RSE-TASC OVERVIEW
New Specialist Orientation
May 2014
1
Topics
• Vision and Goals
• NYSED Structure
• RSE-TASC Structure
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Reporting Requirements
2
Vision and Goals
Improve results for students with disabilities
How?
Through Systemic Change
• Network specialists focused on the most critical needs in
special education
• Targeted technical assistance and professional development
to schools, approved private schools, parents and others on
special education policy
• Coaching of instructional staff to utilize the most current
research-based instructional strategies and practices for
students with disabilities.
• Monitoring of schools to ensure change is occurring
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Expectations for Results
• Improvement goals that are clear, measurable and
achievable and based on assessment of the district’s
instructional practices
• High quality professional development provided in
research based instructional practices to help schools
build their capacity to achieve those goals
• Systemic changes that are sustainable
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Research tells us that aligning our resources
to effect change means…
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data-driven decision making,
continuous improvement planning,
resource alignment,
implementation and monitoring,
coordination,
developing expectations, and
high-quality professional development.
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The Focus –
– Target all resources
– Focus every
discussion/decision
– Continuously
communicate the focus
until every classroom
demonstrates the vision
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Coordination of Efforts
• Analysis and deployment
based on State, district and
school results and upcoming
reviews
• Regional Planning Process
for the deployment of TA
resources
• State School Improvement
Cabinet
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9
P- 12:Office of Special Education
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P-12: Office of Special Education Funded
Technical Assistance and Resource Centers
Positive Behavioral
Interventions and Supports
TAC (PBIS TAC)
Center for Autism and
Related Disorders
10 RSE Technical
Assistance and Support
Centers
(RSE-TASC)
(Regional Specialists
and
School Improvement
Specialists)
Response
to Intervention TAC and
RtI Professional
Development Project
Transition Services
Professional Development
Support Center (PDSC)
14 Special
Education
Parent Centers
14 Early
Childhood
Direction Centers
Technical
Assistance Center
on Disproportionality
(TAC-D)
Regional Special Education Technical Assistance
and Support Centers
RSE-TASC Coordinators
• Regional Specialists
–
–
–
–
–
Special education trainers
Behavior
Transition
Bilingual special education
Nondistrict program technical
assistance providers
• Special Education School
Improvement Specialists
– Each BOCES region
– Each Big 5 district
Regional Planning Process
to strategically deploy TA Resources to those
schools, districts & nondistrict programs most in need
12
Technical Assistance Structure
Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Centers
(RSE-TASC)
Formed in 2009 . Brought several TA networks under one umbrella
• 10 Coordinators – Oversee each RSE-TASC
• SESIS – Provide targeted technical assistance to school districts.
Focus is to improve instructional practices primarily in the areas
of literacy, behavioral supports and special education for
students with disabilities.
• RSETS – Provide technical assistance and professional
development to schools, families and others regarding special
education regulations and policy.
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TA Structure (cont’d.)
RSE-TASC (continued)
• Transition Specialists – Provide technical assistance and professional
development to schools, families and others regarding transition.
• Behavior Specialists – Provide professional development and technical
assistance to schools in order to establish and sustain school-wide positive
behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS).
• Nondistrict Specialists – Provide training and technical assistance to
Nondistrict programs on literacy, behavior and specially designed
instruction.
• Bilingual Specialists – Provide regional information and technical
assistance to groups of schools, districts and Nondistrict programs
regarding services and effective practices for bilingual/English language
learners (ELL) students with disabilities.
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Regional Special Education Technical Assistance Support Center (RSE-TASC)
A NYSED funded network supporting & improving instructional practices & outcomes for students with disabilities. RSE-TASC are located in nine Joint Management
Team Regions of New York State and in New York City
Cyndi Besig
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RSE-TASC Coordinator
Acts as a liaison between NYSED leaders, BOCES District
Superintendents, Big 5 District Superintendents, NYSED Special
Education Quality Assurance offices, regional specialists & local SESIS and
other NYSED funded technical assistance networks
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16
(Regional)
Special
Education
Training
Specialist
Provides training
& information to
school personnel
from multiple
school districts in
region related to
special education
compliance &
effective
practices
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(Regional)
Transition
Specialist
(Regional)
Behavior
Specialist
Provides
training and
assistance to
school districts
identified to
improve
transition
planning and
services
Provides
training and
technical
assistance to
districts on
positive
behavioral
supports and
establishing &
sustaining PBIS
10
(Regional)
Bilingual
Special
Education
Specialist
Provides
regional
information &
technical
assistance
related to
effective
practices for
students with
disabilities who
are bilingual/
English
language
learners
82 Regional Specialists Statewide – 22 in NYC; 60 Rest of State
10
(Regional)
Nondistrict
Programs
Technical
Assistance
Specialist
Provides
training and
technical
assistance on
special
education to
selected
approved
private schools
and other
nondistrict
programs
116
(Local)
Special Education
School Improvement
Specialists
(SESIS)
Provide targeted technical
assistance to school
districts designated by
NYSED focusing on
improving instructional
practices for students
with disabilities in the
areas of literacy,
behavioral supports,
special education
instruction.
42 SESIS
(plus 2
SESIS
Supervisors)
in NYC; 74
in Rest of
State
TA Structure (cont’d.)
Technical Assistance Centers Established to Support the RSE-TASC
Professional Learning Center (PLC): formed in 2011
• Assesses the RSE-TASC network’s PD needs in multiple skill and content areas;
provides skills training for RSE-TASC Nondistrict Specialists, Bilingual Specialists and
SESIS; increases the RSE-TASC network’s knowledge and application of researchbased practices in school improvement; evaluates the effectiveness of the RSE-TASC
school improvement work with districts; assists in planning and development of
statewide meetings, and arranges for PD for RSE-TASC Coordinators.
Transition Services Professional Development Support Center (PDSC): formed in 2010
• Provides PD & and TA to the RSE-TASC Transition Specialists; evaluates effectiveness
of PD offered by the Transition Specialists; developed and maintains
TransitionSource, a web-based data and resource system for transition services and
planning.
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) TAC: formed in 2010
• Provides PD & TA to the RSE-TASC Behavior Specialists; developed and maintains
statewide website, and evaluates effectiveness of support provided by the Behavior
Specialists to school districts in PBIS implementation.
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Alignment of IDEA and NCLB Accountability
Systems
1. Identification Criteria
2. Diagnostic Reviews
– Special Education School Improvement Specialist
•
Subgroup specialist on the team
3. Technical assistance resources dedicated
– Ongoing and embedded professional development to
support implementation of school improvement plans as
they relate to students with disabilities
2012–13
IDEA Determination Criteria
Determination
Needs
Assistance
Criteria
Performance: District is a Focus District under the ESEA Waiver based on
combined ELA and math assessment results or the graduation rate for
students with disabilities; and/or the district has one or more schools
identified in need of a local assistance plan (LAP) for students with
disabilities; and/or
Compliance: District has findings of noncompliance that remain uncorrected
between 12 and 24 months from the date of identification of the noncompliance by
the State.
Needs
Intervention[1]
Performance: District is a Focus District under the ESEA Waiver based on
combined ELA and math assessment results or the graduation rate for students
with disabilities; and/or the district has one or more schools identified in need of a
local assistance plan (LAP) for students with disabilities; and/or
Compliance: District has findings of noncompliance that remain uncorrected more
than 24 months from the date of identification of the noncompliance by the State.
Needs
Substantial
Intervention
Compliance: District has significant noncompliance that remains uncorrected and
that is resulting in substantial failure of the district to provide a free appropriate
public education (FAPE) for its students with disabilities.
[1]
Districts identified as Needs Assistance for three consecutive years beginning in 2016-17 will also be designated as Needs Intervention.
DTSDE
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Quality Improvement Process
• Results of Diagnostic Reviews will inform
selection of schools and focus for SESIS led
Quality Improvement Process for following
two years.
• QIP focus must continue to be on:
– Specially-designed instruction
– Literacy and/or
– Behavioral supports and interventions
Roles and Responsibilities:
NYSED Project Manager
• Ensure that contract deliverables are being met.
• Ensure professional development needs for RSE-TASC
Part I, Part II specialists are being met.
• Ensure effective communication between NYSED,
RSE-TASC, and TACs supporting specialists (i.e., PLC,
PBIS TAC, Transition PDSC)
• Coordinate and collaborate with other project
managers
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Roles and Responsibilities:
Coordinators
• Meet monthly as a group in Albany
– Identify and plan professional development needs of
Network in coordination with PLC
• Includes discussion with PLC regarding Statewide Topics
(SDL, DTSDE, QIP, Walk Through Tool)
– Receive updates from NYSED to deliver to the field
• Changes in Regulations, new initiatives, challenges
– Develop training packages to bring to regions on key
Special Education Initiatives
• Common Core Learning Standards, CDOS
– Collaborate to bring best practices to their regions
• Goal: To Contribute to Systemic Change Across
the State
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Roles and Responsibilities:
SESIS
Work directly with school districts identified through the regional planning process
to bring and sustain high quality, research-based practices in the areas of literacy,
behavioral supports and special education instruction to improve outcomes for
students with disabilities. Special Education School Improvement Specialists:
• work with each of the designated school districts, including school districts
identified for NYSED Quality Assurance Focused Monitoring Reviews to:
• conduct an analysis of data relating to results for students with disabilities to
identify the area(s) of instructional review and improvement for the school
district;
• conduct an analysis and review of instructional practices, using the Quality
Indicator Review and Resource Guides developed for this purpose
(http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/techassist/QIcover.htm);
• develop upfront agreements with districts/schools to establish the level and
type of commitment the district/school will make to improve and sustain
improvements in its instructional programs and practices for students with
disabilities;
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Roles and Responsibilities:
SESIS (cont’d.)
• document the professional development and support to be
provided directly by the school improvement specialist on the
NYSED required Quality Improvement Process (QIP) plan;
• provide high quality, professional development to the school
district in a manner that will lead to district-wide improvement of
instructional programs and practices;
• assure systems of progress monitoring are established and
progress is documented;
• review and revise the QIP as necessary to ensure systemic
change is occurring;
• communicate with the NYSED SEQA office on issues and concerns
in their work with identified school districts; and
• submit the QIP for each district to NYSED as required by NYSED.
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Roles and Responsibilities:
SESIS (cont’d.)
• participate in NYSED directed professional development,
statewide meetings as required by NYSED, and as necessary
to enhance and maintain knowledge and skills in researchbased instructional practices and research based school
improvement activities;
• participate in workgroups as established by NYSED,
including workgroups to develop, review and revise Quality
Indicator Review and Resource Guides; and
• provide reports of work accountability in the time periods
and format required by NYSED.
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Roles and Responsibilities:
Nondistrict Specialist (NDS)
Provide training and technical assistance, consistent with NYS required training and
the recommendations of the Steering Committee and the NYSED regional planning
process, to selected approved private schools and other non-district programs.
• Provide regional training and information to approved private schools and other
Nondistrict providers of special education services on topics identified annually
by NYSED, priority topics determined through the regional planning process and
on effective and research-based instructional practices. (Level 1)
• In collaboration with SEQA’s Nondistrict Unit, conduct an assessment of quality
instructional and behavioral practices in identified non-district programs and
provide school improvement support to promote the use of research-based
practices in the three key areas (literacy, behavioral supports and interventions,
and quality delivery of special education services) utilizing the Quality Indicator
Review and Resource Guides
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/techassist/QIcover.htm. (Level 2 or 3) 27
Roles and Responsibilities:
NDS (cont’d.)
• Participate in workgroups as established by NYSED, including
workgroups to develop, review and revise Quality Indicator
Review and Resource Guides.
• Provide reports of work accountability in the time periods and
format required by NYSED.
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Reporting Requirements
All Part I and Part II Specialists:
• Annual Service Plans (to NYSED)
• Quarterly Status Reports (PSRs) (to NYSED)
Additional Reports:
SESIS & Nondistrict: Quality Improvement
Process Plans (QIPs)
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Annual Service Plan
• Coordinator reviews and submits to NYSED.
• Project Manager reviews; asks for clarification, if needed;
provides feedback.
• Outlines work to be completed during the upcoming year.
• For all Part I Specialists: Identifies the regional training topics
and plan for delivery.
• For Behavior, Bilingual, Nondistrict, Transition and SESIS:
Identifies the district, school or nondistrict program and the
level of support to be provided.
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Quarterly Status Report
• Coordinator reviews and submits to NYSED.
• Project Manager reviews and provides feedback.
• Program Managers may share/review with PBIS TAC, PDSC or
PLC to help inform PD and TA needs.
• The report is used to reflect work conducted on project
deliverables during each quarter
• Need balance to provide information that is reflective of
expected work within one quarter’s timeframe, without
excessive details.
• Review of sample Status Reports (see handouts)
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Status Reports –
Performance Objectives Specific to SESIS and NDS
• Let’s take a look at some sections of status reports for SESIS
and Nondistrict Specialists
– Who is receiving support from you?
– What types of activities are you engaged in?
– What is the focus of your support (e.g., topics on which you provide
training)?
– What tools are mentioned in your performance objectives?
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Fiscal Reporting
• Annual Budget Preparation and
Submission (see handouts)
• Timeframes
• Categories
• Tips
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Quarterly Expenditure Reports
and Vouchers for Payment
(see handouts)
• Timeframe and reporting requirements
• Categories for expenditures
• Tips
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Evaluation of the Network
• Completed yearly by Measurement Incorporated
• Evaluates the impact of RSE-TASC support on
School Improvement
 Scope and quality of technical assistance activities
 Impact technical assistance activities on
district/school organizational and teaching practices
 Impact of technical assistance activities on students
and the district wide special education delivery
system.
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