10/25/16

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Alternative Assessment as a Means to Reduce

Disproportionality in Special Education: A PSW Approach

School Psychologists James F. Hiramoto, Ph.D., Brentwood Union School District,

Carolyn Sakkis, MS, Mount Diablo Unified School District, and Kristina Calander, MS, Mount Diablo Unified School District

3 Diagnostic Centers California Department of Education

•  Diagnostic Center-Northern

•  Diagnostic Center-Central

•  Diagnostic Center-Southern

2 SAN DIEGO IMPERIAL

RIVERSIDE

ORANGE

SAN BERNARDINO

LOS ANGELESVENTURA

SANTABARBARA

KERN(South & East)

MONO

INYO

MARIPOSA

TUOLOMNE

STANISLAUS

SANJOAQUIN

CALAVERAS

AMADOR

KERN(North & West)

SANLUIS

OBISPO

KINGSTULARE

FRESNO

MADERAMERCED

DCC

ALPINE

EL DORADO

SACRAMENTOCONTRACOSTA

ALAMEDA

SANBENITO

MARIN

NAPAYOLO

DELNORTE

SISKIYOUMODOC

HUMBOLDTTRINITY SHASTA LASSEN

TEHAMA

PLUMAS

MENDOCINO GLENN

LAKECOLUSA

BUTTE SIERRA

NEVADAPLACER

SONOMA

SUTTER

SOLANO

SANMATEO

SANTACRUZ

MONTEREY

SANTACLARA

YUBA

DCN

DCS

3 Diagnostic Centers California Department of Education

Diagnostic Center, Northern California Resource

www.askaspecialist.ca.gov

Questions Answered by Specialists in the Areas of:

ASD AAC/AT

AD/HD MENTAL HEALTH

MEDICAL TRANSITION

BEHAVIOR CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE

ASSESSMENT

CAPTAIN California Autism Professional Training and Information Network

(by invitation only) www.captain.ca.gov

�  Trainer of Trainers Model

�  Summit 2016-2017 “Implementation Science” � December 6-7, 2016 Southern CA, Ventura � January 23-24, 2017 in Northern CA, Stockton

�  Summit Participants (by invitation/nomination) � SELPA ASD Specialists � Regional Ctr. ASD Reps � Family Empowerment / Resource Centers Reps

�  Website �  Trainings �  Coaching/Technical Assistance

!

Evidence!!

Based!

!Practices!

www.captain.ca.gov autismebp@gmail.com

CAPTAIN Social Media Links

CAPTAIN Website

Hosted by DCN!

Links to ASD Resources

Another Diagnostic Center Resource

www.pent.ca.gov California Positive Behavior Initiative that provides information and resources for educators striving to achieve high educational outcomes through the use of proactive positive strategies. North Forum: March 14-15, 2017 (Stockton) South Forum: February 28-March 1, 2017 (Fontana)

*PENT Forums by invitation only

10/25/16

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Who’s not in favor of the Discrepancy Model

�  NASP and many other state organizations call it the “Wait to Fail Model”

�  Why? Because by the time a student qualifies under this criteria, the amount of direct instruction needed to help most SLD students to “catch up” is insurmountable and they are in special education for life.

Who else disapproves of the Discrepancy Model

The 9th Circuit District Court

10/25/16

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Predictive Validity of Tests of Cognitive Ability (Intelligence)

Weakening? �  When I was in grad school in the early 90’s, we read papers

citing studies where intelligence tests were correlated with achievement at about r = .70. Squaring r we found that about 49% of the variance in achievement tests is accounted for by one’s performance on an intelligence test.

�  APA’s 1996 report stated that g correlated with school grades r = .50, which was about the same for social status (25% of variance) and with income (r = .41, 16.67% of variance).

Ulrich Neisser, et al. "Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns," American Psychologist 51(2) 1996:77-101.

What factors may be accounting for this weakening trend?

�  The factor structure of cognitive ability tests � Designed with Narrow Ability Subtests

loading onto Broad Factor Abilities � Overall measure of ability, ‘g’ , less a

measure of how one would integrate all of the Broad Abilities in the real world, but rather a statistical one

� A latent variable of a latent variable

What factors may be accounting for this weakening trend?

� Poverty. There is a growing amount of research that demonstrates this link.

� Look at the following two graphs.

� One is for free and reduced lunch by ethnicity and the other is drop out rate.

� See a relationship?

10/25/16

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Dropout Rate in California 2010

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Native

America

n

Asian

Pacific

Islan

der Multi

Hispan

ic

Africa

n-Ameri

can

White

http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/cohortrates/GradRates.aspx?cds=00000000000000&TheYear=2010-11&Agg=T&Topic=Dropouts&RC=State&SubGroup=Ethnic/Racial

Emotional Wellness

Who these tests are standardized on

vs

Who these tests are used on

Embed video PSW and .

�  PSW has support from �  Diagnostic Center Northern California

� http://www.dcn-cde.ca.gov/altassessment/index.html

�  California Association of School Psychologists � http://www.casponline.org/pdfs/position-

papers/SLD-PSW%20position%20paper%20final.pdf

�  Ventura County SELPA has developed a procedural manual on PSW assessment for SLD � http://www.venturacountyselpa.com/

PatternofStrengthsandWeaknesses(PSW).aspx

What is PSW? �  Alternative to the discrepancy model

�  “Patterns of strengths and weaknesses commonly refer to the examination of profiles across different tests used historically in the identification of children with SLD” (p. 46654).  OSEP

�  Way of organizing data from a comprehensive evaluation

�  Several specific models- all have common threads

It’s RIOT not TRIO �  Record Review

�  Interviews

�  Observations

�  Testing (Standardized and Non-Standardized)

10/25/16

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About Mount Diablo Unified School District

Mt. Diablo is one of the largest school districts in the state of California, with over 56 school sites and programs. The district's statistics for ethnic/racial diversity, average class size, test scores, numbers of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students and the primary languages they represent, mirror those for the State of California as a whole. Student Population: K-12 31,829 (Dec. 2012) Special Education: 4,092 (Dec. 2011) Languages: More than 50 Enrollment Diversity: White (43.0%); Hispanic (35.9%); Asian (7.2%); African American (4.8%); Filipino (4.3%); Pacific Islander (1.0%); Native American (0.5%)

Information from www.mdusd.org

Mt. Diablo had gotten into some trouble…

“Mt. Diablo Unified School District Rehauling Discipline Policies with Measurable Results Review of Student Discipline Data

In the 2013-2014 school year, the Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD) began to change its student discipline practices. The change was prompted by a review of their student discipline data in the 2011-2012 school year, which revealed that African American and Latino students had much higher suspension and expulsion rates than their peers, and that the majority of students were being suspended for willful defiance.A B The data also revealed disproportionality in the number of African American and Latino students who were being identified as emotionally disturbed.

Mt. Diablo had gotten into some trouble…

In addition, the review showed that suspension and expulsion practices and procedures were inconsistent district-wide, including which education code was used to cite students and the number of days students missed due to suspensions, even when students were cited for the same infraction. As a result of their review, district officials determined that student discipline practices in the district had to change.”

…and they got themselves out

�  Data Discussion with Key Stakeholders

�  District-Wide Discipline Committee

�  Prevention Efforts

�  Finally, the district has invested in a range of prevention strategies including the introduction of the Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports (PBIS) program in every school. 

…and they got themselves out

10/25/16

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But what about Special Education?

Matrix Identify Strengths/Weaknesses under each domain; note emerging skill/important information in Comments

Domains Reasoning Language/Communication Social Cognition Executive Function Visual-Spatial Description •  Problem Solving

•  Abstract Thinking •  Inductive Thinking •  Deduction •  Intuitive Thinking

•  AAC •  Abstract Language/

Reasoning •  Articulation/

Phonological/ Oral Motor

•  Fluency/Prosody/Voice •  Language Literacy •  Language Processing •  Semantic Abilities •  Social Communication/

Pragmatics •  Syntax & Morphology •  Verbal Formulation

•  Knowledge acquired,

directly attributed to observation of others in context of social interaction/ experience

•  Vicarious Learning •  Social Problem-

Solving •  Memory / Forming

Expectations •  Responsiveness/

Feedback Cues •  Social

Metacognition

•  Sustained Attention Selective Attention

•  Organization •  Strategizing •  Flexibility/Shifting

Cognitive Sets •  Multiple Perspectives •  Self-Monitoring •  Working Memory

•  Pattern Completion •  Spatial Analysis •  Part to Whole

Reasoning •  Visual Memory •  Visual Motor

Integration

Strengths                

Weaknesses                  

Comments            

           

E=Formula

A = Districts General Education Enrollment of A Specific Ethnic/Racial Group divided by Districts Total Enrollment

N = The number of students in the district of a Specific Ethnic/Racial Group identified within a specific special education category.

Standard Error = Square Root (A (100-A))/Total Number of Students in the district within a specific special education category.

E-Formula = N/Total Number of Students in the district within a specific special education category

E=Formula

.

As defined by CDE Special Education Division, Assessment, Evaluation and Support Unit

http://data1.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/

0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

MDUSD2006-07

MDUSD2007-08

MDUSD2008-09

MDUSD2009-10

MDUSD2010-11

MDUSD2011-12

MDUSD2012-13

MDUSD2013-14

MDUSD2014-15

1=Maxim

umToleran

ceat3

stan

darderrorso

fmeasuremen

t

Table1.E-FormulaPercentageOverMaximumTolerance2006-2014(1.0≥isSignificantlyDisproporJonate)

DistrictEDComposi=on(%)

DistrictIDComposi=on(%)

DistrictSLDComposi=on(%)

DistrictOHIComposi=on(%)

DistrictSLIComposi=on(%)

Sample size and missing data contribute to possible inflation of disproportional rates. Corrections for missing date alone could drop the 2014 proportion from 1.26 to 1.07. About a 20% reduction in tolerance.

10/25/16

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Alternative Risk Ratio District’s Risk (%) for a given ethnic/racial group = District’s Total General Education Enrollment for a given ethnic/racial group divided by District’s enrollment of students in that group falling in a specific special education category (e.g. Intellectual Disability).

State’s All other Risk (%) for all other ethnic/racial group = State’s Total General Education Enrollment less that of the given ethnic/racial group divided by State’s enrollment of all other students less that group which fall in a specific special education category (e.g. Intellectual Disability).

Alternate Risk Ratio = District’s Risk (%)/State’s All other Risk (&)

Alternative Risk Ratio

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

MDUSD 2006-07

MDUSD 2007-08

MDUSD 2008-09

MDUSD 2009-10

MDUSD 2010-11

MDUSD 2011-12

MDUSD 2012-13

MDUSD 2013-14

MDUSD 2014-15

Tim

es M

ore

Likl

ely

Tha

n O

ther

Eth

nic

Gro

ups

Com

bin

ed

Table 2. Alternative Risk Ratio For African American Students 2006-2014 (5.0 ≥ Significantly Disproportionate)

ED Alternate Risk Ratio

ID Alternate Risk Ratio

SLD Alternate Risk Ratio

OHI Alternate Risk Ratio

SLI Alternate Risk Ratio

The Matrix & What Mt. Diablo Unified Embraced

Conclusion

10/25/16

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For more information… On the DCN’s Alternative Assessment Model (aka “The Matrix”)

http://www.dcn-cde.ca.gov/altassessment/index.html

On Guidance on Disproportionality

http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/qa/disproguidance112011.asp

On Calculating Significant Discrepancy

ftp://ftp.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ds/Disproportionality%20Paper%20June%202012.pdf

ftp://ftp.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ds/Dispro1314_SELPA/Methods.doc

ftp://ftp.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ds/1314_Dispro/dis201314calculationmethod.doc

Contact Information

�  James F. Hiramoto, Ph.D., jhiramoto@dcn-cde.ca.gov

�  Carolyn Sakkis, MS, sakkisc@mdusd.org

�  Kristina Calander, MS, calander@mdusd.org