The New York Higher
Education Support Center for
SystemsChange
Peter L. Kozik & Gerald M. Mager
School of Education
Syracuse University
Matt Giugno
New York State Education Department
VESID
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Who’s on the HESC staff?
Iris Maxon
Administrative
Secretary
Wilma Jozwiak
SIG Project
Coordinator
Steve Wirt
Website & Technology
Support
Lori Alexander
Budget Analyst
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Your hosts for this presentation
Matt Giugno
VESID Program
Manager
Dr. Gerald Mager
Project Director
Chairperson,
Task Force on Quality Inclusive
Schooling
Peter Kozik
Project Coordinator
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What is our history?
• Started with “Systems Change” Project
• Originally included about 10-15 colleges
• Now includes over 70 colleges
• Perceived inadequacies of teacher prep.,
especially with inclusive education
• Share project with other major NYSED offices
(general ed. and higher ed.)
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What is our history?
• Evolved over time
• Worked with SIG schools
• Now with SPDG schools
• Key player in many NYSED
initiatives
• Staff requests for additional
participation
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Who are we?
The Task Force is a consortium of:
• Over 70 colleges and universities throughout New York
State with teacher preparation programs
• Special Education Training & Resource Centers
• Boards Of Cooperative Educational Services
• Regional School Support Centers
• Teacher Centers
• Parent and Advocacy Groups
• Transition Coordination Sites
• Early Direction Childhood Centers
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How are we funded?
• Through Federal Part B IDEA Discretionary
Funds
• 2nd 5 year cycle of funding through
Vocational Education & Services for Individuals
with Disabilities (VESID)
• 2nd year of a present State Contract
Core mission remains the same
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Statewide Connections for SystemsChange
Early, Middle, Secondary,
and Continuing Education P-16
Boards of Cooperative Educational
Services
Regional School Support Centers
Teacher Centers
180 Faculty
& Researchers
at over 70 NYS
Colleges &
Universities
Institutions of Higher
Education
Special Education Quality Assurance
Special Education Training & Resource Centers
Transition Coordination Sites
Parent and Advocacy Centers
Early Childhood Direction Centers
Vocational & Education Services
for Individuals with Disabilities
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What colleges and universities are
members of the Task Force?
Public and Private Institutions
Graduate and Undergraduate Programs
General Education & Special Education
separately certified
Dually certified General & Special Education
Programs
Inclusive Programs
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What colleges and universities are
members of the Task Force?
State University of New York
Binghamton University
Buffalo State College
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Oswego
SUNY Plattsburg
SUNY Potsdam
SUNY Stony Brook
SUNY - University at Albany
SUNY - University at Buffalo
City University of New York
Brooklyn College - CUNY
College of Staten Island - CUNY
Hunter College - CUNY
Lehman College - CUNY
Medgar Evers College
Queens College - CUNY
Private Institutions
Adelphi University
Niagara University
Alfred University
Nyack College
Canisius College
Pace University - Pleasantville • New York City
Cazenovia College
Roberts Wesleyan College
College of Mt. Saint Vincent
The Sage Colleges
College of New Rochelle
Siena College
College of St. Rose
St. Bonaventure University
Daemen College
St. John’s University
Dominican College
St. Joseph’s College - Brooklyn • Long Island
D’Youville College
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Five Towns College
Syracuse University
Fordham University
Teachers College
Hartwick College
Touro College
Hofstra University
University of Rochester
Houghton College
Utica College
Iona College
Wagner College
Keuka College
Wells College
LeMoyne College
Long Island University - Brooklyn • C.W. Post • Westchester
Manhattan College
Manhattanville College
Marist College
Marymount College of Fordham
Marymount Manhattan College
Mercy College
Molloy College
Mount Saint Mary College
National Technical Institute for the Deaf - RIT
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Nazareth College
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New York Institute of Technology
New York University
What are our purposes?
Our Goals:
To develop and sustain high quality
inclusive teacher preparation programs
To engage in and support the
professional development efforts
of selected schools and districts
in the 7 regions of New York State
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What has been the usual approach of
engaging with high needs schools?
Numerous points of contact
for technical assistance
System addressed
piecemeal
“One shot’ consultation by
professors & researchers
Little or no
program
evaluation
No stakeholder buy in
Data misunderstood &
misused
Multiple overlapping resources
Higher
Education/Teacher
Preparation on the
periphery
Parents and community left
out
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What is the HESC/Task Force approach to engaging with
high needs schools?
Program
evaluation
Coordination of
services
Involve higher
education from
the start for
partnership
development
Single point of contact
for technical
assistance
Begin solution with
most vulnerable
students
Expertise in
parent/community
relations
Focus on capacity
building
Professional
Development
Schools
Pre-service teacher
involvement
Combine NYSED initiatives
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How do we work?
• Statewide Structure and Task Force
Meetings
• Regional Liaison Structure and Regional
Activities
• Funded Initiatives:
Summer Action Grants for Effective Practices Symposia on Supports for the
Academic and Behavioral Performances of Learners
Building Partnerships between SPDG-Identified
High Need Schools and Teacher Preparation Institutions
Study Groups for Literacy, Positive Behavior Supports, & Special Education
Practice
Investigating Promising Practice
• Website
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What are Statewide Task Force
Meetings?
Topics at the semi-annual one day meeting
might include:
IHE-School Partnerships
SIG Evaluation
Standards for Quality Inclusive Teacher Preparation
Low Incidence Disabilities
UDL
Collaboration for Change
Transition for Students with Disabilities
Scientifically Based Research
Behavior and Reading
Web-Based Resources for Inclusive Practice
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How is funding used for the
Regional Liaison structure?
• Identification of liaison(s) in each of the 7 NYS regions
•Setting Statewide and regional agendas
•Overseeing regional collaborations
and partnerships
•Regional needs assessment
•Recruit colleges and universities
•Visit, observe, and report on efforts for inclusive
teacher preparation
•Supporting ongoing professional development
•Orient new faculty to the Task Force
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6 New York State
Regions and
New York City
Lower Hudson Valley
Mid-State
Eastern
Western
Mid-West
Long Island
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The Midwest Region
.
Current Task Force member
institutions:
Alfred University *
Houghton College
Keuka College
Nazareth College
National Technical College for
the Deaf/RIT
Roberts Wesleyan
St. John Fisher
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Geneseo
University of Rochester
* Midwest
Liaison
....
.. .
.
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What is the history of funded initiatives?
From 2001 – 2006
Over $1,200,000 provided for
Co-Teaching
Faculty Fellowships
High Needs Partnerships
Designing Inclusive Adolescent Teacher Prep
& Leadership Groups on:
Teacher Decision Making
UDL
Preparing Teachers to Engage with Families
Teacher Retention
Low Incidence Disabilities
Transition
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What initiatives are being funded currently?
Regional Task Force, Partnership
& Symposia
• Continue regional Task Force structure
• Coordinate regional partnerships
between effective practice &
high needs schools
• Host a summer symposium on
regional promising practices
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What initiatives are being funded currently?
Study Groups for Literacy,
Positive Behavior Supports,
And Effective Special Education
Practice in Schools
Develop recommendations for how
field documents
can be integrated into
Task Force teacher preparation
programs
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What initiatives are being funded currently?
Investigating
Promising
Practices
Faculty to join teams of
professionals in the field to
document and
validate regional promising
practices
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How does the website work?
www.inclusion-ny.org
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What information and services does our
website include?
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Summary…
Ensuring quality teacher preparation
programs focused on inclusion.
Facilitating IHE relationships with local school
districts, BOCES units, various staff development
networks, and the New York State Education
Department
Supporting the development of guidelines and models for
partnerships between IHEs and schools
Developing resources and materials for the support
of quality inclusive teacher preparation and practice
Supporting web site communication,
forums, discussions, electronic media,
resources, and research focused on
inclusion and evolving general education
practice
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What is the value of the HESC/Task Force
approach
to school districts?
On site continual learning and professional development
opportunities
Access to current research and thinking on inclusion and
promising practices
Problem specific solutions to issues of AYP and State
Performance Plan Indicators
Connection to resources at over 70 institutions of higher
education
Opportunities for Action Research
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What is the value of the HESC/Task Force approach to institutions
of higher education?
Continuing institutional research conversation around best
practices for inclusion
Connecting teacher preparation with the challenge and opportunity
of high needs school and districts
Flexible and timely response to changing needs and conditions
Sharing resources, curricula, assistance with State
and National accreditation processes
Like-minded colleagues; research and publication
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What is the value of the HESC/Task Force approach to the
State of New York?
SystemsChange – Whole system work with whole system
results and effect
Connection with districts, institutions, and technical
assistance networks at a grass roots level
Capacity building within the system on both the statewide
and regional levels
Audience and sounding board on policy for issues such
as certification, accreditation,
and dissemination of innovation
and research
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Where are we located?
Syracuse University
030 Huntington Hall
Syracuse, New York 13244-2340
phone 315-443-1881
fax 315-443-4543
Located on the World Wide Web
at
www.inclusion-ny.org
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Questions?
Contact:
Peter Kozik
315-443-1461
plkozik@syr.edu
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