A Partnership was formed to create a California Strategic Plan for Special Education Improvement, a document which has served as a foundation for the State Improvement Plan (SIP) and this State Improvement Grant (SIG). The planning process for the SIG represents an unprecedented effort to engage in a comprehensive inquiry into the effectiveness of the State's systems of early intervention, special education, and general education in meeting the needs of individuals with disabilities, and, based on that information, to develop a five year plan. This approach is indicative of California's real intent to use the SIG as a true systemic change instrument, beginning with the construction of the plan itself. The strategic planning approach involved a number of steps:

• Selection of an organizational approach.
• Review of the existing data and literature.
• Solicitation and collection of statewide professional, parent, and citizen input.
• First meeting of the partnership.
• Meeting of the Action planning teams.
• Solicitation of input on the objectives.
• Second meeting of the partnership.
• Solicitation of input on the objectives and action plans.

The objectives that were produced through this process are incorporated into the proposal as "activities." This lengthy process was important to point out the extent to which that CDE has set the stage for effective, broad scale systemic improvement through the SIG. It was essential to select a large scale, totally inclusive, strategic planning session to send the message that the SIG and SIP herald an era of true systemic change and improvement.

The hallmarks of this era will be:

• High expectations and increased achievement for individuals with disabilities.
• Appropriate pre-service preparation producing greater numbers of qualified teachers.
• In-service professional development and on-going support for teachers and other personnel.
• Real partnerships with parents, agencies and organizations serving the same population.

This process will include:

• Data-based decision-making processes.
• Involvement of key stakeholders in the original design (not "buy in" after the fact).
• Conscious development of consumer and partner relationships.
• A vision-driven process, with the vision developed by all partners.

Project Title:	Improving the Special Education System in California
Primary contact person:	Janet Canning
Address:	California Department of Education Special Education Division 515 L Street Suite 270 Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone:	916-327-4217
Fax:	916-327-3706
Email:	jcanning@cde.ca.gov
Web site:	http://www.calstat.org/
Date SIG application written/submitted:	September 28, 1998
Round funded:	First
Begin/end dates for funding:	1998-2002
Funded amount /year:	$1,800,000
Who wrote the application?	SEA staff
Length of application:	Narrative: 116 pages Appendices: How many appendices? 16 How Long Were They? Over 100 pages plus over 50 Letters of Support

1. What specific products are planned for development?

• Develop key performance indicators and benchmarks aligned with curriculum.
• Study, recommend and implement a form of undergraduate credential study.
• Develop recommendations to strengthen inclusion in Distinguished Schools.
• Identify and disseminate models of research-based practices.
• Customer -convenient credential course offerings.
• Create standards for paraprofessionals serving individuals with disabilities 0-22.
• Create personnel standards for early intervention professionals serving 0-2.
• Create training/TA strategies to increase active student participation in educational planning.
• Develop draft of new sections for Safe Schools Plans.
• Develop parent Leadership Network Guide.
• Create information web page to recruit teachers and other personnel.

2. What interstate connections are planned?

1. None identified.

3. What strategies are planned for service delivery?

• Sonoma State University (SSU) Coordinator takes the lead on planning, implementing, and evaluating the "mega inservice/parent training" and the "mega technical assistance" activities.
• Training to improve the individual transition planning process and integrate the IEP/ITP.
• Establish a single point of contact in CDE for diversity issues.
• Provide a variety of supports to increase responsiveness of the system to families.

4. What partnership strategies are intended?

• The Partnership itself will remain an organization of equal members rather than creating a hierarchy with an executive body and officers.
• Government code 26.5, recently chaptered, requires collaboration of a variety of agencies in the delivery of services to students with disabilities.
• SSU will work with the family partnership program and grant funds to establish pilot program providing financial support for parent participation on policy and decision-making boards.
• The nine state and federal agencies and the statewide consumer/family coalition which developed the School-to-Work Interagency Transition Partnership (SWITP) Memorandum of Understanding will fully implement the activities and work to enhance and expand interagency service linkages.
• Use the Quality Assurance process (QAP) and Focused Monitoring system to ensure appropriate collaboration at the LEA level.
• Develop standards and expectations of collaborative and integrated service provision.
• The state will model collaboration between general and special education in its leadership, its focus on research-based reform, and its focus on quality as well as compliance, as evidenced by special education in all aspects of education reform.

5. Who are the partners?

6. What types of contracts or subgrants are intended to partners, LEAs, IHE, PTIs, and others (including lead agency under Part C)?

• No required contractual agency or organization will receive grant funds for administration, directorship, or coordination (only 1.0 FTE coordinator at Sonoma State University is funded), thereby requiring all parties to provide significant in-kind contributions.
• Primary contractor: California Institute on Human Services at Sonoma State University.
• Two major sub-contractors: the Center on Teaching Careers (CalTeach) and Matrix (PTI).
• Individual contractors.

7. How will resources be pooled with other sources?

• The partnerships with parents, agencies and organizations require tremendous in-kind donation of time, energy and resources through all of the activities.
• Project management administration, directorship, and coordination will be accomplished by an interagency collaborative group.
• CDE will require LEA and SELPA local plans to include the provision of coordinated, culturally appropriate services across agencies and programs.
• Department of Developmental Disabilities and Education work jointly with Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
• CDE and the CTC work with the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Project (fully funded by governor) to increase the number of beginning teachers who receive services to promote retention.
• CDE, IHEs, districts, CTC, the legislative community, and statewide agencies work together to ensure systemic support and appropriate incentives resulting in increased special education recruitment through partnering with CalTeach (initiated by the legislature).