Northwest Area Education Agency
Professional Development Plan
2008-2009
Agency-Wide
Professional Development Plan
DATA
Large gaps in reading, mathematics and science achievement are
demonstrated for students in the subgroups of IEP, Low SES ,
ELL, Migrant and Minority students in grades four, eight and
eleven.
At the fourth, eighth and eleventh grades, students with IEPs
demonstrate the lowest levels of proficiency in reading,
mathematics and science compared to any other subgroup.
There are large gaps in dropout rates demonstrated for students
in the subgroups of IEP, ELL and Minority students in grades 7
through 12.
There is a large gap between students with IEPs graduating with
regular diplomas when compared to students without IEPs. The
gap in NWAEA is larger than the state target.
Student perception of positive school staff support was reported
to be low at the 6th grade level and was progressively more
negative in 8th and 11th grades.
Student perception of positive student norms in school was also
reported to be low in the higher grades.
Department
Professional Development Plan
DATA
At the fourth, eighth and eleventh grades, students with IEPs
demonstrate the lowest levels of proficiency in reading, mathematics
and science compared to any other subgroup.
There is a large gap between students with IEPs graduating with
regular diplomas when compared to students without IEPs. The gap
in NWAEA is larger than the state target.
PD TARGET
Each certified agency staff member will improve his/her
professional practices in utilizing the Instructional Plan process
and in developing reading, math, science and behavioral
interventions which will bring better results for students.
PD TARGET
School psychologists will improve their professional practices by
completing research in the area of Scientific, Research-Based
Interventions for reading, math, written language, and behaviors.
The research will focus on locating and making available
interventions to AEA staff, LEA staff, and families in the areas of
reading, math, written language, and behavior as a means of
improving results for all kids.
CONTENT
CONTENT
Iowa Instructional Plan
“(B) ADDITIONALL AUTHORITY. - In determining whether a child
has a specific learning disability, a local education agency may use a
process that determines if the child responds to scientific, researchbased intervention as part of the evaluation procedures described in
paragraphs (2) and (3). (IDEA, 2004)
The Instructional Plan is a web-based system of documenting and
supporting the Response to Intervention Process. Response to
Intervention/Instructional Decision Making is the practice of
providing high-quality instruction and interventions matched to
student need monitoring progress frequently to make decisions
about changes in instruction or goals and applying child response
data to important educational decisions. RTI/IDM should be
applied to decisions in general, remedial and special education,
creating a well-integrated system of instruction and interventions
guided by child outcome data. Effective implementation requires
leadership, collaborative planning and implementation by
professionals across the education system.
It is the hope of Northwest AEA that we can greatly impact
achievement for struggling students by acquiring skills in
research-based instructional strategies and interventions; and by
utilizing them within the Iowa Instructional Plan process.
References:
National Association of State Directors of Special Education,
(2006). Response to Intervention: Policy Considerations and
Implementations, Alexandria, VA; NASDE, Inc.
Bender, William N., Shores, Cara, (2007). Response to
Intervention: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher, Thousand
Oaks, Ca, Corwin Press.
SLD Regulations IDEA (2004, 2006)
300.307 Specific Learning Disabilities.
(a) General. A state must adopt, consistent with 300.309, criteria
for determining whether a child has a specific learning disability as
defined in 300.8(c)(10). In addition, the criteria adopted by the
State (1) Must not require the use of a severe discrepancy between
intellectual ability and achievement for determining whether
a child has a specific learning disability, as defined in
300.8(c)(10).
 (2) Must permit the use of a process based on the child’s
response to scientific, research-based intervention; and
 (3) May permit the use of other alternative research-based
procedures for determining whether a child has a specific
learning disability, as defined in 300.8(c)(10).
(b) Consistency with State criteria. A public agency must use the
State criteria adopted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section in
determining whether a child has a specific learning disability.
It is the hope of Northwest AEA that we can greatly impact
achievement for struggling students by acquiring skills in scientific,
research-based instructional strategies and interventions; and by
utilizing them within the general education setting as well as the
special education setting.
References:
Individual with Disabilities in Education Act, 2004
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
Agency-wide professional development opportunities will be
provided regionally for one day every other month during the
2007-2008 school year.
Department professional development opportunities in the areas of
core curriculum, instructional strategies, and behavioral
interventions will be provided four times at department meetings,
for a minimum of one hour, during the 2008-09 school year.
COLLABORATION/IMPLEMENTATION
COLLABORATION/IMPLEMENTATION
1. Collaboration opportunities will be provided within
departments during the opposite months.
Collaboration opportunities will be provided during department
meetings and once a month during informal meetings in the LeMars
service center.
2. Assigned implementation activities will be completed by each
staff member between the regional professional development
days and departmental collaboration days.
Assigned implementation activities will be completed collaboratively
through the sharing of information via NWAEA website, listserv,
during department meetings, and during informal meetings.
FORMATIVE EVALUATION
FORMATIVE EVALUATION
Monthly review of implementation activities
Monthly review of session evaluations
Monthly review of implementation activities
Feedback/review by psychology supervisor
SUMMATIVE EVALUATION
SUMMATIVE EVALUATION
Review of professional development staff survey results
Review of professional development staff survey results