September 2013

RSE-TASC reporter

LO N G I S LAN D REG I ON AL S PE C I AL E DUCATI O N—TEC HN I C AL AS S I S TAN C E S UPPORT C E N TE R

Principals and Special Education What every school leader needs to know… By Arlene B. Crandall RSE-TASC Regional Special Education Training Specialist

T raditionally, the building Principal made all

decisions related to student learning in general education classes in his or her building, while Special Education Administrators were responsible for all aspects of the education of students with disabilities. However, as schools continuously embrace more inclusive programs in an effort to provide services to students with disabilities in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), District Administrators have become increasingly dependant upon Principals to ensure the continued growth of students with disabilities in their buildings. This newly established and evolving model of shared responsibility between Principals and Special Education Administrators has become even more evident with the advent of district Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR) plans during the 2012-2013 school year. In

the same way as teachers are now responsible and accountable for the achievement of all children in their classes, Principals are now responsible and accountable for the performance of multiple student groups in their buildings. As an example of the growing importance of the Principal’s sub-group expertise, one of the modules for training as an APPR evaluator focuses on instruction for English Language Learners (ELLs) and students with disabilities. Now, more than ever, it is vital for a

building Principal to learn the key components of special education regulations and instruction in order to be an effective leader. While all Principals may not have a comprehensive academic

background in special education, every Principal must now cultivate a working knowledge and understanding of essential special education systems and practices, especially in this educational climate where all teachers are now considered to be teachers of students with disabilities. For most Principals, this will require some additional training, and as is the case with any sound professional development plan, identifying and developing expertise in key areas will be paramount to success. In the area of regulations, Principals need to understand all aspects of the referral to special education process including the relatively new requirement of using the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. Additionally, Principals need to understand the Committee on Special Education (CSE) process in order to effectively participate in, and support the various constituents who attend those (cont. on pg. 2)

In this issue:

Principals and Special Education ~ Page 1 Principal Competencies for Special Education ~ Page 2 Long Island RSE-TASC Regional Workshops ~ Page 3 Contact Information ~ Page 4

“...all teachers are now considered to be teachers of students with disabilities.”

Key Questions for Reflection

Key Principal Competencies for Special Education

Principals and Special Education What every school leader needs to know…

meetings. Also, understanding the continuum of special education services and programs as well as the concept of LRE is also critical for a Principal so that he/she may collaborate with Special Education Administrators in developing appropriate scheduling, programming and staffing at the building level. Additionally, there are specific procedural protections for students with disabilities subject to disciplinary action that Principals must be aware of. These protections require different procedures than the ones used while disciplining general education students. Also, parents of students with disabilities have specific rights that a Principal must be aware of and adhere to. At the instructional level, Principals may benefit from expanding their knowledge and broadening their experiences in observing effective differentiated and Specially Designed Instructional (SDI) strategies (see definition of SDI on this page) that account for the needs of students with disabilities in all instructional settings, including the general education classroom. This includes, but is not limited to, understanding how to utilize multiple data points, including formative assessment data, to match instructional strategies to the individualized needs of students with disabilities. Observing and supporting both teachers in the integrated co-teaching classroom is also a new skill for many Principals, as is the consistent implementation of appropriate test accommodations for students with Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) and certain 504 plans. A less frequent, but equally important responsibility of the building Principal is to oversee the use of alternate instructional formats for students with specific disabilities that interfere with the use of standard materials, such as texts. In the webinar, “Serving Students with Disabilities: What Superintendents and Principals Need to Know” (see link on page 4) produced by the Leadership for Educational Achievement Foundation (LEAF), specific Principal competencies were reviewed. The New York State Council of School Superintendents (NYSCOSS) and the State Education Department co-sponsored this webinar to assist Superintendents in observing principals through the APPR evaluation process (see “Key Principal Competencies” at right). It is the development of these competencies and the nurturing of school based systems and practices related to special education (see “Principal’s Responsibilities” on page 4) that will ultimately ensure the building Principal’s continued success. In order to address these newly identified needs of building Principals in our region, the core Principal competencies and key special education systems and practices identified in this article align with the components of a new training being rolled out this fall

through the RSE-TASC Office. The Regional Special Education Training Specialist will be presenting the workshop “The Special Education Process for Principals” in multiple locations throughout Long Island during the 2013-2014 school year (see Workshop Offerings on page 4). This training will prepare building Principals for the ever increasing need to understand and interact with the dynamic landscape of special education regulations and instruction. By working with other Principals from the region and participating in collaborative activities with a high degree of practical application, the workshop will be vital in helping Principals, and by association their respective Special Education Administrators, to ensure the continued growth of students with disabilities in their schools.

(cont. from pg. 1)

Definition of Specially Designed Instruction under Commissioner’s Regulations Part 200.1 Specially-designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible student under this Part (200), the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction to address the unique needs that result from the student's disability; and to ensure access of the student to the general curriculum, so that he or she can meet the educational standards that apply to all students. New York State Commissioner’s Regulations Part 200.1 www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/lawsregs/sect2001.htm

Recognize effective Specially-Designed Instruction (see above)

Distinguish if instruction is being matched to individual student needs

Provide leadership and appropriate instructional feedback to teachers of students with disabilities

Recognize important data points related to students with disabilities

Distinguish between building wide needs and needs aligned with specific student groups, such as students with disabilities

What’s special about special education?

Specifically, how is Specially Designed Instruction different than good, effective instruction for all students?

How do results on key data points for students with disabilities compare to those of their general education counterparts?

L ON G I S L A ND RS E - TA SC RE GI ON AL W OR KS H OPS

behavior workshops • bilingual workshops • non-district workshops • regulations • transition

To Register for our Regional Workshops:

Please go to http://webreg.esboces.org to register online. Under “Programs”, click on RSE-TASC and then click “View Now”.

Scroll down the webpage until you see the workshop in which you are interested

and then click on its name to see details and enroll.

• LONG ISLAND RSE-TASC REGIONAL WORKSHOPS •

September Disproportionality and the State Performance Plan (Nassau) — 9/12 The Special Education Process for Secondary Principals (Nassau) — 9/19 Alternate Pathways and New Graduation Options for Students with Disabilities (Eastern Suffolk) — 9/19

October The Special Education Process for Elementary Principals (Eastern Suffolk) — 10/1 Making Decisions at CSE for an ELL—Deciding Difference Vs. Disability (Nassau) — 10/11 Transition in the IEP (Nassau) — 10/15 Transition Assessment (Western Suffolk) — 10/16 Classroom Management I & II (Nassau) — 10/16 & 17 Alternate Pathways and New Graduation Options for Students with Disabilities (Nassau) — 10/18 IEP’s A to Z (Eastern Suffolk) — 10/29 & 30 November New CSE Chairperson Training, Days I and II (Nassau) — 11/6 & 7 Alternatives to Suspension (Nassau) — 11/14

Webinar Link Serving Students with Disabilities: What Superintendents and Principals Need to Know Archived at:

http://breeze.neric.org/p56952172/?launcher=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal

Principal’s Responsibilities

Referrals for Special

Education CSE/CPSE Process Continuum of Special

Education Programs/Services

Programming; Scheduling Purchasing of

Instructional Materials Testing Accommodations Staffing; Instructional

Supervision Procedural Protections for

Students with Disabilities Communication and

Rights of Parents

IN SUFFOLK CALL • 631.218.4197 IN NASSAU CALL • 516.396.2989

CENTRAL OFFICE (Suffolk office): Vincent Leone, Coordinator

Sharon Van Winkel, Senior Account Clerk Lynn Hayes, Senior Clerk Typist

NASSAU SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT SPECIALISTS (SESIS):

Naomi Gershman Monique Habersham

Matthew Zegers Roxane Diamond,, Senior Typist Clerk

SUFFOLK SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT SPECIALISTS (SESIS):

Donna Guiffre Marjorie Guzewicz

Elizabeth Silva

REGIONAL TRAINERS (Suffolk office): Arlene B. Crandall,, Regional Special Education Specialist

Elizabeth DeFazio-Rodriguez, Bilingual Special Education Specialist Michelle Levy, Behavioral Specialist

Matthew Jurgens, Suffolk Transition Specialist Cathy Pantelides, Nassau Transition Specialist

• RSE-TASC STAFF •

Key Idea

“Success for students with disabilities depends on how effective school leaders are in not only understanding the needs of students with disabilities, but promoting and supporting effective instructional programs for these students.” — Pat Geary, Coordinator

for Special Education Policy and Professional Development, New York State Education Department