems and organizations to work in targeted areas toward improved outcomes for children, youth and their families.

National Community of Practice on Transition

11 States and District of Columbia

NCLB/IDEA Collaborative Community

National Community of Practice on

Collaborative School Behavioral

Health

New Hampshire’s Transition Community of PracticeA learning community for individuals in all roles who share a passion and responsibility related to improving post-school outcomes and experiences for youth. Engages in Community work in ways that best further individual and organizational goals. All members have equal voice and opportunity to participate, learn and share work.

NH Transition Community of Practice Coordinating Group (State Team)The convener of NH’s Transition Community through which all partners can align work and make contacts more quickly, facilitating deeper, more meaningful work. This group meets regularly to develop and engage supports for the community of practice strategy and its implementation using topical subgroups .

IDEA Partnership Communities of Practice Focused on advancing policy and practice in the four key areas listed below. As partner organizations work together with states, districts, local sites and individuals, they form Communities of Practice whose members learn from each other and take action together in coordinated ways. Key work and communication tool: www.sharedwork.org

NH Transition Regional/Local Community of Practice GroupsRegional Transition Community of Practices focused on regional transition issues and connected to NH Transition COP coordinating group .

National Community of Practice on Professional Development and Adult

Learning

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NH TRANSITION COP MISSION AND GOALS

The mission of the NH Transition Community of Practice is to make a difference in the lives of New Hampshire youth and support successful transitions to life after high school by fostering cooperation, collaboration and the development of best practices among cross-stakeholder communities.

Goal Areas: Share information and resources Facilitate the development of additional regional COPs Increase meaningful youth engagement Promote best practices in the area of transition to life after

high school, while seeking new ideas through various avenues and partnerships

Plan and implement annual Summit Evaluate the COP strategy

Domain

Practice

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NH TRANSITION COP REPRESENTATION N = 54

Family Organizations, 5

Professional Assn, 2

Teen Organi-zations, 3

IHEs, 6

School Per-sonnel, 9State Agencies

DHHS/DOE/VR, 11

Physical Ther-apist, 1

Area Agencies, 3

Regional COPs, 9

Transition Project Staff/Other, 5

Community

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NH TRANSITION COP

Non-hierarchal and Voluntary

Varied stakeholder representation

People united over a shared passion, issue(s) or experiences

Convene on a regular basis

Focus on relationships and outcomes

Organic in its development

Always asking who is missing

Open to varied perspectives

Work collaboratively to share, plan and take action

Connect the work at the local, state, and national level

CHARACTERISTICS

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NH TRANSITION COP

17 Members Representatives from

specific agencies, org.

Met monthly Paid facilitator/leader More time learning

and building relationships

Worked on annual goals as a whole group

All face-to-face meetings

54 members Representatives from

various agencies, org. Meet bi-monthly Shared leadership More time sharing and

developing practices Developed workgroups Face-to-face meetings,

teleconference calls, Go-to meetings, webinars

Our Beginning Structure

Our Current Structure

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WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES TO THE COP STRATEGY?

Leadership (established or shared?) Exploring ways to increase

participation and multiple perspectives – who’s not at the table?

Orienting and educating new members

Time and energyMaintaining momentum when

membership variesAlignment of our work to other

efforts

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TOOLS/TECHNIQUES NH TRANSITION COP HAS DEVELOPED

Developed a mission statement/fact sheet Developed a set meeting agenda Share facilitation and note taking Provide supports/resources as needed Built a communication mechanism Develop goals & outcomes (review annually) Provide training/TA in regional COPs Developed online evaluation for use by all

NH COPs and review results annuallyThe above resources are posted on the SIGNetwork.org under 2011 Regional SPDG Meetings – Day 2 Guidance on Structuring COPs http://www.signetwork.org/content_pages/27

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NH TRANSITION COP

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

EXAMPLES AND BENEFIT S

VALUE OF COP

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF NH TRANSITION COP

Annual SummitNetworking across “silos”Program/practice development/

disseminationCollaboration on grant opportunities

and resourcesLocal attendance at national

conferencesSupport regionalization of COP StrategyStatewide effort that supports local

initiatives

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ANNUAL SUMMIT 4th Annual Summit – 250 attendees Keynote, 15 workshops youth strand developed by youth Collaboratively funded event

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SUPPORTING REGIONALIZATION OF COP STRATEGY

Provide training in COP strategy to regions Share structure, strategies, topics and tools Linkage to State and National Transition COP NH COP evaluation survey – handout and

online survey (conducted annually)

NH currently has four Regional COPs and

one practice group

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EXAMPLE: ACES SUMMER PROGRAM State to State COP sharing at National COP Mtg by PA ACES Summer Program

two-week residential program Held at Keene State College high school students age 16-17 with learning disabilities or

ADHD opportunity to find a career path or learn how to live

independently. combines classroom learning, stimulating discussion groups,

on-site experience of work environments, dorm living, recreation, and a weekend in an outside setting.

ACES is made possible through a partnership between NH Transition COP members: NH Department of Education Vocational Rehabilitation Keene State College Monadnock Center for Successful Transitions (MCST), a

program of Monadnock Developmental Services http://aces.keenecommons.net/home

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BENEFITS OF USING COP STRATEGY

Provided a needed service Tapped into knowledge and creativity of COP

members Collaboration on funding and resources Student created portfolio of their experiences

shared with families, VR counselors, and school staff

Improved outcomes for these students Looking at ways this program can be

replicated in other colleges or as part of high school programs

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EXAMPLE: NH TRANSITION COP AND INDICATOR 13 COMPLIANCE

COP collaboration with NH DOE in Development of Indicator 13 compliance review process and guidance document http://www.education.nh.gov/instruction/special_ed/documents/indicator13_guidance_document.pdf Common language and understanding Shared I-13 trainings using common training

materials Trained reviewers for I-13 district compliance visits

NH Transition COP developed additional webinars on best practices for measurable goals and age appropriate assessments

NH Transition COP developed Transition and Career Development Resource website http://transitions.keenecommons.net/

NH Transition COP work included as SPP indicator improvement activities

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BENEFITS OF USING COP STRATEGY

Access to knowledge, expertise, perspectives of COP members

Common language and understanding developed and shared across stakeholders

Developed and shared guidance document for transparency of I-13 review process and procedures

Able to train more district personnel in short period of time

NH Transition COP provided best practices resources beyond I-13 compliance

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VALUE OF COP TO MY WORK AND MY ORGANIZATION

Short Term Value Long-Term Value Get input/feedback

Access to experts Enjoy working with

these colleagues Meaningful work

Learn a great deal from local implementers

Networking Accomplish my work

more efficiently and effectively

Helps solve problems or issues

Time saving Work with new

stakeholders New perspectives

Improved practices and products

Greater dissemination Replication of best

practices Increased sustainability

mem

ber

Org

aniz

ation

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ANY QUESTIONS?

My contact information:Amy JenksNH SPDG Grant Coordinatorajenks@ed.state.nh.us(603) 271-3842