TA Report for
New Britain Public Schools
Initiation date of SERC involvement regarding the Settlement Agreement:
January 2005
Reporting Period:
August 2005 – May, 2006
SERC District Lead:
Maureen R. Anderson
SERC TA Consultants:
Greg Glidden
Michelle LeBrun-Griffin
Lisa Simoneau
CSDE Consultants:
Anne Louise Thompson
Norma Sproul
Report on TA to New Britain Public Schools
Administrative Council
A planning meeting was held with the newly appointed Assistant Superintendent
of Instructional Services and Pupil Service Administrators to jumpstart the 20052006 school year. The meeting was held on August 9, 2005 in New Britain with
the purpose of developing an agenda for the first Principals’ Learning Tree. An
outline was developed and tasks delineated for this PD, designed to provide a
comprehensive overview of the philosophy of inclusive education, and the types
of responsible inclusive practices that effectively create meaningful outcomes for
students.
It was determined that SERC Consultants would facilitate a gallery walk related
to inclusive education and special education services in order to identify
individuals’ beliefs and values regarding inclusive education. Central office
personnel, along with identified administrators, highlighted technical assistance
(TA) and professional development (PD) activities provided by SERC staff the
previous year. These activities would provide a framework for ideas and needs
for the upcoming year’s TA and PD.
The opening PD day for the New Britain school-based administrative team, held
on August 19, 2005, provided an opportunity for administrators to meet and work
with the new Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services. The Assistant
Superintendent adjusted the format of the presentation to address achievement
and inclusive schools through the district’s mission and vision. This proves was
presented through a systems thinking model with leadership as the central
theme, and LRE as a lesser theme.
After the overview presentation, which included a brief multimedia presentation to
“set the stage,” small groups of administrators, facilitated by pupil services
personnel and key administrators, discussed and analyzed data to determine
critical issues that could make a difference in school improvement.
Principals’ Learning Tree
On October 25, Principals and Academic Coordinators participated in an
interactive presentation presented by members of the SERC LRE Team for the
purpose of establishing shared meaning regarding the goals of the Settlement
Agreement; reviewing the district’s implementation of responsible inclusive
practices; and highlighting key principles of co-teaching, IEP development, and
differentiated lesson design. Facilitated discussion provided administrators the
opportunity to establish a framework/vision for building coherence among the
district’s priority initiatives in order to support and enhance implementation
efforts.
District data and benchmarks were shared and discussed in depth with
administrators. Administrators present were alarmed at the data that was shared,
particularly the disproportionate information as it related to Black and Latino
students in special education. A general mood of disapproval that
disproportionate information had not been provided and addressed with school
leadership was evident.
As general placement as the first point of entry for students with disabilities was
discussed, it became obvious that not all administrators were of the belief that a
general education setting was appropriate for students with special needs. The
most concern was voiced from representatives from New Britain High School.
For example, it was expressed that a student with a low IQ might not be able to
“handle” an academic course that is “more advanced,” such as Algebra. Through
this discourse, the purpose of the Learning Tree became reality, as the
administrators supported each other and shared personal experiences in order to
foster a paradigm shift in regarding inclusive education as no different than
improved education for all students.
District Level Team
On September 28, 2005, a follow-up planning meeting was held at Pulaski
Middle School with members of the District Level Team to collaboratively develop
a plan for the allocation of TA for the 2005-2006 school year. In attendance were
Central Office Pupil Personnel Administrators, the Assistant Superintendent, a
middle school Principal, and members of the SERC LRE Team.
Unfortunately, this meeting ended without resolution in regard to development of
a TA plan for the district. The SERC LRE Team, in reviewing previous year’s
activities and recommendations, developed a plan through conversations with
Pupil Services Administrators. A follow-up meeting was scheduled with the full
District Level Team to finalize allocation of TA and develop the agenda for the
upcoming Principals’ Learning Tree; that meeting, however, was canceled by the
district. In addition, a mid-year District Level Team update, scheduled for
December to provide a status report of the district’s progress toward identified
benchmarks, was also canceled on behalf of the district.
Due to the lack of follow through and numerous scheduling changes, a meeting
was held with members of the SERC LRE Team and an SDE Consultant to
address concerns regarding the district’s potential lack of interest or ability to
commit to making this work a priority. As a result, correspondence was sent to
the Assistant Superintendent to inform him that the cancellations equated to lost
days. The correspondence clarified the terms of the Statement of Assurances
that was signed by the Superintendent in order to ensure successful outcomes of
the remaining days of TA. SERC received a response from the Assistant
Superintendent indicating New Britain’s commitment to the changes needed to
improve the education of all students in the district.
A Step-by-Step Approach to Inclusive Schools Training (Statewide)
Five school-based teams (Holmes, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Smith Elementary
Schools; Pulaski Middle School; and New Britain High School) comprised of
administrators, general and special education teachers, and support services
personnel attended three days of A Step by Step Approach to Inclusive Schools
training during the fall and winter of 2005. Due to high demand for the training,
Roosevelt Middle School was placed on a waiting list. When spaces were later
made available, a conflict in PD schedules resulted. Despite interest, Roosevelt
Middle School was unable to participate in the training this year.
Participants of Step by Step training received planning tools and strategies to
increase their use of promising practices that support the education of students
with disabilities in the general education classroom, with the expectation that they
share the information and resources gathered in the training with staff members
in their respective buildings. To support this effort, an after school follow-up
session was scheduled for all elementary schools on March 28. The two teachers
in attendance – representatives from Jefferson and Smith Elementary Schools –
found the conversation practical and supportive of their daily inclusion efforts.
Co-Teaching Follow-up Support
During the summer, one special education teacher from New Britain participated
in the co-teaching “training of trainers” series to become a co-teaching facilitator.
A co-teaching facilitator is able to provide training and TA on co-teaching
strategies in the district.
On August 23, the co-teaching facilitator, along with a central office special
educator, presented a co-teaching overview to a small mixed group of general
and special education teachers from both elementary and secondary levels.
As a follow-up, SERC Consultants conducted co-teaching observations at
Roosevelt, Pulaski, and Slade Middle Schools and Chamberlain and Smalley
Elementary Schools. Co-teaching teams were provided extensive feedback after
the observations regarding next steps that could be taken to meet students’
needs. It became clear that the co-teaching facilitator’s role has been underutilized in assisting teams with planning and the effective use of co-teaching
approaches.
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
On October 15, 2005, SERC Consultants conducted an informal needs
assessment of New Britain early childhood special education teachers and
paraprofessionals. The session took place at Gaffney Elementary School, with
the purpose of laying the necessary foundation to support the efforts of early
childhood teachers and support services personnel.
Future goals for ECE in New Britain include ensuring appropriate evaluation and
identification of children in need of special education supports and services,
implementation of a comprehensive program that will meet the individualized
needs of all children served, and provision of the early intervention supports and
services necessary to increase appropriate exiting of young children from special
education.
Transition
On February 16, 2006, representatives from New Britain High School and
selected middle and elementary schools engaged in dialogue concerning
transition planning for students with ID. The session was facilitated in two
sections by the SERC Transition Consultant. In section one, teachers from New
Britain High School met with representatives from the middle schools that would
be promoting students with ID to the high school. In section two, teachers from
the middle schools met with teachers from the elementary schools that would be
sending students with ID to sixth grade.
In both sessions, the teachers were provided with information concerning
successful transitioning of students with disabilities, especially those with ID.
They were engaged in conversation regarding current and past transition
practices within the district, recurring problems in the area of transition, and ways
to solve these problems; they were also given ideas on how to better collaborate
to ensure successful transitions from elementary to middle school and middle to
high school for their students.
Early Intervention Process (EIP)
As a result of a focused monitoring visit regarding disproportionality conducted by
CSDE Consultants in the fall, New Britain deemed it necessary to analyze the
implementation integrity of instructional strategies and intervention plans
designed to create conditions for success for students at the elementary school
level. SERC support included conducting Reflective Team Processes (RTP) at
eight of the ten elementary schools during the winter and spring of 2006.
(Jefferson Elementary School had participated in an RTP in April 2005.) This jobembedded PD opportunity affords school-based teams the opportunity to reflect
on their current beliefs, actions, and experiences with early intervention; establish
shared understanding as to the effectiveness of current practices; and determine
how to support the school’s continued efforts to implement instructional
strategies that will result in improved student achievement.
As a result of the RTPs conducted, it was evident that each elementary school
would benefit from:
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use of research-based interventions;
the sharing of effective instructional practices as determined by classroom
teacher(s) in individual schools;
a commitment of protected team meeting time and grade level meeting time;
use of impact/feasibility and gap analysis processes;
training in data collection methods for classroom use;
emphasis on accurate, specific, unambiguous documentation; and
consistent support from members of EIP Teams for classroom teachers
regarding paperwork requirements (e.g., monitoring of student progress)
and understanding of EIP processes.
A TA/networking session was held in April 2006, at which representatives of four
EIP Teams participated to discuss the progress of action plans that were
developed at the conclusion of the RTPs. The following recommendations were
made to district administration:
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provide dependable “protected” time for EIP Teams;
streamline documentation to be more user-friendly for staff members;
develop consistent procedures for keeping and sending EIP information
between schools and out of district;
conduct PD for general and special educators regarding the indicators of
strategic decision making, differentiated instruction, and effective
instructional and behavioral practices; and
designate curriculum specialists to coach and build the capacity of
classroom teachers to implement interventions and monitor student
progress with fidelity.
Reading First Schools
The Reading First schools in the district were monitored and supported through
monthly visits. These visits consisted of meeting with the Internal Literacy
Facilitator, External Literacy Facilitator, and Principal to discuss implementation
and progress of the Reading First grant. The District Coordinator and other
district level personnel were involved in meetings as necessary. Observations of
Literacy Team meetings, grade level meetings, and classrooms also occurred
during the monthly visits.
Concentrated Technical Assistance
In mid-January, a joint decision was made to reallocate technical assistance days
to both New Britain High School, since a large percentage of the district’s
students with intellectual disabilities (ID) attend or will be attending the school in
the coming year, and to Roosevelt Middle School, since the school was unable to
send a team to participate in A Step by Step Approach to Inclusive Schools
training.
New Britain High School
Several high school administrators had expressed interest in working with SERC
to develop a TA plan that addresses the instructional changes necessary to
better prepare the staff for the large number of students with ID that will be
entering the high school due to transition. SERC met with various high school
staff, including general and special education teachers and administrators, over
the course of four days to identify priority areas for improvement.
As a result, the following immediate action steps for high school staff were
generated:
 provide disaggregated, special education data to teams involved in
training regarding Data-Driven Decision Making as part of the Connecticut
Accountability for Learning Initiative;
 explore expanding the use of student data systems to include special
education, office referral, and attendance information to enhance value for
teachers and expedite communication;
 provide classroom teachers with full access to IEPs rather than solely
providing them with a list of accommodations;
 provide training for all staff regarding the continuum of special education
supports and services available via the Classroom Activity Analysis
Worksheet shared at Step by Step Training;
 monitor relationships with case managers in order to enhance
communication, follow-through, and teacher support;
 explore scheduling options, including distinguishing co-teaching from
support facilitation, to provide teachers with proactive, collaborative
planning time; and
 provide training for paraprofessionals regarding collaboration with
classroom teachers, supporting children in the classroom without “overassisting,” and meeting the health needs of populations with more severe
needs (e.g., medically fragile).
The following training needs were identified for fall 2006:
 opportunities for teachers to visit classrooms to observe successful
inclusion (e.g., collaborative walkthroughs);
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planning for differentiated instruction through the identification of
essential content vs. “nice to knows” (e.g., power standards);
opportunities for teachers to engage in discussion regarding effective
inclusive practices via case studies or video discussions, including
learning principles, cooperative learning structures, and methods for
defining student behavior;
enhancing peer supports from resources shared at Step by Step
training;
implementing a student support center for students needing “checkin”/processing time prior to attending class;
developing a bank of lessons, including strategies, grouping formats,
and technology options for teachers to use as a resource; and
developing Innovation Configuration Maps (IC Maps) to evaluate
current practices and establish a vehicle for progression from current
to desired reality.
In addition, SERC Consultants collaborated with the Special Education
Department Head to develop a PPT progress report/data collection tool for
general education teachers and support services personnel to complete in order
to enhance communication, illuminate a strengths-based perspective, increase
utilization of curriculum-based assessments, alleviate generalizations on IEPs,
and inform decisions regarding the appropriate support and services needed to
maximize students’ progress in the general education curriculum.
On May 8, members of the SERC LRE Team conducted an overview session for
New Britain High School’s Faculty Council/Department Heads. The primary
purpose of the session was to demonstrate that the actions to be taken are
grounded in vision for NCLB. SERC provided numerous resources regarding how
to differentiate instruction and stressed the need for collective action.
New Britain High School is making significant infrastructure changes that are
worth noting, including: changing staffing assignments to maximize talents and
resources; planning for the implementation of Freshman Academy in fall 2007 to
reduce failure and drop out rates; training all staff in Capturing Kids Hearts, a
program to better meet the social/emotional needs of students; and participating
in Differentiated Instruction (DI) “training of trainers” sessions with the District
Level Team.
Roosevelt Middle School
SERC Consultants engaged school-based teams in a reflection on IEP
development. Participants were guided through a reflection of the decisionmaking process utilized when developing an individual student’s IEP using new
CSDE forms. Each team, comprising general and special education teachers,
support services personnel, and the building principal, came prepared with the
current IEP of a student in their school identified with ID as a case study.
SERC Consultants also had the opportunity to conduct classroom observations
with a selected group of teachers. In a follow-up session, observation points were
discussed and future changes in classroom practices planned, especially as they
relates to effective staff participation during co-teaching lessons.
As a way of building district capacity in the practice of co-teaching and
collaboration among teaching staff, it is recommended that the trained coteaching facilitator be provided with release time to assist and coach co-teaching
teams in the effective use of co-teaching approaches.
SERC Recommendations Regarding Next Steps:
 Reconvene the District Level Team for appropriate planning of responsible
inclusive strategies in all schools;
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Build the capacity of district staff to support and maintain practice, and
monitor accountability and implementation integrity;
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Align district improvement plan for cohesiveness among various priorities;
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Use SERC TA to help create and implement a seamless system of services
for the Freshman Academy; and
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Develop a framework for the co-teaching facilitator to be utilized more
effectively in the district.