Evaluation Activities
Interviews and
Classroom
Observations
Interviews
with Central
Office
Faculty and
Parent
Surveys
Focus Groups
Comparable
District
Review
Five Themes Emerged
from Evaluation Activities
A Common
Vision and
Shared
Responsibility
Clear and
Consistent
Messages
Highly
Effective
Instruction
Staffing and
Scheduling to
Support
Student
Success
Parent
Satisfaction
with Services
for Students
with
Disabilities
Theme 1
Critical Findings
1.
There is a strong commitment to quality services for students with
disabilities in the Lewisville ISD.
2.
There are multiple quality practices that are outstanding and can serve as
models.
3.
A high percentage of LISD educators express a strong sense of shared
responsibility for students with disabilities.
4.
There is a long standing commitment to inclusion.
5.
There is a need for a common vision of inclusive education and quality
indicators.
6.
Lewisville ISD is in substantial compliance with state and federal
requirements governing services provided to students with disabilities.
Figure 1. Summary of Faculty Survey Responses Related to “A Common Vision
and Shared Responsibility for All Learners”
89.4
The total faculty feels a strong sense of responsibility for all
students, including students with disabilities. (F3)
96.4
I am knowledgeable of the contents of each student's IEP
for which I am responsible. (F8)
I think that children benefit socially when special education
students and general education students learn in the same
classroom. (F31)
94.4
I think that students benefit academically when special
education students and general education students learn in
the same classroom. (F32)
75.2
I do not think that the education of general education
students suffers when special education students are
educated in the same classroom. (F33)
68.0
88.6
Special education teachers are viewed as faculty members
of equal status with their general education teachers. (F28)
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
% Agree
80.0
100.0
Critical Recommendations
 Reinforce commitment to quality services.
 Review reasons for disparity regarding shared
responsibility.
 Adopt a system-wide model for inclusion.
 Adopt a needs-based model for staffing.
 Monitor and address compliance issues of
overrepresentation.
Theme 2
Critical Findings
1. Messages and directions
related to the provision of
special education services are
not consistent across the
district, leading to confusion
and inconsistent levels of
implementation.
2. The organizational
structure does not facilitate
the opportunity for the special
education director to
communicate directly to
principals as needed.
Critical Recommendations
 Develop a purpose statement and list of expected practices for
all services across the district.
 Survey district stakeholders for list of confusing or conflicting
issues/directions/policies and create list of topics that account
for requests for clarifications.
 Create data and disseminate a set of clear, consistent
responses using means such as written communication, website distribution
 Increase role clarity for special education leadership.
 Eliminate the separate location for housing the special
education leadership and increase level of involvement in
planning, training and sharing of information with other
departments.
Theme 3
Critical Findings
1.
School climate and quality of instruction is extremely favorable.
2.
Faculty understanding, responsibility and use of accommodations is reportedly
high yet not consistently observed.
3.
The general education curriculum is consistently used as the framework for
students with disabilities.
4.
Flexible grouping is more evident at the elementary level.
5.
Use of technology to support student success evident across the district.
6.
Positive behavioral support practices varied with most classrooms having posted
rules and good management practices
7.
Specialized support settings implemented structured, targeted, individualized
instruction.
8.
A full range of in-class support structures that support partnerships in the
classroom was implemented in some classrooms with success however mostly
observed was a one teach/one assist approach.
Figure 2. Faculty Perceptions re: Use of Accommodations/Modifications
98.8
It is the responsibility of all educators to use
instructional accommodations for any student
who may require them. (F9)
98.7
I use instructional accommodations for any
student who needs them. (F10)
It is the responsibility of all educators to modify
instruction as appropriate for any student with
disabilities who requires them as stated in the
IEP. (F11)
98.1
98.7
I modify instruction for students with disabilities
as specified in the IEP. (F12)
0.0
20.0
40.0
60.0
% Agree
80.0
100.0
Critical Recommendations

Connect best practices for students with disabilities to best practices for all learners.
Consider these best practices as a foundation to the RtI process.

Bridge the knowing-doing gap regarding implementation of accommodations.

Provide list of quality instructional standards for services for students with disabilities that
must be met on each campus in LISD.

Provide training for principals, central office regarding these standards.

Clearly establish and publish the Response to Intervention Process.

Provide professional development and training for general and special education
teachers and paraprofessionals relative to curriculum content, effective use of the
general curriculum for students with disabilities, and strategies for diverse learners.

Increase the effectiveness of the in-class support model to promote the use of more
structures in the classroom.

Build an on-going planning cycle for development of district-wide professional
development including all groups collaboratively within the school district.
Theme 4
Critical Findings
1.
Lewisville ISD is sufficiently staffed. Yet there is a strong
perception among educators that additional staff is needed.
2.
Need for and assignment of staff should result from a student
centered district-wide process.
3.
Use of a categorical approach to assigning teachers results in an
inefficient use of staff.
4.
Common planning for collaborative teacher partners is not
consistent across the district.
5.
Paraprofessionals are not always appropriately trained for their
assigned roles.
6.
The distribution of students who require in-class support is
sometimes not within suggested ratios resulting in too many or too
few students in a class.
Critical Recommendations
 Implement a district-wide objective, student-centered staffing model,
provide training and technical support to principals and selected faculty
members, and build the capacity of special education leaders to support
this change.
 Establish clear quality standards regarding in class support.
 Provide training in the structures of in-class support.
 Address requests for a 1:1 paraprofessional through the student-centered
decision model.
 Extend the current opportunities for peer friendships and social inclusion.
 Provide information regarding creative ways to increase planning time.
 Monitor the success of the new approach to staffing by assessing staff and
parent satisfaction.
Theme 5
Critical Findings
1.
Satisfaction
2.
Involvement
• Parents of students with disabilities are
extremely satisfied with the services their
children are receiving and the support they
are receiving from principals and central
office staff.
• Parents of students with disabilities are
involved in their children’s education and and
panning for their future.
Critical Recommendations
 Involve parents in review and action planning.
 Provide training for parents and educators.
 Distribute information to parents regarding peer support
programs and opportunities for social inclusion.
 Provide training and information to principals and teachers
designed to increase opportunities for social inclusion.
 Encourage parent participation in district discussions of zoning
and alignment of services for students with disabilities within
school feeder patterns.
Summary /Conclusion
Lewisville Independent School District
Board of Trustees Presentation
April 8, 2013
Conclusion
 This evaluation represents an inquiry into the status of present
services and the perceptions of multiple stakeholder groups.
 The active participation of the Lewisville ISD central office staff, 23
schools visited and over 1,700 survey respondents is greatly
appreciated.
 Lewisville ISD is to be commended for taking positive steps to
ensure effective and equitable practices are in place in its schools
and across its programs for children with disabilities.
 The many positive practices named in this report will serve as a
solid foundation for implementing the recommendations to support
continuous improvement of the quality of services for students with
disabilities.