Special Education Study
Work Team Minutes

February 14, 2005

Our Goal:

A strategic approach to developing a Special Education Instructional Model for resource and BI services

Enduring Understandings:

A system approach helps to show alignment of program curriculum, assessments, and effective instructional practices
Quality instruction is essential for the success of all students in the system

Essential Questions:

How do Special Education services specifically support Goal one of the strategic plan
What can we learn by understanding IDEA, exploring effective models, and examining current research?

 Agenda Items:

1) WELCOME - Review of Norms Introductions of new members and a review of the outcomes for the day.

2) PURPOSE - The Work Team reviewed the purpose for our study.  Why conduct this study and why are we doing it now?  The rationale and data from the information sessions was covered and discussed by the team.

3) SCOPE - What district initiatives will frame our work?

• We have a moral purpose to ensure that ALL students learn and succeed in our district and be prepared for post secondary pursuits.
• District Mission states for commitment to develop the skills and talents of ALL students through rigorous learning experiences, supportive relationships and relevant real-life applications.
• Powerful teaching is based upon our written, taught and tested curriculum. Learning plans for all LD and BI students are anchored in District curriculum.
• We are a learning organization committed to collective inquiry, collaboration, continuous improvement and results.

4) NEW LEARNINGS - The Team processing our reading assignments to understand what beliefs underlie the new IDEA changes:

• President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education—Executive Summary
• Summary of Major Provisions

5) DATA DRIVEN  DIALOGUE - The Team made predictions and analyzed data pertaining to:

• Discrepancies between our elementary school data and special education students on the 4th grade WASL.
• Discrepancies between the performance of our special educatation students on the 4th, 7rh and 10th grade WASL and perfomance of other districts in the same tests

6) EMERGING UNDERSTANDINGS, VISITATIONS, and DATA  – Work Team chose interest areas and began work to address the following questions:

• What are the emerging understandings and beliefs from the President’s Commission (PCESE) that underlie the new IDEA reauthorization?
• If we were to visit our own classrooms, what would we hope to learn?
• How do we select which classroom to visit?
• If we were to visit or contact other districts, what would we want to learn?
• How do we select which districts to visit?
• What additional data do we need?

7) Assignment - Have an intentional dialogue with a colleague regarding our work.