2012 OSEP Leadership ConferenceLeading Together to Achieve Success from Cradle to Career

From Deliberate to Dynamic:

How TA projects are using tech to increase efficiency, improve outcomes, and transform service delivery.

Jay Gense, Jon Harding (NCDB) Katie Humes (WA DB project), Susan Edelman (VT DB project)Session #

The challenge of complex children

SEPARATE PLACEMENTS: • 33.9% of students with DB & 45.1% of students with multiple disabilities were being

served outside the regular class more than 60% of the day

MORE DEMANDS ON TEACHERS:• Nearly 80% of SPED teachers were serving students with 2 or more primary

disabilities.• 32% were serving students with four or more primary disabilities.

LESS SUPPORTS:•Only 37% of LEAs provide hearing/audiology services•Only 26% of LEAs offer vision services

(OSERS, 2010)

“Deliberate” models of TA

Frustration

URGENT request for

help

On-site visit by “expert”

A crowd gathers

Assessments are conducted

Reports are created

Hope for change!

Why adopt a new TA model?

Increased demand for Technical Assistance

Expense of on-site TA

Limited resources (time, money,

personnel)

Teachers need time to practice,

observe, and reflect

OSEP encouragement

Limited effectiveness of

traditional models

Innovation is necessary!

To Recap:

Complex children in rural

settings

Lack of trained personnel

Shrinking TA resources

A need to innovate!

The “Dynamic” approach: Distance Mentorship

http://www.news.ku.edu/2011/september/26/deafblind.shtml

Field-initiated practice Phase I research

Innovative Model + Implementation

Distance Mentorship

Video Clips

Web Conf

Wiki

DB Content

Improved Outcomes for children@ families

Installation

Initial Implementation

Full Operation

National ImplementationResearch Network

NCDB facilitates a CoP

NCDB

WA

NEC

ID

VT

TX

GA

Learn

ImplementShare

Improve

DM CoP

Not just for students with Deaf-Blindness!

• TBI• Autism

Cognitive

Washington State Project:

Distance Mentorshi

p

Distance Mentoring Components

Video Capture & Share

“Team Toal” Google Site

Washington:Early Intervention Team

Brielle

Renton Cheney

Bellingham

KentAuburn

Washington (Early Intervention Team)

“Team Jacob” Google Site

Lessons Learned

• Distance Mentoring is a cost-effective way to provide specialized support for teams

• The model can be adapted to fit needs of teams

• Keeps team members on same page• Creates a permanent record of student

progress and programming for current/future teams

• Pulls together elements into a cohesive process

For High Tech, This is Relatively Low Tech!

Hmm…

“……now that our IT team is on board,

this Distance Consultation just might work. . .”

“We’re excited to get started this fall!”

Auburn S.D. Team:Staff & Parent

Vermont Project

• Distance Technology Initiatives

VT I-Team

Serving children with significant and multiple disabilities, their families and teams since 1977

A look at our state

Need for Distance Technology in VT

• Geography• Limited resources

– I-Team level funded for years– VSAP grant small

• Inclusion– History of serving children in

home schools

Elements of VSAP Distance Technical Assistance Initiative

– Video capture using VIMEO– Web conferencing using Adobe Connect Pro– Online communication interaction using Wiggio

Same Elements, Different Tools

Shelby and Ashlynn

Collaboration in Distance Technology is Key to Impact on Systems in VT

• Build on past successes• Interagency collaboration• Multi-state collaboration

Questions

• How might this model be adapted and utilized by other agencies to support teachers in working with students who are complex?

• How might Part B and Part C leadership promote the use of these innovative delivery systems in their schools or EI settings?