Wisconsin SPDG IHE Mini grant abstracts for OSEP mtg

Wisconsin SPDG IHE Mini-Grant Initiative The IHE Mini-Grant Initiative was launched at the 2010 Summer Institute, creating opportunities for any or year, public or private IHE or alternative program with participants at a Summer Institute (2010 and 2011), to apply for a mini-grant The purpose of the mini-grants is to seed good ideas and innovation toward the emergent areas of practices:     measuring and raising academic achievement of all learners reducing special education referrals through universally accessible and differentiated instruction, developing collaborative teaching and learning partnerships, and reducing over-identification of students of color through culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy Members of the IHE Leadership Hub reviewed the applications and made recommendations to DPI In the first year of the initiative, seventeen mini-grants were awarded up to $5,000 for a time period beginning August 1, 2010 A second round of mini-grants was funded for a time period of July 1, 2011-June 30, 2012, with award amounts up to $10,000 Sixteen awards were made, including new mini-grants, and 13 continuing projects that demonstrated promising results after the first year Three projects funded in the first year did not continue into the second year for a variety of reasons Successful applicants for 2011-2012 funding include: ( =new) UW-Eau Claire UW-La Crosse UW-Milwaukee UW-Oshkosh UW-River Falls UW-Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College UW-Whitewater and Waukesha County Technical College Carroll University Concordia University Wisconsin Edgewood College Maranatha Baptist Bible College Mount Mary College, Milwaukee Silver Lake College of the Holy Family (SLC), Manitowoc, WI Viterbo College CESA Teacher Development Center, Alternative Licensure Program UW-Eau Claire Interdisciplinary Training for Pre-service Educators: Building Purposeful RtI Field Experiences into the Curriculum General and special education are moving away from the traditional refer-test-place model to one that emphasizes evidence-based instruction and intervention, implementation fidelity, ongoing formative evaluation, and accountability This new model, often referred to as Response to Intervention (RtI), requires educational staff to be proficient with meaningful assessment and evidence-based intervention Unfortunately, these skills have not been traditionally expected of school personnel (Barnett, Daly, Jones, & Lentz, 2004) Several researchers have suggested that inadequate training at the pre-service level, including limited meaningful practical experiences, is a primary problem associated with implementation of RtI (Hawkins, Kroeger, Musti-Roa, Barnett, & Ward, 2008) The primary goal of this project is to train pre-service educators in school psychology, special education, and general education to effectively engage in interdisciplinary RtI activities including universal screening, Tier II intervention development and implementation, and ongoing progress monitoring of at-risk students The project will emphasize a model to train pre-service educators that involves ongoing performance feedback Expected outcomes for pre-service educators include highly competent clinical skills related to curriculum based measurement, data analysis and reporting, intervention development and implementation, interdisciplinary teaming, and program evaluation Pre-service educators will be evaluated using the following methods: interrater reliability, written assessment plans for individual at-risk elementary-aged students, treatment integrity checks, professional practice portfolios (e.g., individual elementaryaged student outcome data, case notes, problem solving rubrics), and supervisor evaluations The project partners with three elementary schools in the Eau Claire Area School District to assist in the collection of academic benchmark data and implementation of Tier II academic interventions A primary goal of the project is to develop an interdisciplinary field experience for pre-service educators from school psychology, special education, and general education than can be embedded in each program's curriculum Contact: Michael Alexrod, PhD, AXELROMI@uwec.edu UW-La Crosse Preparing Inclusive Professional Education Candidates via Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS), Differentiated Instruction, and Professional Learning Communities (PLC) The 2010-2011 SPDG-DPI mini-grant team provided preliminary background training on RtI and differentiated instruction Data collected as part of the grant provided information on faculty's perceived knowledge of RtI, differentiated instruction and PLCs as well as how to implement all three of these into the curriculum This data provides the groundwork for the next step in this year's grant proposal focused on the development and implementation of differentiated instruction and RtI through a PLC philosophy The 2011-2012 SPDG mini-grant project will afford UW-L faculty knowledge and skills to better understand and teach PLC, differentiated instruction, and RtI in all content areas and developmental ranges To accomplish this, we intend to continue professional training on these three key topics Professional training will reach all UW-LaCrosse School of Education faculty Professional training will be multiple workshops (1/2 and full day) to assist the faculty in creating new pilot curriculum The new pilot curriculum will be a culturally responsive curriculum that infuses differentiated instructional strategies and RtI into all education courses, so that teacher candidates are better prepared to support ALL learners by creating academically responsive classroom environments School of Education faculty will function as PLCs at various levels (program, department, School of Education) levels The ongoing professional training will facilitate the PLC development, which in turn, facilitates the pilot curriculum development This grant is an extension of the 2010-2011 SPDG-DPI mini-grant The Grant Team has identified four goals: study PLCs (Summer 2011) implement professional development in PLC, differentiated instruction, and RTI (fall-spring 2011-2012) implement PLC philosophy within the IHE setting (fall-spring 2011-2012) develop PLC philosophy within all developmental range program curricula a teach PLC, RtI, differentiated instruction, and PBIS concepts within academic classes b implement PLC within field experiences This year's focus is the development of a PLC that will analyze assessment data and collectively research differentiated instruction and RtI for university course instruction The PLC will be comprised of the grant team, additional SOE faculty, and PK-12 consultants who will meet through the 2011-2012 academic year to discuss researchbased instructional practice The grant team expects to create an integrated curriculum based on a PLC philosophy The grant team will focus on the implementation and assessment of a PLC philosophy using differentiated instruction and RtI across all teacher education programs at UW-L PLCs, differentiated instruction, and RtI will provide a structure for course and program modifications that focuses on candidate and PK-12 student success The core investigators and their respective departments and specialties include: Department of Educational Studies: Carol Angell, Project Director, Special Education Barb Gander, Early Childhood Education Bob Krajewski, Educational Leadership Specialist Joyce Shanks, Curriculum Specialist Department of Mathematics: Jennifer Kosiak, Secondary Teacher Education Preparation Coordinator Jenni McCool, Mathematics Education Department of Psychology Rob Dixon, School Psychology Contact: Carol Angell, Ph.D cangell@uwlax.edu UW-Milwaukee Faculty Development and the Creation of a Cross-disciplinary, Case-based Course in RtI and PBIS for Pre-service Teachers and Administrators The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has a long history of commitment to the Milwaukee Public Schools that includes preparing and retaining teachers able to teach effectively in urban classrooms with low-income, racial, and ethnic minority students Our urban mission demands that faculty engage in professional development around RtI and PBIS in order to include these frameworks into our teacher education, administrative, and Master's degree program Through this grant, faculty will: Create a cross-disciplinary course within the UW-Milwaukee School of Education that offers pre-service teachers and administrators an authentic problem solving opportunity focused on the implementation of RtI and PBIS Offer faculty professional development to provide greater understanding of the rationale, research base, implementation, and challenges associated with RtI and PBIS We recognize the first goal is predicated on the second, but the primary outcome is to cultivate faculty expertise and, in turn, create a cadre of school-based personnel prepared to collaboratively problem-solve the issues facing local schools struggling to implement the RtI and PBIS frameworks Teacher- and administrator-candidate learning will be evident through the inclusion of appropriate artifacts in their culminating, exit portfolios A secondary outcome is that faculty will infuse their new knowledge of RtI and PBIS into existing program offerings During the course of the grant, representatives from the Departments of Administrative Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, and Exceptional Education will collaborate with UWM's Council on Professional Education (CPE), the Wisconsin PBIS Network, and Center for Behavioral Education and Research at the University of Connecticut Faculty members will engage in professional development that will assist in the creation and development of an interdisciplinary course around RtI and PBIS that will be offered during the 2012-2013 school year Contact: Leigh E Wallace, PhD, lwallace@uwm.edu UW-Oshkosh Preparing Pre-service Teachers and School Administrators to Support All Learners The primary goal of the project is to further develop and expand the collaborative teaching and learning partnerships established the previous year within the College of Education and Human Services and broaden the base of collaboration The purpose of this expansion is to help those involved prepare pre-service teachers and school administrators who support ALL learners The strong movement in our country and state toward the use of culturally responsive educational practices necessitate greater understanding of the academic and behavioral components of RtI This shift in educational practice requires deeper understanding and practical application of evidence-based practice, progress monitoring, and collaboration To ensure more permanent change in our institution's programs, individuals from the Departments of Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, and Special Education will work collaboratively to ensure that our teacher and administrative candidates leave us with a thorough understanding of RtI and its associated practices Toward this goal, the following steps are planned:    Syllabus changes will be made in two courses, one in special education and one in general education, to enhance the focus on RtI for both sets of preservice teachers The Planting the Seeds of Inclusion conference will have dedicated strands for administrators in addition to the strands addressing RtI for pre-service and in-service teachers Changes will be made in the principal certificate course syllabi to reflect the increased emphasis on PBIS and RtI  The Special Education Director/Pupil Services licensure program proposal will be developed and submitted to the Department of Public Instruction Elements of PBIS and RtI will be incorporated into this new program Contacts: Stacey N Skoning, PhD, skonings@uwosh.edu Karen Gibson, PhD, gibsonk@uwosh.edu UW-River Falls A University-Wide, Professional Development Initiative Pertaining to Differentiated Instruction & Universal Design for Learning The purpose of the current project is to apply and to extend the lessons learned from the first year of the project through collaborative partnerships and continuing professional development offerings in the areas of differentiated instruction (DI) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) This project emphasizes the actual implementation of collaborative teaching and modeling of inclusion, DI, UDL, and culturally-responsive pedagogical practices (CRP) through the Block II seminar and field-based experiences facilitated by the UWRF Teacher Education Department and special education faculty Pre-service teachers are experiencing first-hand collaborative and inclusive teaching principles and receiving supervision and coaching in their efforts to apply these principles in their emerging practice Additionally, continuing professional development in the area of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) and CRP is taking place to compliment the academic focus of the other emphases (i.e DI & UDL) associated with the project The goal is to enhance the capacity of faculty members, students, and cooperating professionals to prepare ALL educators for ALL learners, particularly in their abilities to connect research to practice In this regard, the aim is for these practices to trickle down to the classrooms in which pre-service teachers will eventually serve Principal Investigators are Satomi K Shinde, Todd A Savage, Michael D Harris, Teresa Kruizenga, and Brenda Wright, College of Education and Professional Studies Contact: Satomi K Shinde, PhD, satomi.shinde@uwrf.edu UW-Stevens Point and Mid-State Technical College Collaborative Preparation of Early Childhood Education Undergraduates The purpose of this grant is to utilize the expertise of all undergraduate students in preservice programs at Mid-State Technical College (MSTC) and the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) Early Childhood Education programs From our previous grant, we learned that UWSP students need direct instruction in coaching provided by April Hartjes of MSTC We are planning to have the direct instruction in the fall and the experiential aspect of coaching in the spring We also learned from the 2010-2011 grant that there are scheduling constraints and joint sessions were not possible Thus, the sharing of professors to disseminate the content seems the most likely solution There is a possibility that the format at MSTC early childhood program may change to a more typical semester At this point, it is felt that that sharing of professors would allow the most flexibility Dr Caro of UWSP will be presenting on the CSFEL and PBIS models to educate MSTC students about implementation of these models and potentially their role in each Contact: Patricia Caro, PhD pcaro@uwsp.edu and April Hartjes, MS april.hartjes@mstc.edu UW-Whitewater and Waukesha County Technical College Collaborative Consultation in Action The focus of the “Collaborative Consultation in Action” project is to implement a consultative functional intervention model that three faculty members from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater (UWW) and Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) developed The purpose of the project is two-fold First, we train college students in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Special Education (ECSE), and Speech/Language Pathology (SLP) in acquiring knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for engaging in collaborative consultation in early childhood settings After students join a consultation team during a field placement, they build relationships, gather information, identify functional goals and strategies, implement strategies, and evaluate outcomes Second, we field-test functional intervention approaches using collaborative consultation at four childcare centers So far we learned that early childhood education and care providers are dedicated to supporting children with disabilities in their programs However, they need more effective consultative supports from special education teams This year we continue to work with professionals as they implement a consultation process and seek their feedback about the efficacy of collaborative consultation approaches and the likelihood that they will continue to use this model into the future Contact: Simone DeVore, PhD, devores@uww.edu & Joan Hadar, MS, jhader@wctc.edu Carroll University Innovative Approaches to Developing a Special Education Major and Certification Program Carroll University Teacher Education Program through the Wisconsin DPI State Personnel Development Grant is developing a Special Education major and certification This work will address innovative approaches, at the course level, through team teaching, collaboration and building partnerships that support pre-service and inservice teacher's preparation to challenge all students to excel within the general education curriculum, including students with disabilities The expected accomplishments of this project will be the implementation of an innovative Elementary Education/ Special Education dual major and a Special Education Certification at Carroll University beginning in the fall of 2012 The goals of the grant include:     Development of a Special Education certification to enhance the Teacher Education Program while addressing a high societal need Development of a dual major (Elementary Education/ Special Education) by offering methods courses which are team taught by General and Special Education Faculty Strengthen and model systemic collaboration with Technical College Partners with existing articulation agreements in the second year of this work to solidify current 2+2 agreements to include Special Education, which benefits the two year institutions, Carroll University and provides future sustainability Design assessment instrument(s) for the major and certification linked to departmental, university, Department of Public Instruction and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) criteria Contact: Kathrine Kramer, PhD, kkramer@carrollu.edu Concordia University Wisconsin Active Coaching in Education (ACE): A Collaborative Approach to Increase Achievement for All Students in Urban Schools ACE is an active coaching model in the classroom that was developed to increase achievement for all students in urban schools Feedback needs to be immediate, constant, and specific ACE meets these concerns This includes coaching students to implement primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions for academic and behavior needs in the inclusive, diverse classroom Measurable changes that will be evident in phase two is more teachers utilizing ACE, which means improved teaching practices and interventions at all three Response to Intervention (RTI) tiers in inclusive urban classrooms Culturally Responsive Teaching, High Quality Instruction, Differentiation, Core Academic, and Behavioral Instruction are the coaching categories that were developed based on RTI Teacher instruction improves for all students and specific special education and/or cultural needs are immediately implemented Partnering with Dr Linda Hensel, the director of special education at Concordia University Wisconsin strengthens ACE Her expertise assists students in real time as they experience the challenges of full inclusion We selected this project because of its link to 21st century skills, the urban education nexus to special education, RTI focus, and the enormous impact on student learning Contact: Steve W Gerner, Ed.D steven.gerner@cuw.edu Edgewood College Evidence Based Practices in Teacher Education Based at Edgewood College, in Madison, WI, this minigrant supports professors in their work as they attend staff development sessions and develop action plans to improve syllabi and courses to better prepare teacher education candidates for meeting the needs of all learners This is primarily done through the lenses of universal design and differentiation of instruction In the future with additional funding, expansive partnership with the local K-12 system will allow this team to implement the new strategies and to measure the successes in formative and summative formats Edgewood College Contact: Tom Holub, PhD, tholub@edgewood.edu Collaborative of Scholars Funds from this source have supported the creation of a website that promotes collaboration between IHEs across the State of Wisconsin The collaborative encourages professors to share areas of expertise with sister schools Funds support the travel expenses for these volunteer participants In the future, with additional funding, the Collaborative of Scholars anticipates hosting lecture forums and to extend into inviting scholars outside of the state to come to Wisconsin campuses Partners include Edgewood College http://education.edgewood.edu/index.html, Silver Lake College http://www.sl.edu/edu/default.asp, Carroll University and the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges http://www.wficweb.org/ Contact: Tom Holub, PhD, tholub@edgewood.edu Edgewood College Maranatha Baptist Bible College Collaboration and Resource Project Phase II – SPDG IHE Mini-Grant 20011-2012 The first year SPDG Mini-Grant goals were met We were able to start our collaboration efforts with two Education Summits both featuring local public school district speakers Their topics were Inclusion and Response to intervention (RtI) Our Teacher Education Department (TED) faculty and students gave positive feedback regarding what had been learned Course syllabi have been enhanced with the addition of more purposeful instruction on inclusion and RtI Resources on these topics have been purchased to aid instruction The first year informed our second year grant goals by giving us renewed vigor for expanding collaboration between our faculty, students, and local school district What we have already accomplished in the classroom and with other educators outside of our college was a success which is leading to greater collaboration and a higher level of learning in knowledge, skills, and dispositions regarding inclusion, RtI, and Differentiated Instruction Our students have already mentioned that they have been able to successfully address DI and RtI questions in job interviews They have expressed confidence in pre –service clinical experiences while working with K-12 students with special needs The Phase II Collaboration and Resource Project states three objectives To engage and collaborate with local school districts regarding the training of pre-service teachers and Maranatha faculty regarding RtI/PBIS, inclusion, and Differentiated Instruction To purchase resources regarding RtI/PBIS, inclusion, and DI To effect course content involving pre service teacher training in inclusion, RtI/PBIS, and Differentiated Instruction The Teacher Education Department has already hosted (10/10/11) an Education Summit regarding PBIS Seven local school district personnel, representing three local school district, attended along with our faculty and a large number of our TED students A Watertown school District representative spoke for 45 minutes on PBIS We then broke up into four focus groups with two district representatives facilitating each group regarding PBIS in their districts Each facilitator was given discussion topics ahead of time The collaboration between students, faculty, and district personnel was outstanding District representatives collaborated well with each other and the interaction produced a wealth of notes from our designated recorders The exit surveys were very positive The notes were organized and sent to our faculty and district participants Student feedback was very positive Contact: Dave Handyside, ME, David.Handyside@mbbc.edu Mount Mary College, Milwaukee Collaborative Curriculum Planning: Aligning Program Standards, Objectives, and Assessments The project involves the review and revision of the curriculum for the Mount Mary College teacher education programs as well as of the implementation and evaluation of the revised curriculum Project participants include Education Department faculty and administrative personnel as well as adjunct instructors and supervisors who are practitioners in the PK-12 system [several of whom are National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs)] and represent urban and suburban public, charter, and private schools Particular attention has been given to themes identified in the revised Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards related to cultural competence, individual differences, technology, and data informed instructional decision making, as well as the Common Core State Standards for learners The primary outcome of the project will be a newly designed curriculum with content and assessments that align with new pupil and teacher standards and is coherent in form and structure In addition the collaborative approach will bridge the theory of best practices and the reality of the classroom As a result of the work on this project, the following outcomes are expected:     revisions to the Department’s knowledge, performance and disposition indicators related to the Ten Wisconsin Standards for Teacher Development and Licensure revised course goals adjusted course learning experiences revised curriculum map, including course embedded assessments, and portfolio guidelines In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the planning process, short-term impact on preservice teacher learning in revised courses will be assessed through a collaborative analysis of student work samples from each course by project participants A review of student and teacher course evaluations will be considered at the end of each semester In the long-term, program completer and graduate follow-up evaluations also will be used to assess curriculum effectiveness Contact: Debra Dosemagen, Ph.D dosemagd@mtmary.edu Silver Lake College of the Holy Family (SLC), Manitowoc, WI Developing Universally Accessible and Differentiated Instruction through Collaborative Partnerships: From Theory to Practice The focus of SLC’s 2011-2012 SPDG project shifted from developing a knowledge-base for understanding the theory of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Understanding by Design (UbD), and Differentiated Instruction (DI) to the application and integration of these three instructional design models into general and special education methods courses and classroom-based clinical experiences The Core SPDG Team at SLC, which includes General and Special Education faculty, and a Content Area (Science) faculty member, identified these measurable curricular or program changes as priorities for the 2011-2012 project:        Establish a “partnership committee” which includes cooperating teachers, supervising faculty, pre-service teachers, and members of the SPDG core team participating in the project to give input and feedback on methods course and clinical requirements redesign/revisions Continue to plan mini-workshops and conduct targeted discussion venues for the total Teacher Education Committee (TEC) and Secondary Teaching Education Team (STET) moving from theory to application and implementation of instructional design interventions into current pedagogy and teaching practice in teacher preparation Redesign/revise course content/pedagogy, assessment rubrics, and syllabi for three methods courses to include knowledge, application and integration of the three instructional design interventions into student outcomes and assignments Redesign/revise clinical requirements to provide opportunities for faculty and pre-service students to apply and integrate universally accessible and differentiated instruction into classroom environments to meet the needs of all students within an inclusive classroom setting Design universally accessible and differentiated instructional lessons and assessment rubrics using Academic Core content standards and the IEP goals for 1-2 special education students who are receiving instruction in the inclusive content classroom Implement the instructional lessons and assessment rubrics during clinical experience in an inclusive classroom Evaluate the effectiveness of the SPDG project: Developing Universally Accessible and Differentiated Instruction through Collaborative Partnerships: From Theory to Practice Specific activities to accomplish these priorities are further outlined in our Action Plan Contact: Sister Mary Karen Oudeans, Ph.D MaryKaren.Oudeans@sl.edu Viterbo College Campus wide Professional Development for Instructors Related to Response to Intervention and Differentiated Instruction - Second Grant Abstract Response to Intervention/Differentiation Conference for Graduate and Undergraduate Faculty at Viterbo University-Dec 10, 2011 The second phase of the DPI/ SPDG/IHE Mini Grant at Viterbo University will involve graduate and undergraduate faculty members in the application of the Response to Intervention /Differentiation (RtI/DI) in the classroom Participants will be asked to read Kathie Nunley’s book “Differentiating the High School Classroom” and present a one page paper giving two examples of how they will implement RtI/DI in their classes A brief update will be given by RtI/DI representatives from the state of Wisconsin and Iowa The conference will consist of a three part simulation of how a RTI/DI classroom may look Participants will experience as a student three stations that will simulate the different levels of the RtI/DI process At the conclusion of the stations participants will have a chance to reflect, review and discuss the RtI/DI simulation activity The required action plan for participants will consist of one of two options; complete a RtI/DI Viterbo University Lesson Plan or insert RtI/DI into a course syllabus not submitted for the first grant The conference will conclude with an evaluation survey Contact: Bernie Ferry, PhD blferry@viterbo.edu CESA Teacher Development Center, Alternative Licensure Program Enhancing Education Through Technology Through the funds allocated through this Mini-Grant in the first year, all of the TDC faculty and TDC teacher candidates in the CESA TDC Program received training that enabled them to effectively use up-to-date technology tools and electronic learning resources and further expanded their skills for differentiating instruction for the students they serve An equally and as important outcome for this training is that our faculty and teacher candidates will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions to effectively meet the educational needs of ESL/Bilingual and special education students in the classroom by receiving training on research based practices which are integrated /infused with the technology tools and resources used in the training including but not limited to the following: MS Office 2007; SMARTboard, ENO, Promethean interactive white boards, clicker responses and Elmo’s; Skype, WIKI, Doodle, and Survey monkey For the grant received in 2011-12, Curriculum Based Measurements and RtI- A perfect match for progress monitoring, we plan to continue to use and expand technology to accomplish the following:     develop tools to use in their classrooms for academic progress monitoring (compiling, charting and graphing data) identify students who are not demonstrating adequate progress design more effective individualized instructional programs that integrates technologies into every intervention class for struggling learners and ultimately raise the academic achievement of all learners Contact: Ronald Tomes, MS, rtomes@cesa7.k12.wi.us ... Collaboration and Resource Project Phase II – SPDG IHE Mini- Grant 20011-2012 The first year SPDG Mini- Grant goals were met We were able to start our collaboration efforts with two Education Summits both... groundwork for the next step in this year's grant proposal focused on the development and implementation of differentiated instruction and RtI through a PLC philosophy The 2011-2012 SPDG mini- grant. .. which in turn, facilitates the pilot curriculum development This grant is an extension of the 2010-2011 SPDG- DPI mini- grant The Grant Team has identified four goals: study PLCs (Summer 2011) implement