THEME RECOMMENDATION ACTIVITIES TIMELINE

Multi-Tiered
Systems of
Support (MTSS)
Build on BSDs curricular
framework to
develop/implement a
framework of multi-tiered
systems of support (MTSS) for
academic achievement,
positive behavior, and
social/emotional growth
(including enrichment) for all
students.
The Response to Intervention/Multi-
Tiered Systems of Support Policy
2163 & 2163P review has been
completed. Principals trained in
MTSS. Committee formed to launch
district wide work.
The Special Education department
will continue to collaborate with the
Curriculum department as the MTSS
work continues
April 2014



2014-15
and on-
going
High Risk
Disability Areas
Target activities to assess
practices for students with
disabilities in high-risk areas to
inform future practices and to
support appropriate special
education evaluation referrals
for students in areas of
possible over/under
identification.
A group of ELL specialists,
Psychologists & Counseling staff
received training in the ELL Critical
Data Matrix protocol, which
specifically addresses the challenges
associated with distinguishing
between language differences and
disabilities. Subsequently, the group
adapted this protocol to meet the
needs in BSD. An overview & training
was given to district administrators in
February 2014 and throughout April,
all school Guidance Teams were
provided training in the use of the ELL
Critical Data Matrix. Guidance Teams
are now implementing its use.
As a part of the districts long range
Equity Plan, specific modules from
Pacific Education Group have been
developed for the special education
staff to dive deeper into equity issues
around race, ethnicity and special
education. These modules will begin
in the 2014-15 school year.
2012-2014









2014-16
Professional
Learning
Communicate information
contained in the special
education manual through
differentiated training for
various stakeholder groups
(including parents of students
Redesign of the Special Education
Share Point site to create the
infrastructure and provide training to
staff on how to access the multitude
of resources posted.
A subset of the Special Education
2013-15


Summer-
with/or believed to have
disabilities).
Leadership Advisory team has been
assembled to update the Procedural
Manual.
Each Para Educator has been
provided an additional 30 minutes
per week of non-student contact time
in order to plan with special
education teachers and receive
relevant on-the-job professional
development. The district has
subscribed to Paraeducator.com in
order to provide basic training
modules for each Para Educator.
Initial trainings have been conducted.
Para Educators have had two paid
training opportunities in the 2013-14
school year.
Professional Development for special
education staff has been designed
and scheduled for the 2014-15 school
year to include topics such as
Executive Functioning, Collaborative
Communication, IEP Writing with the
CCSS in Mind, Maximizing Para
Educators in the Classroom, and
Integrating Communication Goals into
Everyday Activities.
Principals and other building
administrators have identified their
need for specialized training in special
education, including compliance (the
IEP process), program development,
support and supervision of students
and special education staff, and
understanding disabilities.
Opportunities to provide this training
are being investigated.
Continue training staff on the
implementation of Right Response
and use of sensory integration as
alternatives to the use of restraint
and isolation techniques.
Fall 2014

2013-15








2014-15





2014-15






2014-16

Graduation Develop a system to identify
early students not on track to
graduate.



Set a goal and act to have no
student with an IEP drop out of
high school.
Collaborative work with the newly
hired Leader of Graduation Success
along with the Director of Research &
Accountability will target assessing
the needs as well as developing
systems for identifying and
intervening.
Specific measurements and targets
for zero dropouts need to be
established.
2014-15




2014-15
Suspensions Collect and analyze suspension
data comparing students
with/without IEPs to determine
the extent to which MTSS and
Specially Designed Instruction
(SDI) is effectively reducing the
time students are out of school
or classes because of
misconduct.
In concert with the work on Positive
Behavior Intervention Systems, 100%
graduation for students with IEPs, and
the development of MTSS, this work
will be collaborative.
2014-16
Curriculum With a consultant who is an
expert in the Common Core
State Standards (CCSS) and the
education of students with
IEPs, form a working group
with BSD representatives from
special education, curriculum &
instruction, and principals from
various grade levels and
schools with Special Programs.
Examine BSDs service delivery
model for Specially Designed
Instruction (SDI) and consider
alternative models that would
enable students to access
research-based interventions
and receive more instruction in
general education core
curricular classes with the
support of special
educators/related service
providers.
Special Education Instructional
Technology Curriculum
Leader/Developer (ITCL), Program
Coordinators and Special Education
Administration have researched and
attended trainings on CCSS and
special education. Professional
Development for 2014-15 has been
designed and will be launched August
2014.
School teams are designing additional
flexible, individualized programs that
provide SDI through the adaptation of
core curriculum as well as through
the special education direct
instruction curriculum. See
Professional Learning above and
Special Programs below.




2013-15






2013-15






Review the tools currently in
use to assess the extent to
which students are benefitting
from SDI to establish
expectations regarding regular
collection, problem-solving,
and changes to instruction
necessary to support student
achievement and
social/emotional growth.
In partnership with Research &
Accountability and Information
Technology, examine current tools
and research ways to access this
information in a systematic and user-
friendly way to further analysis and
problem-solving.
2014-15
Preschool Establish an expectation that
the great majority of preschool
children with IEPs will be
educated alongside their
nondisabled peers through an
integrated service model that
has no more half the children
in the class with an IEP.
Collaborative planning with the Early
Learning department resulted in
changing the fee structure in order to
attract more typically developing
peers into the integrated preschool
program.
Future work is underway to create
blended Early Learning/Special
Education preschool classrooms in
multiple locations throughout the
school district.
In partnership with the UW Haring
Center, Dr. Ilene Schwartz & Dr.
Jennifer Fang, a follow up study on
the effectiveness and efficacy of
Project DATA (extended day) in the
PALS Plus program for students with
Autism to further understanding of
effective and sustainable programs
for early intervention for young
children with Autism.
May 2014



2014-15


Summer
2014-
Summer
2015
Twice
Exceptional
Investigate the model used by
Northshore School District and
other evidence supporting
effective instruction for twice
exceptional students.
Research will commence in fall of
2014.
2014-15
Special
Programs
Expand Technical Assistance
Team (TAT) and teacher access
to them.
Expand student access (as
appropriate) to Applied
Behavior Analysis (ABA) in
Current plans are to maintain TAT
staffing and function.

The district maintains a collaborative
contractual relationship with Dr.
Felice Orlich, an expert in the field of


2013-14

elementary schools.




Establish a clear expectation
that all students in Special
Programs will be provided with
opportunities to interact with
nondisabled peers, and that
IEPs will incorporate this
expectation to the maximum
extent appropriate.
children with Autism. Additionally,
this year the district established a
contract with a Board Certified
Behavior Analyst (BCBA) from the
University of Washington Haring
Center for Applied Research &
Training in Education.
Research and professional
development on increasing student
access to general education has
resulted in Lake Hills, Stevenson &
Odle piloting Co-Teaching models
beginning in 2014-15. With support
and encouragement from Special
Education, many schools are finding
co-teaching opportunities to leverage
increased access to core instruction
for students with IEPs.




2013-15
Collaboration
and
Communication
Enhance collaboration
between BSD Departments to
leverage resource and
expertise.

Maximize Special Services
special education support to
schools by increasing
communication.









Update BSDs special education
manual to support current and
user-friendly access to
Strengthening partnerships and
collaborative work has been
facilitated by the reorganization and
realignment of the special education
administration.
The department now has four
Supervisors compared with three in
2012-13 and has added Program
Coordinators; one dedicated to
Olympic (Autism) and a half-time
coordinator dedicated to Transition
Services (18-21 year olds).
Special education supervisors have
assisted IEP teams through the use of
a neutral third party (Sound Options)
with multiple families in the 2013-14
school year. Additionally, a team of
special education teachers/staff,
principals and a supervisor
participated in an 8-day training on
Facilitated IEP Meetings.
A summer work team has been
established to complete this work.
2013-14


2013-14




2013-14
and on-
going



Summer &
Fall 2014
procedures/practices relevant
to the management/operation
of special education.
Staffing Reallocate or add resources to
ensure that BSD expectations
regarding the provision of
Specially Designed Instruction
(SDI)/related services are
reasonably capable of being
met.
The Class Size/Caseload Committee
work resulted in specific
recommendations for special
education, some of which will be
implemented in 2014-15.
Increased certificated FTE is planned
for 2014-15 in order to lower teacher-
student ratio, bringing more access to
students. Additionally, the special
education administration is working
with teachers and IEP teams to bring
more program Para Educator support
in order to enhance instructional
opportunities for students.

2013-14



2014-15




Assistive
Technology
Review and revise, as
appropriate, BSDs assistive
technology (AT) criteria and
procedures.
Clerical support has been provided to
update the inventory and lending
library systems in order to allow the
AT specialists more time to work with
staff, students and families
2013-14
Transportation Review the current process for
discussing issues of concern
regarding students with
transportation as a related
service, and how the issues
may be addressed more
effectively/timely.
Increased communication with the
Transportation department has
improved experiences for students
and staff. However, trouble-shooting
needs to be addressed more
thoroughly.
2013-15
Family
Involvement
Enhance communication with
parents/families by improving
the BSD/Special Education
websites, establishing a
standard for visitations for
children having/thought to
have a disability and resolving
disputes.
The website has been redesigned and
now includes information on the
work of the Implementation Team as
well as family and community
education events.
The policy and procedures on
observations and visits has been
updated.
Special education administration and
other staff attend and provide
presentations to the Bellevue Special
Needs PTA. Special education staff
2013-14
and on-
going

April 2014

2013-14
and on-
going
continues to organize and sponsor
additional community education
events on topics of interest to
families of students with disabilities.
Results Driven
Accountability
Establish a system of
accountability to support BSDs
mission to provide each and
every student with an
exemplary college preparatory
education so they can succeed
in college, career, and life; and
goals for each and every
student to reach/exceed
academic proficiency, and to
eliminate the achievement gap.
Collaboration with Research &
Accountability to find answers to the
question: What makes a good
system of measurement of academic
success, college and career readiness
and positive and productive life for
students in special education and for
the department as a whole?

2013-15