Illinois
Abstract | Basic Information | Improvement Strategies
Illinois Abstract or Conceptual Framework for State Systemic Change
Illinois is committed to improved performance for all students. This grant proposal is dedicated to improving success for Illinois children and youth with disabilities. It represents a partnership among the Illinois State Board of Education, public school entities, parent and professional organizations, and higher education, with the ultimate aim being student success.
School improvement, standards-based learning, and teacher quality are all critical components for Illinois student achievement. School improvement plans are an ongoing requirement for Illinois schools. The Illinois Learning Standards, applicable to all students, were adopted in 1997. The Illinois teacher certification system has changed recently so that new laws require significant reform in the way teachers are initially prepared and continuing professional development occurs. Concomitantly, school administrators face critical shortages of special education teachers and related services personnel and have many staff with temporary approvals.
Illinois does not have an adequate supply of appropriately trained special education personnel able to assure improved results for students with disabilities, nor staff sufficiently prepared to work collaboratively with personnel in general education. There are geographic pockets of severe shortages. There is not a coordinated system of professional development accountable to the Illinois State Board of Education. Stopgap measures have worked in part, but have been insufficient.
Illinois needs a systemic change in the professional development of current and future special education personnel in order to achieve student success. The Illinois State Improvement Grant: Staff for Student Success is the avenue to achieve the necessary systemic change.
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Project Title |
Illinois State Improvement Grant: Staff for Student Success |
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Primary Contact Person |
Jodi Fleck, Operational Functions of SIG Kathryn Cox, Oversight Functions of SIG |
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Address |
Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Department of Special Education 100 North First Street Springfield IL 62777-0001 |
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Phone |
(217) 782-5589 |
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Fax |
(217) 558-2375 |
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jfleck@isbe.net |
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Web site |
http://www.isbe.net/spec-ed |
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Date SIG Application was Written or Submitted |
December 15, 1999 |
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Begin and End Dates for Funding |
July 01, 2000 to December 31, 2005 |
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Funded Amount |
$1,400,000.00 |
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Who Wrote the Application |
Dr. Cindy Terry, Gayle Steinhour, Gail Lieberman |
Illinois Improvement Strategies
Goal 1: To increase the number of appropriately trained and credentialed special education and related services personnel, meeting student needs and addressing identified geographic areas of shortage.(Educator Academies)
Objective 1.1: To provide funding that will facilitate development of local systems of personnel recruitment and training to meet student needs and address identified shortages.Objective 1.2: To develop a state-level infrastructure to address personnel shortages and enhance long-term capacity for minimizing and/or eliminating shortages.
1. What products or activities are planned by the SIG?
Activities Related to Goal 1 and Objectives 1.1 & 1.2:
1.1.1 Develop and implement Educator Academies through a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking implementation strategies for local/regional systemic change that will encourage personnel to prepare for careers in special education, including individuals who are culturally and linguistically diverse and individuals with disabilities (with appropriate consultation from parents, administrators, and higher education). Project Coordinator; RFP developed by May 2000, then revised and issued annually.
1.1.2 Disseminate RFP; receive, rate, and rank proposals; and award contracts to support Educator Academies for implementation strategies for systemic change. Project Coordinator; by June 2000, then revised and issued annually.
1.1.3 Share implementation strategies with appropriate stakeholders. Project Coordinator, special education joint agreements, and PTICs; by December 2000, then annually.
1.1.4 Provide technical assistance to all contract recipients. Project Coordinator, ongoing.
1.1.5 Support completion of implementation strategies by contract recipients. Project Coordinator; annually.
1.1.6 Seek and analyze evaluation information regarding implementation of strategies for local systems of personnel recruitment and training. Project Evaluator; by 2001, then annually.
1.2.1 Build and maintain an ISBE database to provide a validated, comprehensive, current knowledge base on effective recruitment and retention strategies that will serve as the foundation of a special education personnel clearinghouse. Project Coordinator and ISBE staff; May 2000-December 2005.
1.2.2 Develop and use partnerships with professional organizations to recruit needed personnel, particularly individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups. Project Coordinator and ISBE staff; May 2000-December 2003.
1.2.3 Collaborate within ISBE to develop and implement a standards-led special education credentialing system. Project Coordinator and ISBE staff; May 2000-December 2003.
Goal 2: To provide a network of professional development that coordinates local, regional and state resources to parents and educators who share responsibility for implementing an integrated service delivery model focused on improving outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.
Objective 2.1: To provide a systematic service delivery system of professional development through development and implementation of regional plans that follow a common format and set of criteria established at the state level and are prepared in conjunction with educators, parents, and community partners.Objective 2.2: To establish annual statewide IHE faculty institutes that will provide all higher education faculty in the field of education or related disciplines with cutting-edge information, policies, practices, knowledge and skills.
Objective 2.3: To develop and implement a trainer-of-trainers model for providing a series of local "town meetings" on quality education for individuals with disabilities.
Objective 2.4: To establish an annual PTIC "drive around" conference to assure annual dissemination of state-of-the-art information on improving outcomes for children and youth with disabilities.
Activities Related to Goal 2 and Objectives 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 & 2.4:
2.1.1 Develop and implement regional Professional Development Academies and expand over time, as locally needed, based on an RFP. Project Coordinator, CSPD Advisory Committee, and PTICs; RFP developed by May 2000, contracts awarded by July 2000.
2.1.2 Provide training through Professional Development Academies for participants to gain knowledge and skills in the characteristics, capabilities and needs of children and youth with disabilities; appropriate and varied instructional strategies; and development and implementation of quality IEPs. Project Coordinator, CSPD Advisory Committee, and PTCIs; July 2000- December 2005.
2.1.3 Integrate the service delivery system with other Illinois and ISBE systems regarding continuing professional development in order to assure a seamless system. School districts, special education joint agreements, and parents; July 2000-December 2005.
2.1.4 Provide for continuous improvement of regional plan development and implementation through a feedback loop with educators, parents, and community partners, and with information from the special education personnel clearinghouse. (See activity 1.2.1.)Project Coordinator; July 2000-December 2005.
2.2.1 Develop specifications and negotiate contracts with one or more lead colleges and universities to administer funds and coordinate activities for the IHE faculty institutes, requiring that parents serve as co-trainers. Project Coordinator, university representatives, and parents; Summer 2000, then annually.
2.2.2 Integrate knowledge and skills built at the local and regional levels through the Professional Development Academies into the IHE faculty institutes regarding best practices in education, research to practice, and information about improving results for individuals with disabilities, using school-based teams as presenters. Project Coordinator; annually.
2.2.3 Prepare and disseminate information from the annual IHE faculty institutes to local school districts, special education joint agreements, education service centers, and PTICs across Illinois. Project Coordinator; annually in August, 2001-2005.
2.3.1 Work across Illinois to develop school-based, cross-disciplinary teams of parents/ educators/agency personnel to participate in the model. Project Coordinator, CSPD Advisory Committee, special education joint agreements, and parents; September 2000-December 2005.
2.3.2 Train school-based, cross-disciplinary teams appropriately in terms of content and process on issues relating to quality education for infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities, e.g., standards, assessment, alternative assessment, problem-solving, behavior management, consensus building, group dynamics, etc. Project Coordinator; Winter 2000.
2.3.3 Replicate the training with other school-based, cross-disciplinary teams state-wide. Original team members from 2.3.1; Spring 2001.
2.3.4 Use the state-trained teams to conduct quarterly, interactive "town meetings" locally for parents, educators, and community partners. Original team members from 2.3.1; Spring 2001, then quarterly.
2.4.1 Develop and issue RFP and negotiate contracts with the PTICs to collaboratively implement annual "drive around" conferences. Project Coordinator and PTICs; May-July 2000, then annually reissue RFP and award contracts.
2.4.2 Review and approve presenters and conference materials, and provide technical assistance to PTICs. Project Coordinator and PTICs; by July 2000, then annually.
2.4.3 Evaluate the effectiveness of this model of professional development delivery and modify as needed. Project Evaluator, Project Coordinator, and PTICs; ongoing.
2. What interstate connections are planned?
None
3. What strategies are planned for service delivery?
Educator Academies, personnel preparation programs, are planned to alleviate teacher shortages in special education. Professional Development Academies will direct activities toward special education. The Regular Education Initiative (REI), a model previously used in Illinois, will be used for the Professional Development Academies to assist local collaborative efforts to achieve high-quality professional development. In this trainer-of-trainers model, cross-discipline teams attend training and then replicate it with other entities. The REI model has fostered local capacity building on topics of greatest need for individual buildings or at the district level. One statewide objective of Goal 2, but with major implications for addressing Goal 1 as well, will be to plan and support annual IHE faculty institutes. Annual IHE faculty institutes are designed to retool IHE faculty with respect to training general and special education personnel for roles in inclusive classrooms and schools, and with respect to providing the kinds of alternative formats (e.g., distance education) that will be needed to meet local needs for additional personnel. The annual interdisciplinary IHE faculty institutes will provide faculty from all colleges and universities ongoing access to new and innovative research-based practices in the field. Special and general education faculty from colleges and universities, as well as from other related areas, such as educational administration and educational psychology, will be encouraged to attend in cross-discipline teams. Networking provided through these institutes is also critical as faculties begin to share expertise and resources on an ongoing basis. This activity, like those at the local level, will be based on collaboration among entities concerned with the knowledge and skill of faculty who prepare special education personnel, including the PTICs, the Illinois Teacher Education Division of the Illinois Council for Exceptional Children (ICEC), the Human Resource Committee of the Interagency Council on Early Intervention, and the professional development arms of related professional organizations. Local "town meetings" are viewed as a primary source of information for designing local personnel preparation and development initiatives that will have an impact on both goals. These local "town meetings" will provide parents and professionals with a forum to openly discuss special education support for students and will give parents an active voice in defining the qualities of the personnel who work with their children. The local "town meetings" will engage parents and professionals as equal partners and will encourage greater participation by parents from diverse backgrounds. Local "town meetings" are anticipated to be highly sustainable approaches to community involvement at the end of the grant period.
The final statewide objective of Goal 2 is to establish and conduct annual "drive arounds." Past collaboration between ISBE and the four PTICs resulted in a highly successful two-day "drive around" on IDEA ’97, with a special emphasis on discipline and multicultural awareness. The idea behind the "drive around" conference is to simultaneously blanket different areas of the state with the same state-of-the-art information within a short period of time and to provide an accessible opportunity for hundreds of parents to participate with professionals in learning important new information. Through the efforts of the PTICs, the IDEA ’97 "drive around" was successful in involving parents of diverse cultural backgrounds, many of whom had limited English-speaking ability.
4. What partnerships are intended?
Goal 1 will be achieved through successful implementation of Educator Academies personnel preparation programs to be located in geographic areas that have documented, substantial shortages of personnel. The Educator Academies will be linked to a special education joint agreement or school district, but will include broad collaboration with colleges and universities; other education entities (e.g., other districts and Regional Offices of Education); other partners, such as the early intervention system; other agencies that work with the same population; parents; Parent Training and Information Centers (PTICs); and the business community. This high level of collaboration will be encouraged through the selection criteria used for funding. The Educator Academies will also be linked to the recently revised Illinois procedures for certificate renewal, which require continuing professional development. Such coordination would allow individuals who already hold a certificate and are interested in earning either a special education certificate or a different special certificate to incorporate coursework for that purpose into their professional development plans.
Goal 2 will be achieved using a similar process and structure, through successful implementation of Professional Development Academies that provide professional development activities directed toward the vision of special education outlined in this proposal, in reform efforts, and in IDEA ’97, for students with disabilities. As in Goal 1, it is expected that these collaboratives will be composed of multiple partners, including parents, with an interest in the quality of schools and the future work force.
Collaboration will be encouraged among entities concerned with the knowledge and skill of faculty who prepare special education personnel, including the PTICs, the Illinois Teacher Education Division of the Illinois Council for Exceptional Children (ICEC), the Human Resource Committee of the Interagency Council on Early Intervention, and the professional development arms of related professional organizations.
The State Advisory Council is a partner with ISBE through their advice on the education of children and youth with disabilities. The State Advisory Council reviewed and offered recommendations during the development of this proposal and will continue to advise on State Improvement Grant implementation activities.
The Illinois State Curriculum Center (ISCC) is located on the University of Illinois at Springfield campus. It has a 28-year record of providing expertise in technical assistance to educators throughout Illinois and the nation, with particular emphasis on training conference delivery in a variety of disciplines, information clearinghouse functions and professional development for local teachers, counselors and administrators. ISCC is currently under contract with ISBE to provide a statewide trainer-of-trainers model on the changes inherent from IDEA ’97 regarding implementation of IEPs. ISCC staff also assisted in developing this proposal. The Assistive Technology Exchange Network (ATEN), a partnership of ISBE and the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Chicago and associated with the national Cristina Foundation, was initially funded through ISBE with IDEA, Part B, funds. ATEN offers access to assistive technology devices and services and provides a statewide database of available assistive technology equipment, online database search capability, facilitation of equipment exchange, assistive technology information, and technical support. ATEN will be part of the content available for the Professional Development Academies.
5. Who are the partners?
Please refer to question 4.
6. What types of contracts or subgrants are intended to partners, LEAs, IHEs, PTIs and others (including lead agency under Part C)?
To ensure that the proposed personnel preparation and professional development activities are effectively implemented, the majority of the budget is allocated to funding grants and contracts to public education entities, Illinois Institutes of Higher Education, and Parent Training and Information Centers. Such funding is designed to support efforts toward a comprehensive statewide system of personnel preparation and personnel development. Educator Academies and Professional Development Academies will be established through subgrants with local, regional and statewide school districts or other entities. Through the SIG, the project coordinator will develop a competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking implementation of strategies for local regional systemic change that will encourage personnel preparation for careers in special education. Once developed, the project coordinator will disseminate RFPs, receive, rate and rank proposals and reward contracts that will support systemic change. Professional Academies will be developed and implemented regionally and expanded over time and as the need arises locally, based on RFP. The qualifications required of consultants and subcontractors are directly linked to the specific requirements of the appropriate activity to be addressed. Eligible applicants for grants to support the Educator and Professional Development academies will be awarded only to special education joint agreements/local school districts. In each case, applicants will be expected to demonstrate that they have met the collaborative and other criteria specified in the relevant RFP. Similarly, entities receiving contracts or subgrants under these goals must show that they can meet all outlined specifications. Additional entities targeted for contracts are PTICs and IHEs. In addition to the qualifications that relate to their current roles in the educational system, PTICs and IHEs must also agree to collect the required evaluation information. An evaluator for the State Improvement Grant will be sought through an RFP process, and will be selected based on professional qualifications and the quality of the proposal in relation to the stated goals and anticipated outcomes of the State Improvement Grant.
7. How will resources be pooled with other resources?
STARNET (Support and Technical Assistance Regionally). This is a statewide training and technical assistance initiative for early childhood special education supported by IDEA, Part B, preschool discretionary funding. Recipients of STARNET training and technical assistance have included parents, early childhood special education teachers, early intervention providers, paraprofessionals, related service personnel, parents, and administrators. STARNET conducts ongoing needs assessment and responds to individual, local, and regional concerns using current best-practice and research-based information. Those data reveal highest interest in the topics of:
ISBE continues to fund STARNET but now in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) for early intervention training and technical assistance. Since the transfer in 1998-99 of early intervention lead agency responsibility from ISBE to DHS, 1,490 practitioners have been enrolled by DHS as early intervention providers. Many of these providers have no training specific to early intervention family-centered services. As lead agency for Part C, ISBE had funded the early intervention training and credentialing project called Provider Connections. DHS will continue the implementation and funding of this project as a cooperative venture with ISBE. In addition to STARNET, DHS and ISBE provide funding for and implement the Child Find Project as partners. Child Find provides training and technical assistance to early intervention and school district personnel on child find and early childhood transition activities and responsibilities. The combined effort of all of these projects that target early intervention and early childhood special education will serve to enhance the regional professional development to be provided through this grant.
Conclusion: ISBE Strategic Commitments:
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) vision of standards-led excellence for every learner is supported by strategic commitments stated in its Leadership Agenda for 1997-2000. These commitments include:
The clear intent of these commitments is to provide all students with appropriate learning environments, regardless of gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. The activities to be supported by the State Improvement Grant are designed with the broad array of diversity issues in mind, with the most immediate purpose being to provide students with disabilities the support and services necessary for improved results. Toward that end, the project will concentrate on increasing the availability and quality of services and identifying the personnel needed to maintain and support students with disabilities in the general curriculum and general education settings.
8. What specific SIG products, activities, initiatives and strategies are pertinent to Part C (birth to 3, infants, toddlers and their families) services and activities in your state?
STARNET(Support and Technical Assistance Regionally). This is a statewide training and technical assistance initiative for early childhood special education supported by IDEA, Part B, preschool discretionary funding. Recipients of STARNET training and technical assistance have included parents, early childhood special education teachers, early intervention providers, paraprofessionals, related service personnel, parents, and administrators.
STARNET conducts ongoing needs assessment and responds to individual, local, and regional concerns using current best-practice and research-based information. Those data reveal highest interest in the topics of: child growth and development, family systems/parenting, prevention of child-abuse, transition from early intervention to early childhood special education, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP)/IEP development, autism/pervasive development delay, special education regulations and other legal issues, and assessment.
ISBE continues to fund STARNET but now activities are in collaboration with the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) for early intervention and technical assistance. Since the transfer in 1998-99 of early intervention lead agency responsibility from ISBE to DHS, 1,490 practitioners have been enrolled by DHS as early intervention providers. Many of these providers have no training specific to early intervention family-centered services. As lead agency for Part C, ISBE had funded the early intervention training and credentialing project called Provider Connections. DHS will continue the implementation and funding of this project as a cooperative venture with ISBE.
In addition to STARNET, DHS and ISBE provide funding for and implement the child Find Project as partners. Child Find provides training and technical assistance to early intervention and school district personnel on child find and early childhood transition activities and responsibilities. The combined effort of all these projects targeting early intervention and early childhood special education serves to enhance the regional professional development to be provided.