Products and Tools
At-a-Glance B3 Resource Guide for Supporting Academic Achievement for Students with DisabilitiesThis results improvement resource guide is the product of collaboration between the Student Performance and Achievement (SPA) Priority Team, the Systems Improvement and Planning (SIP) Priority Team, and the Data Accountability Center (DAC). The guide includes a listing of TA&D programs and centers that provide technical assistance related to academic achievement results improvement for students with disabilities. The website URL, target audience(s), and purpose are provided for each center/program. In addition, a brief example describing the center’s/program’s work in a target state is included.
Choosing a Common Language: Terms and Definitions Used in the State Performance Plan (SPP) and the Annual Performance Report (APR)[August 2009]
This document was developed by the Regional Resource Center Program (RRCP) as a resource that provides states, TA providers, parents, etc. with a common language of terms and definitions used in the SPP/APR development process.
General Supervision Training ScriptsThe General Supervision Priority Team has developed a set of General Supervision Training Scripts that have been approved by OSEP for RRCP staff to use when providing technical assistance to states in the area of general supervision. These materials were revised in August 2012. There are four units as follows:
UNIT 1
Introduction to General Supervision
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UNIT 2
Identification and Investigation of Noncompliance Download
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UNIT 3
Resolution of Noncompliance/Correction and Verification of Correction of Noncompliance Download
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UNIT 4
Reporting to OSEP on Correction of Noncompliance Download
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Improvement Activity Review Form
[2008]
This form was developed by the North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC). The intent of the SPP/APR Improvement Activity Review Form is to provide a means by which SPP/APR improvement activities can be assessed using a “quality” scale. This form should not be considered as any type of “formal” assessment—rather, it is simply a tool developed to stimulate thinking and discussion among state personnel responsible for developing or implementing improvement activities. Quality descriptions used for this form generally represent a formalization of basic “Who,” “What,” “Where,” “How,” and “When” concepts, along with other considerations related to development of improvement activities that clearly and effectively convey intent. This form is intended to broadly assess quality of improvement activities, since for any given SPP/APR results or compliance indicator, there can be multiple improvement activities listed.
[2008]
This form was developed by the North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC). The intent of the SPP/APR Improvement Activity Review Form is to provide a means by which SPP/APR improvement activities can be assessed using a “quality” scale. This form should not be considered as any type of “formal” assessment—rather, it is simply a tool developed to stimulate thinking and discussion among state personnel responsible for developing or implementing improvement activities. Quality descriptions used for this form generally represent a formalization of basic “Who,” “What,” “Where,” “How,” and “When” concepts, along with other considerations related to development of improvement activities that clearly and effectively convey intent. This form is intended to broadly assess quality of improvement activities, since for any given SPP/APR results or compliance indicator, there can be multiple improvement activities listed.
IT Kit: Thinking Through Improvement The IT Kit was developed by the North Central Regional Resource Center (NCRRC) and is intended for a wide range of audiences, including state agencies, local education agencies, and early childhood service providers. It teaches a process that will allow participants to develop skills for analyzing and using data to make good decisions and improvements to existing programs. Thinking Through Improvement is divided into three parts: Thinking About Connections, Thinking About Data, and Thinking About Results.
- IT Book: An overview of the IT Kit contents and a preview of improvement activities and processes, including a description of the IT Tools Download
- IT Guide: An Activities Guide for participants Download
- IT Tools: Materials to assist with improvement planning Download
NEW!! Key Principles of Early Intervention and Effective Practices: A Crosswalk with Statements from Discipline-Specific Literature
[December 2012]
This document was developed by Wendy Whipple (MPRRC) in collaboration with the RRCP Early Childhood Service Delivery Priority Team. The Key Principles of Early Intervention and Effective Practices: A Crosswalk with Statements from Discipline-Specific Literature matrix is designed to assist state Part C programs, providers in professional organizations, and TA providers in understanding the alignment between the 7 key principles for providing early intervention services in natural environments and statements from various professional organizations (i.e., ASHA, AOTA, APTA, AAP, AAID, DEC, NAEYC, and NASP) that support the provision of Part C early intervention services. The document includes a matrix of the 7 key principles with corresponding statement from all of the professional organizations as well as individual matrices for each professional organization's statements aligned with the key principles.
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[December 2012]
This document was developed by Wendy Whipple (MPRRC) in collaboration with the RRCP Early Childhood Service Delivery Priority Team. The Key Principles of Early Intervention and Effective Practices: A Crosswalk with Statements from Discipline-Specific Literature matrix is designed to assist state Part C programs, providers in professional organizations, and TA providers in understanding the alignment between the 7 key principles for providing early intervention services in natural environments and statements from various professional organizations (i.e., ASHA, AOTA, APTA, AAP, AAID, DEC, NAEYC, and NASP) that support the provision of Part C early intervention services. The document includes a matrix of the 7 key principles with corresponding statement from all of the professional organizations as well as individual matrices for each professional organization's statements aligned with the key principles.
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Spotlight BriefsThe Spotlight Briefs highlight selected promising state and local-level practices that have been shown to impact OSEP Part B performance indicators 1 and 2 (Graduation and Dropout Rates), 3 (Statewide Assessment), and 14 (Secondary Transition and Post-School Outcomes). Briefs are generated by a group of Technical Assistance and Dissemination (TA&D) Network collaborators and coordinated through the Student Performance and Achievement (SPA) Priority Team of the Regional Resource Center Program (RRCP).
Georgia: Improving Graduation Rates through Georgia's GraduateFIRST Program GraduateFIRST is a Georgia statewide initiative that uses a data-driven intervention framework developed by the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities (NDPC-SD) to address issues that have negatively impacted school completion rates. The program establishes and, with NDPC-SD, trains local school-based teams and team leaders who diagnose the causes of dropout and develop site-specific improvement plans and strategies. Program-funded collaboration coaches provide support, training, coaching, and resources to help school teams continuously monitor and support at-risk students.
Michigan: Integrated Behavior and Learning Support Initiative (MiBLSi) MiBLSi is helping districts and schools improve both student behavior and academic performance. Additionally, participating schools are showing, on average, 21% reductions in special education referrals and 26% reductions in identification rates, particularly between the first and second years of implementation. Learn more about MiBLSi in this Spotlight Brief as well as an upcoming webinar scheduled in September for state representatives and local implementers. The MiBLSi brief was jointly developed by the Systems Improvement and Planning (SIP) and the SPA Priority Teams.
STAARS (Standards, Assessment, and Accountability Resources)STAARS is an online resource, developed Student Performance and Achievement Priority Team (SPA), providing current information on key topics and issues related to standards, assessment, and accountability, including requirements within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Content is organized by topic and is not all-inclusive, but provides users with an introduction and overview of the issue, a references list, and links to suggested resources containing additional information. STAARS will be updated regularly to ensure the information and resources remain accurate, relevant, and reflective of the most current best practice and guidance available.
State Stories About Addressing Disproportionality This is an occasional series of articles about states who are making a difference with disproportionality produced by the Disproportionality Priority Team.
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State Stories: Michigan [July 2012]
This is the first in an occasional series of articles about states who are making a difference with dispropportionality. The Michigan story includes: Creating a Culture of Change -- Dialogue with Data and Facts -- District Example that includes Accomplishments -- and a description of Continuing Work.
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Systems Framework to Guide Improvement Planning and Technical Assistance to States [February 2009]
This document was developed by the Systems Improvement and Planning Priority Team as a guide for conversation among technical assistance providers, State staff and OSEP staff as they analyze available data about state improvement and make decisions related to improvement activities. This guide is not intended to be used as a checklist, but rather as a means to stimulate conversation and consideration of the system variables that influence improvement efforts. In other words, it is intended to help ensure that improvement planning and technical assistance decisions are made within a systems context. The need for the development of this guide originated from information generated by a broad group of RRC staff given the task of identifying factors that might affect state improvement across SPP/APR indicators.
Systems Improvement Self-Assessment and Planning Guide[October 2008]
This document was developed by the Mid-South Regional Resource Center (MSRRC) and is designed to be used as an assessment of State systems by State Part B and Part C staff and their stakeholders. It provides a detailed process for State Education Agencies (SEA) and Lead Agencies (LA) to follow that will guide improvement efforts relative to the APR indicators and other statewide initiatives. Its purpose is to assist States in: (1) implementing a systematic approach to designing and refining improvement activities, (2) aligning improvement activities with State priorities, (3) allocating funding and human resources to State improvement efforts which are most effective, and (4) implementing, tracking, documenting and evaluating improvement efforts designed to achieve or maintain compliance and improve performance that lead to better results.
Trees of Influence [October 2008]
Developed by the Western Regional Resource Center (WRRC), these flow charts (one for PART B indicators, and one for PART C) illustrating relationships of influence among indicators. Originally developed for use in analyzing our states' SPPs, we have used the "Trees of Influences" with our states to illustrate the potential connections and impact of one indicator on others. Our states have found them helpful in their own analysis of state plans and data, and in planning future improvement strategies. Performance on a single indicator often becomes the focus of improvement efforts, when in fact, to elicit the desired change the effort should be targeted further back in the chain of influences
Using the State Performance Plan as a Management Tool[December 2010]
The Systems Improvement and Planning Priority Team developed this document to serve as a technical assistance (TA) tool for TA providers at either the national, regional, State, or local levels. The document may be used by TA providers to begin and/or guide conversations with their colleagues on aspects of the general supervision system that impact the State Performance Plan (SPP). This document can help serve as a tool for the informal formative evaluation of State/regional/local general supervision items and assist in identifying potential areas for improvement. This tool is not meant to be used as a stand-alone document; rather, it is meant to be used by TA providers to guide and support conversations on the SPP/APR process and structures.