Janet M. Sloand, Ed.D.Pennsylvania Training and

Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN)

What work has your state done regarding the National Agenda for Students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing OR the National Agenda for Students with Visual Impairments?

A. We have adopted a state agenda for one or bothB. We use the National Agendas in developing priorities C. We know about the National Agendas but have

not used themD. We are unfamiliar with the National

Agendas

The National Agenda: Moving Forward on Achieving Educational Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

The National Agenda for the Education of Children and Youth with Visual Impairments, Including those with Multiple Disabilities

Grassroots efforts to improve results for children Stakeholder involvement “A journey with a destination but without a complete

roadmap”

Based on the National Agendas, tailored to meet the specific strengths and challenges of Pennsylvania

Developed by key stakeholder groups using state data◦Educational Resources for Children with

Hearing Loss (ERCHL)◦Pennsylvania’s Approach to the National

Agenda (PANA) Aligned to the State Performance Plan Indicators Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau

of Special Education support

Each agenda consists of:1. Set of goals2. Actions to be performed to attain each goal3. Desired outcomes based on those actions

◦Range of goals Formal authorization from PDE via guidelines Professional development Local Educational Agency involvement

Functions as a “road map” to improve systemic changes that influence the educational results of students

Living document that is revisited annually Based on data or the need to collect data

LRE data disaggregated by disability State Achievement data disaggregated by disability Referral data Perception information from students, parents, and supervisors Personnel data – retirement, qualifications, number, retention, etc… Personnel Preparation information Program and service delivery data

How readily available are data elements and how are they used to drive your low incidence improvement efforts?A. Readily available and used extensivelyB. We have some data and have identified gaps that we are

working to rectifyC. We have data but it is widely dispersed and hard to use to

inform improvement effortsD. I really don’t know what we have and what we don’t have

Pennsylvania’s Approach to the National Agenda for the Education of Children and Youth with Visual Impairments, Deafblindness, and Visual and Multiple Disabilities

Pennsylvania Agenda for Students Who Are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deafblind

Students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Students with Visual Impairments

Language and Communication Access

Early Identification Family Involvement Placements and Programs Technology System Responsibility Professional Standards and

Preparation Collaborative Partnerships Deafblindness

Referral Parent Participation Personnel Preparation Provision of Educational Services Array of Services Assessment Access to Instructional Materials Curricular Needs Transition Services Professional Development

All students who are D/HoH will develop age-appropriate receptive and expressive language and communication◦A Communication Plan will be required by Chapter 14 of the PA

State Regulations◦Compliance Monitoring will reveal that 100% of all IEPs

designed for students who are deaf or hard of hearing contain Communication Plans

Universities will prepare a sufficient number of teachers and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists. ◦Develop an accurate count of:

The number of students with visual impairments The projected need for TVIs and O&M specialists in PA

over the next 5 years ◦Review university preparation programs to:

Examine enrollment trends◦Work with PDE to develop a plan to meet personnel needs.

Caseloads will be determined based on the assessed needs of students.◦Survey TVIs and O&M specialists to determine caseload

sizes and the types and average amounts of services provided to students.

◦Research and identify tools to assist administrators and special education supervisors in determining appropriate caseload sizes.

Develop standards to ensure the preparation, recruitment, retention, and ongoing professional development regarding the personnel serving children who are D/HoH◦ Increase the numbers of individuals who are D/HoH who

are retained as professionals◦Develop standards for educational interpreters and ensure

that all practicing interpreters meet the standard

Access to developmental and educational services will include an assurance that textbooks and instructional materials are available to students in the appropriate media and at the same time as their sighted peers.

Administer surveys to randomly selected instructional materials recipients in order to assess the timeliness and quality of adapted instructional materials

Tell us about your state’s efforts regarding the use of data to inform improvement efforts for low incidence disabilities:◦What surprises have you found as you used data to inform

your improvement efforts?◦What data do you wish you had but are still unable to

procure?◦How similar or different has your process been

to Pennsylvania’s?◦What struggles have you experienced?◦What partners have you included?