STEPSS: State Toolkit for examining post-school success

1

Catherine Fowler, NSTTAC

Matt Klare, NDPC-SD

Deanne Unruh, NPSO

Lorrie Sheehy, AZ Dept. of Ed

Session Outcomes

Participants will:Learn about the structure of the STEPSS tool

Learn how it can be used with LEAs for data based decision-making through an example from Arizona

2

What is STEPSS? WEB-BASED APPLICATION

Collaborative Effort

Data-Based Decision Making Multi-phaseSupports SEAs to

disseminate data to

LEAs

Drives Programmatic

Improvement

Targets Improving

Student Outcomes

Evidence-based

Practices

Purpose

To help state and local educators, in partnership with other

stakeholders, use secondary transition indicator data to

improve transition programs for youth with disabilities.

4

Why is STEPSS needed?

To help state education agencies

5

Meet Federal Reporting Requirements

Build the capacity to consistently and efficiently disseminate transition data to local districts for program improvement

State Systematic Improvement Plan (SSIP, Proposed Indicator 17)

States must assess the capacity of their current infrastructure systems and their ability to enhance this infrastructure to increase the capacity of LEAs to implement, scale up, and sustain evidence-based practices that will result in improved student outcomes across key measures of performance on assessment, graduation with a regular diploma, and post-school outcomes

STEPSS: A multi-phase process to: • Examine graduation, dropout, the secondary

transition component of IEPs, and post-school outcomes data

• Assess State/District progress toward meeting targets in each outcome area

• Select predictors of post-school success, and • Develop and implement an action plan

designed to improve in-school, secondary transition programs for students with disabilities

Phases of STEPPSPhase 1:

Upload transition related indicator data (SEA) Review STEPSS slideshow with stakeholders

Phase 2: Assessing Outcome AreasPhase 3: Prioritizing Predictors and

Essential Characteristics for Implementation

Phase 4: Developing an Action Plan8

Web-based application:

Can be housed on UO server or portable to SEAs server

Multiple levels of security: valid login and password from every user requires and enforces a valid session for every user passwords are encrypted before being stored in the

database and use a salted SHA-256 algorithm before storing them

all traffic between the web browser and the server is encrypted and sent over HTTPS

9

State and Local Guides

User Guide: Security Uploading the data Inputting

information for slideshow

Local Facilitator’s Guide: Step-by-Step

process to use STEPSS as part of a DBDM in a district/state

10

Support: On-Going TA

11

COP, Facilitators’ Guides, Demos

Small group instruction via webinar for one or multiple states or local districts

1:1, small group, state specific

Stakeholder Meetings

Series of Meetings with Stakeholders Meeting Time

Flexible, based on the needs of the stakeholders

Each phase is a natural breaking point Dependent on

▪ pace of the stakeholder group ▪ number of outcome areas identified for

improvement▪ details incorporated into the action plan

12

Phase 1: Indicator Data Uploaded by SEA SEA upload of indicator data

Data ManagerTransition SpecialistContractor

Pre-populates the slideshow and action planning frameworkDistricts do not upload data

13

Phase 1: Review Slideshow Separate SEA/LEA slideshows

Familiarize stakeholders with▪Federal transition Indicators: graduation, dropout, secondary transition component of IEP, and post-school outcomes ▪How SEA meets reporting requirements for these Indicators

Review SEA and LEA results14

Slideshow Outline Informational Slides

Purpose and Materials Federal Reporting Requirements

Data Slides Data displays -- grouped bar and column

graphs Collection Methods and Results Organized

by Indicator Group Activity Slides

Think-Pair-Share Reflect

15

Engagement Rate by Males and Females

Aahberg compliance for quality transition IEPs Using Indicator 13 Checklist A

Phase 2: Assessing Outcome Areas To help stakeholders identify any

gap/s between the state and or district percentages and the desired (i.e., targeted) percentage for each Indicator. State and district actual percentages

and the state desired target are pulled from data entered by the SEA.

Local district stakeholders enter the district’s desired target

18

Assessing Outcome Areas

19

82

STATE AND DISTRICT PERCENTAGES

Summary of Progress

After reviewing data for each indicator: STEPSS provides an Indicator Summary

- each outcome area is sorted based on the assigned Progress Rating:

No, Some, or Significant Progress Predictors aligned with outcomes rated as No

Progress or Some Progress are identified for Prioritizing.

20

Phase 3: Prioritizing Predictors

To narrow the scope of the action plan by reviewing evidence-based predictors of post-school success and prioritizing predictors and essential program characteristics for implementation.

Predictor - an in-school experience, typically a program (i.e., work-based learning experiences) correlated with improved post-school outcomes.

17 Predictors identified by high quality research

21

Evidence-based Practices for Indicators 1 & 2

22

Indicator 13 & 14 Predictors for Post-School Success

23

Predictors and Program Characteristics

For Each Predictor: Operational definition 5 – 15 Essential Program Characteristics ▪ Used to implement and evaluate a predictor at a state or local level

▪ For example: 24

Table of Predictors

25

Phase 3: Prioritizing Predictors For each program characteristic of a

predictor consider: Criteria for Prioritizing:

Current Implementation Status ▪ Currently Implemented or Not Currently

Implemented ▪ Necessary Implementation

Implementation Timeline ▪ 3 Months or Less -- Adjustable

Available Resources for Implementation▪ Time, administrative support, materials

26

Phase 4: Action Planning

To develop a plan of action that promotes change at the classroom, school, community, or state-level to improve outcomes of youth with disabilities.

These are the action steps that need to occur in order to implement the prioritized predictors and program characteristics.

27

Phase 4: Action Planning

Action Plan describes A. what needs to happen to implement

that program characteristicB. who needs to be involved C. what additional data, if any, are

needed D. who is responsible for implementing

the step E. timeline for completing the step

28

Repeated for each program characteristic

29

Printable Action Plan

Phases of STEPPS

Phase 1: Upload and review transition related indicator data with stakeholders using the STEPSS slideshow component

Phase 2: Assess Progress of Outcome Areas Phase 3: Prioritize Predictors and Essential

Characteristics for Implementation Phase 4: Develop Action Plan

30

Arizona State line

Arizona, Diverse Geography, Population and School Systems

246 School Districts

399 Charter Schools*

(increasing each year) 53 Native BIA/BIE

Schools

13 Joint Technical Education

District (JTED) Schools

48 Secure Care Education

Schools

Education Statistics…

Students:

1,096,040 General

Education

128,281 Special

Education

11.7% SPED

Population

-October 2012

Education Statistics

Special Education Personnel

6,675 Special education teachers

2,267 Special education related

service providers

634 Special education

administrators

Personnel = Highly

Mobile

13% SPED teachers left their

school

during/after the school year

17% SPED teachers were in their

first

year of teaching

22% SPED administrators were in

their

first year of administration

2011-2012 Annual SPED Data Collection

Special Education

Personnel Statistics…Special Education Personal Statistics

Arizona and STEPSS

Arizona’s Readiness for STEPSSSpring 2010 to Present Agency focus on improved graduation rates and

college and career readiness for all students ADE/ESS leadership has made PSO and DBDM a

priority Support for ongoing enhancement to the PSO

online application to provide PEA and school level reports outlining response rates, representativeness, and disaggregated results

Commitment to providing TA and training to assist PEAs in understanding and using their data

Strengths for STEPSS Implementation Arizona is a NPSO intensive TA state High level commitment to using STEPSS in

AZ Proven AZ PSO online data collection and

reporting system Established multi-unit collaboration

including: IT, data management, research and evaluation, and secondary transition

Grant-funded capacity building team training program can serve as pilot for STEPSS in Arizona

Arizona STEPSS Proposed Implementation Plan Use NPSO developed system,

resources, and technical assistance. Start with a pilot group Provide training on use of STEPSS. Evaluate pilot; determine if Arizona-

specific system will be developed. Develop plan for full implementation

Questions

39

Contact Information

Catherine Fowler, (chfowler@uncc.edu)

Matt Klare, (MKLARE@clemson.edu)

Deanne Unruh, (dkunruh@uoregon.edu)

Lorrie Sheehy, (lorrie.sheehy@azed.gov) 40