Reform Within NYCDOE

Reform Within NYCDOE

Presentation to EDLS3300 K

City College

May 2, 2011


Presenters:

Meredith HanderhanMonica RiveraVanessaSandra CainPaul Helgesen

History of Special Ed

What you will SEE

A Power Point Presentation1. History of Special Education2. Federal and Local (NYS) legislation affecting Special Ed3. History of the DOE, with the unique creation of District 754. Council of Great City Schools – Peer review (2008)5. NCBL compliance (The bombshell of 2010)6. The need for reform – bending the stick the other way, 7. Emphasis on: Inclusion8. The new architecture: The Continuum of Services9. New focus on the IEP


What you will HEAR

Presenters (In Order of Appearance)

Meredith Vanessa Monica Sandra Paul


What you may READ

The paper forming the backbone of this presentation is approximately 40 pages.

In order to save trees, we have archived the paper for your benefit. (URL referenced in your one-page summary)


What you can ACCESS

Our bibliography, including archived copies of key source documents.

In order to save trees, we have archived the bibliography and copies of the key source documents for your benefit. (URL referenced in your one-page summary)

History of Special Ed

And now, without further ado, we will start our presentation.

Meredith will address the HISTORY of Special Education._________________________________________________

A Brief History of Special Education inNew York City and the United States:

A glimpse at the work that pioneered Special Education in the United States and New York.

“Educational Equality is the Civil Rights issue of our time…”

- Barack Obama

History of Special Education

Introduction: a look at where it all began in the United States First publicly and privately funded schools for the disabled The uprising of Advocacy groups for the disabled 1965 and Title VI (OSEP) 1973-1975 and the development of Section 504, FERPA, EAHCA/IDEA History of Special education in NYC and creation of D75 NYC specific reform: AFC, Rudy Crew and the Special Education Wasteland of the 1980’s and 1990’s Further Development of IDEA NCLB


Principles of IDEA Free Appropriate Public Education Least Restrictive Environment Find Child Special Education Services (The Continuum) Related Services Special Education Teacher Support Services Collaborative Team Teaching Special Class Services State Education Department Approved Non-Public Schools State Operated and Supported Schools Home and Hospital Instruction

Continuum of Services





Working on a Broken System

Academic Gap between children with a disability and non-disabled children The Purpose of Special Education The “New Continuum”

Reform Within District 75

Compliance with No Child Left Behind

Citywide statistics - DOE

The goal of NCLB is to have 100 percent of students proficient by 2013-14

Federal Legislation

The goal of NCLB is to have 100 percent of students proficient by 2013-14

Federal Legislation

So how did New York City fare on this upward-spiraling, noble and extremely aggressive objective?

Throughout 2009, in Math, NY Citylooks compliant – EVEN AHEAD

of the curve

Nice annual Increments

From 2006 to 2009

NOTE: “Passing” is considered “proficient”

OOPS

What happened In 2010

A DROP Of 27%

In Math Proficiency

OOPS

But it gets

WORSE

The Gist of the Special Ed/District 75 Reform Initiative


The Action Plan

• The need for reform• The five principles• Action plan• Support Systems• Issues to be resolved

District 75 – 23,000 studentsSpecial Ed – Community Schools 141,000General Ed – 970,000 students

Special Education164,000 students39% of total Budget

General Education970,000 students61% of total Budget

DOE Annual Budget$21,000,000,000

The Individualized Education Program - IEP

Legal Framework:

Created under IDEAAn IEP forms the cornerstone of the education of any student referred as a Special Education Student


autism deaf-blindness deafness hearing impairment emotional disturbance learning disability mental retardation (Intellectual disability)

multiple disabilities orthopedic impairment other health impairment speech or language impairment traumatic brain injury visual impairment including blindness

Classification of disabilities


Josue, age 12, attends a NYC public school. He has a disabilityIs Josue automatically referred to Special Education ?

Rhetorical Inquiry # 1


Josue, age 12, attends a NYC public school. He has a disabilityIs Josue automatically referred to Special Education ?


AnswerNot necessarily.Josue’s disability must be one of the 12 SPECIFIC qualifying disabilities to even clear that first of several prerequisites for obtaining an IEP


Elijah, age 13, attends a NYC public school. He is diagnosed with autismHis teachers and AP recommend him for a “Special School”Is Elijah automatically referred to Special Education?



Elijah, age 13, attends a NYC public school. He is diagnosed with autismHis teachers and AP recommend him for a “Special School”Is Elijah automatically referred to Special Education? AnswerNot necessarily.A student’s parent is an important member of the IEP team.If the parent disagrees, the balance of the IEP team has no power to enroll Elijah in Special Education



Edwin, age 10, attends a NYC public school (General Ed)He has been absent from school for long, protracted periods every school year since he came to New York City from the Dominican Republic.Now in fourth Grade, Edwin reads at the pre-K levelHe appears learning-disabledHis ELA teacher recommends Spec Ed and Edwin’s Mother agrees.

Will Edwin automatically be referred to Special Education?



Edwin, age 10, attends a NYC public school (General Ed)He has been absent from school for long, protracted periods every school year since he came to New York City from the Dominican Republic.Now in fourth Grade, Edwin reads at the pre-K levelHe appears learning-disabledHis ELA teacher recommends Spec Ed and Edwin’s Mother agrees.Will Edwin automatically be referred to Special Education? Answer Not necessarilyEven though Edwin may be classified as Learning Disabled, he may not be eligible for Special Ed.If his reading performance is deemed to be based on inadequate instruction, he falls outside the purview of Special Education



Edwin, age 10, attends a NYC public school (General Ed)He has been absent from school for long, protracted periods every school year since he came to New York City from the Dominican Republic.Now in fourth Grade, Edwin reads at the pre-K levelHe appears learning-disabled and there is no evidence his language instruction has been insufficient. His ELA teacher feels Edwin is a “slow learner” and recommends Spec Ed. Edwin’s Mother agrees.


Rhetorical Inquiry #4


Edwin, age 10, attends a NYC public school (General Ed)He has been absent from school for long, protracted periods every school year since he came to New York City from the Dominican Republic.Now in fourth Grade, Edwin reads at the pre-K levelHe appears learning-disabled and there is no evidence his language instruction has been insufficient. His ELA teacher feels Edwin is a “slow learner” and recommends Spec Ed. Edwin’s Mother agrees.


Answer: Discussion

Rhetorical Inquiry #4


Presenters:

Meredith Handerhan

Monica Rivera

Vanessa

Sandra Cain

Paul Helgesen

Documents

Reform Within NYCDOE