Families as Partners
Empowering Parents of Children with Disabilities
Special Education Network of New Canaan, Ltd.
PO Box 1612
New Canaan, CT 06840
Parent Trust Fund Final Report
January 1 - June 30, 2008
Report completed by: Gina Fleming, Project Coordinator
(860) 989-8724
gmfpsych@gmail.com
Project Director: Anne Eason
(203) 966-9707 home / (203) 858-1673 cell / (203) 838-5485
Eason55@aol.com
Introduction
The Special Education Network of New Canaan, Ltd. (henceforth referred to as
SPED*NET) is an organization founded by and for parents of children with disabilities. Our
stated mission is to empower parents who are raising children with disabilities to become more
effective advocates in their schools and communities. The purpose of the current Families As
Partners training project is to help accomplish this mission of empowerment through relevant
and useful training.
The “Families As Partners” (FAP) curriculum was developed by the University of
Connecticut A.J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. The
curriculum provides timely and accurate information about the special education process and
about the development of family-school partnerships in special education.
SPED*NET is focusing its training efforts in Stamford, Norwalk, and surrounding
communities in Fairfield County. This report describes project activities from January 1 to June
30, 2008.
Activities
1. Recruit 10 trainers (5 parents and 5 educators) to conduct training as parent-professional
teams. SPED*NET exceeded its trainer recruitment goal, recruiting twelve trainers altogether.
As SPED*NET is committed to meeting the needs of families that do not speak English as a first
language, we are pleased to report that two bilingual trainers were recruited to present the course
in Spanish.
Parent trainers were solicited from the family and disability advocacy network in
Fairfield County, with particular emphasis on parents who had previous experience as trainers.
Educators were solicited through communication with special education directors and other
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administrators in the public school districts of Stamford, Norwalk, New Canaan, Ridgefield, and
Wilton. Educators were also solicited from non-profit organizations in Fairfield County that
provide services to individuals and families with disabilities.
All trainers that were recruited have expertise in special education laws and processes,
through personal and professional experiences. Many also have extensive experience providing
training on special education, advocacy, and collaboration through FAP and similar curricula
such as “Understanding Special Education” (PEATC, 2000). Information about the trainers is
detailed in the table below.
Parents
Educators
Ginger Spiers (also past president of CCIE)
Norwalk
Jeanne B. Peloso (also president of
SCOPES)
Stamford
Sheryl Knapp (also a reading consultant)
Ridgefield
Paula Levy (also a therapist)
Norwalk
Adriana Ospina * (also an advocate)
Greenwich
Maria Engborg* (also an advocate)
Wilton
* Bilingual trainer
Lolli Ross Executive Director, Abilis
(formerly Greenwich ARC)
Linda Snell
Director of Family Support Services
STAR, Inc. Lighting the Way… in Norwalk
Jaime Michaels
Teacher, Stamford Public Schools
Vivian Birdsall
Teacher, New Canaan Public Schools
Daniela Buri Kurtz. STAR, Inc. Lighting
the Way… (now with The Kennedy Center)
Jessica Veneziano-Lemos
Special Education Teacher
2. Train the five training teams recruited under Step 1 to deliver training modules. A Train the
Trainers session was held on Saturday, January 26, 2008, from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the STAR,
Inc. Lighting the Way… facility in Norwalk. The session was conducted by Gina Fleming
(project coordinator), Dr. Kathleen Whitbread (UConn Center for Disabilities, now with St.
Joseph College), Jessica Veneziano-Lemos (UConn Center for Disabilities, now consulting
privately), and Anne Eason, Esq. (project director).
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Early in January, the five FAP curriculum modules were distributed to trainers in
electronic format. Trainers were required to spend at least two hours reviewing the content prior
to the Train the Trainers session. Given this preparation and each individual’s extensive
background in special education, trainers were expected to come to the January 26th session with
a solid grasp of the curriculum content.
Accordingly, the four-hour Train the Trainers session focused on curriculum presentation
and group facilitation skills. The presenters modeled content delivery and reinforcement through
activities designed to engage adult learners and address different learning styles. Trainers were
provided with materials and handouts to help them expand upon the basic curriculum content in
their own courses. The photographs below highlight the learning that was accomplished.
Jaime Michaels and Vivian Birdsall share a graphic depiction of transition services during an IEP
Jigsaw activity.
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Dr. Whitbread models a musical activity that reinforces the concept of Least Restrictive
Environment – caught singing and dancing!
Sheryl Knapp and Lolli Ross share a skit about writing goals and objectives for Individualized
Education Programs. Lolli is caught depressed about not having measurable goals!
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Gina serving Goal Derves!
Session evaluations were collected from trainers at the close of the Train the Trainers
session in order to determine the effectiveness of trainer preparation and perceived trainer
competence (see Appendix A for a sample evaluation form.) Analysis of evaluation responses
indicated that all trainers felt that the session increased their understanding of how to train others.
Only one trainer indicated that the session did not increase her understanding of the curriculum;
however, this trainer also reported that she had 3.5 years of previous experience as an FAP
trainer. Particular attention was given to the responses of the four trainers who had never
presented FAP training. All four indicated that the session increased their understanding of the
curriculum and of how to train others, and that they felt competent to deliver the training to
others and to facilitate group discussions and activities. Evaluation responses are described in the
table below.
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Table 1.
Train the Trainer Session Evaluation Responses
Evaluation Item
All topics on the agenda were addressed
The materials presented were relevant to the
curriculum
The material was presented in a way I could
understand
This presentation increased my understanding
of the curriculum
This presentation increased my understanding
of how to train others
Trainer Responses
11 – Strongly Agree (100%)
10 – Strongly Agree (91%)
1 – Agree (9%)
11 – Strongly Agree (100%)
7 – Strongly Agree (64%)
3 – Agree (27%)
1 – Disagree (9%)
Of 4 trainers who have not presented FAP
training before:
2 – Strongly Agree (50%)
2 – Agree (50%)
9 – Strongly Agree (82%)
2 – Agree (18%)
Of 4 trainers who have not presented FAP
training before:
3 – Strongly Agree (75%)
1 – Agree (25%)
I feel competent to present this training to
others
I feel competent to facilitate discussions and
activities with a training group
8 – Strongly Agree (73%)
3 – Agree (27%)
Of 4 trainers who have not presented FAP
training before:
1 – Strongly Agree (25%)
3 – Agree (75%)
8 – Strongly Agree (73%)
2 – Agree (18%)
1 – Neutral (9%)
Of 4 trainers who have not presented FAP
training before:
2 – Strongly Agree (50%)
2 – Agree (50%)
Project director Anne Eason also provided a minimum of two hours of individual training
to each team in areas that they felt less competent or confident. The most common request for
additional training was in special education federal and case law. One trainer in particular felt
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uneasy about teaching the IDEA module. Anne Eason provided an entire afternoon of individual
tutoring on IDEA federal regulations. In total, trainers received a minimum of eight hours of
preparation in the Families As Partners program.
3. Conduct nine training courses for parents and school district personnel. Nine Families as
Partners training courses were completed in Fairfield County between January 1 and June 30.
Four courses were held in Stamford and one was held in Norwalk, the target urban districts for
this project. One course was held in Spanish. Table 2 on page seven provides detailed
information about the courses.
Table 2.
Location
Families as Partners Training Courses
Dates/Times
Target audience
New Canaan
High School
March 4, 11, 18,
25 2:30 - 6pm
Greenwich ARC
Youth Division
March 31, Apr 2,
7, 9, 2:30 - 6pm
UConn Stamford
campus
Saturdays, April
26 & May 10,
9am-3pm
Saturdays, April
26 & May 10,
9am-3pm
School-age
parents and
educators
Birth-Five
parents and
professionals
School-age
parents and
professionals
Spanish-speaking
parents
UConn Stamford
campus
New Canaan
High School
Saturday May
31, 8am-6pm
UConn Stamford
campus
Saturdays, May
31 & June 7,
10am-4:30pm
School-age
parents and
educators
Parents of
children with
mental health
needs and the
professionals
who care about
Services
provided
Meals, CEUs
Participants
registered
24
Meals, CEUs
12
Child care,
meals, CEUs
24
Spanish
instruction, child
care, meals,
CEUs
Meals, CEUs
20
Meals, CEUs
16
18
7
STAR, Inc.
Lighting the
Way... (Norwalk)
Stamford
Government
Center
Helen Plumb
Building
(Trumbull)
Saturdays, June
14 & 21, 10am 4:30pm.
Saturday, June
21, 8am-4pm,
plus an evening
follow-up
Saturday, June
28, 8am-6pm
them
School-age
Child care,
parents and
meals, CEUs
educators
Bilingual and
Meals, CEUs
monolingual
parent PPT
facilitators
School-age
Meals, CEUs
parents and
educators
Total Participants Registered
9
8
24
155, plus guest
speakers
Training times and locations were chosen with consideration given to accommodating the
needs of working families, and also to including educators as training partners. Courses were
scheduled during the week after school hours, or on Saturdays. Guest speakers were arranged for
many sessions to support the trainers and enhance instruction, including special education
attorney Nora Belanger and special education administrators from local districts. Training
facilities and expenses are elaborated on in the “Discussion” section, and in the Financial Report.
The training courses were advertised in diverse ways. Training that was arranged in
partnership with public school districts was advertised through existing means within that school
system, including email distribution lists, parent newsletters, websites, etc. SPED*NET’s
popular website, which is frequently visited by parents and professionals around the state of CT,
has dedicated a page to promoting Families as Partners training courses. The web page can be
viewed at http://www.spednet.org/FAP.htm. In addition, the training courses were advertised
through SPED*NET’s monthly listserv, which reaches over 1,800 people. Postal mailings of
program flyers were aimed at target parent audiences. Efforts to engage the Hispanic community
in Stamford included mailing flyers in Spanish to the parents of all children enrolled in BirthFive programming and elementary schools, and to secondary students with IEPs.
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The following photographs were taken at the April 28th session of the UConn Stamford
campus concurrent English and Spanish courses.
Maria and Adriana lead a discussion with Stamford parents
Jamie and Jeanne’s group tackle the issues
9
Fun and games in the child care room
Fun and games for little kids!
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Fun and games for older kids
4. Evaluate effectiveness of the training courses.
Demographic and training efficacy data were collected from Families as Partners training
participants. Session evaluation forms were distributed and collected at the end of the training
course (on the last day of training for multi-day courses). See Appendix B for a sample
evaluation. A Spanish language version of the evaluation form was distributed to parents at the
bilingual course. Efforts were made via email and post to obtain evaluations from participants
who were not able to attend the entire training course, and feedback was solicited from those
who registered but did not attend. Seventy-five session evaluations were obtained, representing
a return rate of 48%.
Table 3 below describes demographic information obtained from the session evaluations.
The vast majority of participants were parents (77%), with service providers representing the
second largest participant group (9%). The largest racial/ethnic group of parents trained was
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white (60%). Twenty-six percent of the parents trained identified themselves as Hispanic. We
are pleased to have been able to reach such a large sample of the Hispanic community in the
Stamford/Norwalk area.
Table 3.
Participant Demographic Data
Role
(N=75)
Parent = 77%
Race/Ethnicity
(Parents only, N=58)
Asian = 6%
Grade of Child
(Parents only, N=58)
Preschool = 20%
Other Relative = 1%
Black = 4%
Elementary = 32%
Service Provider = 9%
Hispanic = 26%
Middle School = 24%
Special Educator = 3%
Indian = 2%
High School = 17%
Regular Educator = 5%
Multicultural = 2%
Transition/ 18-21 yrs. = 7%
Medical/Health
Professional = 1%
Other* = 4%
White = 60%
* advocate, social worker,
AT consultant
Participants were asked to rate their ability in and understanding of different aspects of
the course content before and after training. This “post-pre” evaluation format provides an
estimation of the efficacy of the course in changing the knowledge and skill level of participants.
Table 4 describes the outcome data indicated by participants’ responses. Participants
self-rated their skills and knowledge on a five-point scale ranging from “None” to “Excellent”.
Responses to each item were averaged across all respondents (N=75). The results of the analysis
indicate that most participants rated their knowledge/ability in the course content as “Poor” to
“Fair” prior to training, and “Good” to “Excellent” after training. On average, participants
seemed to gain the most knowledge about ways that parents can be actively involved in the
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development of IEPs (a gain of 34%). They seemed to obtain the least benefit from learning how
to clearly describe their priorities and vision for their children/students (a gain of 24%). On
average, participants appeared to come to training with the most prior knowledge in this area, as
they rated themselves the highest on this item before training. Participants rated themselves as
having the least amount of prior knowledge about the mediation/dispute resolution process in
CT.
Table 4.
Session Evaluation Responses
Item
My ability to be actively involved in the PPT process
Average
rating before
training
3.1 (Fair)
My ability to participate as an equal partner in the PPT
process
My ability to plan for my child’s/student’s future.
3.0 (Fair)
My ability to clearly describe my priorities and vision
for my child/my students
My ability to collaborate in developing IEPs
3.3 (Fair)
My understanding of ways parents can be actively
involved in the development of the IEP
My understanding of ways to ensure an appropriate
program in the least restrictive environment (LRE)
My understanding of my rights and responsibilities as
a parent/professional educator
My understanding of the rights and responsibilities of
other partners in the PPT process
My understanding of ways to resolve differences of
opinion or conflict in PPT meetings
My understanding of ways to build better relationships
with others involved in the PPT process
My understanding of the mediation/dispute resolution
process in CT
3.2 (Fair)
2.9 (PoorFair)
2.9 (PoorFair)
2.9 (PoorFair)
3.0 (Fair)
2.8 (PoorFair)
2.8 (PoorFair)
3.0 (Fair)
2.5 (PoorFair)
Average
rating after
training
4.6 (GoodExcellent)
4.5 (GoodExcellent)
4.5 (GoodExcellent)
4.5 (GoodExcellent)
4.5 (GoodExcellent)
4.6 (GoodExcellent)
4.3 (Good)
Percent
change
+ 30%
+ 30%
+ 26%
+ 24%
+ 32%
+ 34%
+ 28%
4.5 (GoodExcellent)
4.4 (Good)
+ 30%
4.3 (Good)
+ 30%
4.3 (Good)
+ 26%
4.0 (Good)
+ 30%
+ 32%
1= None, 2=Poor, 3=Fair, 4=Good, 5=Excellent
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Participants were also asked to respond to open-ended questions about the skills they
gained from Families as Partners training, and to provide any additional comments. A sample of
their responses is below:
“I feel empowered to ask for what my child rightfully is entitled by law”
“Many times you feel like a lost soul trying to figure out how things work. It is nice to
have it broken down step by step.”
“I have a PPT meeting on Monday and will use my knowledge to ensure a positive
outcome.”
“The mixed class gave invaluable insight into the perspectives of all special education
participants.”
(From a preschool parent) “This was a life saver for me to be prepared for what’s ahead.”
(From a regular educator) “I understand the law much better and I can collaborate with
parents.”
“I was overwhelmed with the generosity of the food, prizes, materials, and the trainers’
time. WOW.”
“I plan to use what I have learned to continue to advocate for my son and be an active
participant in the PPT process.”
5. Disseminate outcomes of the training project. The final project report will be posted on the
SPED*NET website, as well as the FAP modules.
Discussion
Major accomplishments and best practices
SPED*NET is proud to have prepared a team of competent and caring trainers who
conducted nine successful FAP courses over a six-month period. There were many challenges to
organizing and carrying out this project, but there were even more successes. For instance, the
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June 28th course in Trumbull was filmed and aired by Trumbull TV! DVDs are available in their
public library.
Teaching a course in Spanish was a particularly important step towards arming the
parents of the Hispanic community with the knowledge they need to be active partners in their
children’s education. According to their trainers, these parents were especially grateful for the
training. They reported to trainers that they had never felt like part of their children's
Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams because no one had ever bothered to explain the
special education process to them. The discussions that arose during this course alerted the
trainers to the fact that bilingual "IEP facilitators", employed by the Stamford Public Schools,
were not adequately trained in special education laws and processes. The trainers approached
the Stamford special education administration to offer their assistance. A Families as Partners
course was subsequently scheduled for these IEP facilitators.
As a result of the several trainings conducted in New Canaan, the trainers recognized the
participants’ need for ongoing support and learning. A private web blog was created to facilitate
ongoing discussions between parents and trainers around special education advocacy issues. The
blog was also intended to help establish a community support network for families.
Another positive result of these trainings was having the participants network with each
other. In every session, many participants were seen exchanging full contact info and making
plans to connect after the classes. On several occasions, participants were heard to offer
assistance to one another for personal or professional situations.
According to the trainers, a best practice strategy is to take the time to individualize the
Families as Partners curriculum for each particular community or audience. For example, the
Spanish speaking trainers added materials and activities regarding culture to the course taught in
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Spanish. Other courses targeted parents of preschoolers and parents of children with mental
health needs, and unique content was added to focus on their particular interests. Some groups
of parents learn best through verbal communication, and some prefer activities or lots of visual
presentation. SPED*NET advocates that trainers take the time to get to know their audiences so
that they can tailor instruction to meet their particular needs.
Challenges and key learnings
As with any endeavor, this project presented challenges along the way that served as
crucial learning experiences. The most significant lesson learned was in regards to arranging
training in collaboration with school districts. Training was most easily facilitated through
school districts with which SPED*NET had a long-established relationship and had previously
provided training. Difficulty was met attempting to partner with school districts that SPED*NET
did not have as lengthy a relationship. Permission to conduct FAP training was obtained from
administration in the school districts of Norwalk, Ridgefield, and Wilton, and was later revoked.
The reasons included scheduling conflicts, time constraints, and the competing interests of other
professional development opportunities. In planning future cooperative training with school
districts, SPED*NET would suggest approaching administrators well in advance of the projected
training date. For example, several districts that were approached in the spring expressed interest
in holding training during the upcoming fall, rather than during the current school calendar year.
Another lesson learned involved preparing adequate material for bilingual courses.
Following the Train-the-Trainers session, the bilingual trainers were concerned that many course
materials were not appropriate for or relevant to Spanish-speaking families. Training materials
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and activities were then located or developed in a parallel Spanish format for the families that
would attend SPED*NET’s Spanish workshops. In future projects, diligence in considering the
needs of linguistically diverse audiences is recommended by preparing course materials in
alternative formats.
Special Credits:
Numerous organizations and individuals get special credit; it would be impossible to
mention all of them. Here are a few special facts that we’d like to share.
1. New Canaan Public Schools provided CEUs for the training in their district. They also
volunteered to provide CEUs for the trainings that took place with organizations that did
not have the capacity to provide CEUs.
2. A couple of the trainers were not experienced in Power Point. In an effort to be effective,
they took Power Point lessons prior to training parents.
3. Special Education Attorneys Nora Belanger and Anne Eason volunteered to co-teach the
IDEA module for all of the FAP sessions. Most of the trainers took advantage of their
offer. They taught and also provided additional hand-outs, books, and prizes.
4. Anita Budd was hired as the bookkeeper. She became so interested in the project that she
signed up for the class herself on fully participated on her own time!
5. Trainer Vivian Birdsall converted many of the FAP activities to utilize Smart Board
technology. She also produced multiple copies of a home-made DVD – Getting Quality
Services for Your Child With an IEP, narrated by Lolli Ross. This DVD was given to
about 60 participants.
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6. Dr. Kathleen Whitbread, one of the Train the Trainers, continued to offer free
consultation and continued to share teaching strategies.
7. The Spanish speaking trainers were not provided adequate materials to teach the class.
They volunteered to translate existing materials for their classes, and gave that material to
SPED*NET for future endeavors.
8. Stamford and New Canaan Public Schools sent their administrative staff to the FAP
sessions. Some were participants, others were there to meet and greet participants. Afterschool hours and weekends were not obstacles for the administrators.
9. SERC (State Education Resource Center) provided hundreds of copies of 2 of their
publications, Parents Guide to Special Education in Connecticut, and also The IEP
Manual and Forms, for the participants. The US Department of Education provided 100
copies of the IDEA federal regulations and books on understanding how children learn to
read.
Sustainability of program funding
The Families as Partners branch of the Parent Trust Grants was relatively unique in that
funding was divided among nine separate training courses. This aspect presented a challenge in
terms of providing the necessary support to trainers and participants. It was necessary to obtain
training facilities and equipment – including LCD projectors and screens, microphones, and
video equipment - at no cost to the project. Facilities and equipment were donated by schools,
universities, and non-profit agencies. It was also necessary to provide child care in certain
circumstances to permit parents to attend the training. No funds were allocated for child care in
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our budget, so it was necessary to seek other sources of child care, including volunteers. The
non-profit agencies STAR, Inc. Lighting the Way… and Greenwich ARC (now Abilis) provided
respite care professionals at their expense through respite grants. Thirty-six hours of respite care
was provided at $20 per hour per care provider.
It was important to provide adequate refreshments and meals to participants attending
evening and full-day courses. Program funds were not always adequate to cover this expense,
and donations were sought from local businesses. The trainers even took the time and expense to
accommodate vegan diets! The cost of copying materials for the training sessions was offset by
partnering school districts, most notably Stamford and New Canaan Public Schools.
All trainers and project staff worked many additional hours beyond what was budgeted
for. Trainers were paid for two hours of preparation time in addition to twelve hours of teaching
time. Trainers spent approximately twenty extra unpaid hours per course in preparation
activities. This time was spent traveling, setting up and cleaning up, buying food and supplies,
copying materials, creating materials, advertising, and planning with co-trainers. Additional
time was needed when advertising courses which were not arranged in cooperation with public
school districts. Schools were able to help advertise the course through their existing means of
communication with parents. In the absence of this assistance, trainers had to spend time doing
this advertising themselves. Many of the trainers spent their own money, buying additional
materials and prizes.
Training graduates: what they’re doing now
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There is ample evidence to suggest that Families as Partners training has increased the
technical knowledge and advocacy skills of parents of children with disabilities. For example, a
special education administrator in New Canaan remarked to a SPED*NET trainer that, since
attending training, parents have arrived at IEP Team meetings insisting that their children's IEP
goals and objectives be written in a measurable way. This is an indication that FAP training has
helped parents to act as more confident and informed advocates for their children's education.
A sample of training graduates were contacted via email one to four months after the
completion of Families as Partners training. They were asked the question, “How have you used
what you learned in your Families as Partners course?” The following are a selected sample of
their responses:
First, I have been able to be a better advocate for my son, who was just diagnosed as
developmentally delayed. Through the training I am better able to know what to expect
from the system and what rights my little one should have based upon his diagnosis.
Secondly, being an educator myself (on an extended leave of absence), I am currently
tutoring children in my area and I am able to share my knowledge from the training with
the parents of the children I am working with. Because the IEP process can be so
overwhelming and challenging at times, it is great for all parents to be versed in this area. I
have been able to share literature I received and have once joined a parent at a PPT to lend
some support.
Thanks to the training I received at the Families as Partners event, I feel empowered to
advocate for my child's needs at her next PPT versus being a passive participant nodding
my assent to assessments and recommendations beyond my understanding. It is hard to
describe the elation I felt at having an IEP explained in plain English step-by-step by a
group of trained individuals in a neutral environment. I felt like I was in school with
teachers who cared about what they were teaching and who wanted to infuse me with their
passion for the subject matter. The IEP has gone from being a document written in some
mysterious academic and administrative code to being an mutually agreed upon action plan
between the school and my family to provide my daughter with the educational services
and therapy so she can develop her intellect and social skills to her greatest ability… I am
using part of my summer reviewing the IEP and last PPT to prepare for my daughter's entry
to the 2nd grade. Thanks to SPED*NET, I now know how to be her advocate.
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I am a marital and family therapist and attended the workshop so that I could be better
educated about services available for families and to understand the laws related to children
with special needs. I have already started to change my language and to educate others.
I plan to use the information covered in PPTs as well as all communication with my
school based team. I also plan to share the information with parents whom I come in
contact with to help them. The information was valuable and informative and provided me
with a fresh perspective of how I can improve my communication/efforts in advocating for
my child. I also believe it sets a good example for the rest of the IEP team.
I intended to only stay for a few hours and ended up there for the entire day. I didn't
want to miss anything! I think it was most helpful for me since I am soon to have a
"mediation" meeting with my town regarding my son's school placement for next year.
These responses, along with the results of the session evaluation analysis, and informal
feedback from the community in which training was conducted, suggest that Families as Partners
training has been a success. The feedback indicates that we have met our objective of improving
the capacity of parents to be advocates for their children and to partner with schools in the IEP
process. We have also been successful at targeting underserved populations in the urban
communities of Stamford and Norwalk. Families as Partners training is an important tool to
improve the lives of families and children with disabilities in Connecticut, and SPED*NET
hopes to find the means to continue offering these courses in the future.
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