Purpose:
The purpose of the Indiana State Personal
Development Grant (IN-SPDG) is to construct a professional learning
framework that will support systemic educational change throughout the
State of Indiana. This will be accomplished through the creation of
demonstration sites and statewide capacity building activities focused
on a Response to Intervention (RtI) model for providing School-Wide
Positive Behavior Support.
School-Wide Positive Behavior Support is a research-based
framework designed to provide a school climate where academic and
behavioral needs of all students are met. This framework teaches staff
to clearly define and teach behavioral expectations, monitor and
acknowledge appropriate behavior, and analyze and utilize data to make
informed decisions about learning and behavior. The focus for this
project will be on behavior and social-emotional domains relevant to
academic and behavioral outcomes.
The Indiana Department of Education
(IDOE) will partner with an Institution of Higher Education (IHE),
selected through a competitive process, to assist in the development and
implementation of this important project. The chosen IHE will support
the selection and participation of demonstration sites through a direct
and consistent working relationship. Approximately six demonstration
sites will be selected — Example: one elementary and one secondary level
building will be identified in each of the three regions of the state
(North, Central and South).
The IHE will maintain collaborative
efforts within a network of organizations through the establishment of
Indiana Resource Centers for Improvement Activities (INRCIAs). These
centers are designed to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and
schools in reforming and improving their supports and services for
children with disabilities in order to meet the unique needs of these
students and to improve their educational outcomes. In addition,
IN*SOURCE is a parent network organization that will become an integral
partner in the work of this grant through their active participation
with the management team, creating and delivery of information to
parents, and engagement at the model sites.
Sites that participated in Positive Behavior Support (PBS)
through the previous IN-SIG project will be evaluated and selected based
on success in implementation and regional location. Training and
professional development provided under this grant will be delivered at
the model sites and through the use of web technology managed by the
selected IHE. In addition, data related to indicators 4 and 5 will be
used by the IDOE to identify LEAs that will be required to participate
in professional development provided by the IHE through this grant.
Expertise on PBS will be made available to all school districts through
web technologies and broad-based professional development opportunities.
Method:
ACTIVITIES TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE IDOE:
- Management of contractual agreements
- Internal evaluation of progress of contractors
- Provision of state website for dissemination
- Collection and analysis of state data
- Facilitation of Stakeholder involvement
ACTIVITIES TO BE COMPLETED BY (IN*SOURCE):
- Participation in planning and execution of activities.
- Engagement in data collection and community involvement
- Creation, identification and dissemination of information to parents.
ACTIVITIES TO BE SUBGRANTED TO THE SELECTED IHE:
- Hiring of the Project Manager, Implementation Coaches and support staff
- Selection and dissemination of PBI training information for state availability
- Identification of assessment instrumentation for PBS
- Direct coaching to LEAs identified in need and through model sites
- Provision of training and professional development experiences statewide
- Establishment of a network foundational to scaling up best practices
- Engagement in action research, publication, and dissemination
ACTIVITIES TO BE SUBCONTRACTED:
- Expert consultation
- Key presentation engagements
- External review
Project Goals and Objectives
The IN-SPDG is aligned with the vision and action plan of the
current administration (http://www.doe.in.gov/actionplan/) under Dr.
Tony Bennett, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. In addition
to contributions made to Indiana’s Action Plan, the IN-SPDG has
identified the following set of expected outcomes that will guide the
work of the project. These goals and objectives will be achieved through
a collaborative effort of the IDOE, the selected IHE, participating
LEAs, IN*SOURCE, and the INRCIA network.
1. Improved system-level partnerships and
collaborations among families, schools, community and state agencies and
technical assistance providers.
1.1 Increase Indiana’s training and technical assistance capacity to provide leadership team training at the SEA and LEA levels.
a) Provide strategies for school improvement teams to ensure
that local professional development and technical assistance plans are
focused and aligned with school/district level needs.
1.2 Provide information and training to
family and community partnerships to promote effective engagement in
leadership, decision making, and school improvement activities to
support student achievement.
a) Coordinate and disseminate
information related to family, school, community partnership activities
and resources in Indiana through increased collaboration between LEAs
and agencies devoted to education and family support.
b) Provide training that ensures family and school partnerships are an integral component of carrying out Indiana’s Action Plan (http://www.doe.in.gov/actionplan/).
1.3 Provide training and technical
assistance to LEAs to strengthen family, school community partnerships
as a means to increase student achievement.
a) Expand the cadre of state, regional, and local experts to provide training and technical assistance.
b) Increase awareness of statewide
initiatives and other improvement activities to promote effective
educational practices among LEAs, families, communities, and grant
partners.
2. Increased knowledge and skills
necessary to implement an effective system of assessment and progress
monitoring within a data-based decision making process that will result
in increased student achievement from preschool through high school.
2.1 Provide training and technical
assistance that will facilitate statewide implementation of problem
solving and data-based decision making at the LEA, school, grade and
student levels.
a) Disseminate resource materials regarding the use of universal screening tools to address behavior.
b) Disseminate resource materials regarding the use of progress monitoring tools to address behavior
c) Provide training and technical
assistance to educators and student support personnel in problem solving
and data-based decision making skills including graphing, determining
progress, and goal setting
2.2 Provide training and technical
assistance to strengthen the use of student assessment and progress
monitoring data for instructional and intervention delivery to support
behavioral outcomes.
a) Disseminate resource materials regarding the use of screening tools to address behavior.
b) Disseminate resource materials regarding the use of progress monitoring tools to address behavior.
c) Provide training and technical
assistance to educators and student support personnel in problem solving
and data-based decision making skills including graphing, determining
progress, and goal setting.
2.3 Support the utilization of data management technology for data-based decision making.
a) Continue development of data
management technology tool to support implementation of prevention and
intervention strategies within a multi-tiered framework.
b) Provide training and technical
assistance on the utilization of the technology tool for district,
school, grade and student level analysis.
3. Increased knowledge and skills
necessary to provide an evidence-based, culturally responsive continuum
of effective behavioral interventions and extensions that will result in
increased student achievement from preschool through high school.
3.1 Provide training and technical
assistance that will facilitate statewide implementation of culturally
responsive school-wide positive behavior support practices that are
based on scientific research.
a) Establish a State Positive Behavior Support Leadership Team to coordinate PBS implementation efforts statewide.
b) Provide training in
culturally-responsive school-wide positive behavior support (at primary,
secondary, and tertiary levels) to schools that have identified,
through data analysis, the need and commitment for such effort.
c) Provide support to Indiana’s
school-wide positive behavior support trainers and coaches by
establishing a coaches’ network that will identify on-going training and
support needs and assist in designing and implementing training and
support services to meet those needs.
3.2 Identify and disseminate
evidence-based practices from participating exemplary model sites in a
variety of formats including site visitations, conference presentations,
web-based modules, virtual classrooms, etc.
a) Utilize needs assessment to identify exemplary school sites demonstrating proficiency with positive behavior support systems
b) Select demonstration sites based on multiple data sources that represent Indiana’s diverse school profiles
c) Provide on-going technical
assistance and professional learning based on school needs for the
purpose of providing exemplary resources for Indiana schools
d) Disseminate information statewide through a variety of formats in alignment with IDOE dissemination practices.
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