May 16, 2023 • 25 mins
The National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) is happy to present a podcast series based on our “Pursuing Equity at the Intersection of Language, Culture and Disability” Thought Leader Conversation Series. This series is focused on elevating equity in opportunity and achievement for students with disabilities or who may have disabilities and who are English learners. NCSI is committed to supporting SEAs and their partners in expanding their understanding of the intersection of language, culture, and disability in K-12 education.
Through a curated collection of highlights from the five live sessions, these podcast episodes are less than 30-minutes, designed to be engaging and interactive, and organized around NCSI’s four systems elements:
In this fifth episode, your hosts Kate Nagle and Swati Guin from the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) revisit the fifth session of the series, the systems coherence session, which took place on November 30, 2022 and included the following thought leaders:
- Dr. Jamey Burho
- Ms. Ximena Hurtado
- Dr. Sara Kangas
- Ms. Kirsi Lane
- Dr. Cara Richards-Tutor
- Ms. Eliana Tardío
- Mr. Timothy Tipton
Included below are a few resources suggested by our thought leaders and National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) staff to extend your learning and apply the knowledge to your improvement efforts related to supporting English learners with disabilities. Rather than an exhaustive list, this is a small sample of resources we hope will be particularly useful to leadership teams at both the state and district levels. Below you will find links and brief descriptions to help you decide which resources may be most relevant to you and your context and you can access the complete resource list here.
Quick facts on English learners with disabilities
As a quick introduction to this population, the Foundational session shared data from OSEP Fast Facts: Students With Disabilities Who Are English Learners (ELs) Served Under IDEA Part B. This interactive brief, also available as a PDF, uses data from school years 2012/13 through 2020/21 to describe this growing subgroup of students and notes some of the differences we see among English learners with disabilities and the broader population of students with disabilities in terms of identification, placement, and outcomes.
What does the research say?
In 2017, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) released Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures. This report examined the research to make recommendations to better support English learners. Chapter 10 of the NASEM report is particularly relevant as it focuses on English learners with disabilities. The report brief Dual Language Learners and English Learners with Disabilities provides Chapter 10 highlights related to five specific disabilities, common myths, best practices in identification and evaluation, and considerations for individualized education programs (IEPs). Some of the myths address the erroneous idea that English learners with disabilities cannot or should not learn multiple languages. In reality, they can learn both English and their home languages and benefit from doing so. The Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) created an infographic on multilingualism’s cognitive, educational, economic, and sociocultural benefits.
This podcast is produced by the National Center for Systemic Improvement (NCSI) at WestEd which is funded by a grant from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the US Department of Education, #H326R190001. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government, Project Officer: Perry Williams (October 201
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(upbeat music)
- Welcome to the fifth and final episode
of the National Center forSystemic Improvement, or NCSI,
podcast series on pursuing equity
at the intersection of language,culture, and disability.
This podcast builds on the work
of the NCSI Thought LeaderConversation Series,
which aligns with NCSI'sfour systems elements,
(00:22):
data literacy, stakeholderand family engagement,
research-informed practice,and systems coherence.
In this work, NCSI commits
to supporting stateeducation agencies, or SEAs,
and community partners inexpanding understanding
about the intersectionof language, culture,
and disability in K-12 education.
We identify next steps
(00:43):
for SEAs to enact systemimprovements that focus
on elevating equity in bothopportunity and achievement
for students who are Englishlearners with disabilities.
For more information about NCSI,
please visit our website, ncsi.wested.org.
- My name is Kate Nagle,
and I'm a senior programassociate at WestEd.
(01:05):
I co-lead NCSI's systems coherence team,
which works with center staff
and partners to buildthe capacity of states
to develop greatercoherence in their systems.
- And my name is Swati Guin.
I'm a research associate
at the American Institutes for Research
and a member of the NCSIplanning team for the series.
(01:26):
After kicking off the series
with a look into the complexities
at the intersection of culture,language, and disability
in our foundational session,
we committed to dedicatingthe following sessions
to explore the NCSI elements
for system improvement one by one.
That's how we spent thelast three sessions focusing
on data literacy, familyand community engagement,
(01:46):
and research-informed practice
as approaches for improvingoutcomes for students designated
as English learners with disabilities.
Now to wrap it all up,
our thought leaders spent thelast session of the series,
which took place on November 30th, 2022,
exploring how systemscoherence can break the silos
in which English as asecond language, ESL,
(02:07):
special education services, ESE,
and general education tend to operate.
We must reimagine new ways
to create meaningful collaborationamong these departments
that serve the intersectingneeds of students
with disabilities who areEnglish-language learners.
In this episode,
the thought leadersdiscuss several challenges
and barriers to systems alignment.
(02:29):
They also identifystrategies for strengthening
and sustaining systems coherence.
- Let's start by unpacking what we mean
by systems coherence.
Based on the work of MichaelFullan and Joanne Quinn,
NCSI has identifiedtwo foundational pieces
that make up systems coherence.
(02:51):
First, systems coherencecreates consistency
in beliefs, policies, and procedures
to ensure sharedunderstanding of the purpose
and nature of the work.
And second, systems coherenceinvolves taking action
so all parts of the systemare functionally aligned
(03:15):
and all participants understand their part
in achieving the goal.
There are four key elements
of systems coherence in education.
The first is a shared purposeamong all team members,
which starts with strongleaders that bridge people
(03:35):
and communities together.
Speech pathologist TimothyTipton explains further.
- I think that the most basic one
of what we're talking about today
is identifying the students who may
or may not have disabilities,
whether you're supporting that
at the early multi-tieredsystems of support level,
(03:56):
or you're supporting atthe IEP services level
or anywhere in between.
So what is our purpose ofidentifying these students
and also providing themthe proper supports?
And really this can only happen
if we bring together shared perspectives,
the families, specialeducators, general educators,
language supports, really,if we want to come together
(04:18):
and get to know the whole child.
And it's a type of process that I refer to
as a transdisciplinary process.
It shares these resources.
It shares the data.
And it helps us makethese decisions together.
And so as we work togetherin developing an IEP
and developing those supports,
we're building off eachother's knowledge and skills.
(04:41):
- When professionals andfamilies share knowledge
and skills, they're engagedin the second key element
of systems coherence,deliberate collaboration
in creating processes and procedures.
Mr. Tipton explains more
of what deliberate collaboration entails.
(05:01):
- It starts with purposeful collaboration,
whether that's in creatingprocesses, procedures,
guidance documents.
There are so many crossover procedures
that impact so many different levels
and stakeholders and professions,
whether that's reclassification
of students who are Englishlearners who have disabilities,
identification of disabilities,
(05:23):
accommodations during our testing.
So many of these things we really need
to be talking together about
in order to find out whatare the best practices
for these students.
And the cross-developmental collaboration
when we look at these different frameworks
builds off thoseprocedures, those practices,
that enhances the systems that we use.
(05:44):
- This collaboration across departments
considers students designatedas English learners
from the get-go,
with the goal of creatingstrategic alignment
when initially developing newprocesses within the system.
This collaboration alsoinvolves examining data
(06:04):
through various lenses
and intentionally engagingfamilies and communities.
The third element is strategicresource allocation and use,
especially of staff expertise and efforts.
Mr. Tipton explains why this is important.
- Are we duplicating effortswhen we're assessing as well?
(06:28):
Are we interviewing the parent,
asking the same background questions?
Are we putting that samebackground information
in our reports?
Maybe instead we couldstart to delegate some
of those tasks and gather data
and share a wider swath of information,
unique information that cutsacross different contexts
so we're not all lookingat the same thing.
(06:48):
We share data from multiple contexts,
and that just provides more holistic
and meaningful patterns
to make importantdecisions for our students.
And it really feels like whenwe are duplicating efforts
that we may just be over-allocating
to that type of resource,
and that just may beperpetuating our inequities.
- And the final element isreflection and improvement,
(07:11):
which should continuallyhappen at every level.
It requires investingin professional learning
to build and sustain collaboration
and centering the assets andlearning needs of the students.
- When I think of it frommulti-tiered systems of support
to implementing an IEP support,
we're continually monitoring,adjusting our instruction
(07:31):
and our interventions.
And I know that's happeningat different state
and district and also school levels.
- When attempting to changeand strengthen systems,
we also need to be prepared for conflicts
and challenges that may arise,
particularly when we do the necessary work
of examining limitations andimplicit biases in ourselves
(07:52):
and in the systems that we support.
We are strengthened whenour views are challenged.
- There are several other barriers
and challenges that can come up
when creating coherent systems
that support students designated
as English learners with disabilities.
Starting at the state level,
a recent study found that efforts
(08:13):
for coherence can be constrained
within the structure, culture,
and politics of education systems.
For example, stateeducation systems consist
of multiple departmentswhich are often siloed
rather than working together in tandem.
This fragmented approachcan be exacerbated
(08:35):
by federal funding streams
that maintain separate initiatives
for general education,special education, and ESL.
- Paid policies inform thework of districts and schools.
As we discussed in our first episode
on the foundational session,
many historical bilingualeducation laws were rooted
(08:55):
in xenophobia and racismthat disrupted services
and created misalignmentacross departments.
These misaligned systems
can further excludefamilies and communities
by providing conflictingmessages that confuse
and constrain families' abilityto meaningfully be included
in their child's education.
Educators also receivemixed messages about how
(09:18):
to best support Englishlearners with disabilities.
One common misconception is
that special education trumpsEnglish-language development
for these students.
- While state policy
can impact system alignment in districts,
there can also be silos
within their owninstructional programming.
For example, educators are influenced
(09:39):
by their own specializations and training.
Dr. Sara Kangas from Lehigh University
describes the challenges this poses.
- A lot of our beliefs thatwe have as state leaders,
as educators, intimately connect
to our own disciplinary training.
So the ways we've beenprofessionally trained,
(10:00):
our specializations,
and the frameworks that we useshape the way we see systems,
how we understand equity, for example,
or what we think are bestpractices and services,
or what do optimal supports look like
for these students.
Our answers to these questionswill likely change depending
on our own background in termsof disciplinary training.
- With our beliefs, it is important
(10:22):
to examine how we label studentsand how we value languages.
As Kirsi Laine, deputy director
of the Language and Culture Division
at the New Mexico PublicEducation Department asks...
- Do we actually value them?
How do we see bilingualismand multilingualism?
And we can say it's great,
but do we really value those as assets?
(10:45):
And how do we have our departments set up
to support multilingualism?
Or how do we really supportthat that has its own track?
Are we looking that that's a great asset
to have when students graduate?
What about somebody who isreally great at languages?
Are we really supporting that?
So I think there's many ways
to look at that value of languages,
(11:07):
and it ties to how are we then making sure
that English-learner students
then have their languageacquisition services
that they need to be successful,
whether they're studentswith disabilities or not.
- Having language development specialists
at IEP meetings is crucial
for understanding students'language development
and exceptional learningneeds in a holistic way.
(11:31):
But when these systems areseparated and act in isolation,
we create a specialist model
where individual specialists are working
with just a subset of the student's needs
rather than accounting
for the whole child's fuller set of needs.
- When students receive multiple separate
instructional services,
(11:52):
their school day can be highly fragmented,
which results in stressfor everyone involved,
educators, students, and their families.
However, when teams work together
to intentionally developa coherent approach
to supporting students and recognize
that all students aregeneral-education students,
they can create a more aligned
and effective learning opportunity.
(12:15):
As Eliana Tardio, NCSIcontent specialist, says...
- Services and supports are not meant
to segregate, isolate, or label students,
but instead they are pieces of the puzzle
that connect to maximize theopportunities of all students
as general-education students first.
(12:36):
There are no ESE or ESL or SPED,
or special-education students.
We have general-education students,
first and always, our students.
- So how exactly can westrengthen systems coherence?
One of the most importantsteps a state can make
is to engage in purposeful aligned action
(12:59):
through a mission or vision statement.
Once that is established,
a state can providecapacity-building activities
that align with their statement,
such as a leadershipdevelopment opportunity
and planning for future collaboration.
Ximena Hurtado,
a teacher in Florida's LeeCounty School District,
provides some examples
of these capacity-building activities.
(13:21):
- Building capacity can includeunderstanding where gaps
in knowledge occur aroundthe students designated
as English learners with disabilities
and offering professional development
and technical assistanceto improve the knowledge
and actions around that topic.
At a local or school level,
examples of capacity-buildingactivities can consist
(13:45):
of training and mentorship.
- Other parts of the processinclude improving the knowledge
of teachers in how to useevidence-based practices
and programs for studentswho are English learners
with disabilities throughlearning opportunities
such as professional learning communities
for teachers to design, review,and revamp lessons together,
(14:08):
being honest and transparentabout what worked
and what didn't.
Ms. Hurtado explains
what this transparency should look like.
- Mistakes will happen,but covering those mistakes
or making excuses won't helpanyone grow or reach the goal.
Transparencies helpeveryone be accountable
to our community, our leadership,
(14:30):
our teachers, and our students.
Monitor progress.
It is imperative that we make sure
that we are constantly assessing whether
or not we're still focused
on the purposeful action westarted the journey toward.
- Building coherence
can also includemonitoring student progress
(14:51):
in ways that consider the whole child,
engaging in continuous correction
to make adjustments as needed
and using conflict-engagementskills like active listening.
Through all of these actions, however,
effective communicationis at the foundation
as Ms. Tardio explains.
(15:12):
- Creating that pool of resources,
sharing responsibility and accountability,
working efficiently to avoidduplication of efforts,
and exchanging information regularly
are all actions that happen through open
and effective communication.
Same thing applies to clean data.
To collect data to ensure its authenticity
(15:36):
and to be able to interpretthat data accordingly,
we need to communicate effectivelyas a part of the system,
achieving that consensusamong interventionists
and services that will allow us
to keep strengthening system coherence
for our students designated
as English learners with disabilities.
(15:57):
- Ms. Hurtado shares how one strategy,
the creation of a master schedule,
helped her ensure students designated
as English-language learners
with disabilities werenot just an afterthought.
- I believe it's importantfor our ELA students
with disabilities notto be an afterthought
but include them from the onset.
(16:17):
My school, when we startworking on our master schedule,
we actually started priorto the next year coming up.
We create a list of all ourESE students, our ESL students,
you know, ELA students with disabilities,
and we work that masterschedule around them.
So they are like our primary students.
And then when we create that schedule,
so then instead of just pluggingthem in after the thought,
(16:39):
we consider them first.
So then we see where our needs are
and where we need to provide more support.
And so that's how ourmaster schedule is created
at our school,
and I'm part of that because I'm the ESL
and ESE rep at our school.
So I really hope and wish thatevery school will do that.
- From her experienceinterviewing the director
(17:00):
of exceptional programs
and the director of multicultural services
at a district that successfullybuilt their systems
of coherence between the two departments,
senior researcher atWestEd, Dr. Jamey Burho
agrees with Ms. Tardiothat communication was
at the heart of their success.
And building on thatcommunication was the relationship
and trust the leadershad with one another.
(17:23):
After attending IEP meetingsevery day for a month,
the director of multiculturalservices was the first
to recognize how the twodepartments were so siloed.
Dr. Burho explains what she found.
- She discovered that no representative
from English-learner serviceswas attending these meetings.
And she also discovered thatthere was a misconception
(17:46):
that special education trumpedEnglish-learner services.
And the only reason that she came
to those realizations wasbecause she was sitting
at those meetings trying tounderstand what was happening.
And based on those insights,
she reached out to her counterpart
in the exceptional programs, the director,
and they sat down and wentthrough every single IEP
(18:09):
in the district for studentswho were dually identified
and discovered that only 10%
of those IEPs were correctly marked
as representing a student whowas also an English learner.
- After noticing this separation,
the two directors worked oncreating incremental changes
which were conveyed through frequent
(18:31):
and consistent messaging thatmade sure everyone understood
why these changes were happening.
The leaders modeled collaboration
by attending state-level meetings together
and deliberately modeledthis collaboration
to state and district leaders.
Ms. Laine expands on theimportance of this modeling.
(18:52):
- So when leadership,
and to me from the statelevel, there is that emphasis,
deliberate emphasis on collaboration,
and that's being modeled.
I mean, an example could bewhen there are state plans done
or strategic plans.
So how do we pull everydepartment into it?
And then making sure that thenonce we have a final output,
that everybody's voice has been in it.
(19:14):
But it starts with the modeling,
where in the district level,
they modeled they wereeverywhere together, right?
So that when we have statewidemeetings, we also overlap.
So when leadership,
and to me from the statelevel, there is that emphasis,
deliberate emphasis on collaboration,
and that's being modeled.
I mean, an example could bewhen there are state plans done
or strategic plans.
(19:35):
So how do we pull everydepartment into it?
And then making sure that thenonce we have a final output,
that everybody's voice has been in it.
But it starts with the modeling,
where in the district level,
they modeled they wereeverywhere together, right?
So that when we have statewidemeetings, we also overlap.
- In addition to modelingand communication,
(19:57):
the directors empowered speechand language pathologists
to use their expertise
to ensure students aren't misidentified.
With the collaborativerelationship they created,
they were able to align all services,
including related serviceslike speech and language,
so that students weregetting a coherent program
(20:19):
of instruction.
Ms. Burho shares moreabout this relationship.
- Along with that relationshipthat these two directors had,
the relationship withthe students is critical,
and the relationship with theirschool leaders is critical.
Be with people was a messagethat came up consistently
(20:40):
in the interview.
You've got to be with people.
You've got to be in the buildings.
You've got to communicatewith the families,
with the students, with the teachers.
And they finished by saying,this really stuck with me
at the end of the interview,
that with strong relationships,you can move mountains.
- Relationships like the one
(21:00):
between these two departmentaldirectors does not happen
in a vacuum.
Meaningful collaboration requires trust,
shared responsibility,and clear understanding
of each person's role inpromoting success for students.
Ms. Tardio leaves us with some thoughts
about why it is important that we focus
on creating an environmentthat fosters collaboration.
(21:24):
- As we learn to focus onour students' abilities
and possibilities as individuals,
it's important that weapply the same logic
to our relationships as professionals
and pieces of the system
because we all have talentsand unique capabilities.
Communication is an investmentthat is gonna allow us
(21:46):
to do more with less, toeliminate distractions
and many times misunderstandings,
and to keep learning togetheras we adapt and stay flexible
and resilient through theever-evolving systems.
As Dr. Pruitt says, let'smake many engines of success
so we all have opportunities to contribute
(22:08):
and find ways to collaborate.
- As we've discussed in this episode,
a lack of coordination and communication
at the intersection ofour general education,
special education, andEnglish-language development systems
often leads to fragmented services
for English learners with disabilities.
(22:29):
This can be especially true
for large state systems withmultiple siloed departments,
misaligned systems, andspecialists working in isolation.
In the foundationalwebinar in this TLC series,
Dr. Alfredo Artiles cautioned
that intersectionality is an issue rooted
(22:50):
in our institutional structure.
In this episode, we'vediscussed some solutions
for overcoming these institutionalintersectional problems
and transforming oursystems to create coherence.
The backbone of this approachis to center students
and align our systemsaround a shared purpose
(23:11):
for serving Englishlearners with disabilities.
Leaders at every level,state, district, and school,
can achieve this functional alignment
by developing a strong vision statement
for serving these students
and modeling interdepartmentalcollaboration.
Through clear and consistent messaging,
(23:32):
leaders at every level canestablish consistent policies
and procedures for aligning services
and avoid duplication of effort.
Leaders can also support professionals
by making their roles andresponsibilities clear
and providing ample opportunities
for professional learning,sharing expertise,
(23:54):
and meaningful collaboration.
Family engagement is also critical
to these collaborative conversations,
since families offer invaluable knowledge
and insight about theirchild's evolving strengths
and learning needs.
At the school level, leaderscan increase alignment
by first considering theneeds of English learners
(24:14):
with disabilities when schedulinginstructional services.
Finally, policies foraligning services must account
for the immense culturaland linguistic assets
of English learners with disabilities.
One powerful way to recognizestudents' language skills
and to meet their language learning needs
(24:36):
is to include a languagedevelopment specialist
in IEP meetings.
Educators can value students' cultures
and multilingualism as immense assets
as part of IEP development
and take care that all subsequentinstruction is coherent
and aligned with studentsstrengths and learning needs.
(24:58):
- And that's all for this series.
Thanks for tuning in.
We wanna express our deepest gratitude
to our thought leadersfor their contribution
and passion for this work.
We are your hosts.
- Kate Nagle.
- And Swati Guin.
To learn more about the ThoughtLeader Series and the work
of the National Centerfor Systemic Improvement,
(25:19):
funded by the Office ofSpecial Education Programs,
or to watch the recording
of the full systems coherent session,
please visit our website@ncsi.wested.org.
(gentle upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
- Welcome to the fifth and final episode
of the National Center forSystemic Improvement, or NCSI,
podcast series on pursuing equity
at the intersection of language,culture, and disability.
This podcast builds on the work
of the NCSI Thought LeaderConversation Series,
which aligns with NCSI'sfour systems elements,
(00:22):
data literacy, stakeholderand family engagement,
research-informed practice,and systems coherence.
In this work, NCSI commits
to supporting stateeducation agencies, or SEAs,
and community partners inexpanding understanding
about the intersectionof language, culture,
and disability in K-12 education.
We identify next steps
(00:43):
for SEAs to enact systemimprovements that focus
on elevating equity in bothopportunity and achievement
for students who are Englishlearners with disabilities.
For more information about NCSI,
please visit our website, ncsi.wested.org.
- My name is Kate Nagle,
and I'm a senior programassociate at WestEd.
(01:05):
I co-lead NCSI's systems coherence team,
which works with center staff
and partners to buildthe capacity of states
to develop greatercoherence in their systems.
- And my name is Swati Guin.
I'm a research associate
at the American Institutes for Research
and a member of the NCSIplanning team for the series.
(01:26):
After kicking off the series
with a look into the complexities
at the intersection of culture,language, and disability
in our foundational session,
we committed to dedicatingthe following sessions
to explore the NCSI elements
for system improvement one by one.
That's how we spent thelast three sessions focusing
on data literacy, familyand community engagement,
(01:46):
and research-informed practice
as approaches for improvingoutcomes for students designated
as English learners with disabilities.
Now to wrap it all up,
our thought leaders spent thelast session of the series,
which took place on November 30th, 2022,
exploring how systemscoherence can break the silos
in which English as asecond language, ESL,
(02:07):
special education services, ESE,
and general education tend to operate.
We must reimagine new ways
to create meaningful collaborationamong these departments
that serve the intersectingneeds of students
with disabilities who areEnglish-language learners.
In this episode,
the thought leadersdiscuss several challenges
and barriers to systems alignment.
(02:29):
They also identifystrategies for strengthening
and sustaining systems coherence.
- Let's start by unpacking what we mean
by systems coherence.
Based on the work of MichaelFullan and Joanne Quinn,
NCSI has identifiedtwo foundational pieces
that make up systems coherence.
(02:51):
First, systems coherencecreates consistency
in beliefs, policies, and procedures
to ensure sharedunderstanding of the purpose
and nature of the work.
And second, systems coherenceinvolves taking action
so all parts of the systemare functionally aligned
(03:15):
and all participants understand their part
in achieving the goal.
There are four key elements
of systems coherence in education.
The first is a shared purposeamong all team members,
which starts with strongleaders that bridge people
(03:35):
and communities together.
Speech pathologist TimothyTipton explains further.
- I think that the most basic one
of what we're talking about today
is identifying the students who may
or may not have disabilities,
whether you're supporting that
at the early multi-tieredsystems of support level,
(03:56):
or you're supporting atthe IEP services level
or anywhere in between.
So what is our purpose ofidentifying these students
and also providing themthe proper supports?
And really this can only happen
if we bring together shared perspectives,
the families, specialeducators, general educators,
language supports, really,if we want to come together
(04:18):
and get to know the whole child.
And it's a type of process that I refer to
as a transdisciplinary process.
It shares these resources.
It shares the data.
And it helps us makethese decisions together.
And so as we work togetherin developing an IEP
and developing those supports,
we're building off eachother's knowledge and skills.
(04:41):
- When professionals andfamilies share knowledge
and skills, they're engagedin the second key element
of systems coherence,deliberate collaboration
in creating processes and procedures.
Mr. Tipton explains more
of what deliberate collaboration entails.
(05:01):
- It starts with purposeful collaboration,
whether that's in creatingprocesses, procedures,
guidance documents.
There are so many crossover procedures
that impact so many different levels
and stakeholders and professions,
whether that's reclassification
of students who are Englishlearners who have disabilities,
identification of disabilities,
(05:23):
accommodations during our testing.
So many of these things we really need
to be talking together about
in order to find out whatare the best practices
for these students.
And the cross-developmental collaboration
when we look at these different frameworks
builds off thoseprocedures, those practices,
that enhances the systems that we use.
(05:44):
- This collaboration across departments
considers students designatedas English learners
from the get-go,
with the goal of creatingstrategic alignment
when initially developing newprocesses within the system.
This collaboration alsoinvolves examining data
(06:04):
through various lenses
and intentionally engagingfamilies and communities.
The third element is strategicresource allocation and use,
especially of staff expertise and efforts.
Mr. Tipton explains why this is important.
- Are we duplicating effortswhen we're assessing as well?
(06:28):
Are we interviewing the parent,
asking the same background questions?
Are we putting that samebackground information
in our reports?
Maybe instead we couldstart to delegate some
of those tasks and gather data
and share a wider swath of information,
unique information that cutsacross different contexts
so we're not all lookingat the same thing.
(06:48):
We share data from multiple contexts,
and that just provides more holistic
and meaningful patterns
to make importantdecisions for our students.
And it really feels like whenwe are duplicating efforts
that we may just be over-allocating
to that type of resource,
and that just may beperpetuating our inequities.
- And the final element isreflection and improvement,
(07:11):
which should continuallyhappen at every level.
It requires investingin professional learning
to build and sustain collaboration
and centering the assets andlearning needs of the students.
- When I think of it frommulti-tiered systems of support
to implementing an IEP support,
we're continually monitoring,adjusting our instruction
(07:31):
and our interventions.
And I know that's happeningat different state
and district and also school levels.
- When attempting to changeand strengthen systems,
we also need to be prepared for conflicts
and challenges that may arise,
particularly when we do the necessary work
of examining limitations andimplicit biases in ourselves
(07:52):
and in the systems that we support.
We are strengthened whenour views are challenged.
- There are several other barriers
and challenges that can come up
when creating coherent systems
that support students designated
as English learners with disabilities.
Starting at the state level,
a recent study found that efforts
(08:13):
for coherence can be constrained
within the structure, culture,
and politics of education systems.
For example, stateeducation systems consist
of multiple departmentswhich are often siloed
rather than working together in tandem.
This fragmented approachcan be exacerbated
(08:35):
by federal funding streams
that maintain separate initiatives
for general education,special education, and ESL.
- Paid policies inform thework of districts and schools.
As we discussed in our first episode
on the foundational session,
many historical bilingualeducation laws were rooted
(08:55):
in xenophobia and racismthat disrupted services
and created misalignmentacross departments.
These misaligned systems
can further excludefamilies and communities
by providing conflictingmessages that confuse
and constrain families' abilityto meaningfully be included
in their child's education.
Educators also receivemixed messages about how
(09:18):
to best support Englishlearners with disabilities.
One common misconception is
that special education trumpsEnglish-language development
for these students.
- While state policy
can impact system alignment in districts,
there can also be silos
within their owninstructional programming.
For example, educators are influenced
(09:39):
by their own specializations and training.
Dr. Sara Kangas from Lehigh University
describes the challenges this poses.
- A lot of our beliefs thatwe have as state leaders,
as educators, intimately connect
to our own disciplinary training.
So the ways we've beenprofessionally trained,
(10:00):
our specializations,
and the frameworks that we useshape the way we see systems,
how we understand equity, for example,
or what we think are bestpractices and services,
or what do optimal supports look like
for these students.
Our answers to these questionswill likely change depending
on our own background in termsof disciplinary training.
- With our beliefs, it is important
(10:22):
to examine how we label studentsand how we value languages.
As Kirsi Laine, deputy director
of the Language and Culture Division
at the New Mexico PublicEducation Department asks...
- Do we actually value them?
How do we see bilingualismand multilingualism?
And we can say it's great,
but do we really value those as assets?
(10:45):
And how do we have our departments set up
to support multilingualism?
Or how do we really supportthat that has its own track?
Are we looking that that's a great asset
to have when students graduate?
What about somebody who isreally great at languages?
Are we really supporting that?
So I think there's many ways
to look at that value of languages,
(11:07):
and it ties to how are we then making sure
that English-learner students
then have their languageacquisition services
that they need to be successful,
whether they're studentswith disabilities or not.
- Having language development specialists
at IEP meetings is crucial
for understanding students'language development
and exceptional learningneeds in a holistic way.
(11:31):
But when these systems areseparated and act in isolation,
we create a specialist model
where individual specialists are working
with just a subset of the student's needs
rather than accounting
for the whole child's fuller set of needs.
- When students receive multiple separate
instructional services,
(11:52):
their school day can be highly fragmented,
which results in stressfor everyone involved,
educators, students, and their families.
However, when teams work together
to intentionally developa coherent approach
to supporting students and recognize
that all students aregeneral-education students,
they can create a more aligned
and effective learning opportunity.
(12:15):
As Eliana Tardio, NCSIcontent specialist, says...
- Services and supports are not meant
to segregate, isolate, or label students,
but instead they are pieces of the puzzle
that connect to maximize theopportunities of all students
as general-education students first.
(12:36):
There are no ESE or ESL or SPED,
or special-education students.
We have general-education students,
first and always, our students.
- So how exactly can westrengthen systems coherence?
One of the most importantsteps a state can make
is to engage in purposeful aligned action
(12:59):
through a mission or vision statement.
Once that is established,
a state can providecapacity-building activities
that align with their statement,
such as a leadershipdevelopment opportunity
and planning for future collaboration.
Ximena Hurtado,
a teacher in Florida's LeeCounty School District,
provides some examples
of these capacity-building activities.
(13:21):
- Building capacity can includeunderstanding where gaps
in knowledge occur aroundthe students designated
as English learners with disabilities
and offering professional development
and technical assistanceto improve the knowledge
and actions around that topic.
At a local or school level,
examples of capacity-buildingactivities can consist
(13:45):
of training and mentorship.
- Other parts of the processinclude improving the knowledge
of teachers in how to useevidence-based practices
and programs for studentswho are English learners
with disabilities throughlearning opportunities
such as professional learning communities
for teachers to design, review,and revamp lessons together,
(14:08):
being honest and transparentabout what worked
and what didn't.
Ms. Hurtado explains
what this transparency should look like.
- Mistakes will happen,but covering those mistakes
or making excuses won't helpanyone grow or reach the goal.
Transparencies helpeveryone be accountable
to our community, our leadership,
(14:30):
our teachers, and our students.
Monitor progress.
It is imperative that we make sure
that we are constantly assessing whether
or not we're still focused
on the purposeful action westarted the journey toward.
- Building coherence
can also includemonitoring student progress
(14:51):
in ways that consider the whole child,
engaging in continuous correction
to make adjustments as needed
and using conflict-engagementskills like active listening.
Through all of these actions, however,
effective communicationis at the foundation
as Ms. Tardio explains.
(15:12):
- Creating that pool of resources,
sharing responsibility and accountability,
working efficiently to avoidduplication of efforts,
and exchanging information regularly
are all actions that happen through open
and effective communication.
Same thing applies to clean data.
To collect data to ensure its authenticity
(15:36):
and to be able to interpretthat data accordingly,
we need to communicate effectivelyas a part of the system,
achieving that consensusamong interventionists
and services that will allow us
to keep strengthening system coherence
for our students designated
as English learners with disabilities.
(15:57):
- Ms. Hurtado shares how one strategy,
the creation of a master schedule,
helped her ensure students designated
as English-language learners
with disabilities werenot just an afterthought.
- I believe it's importantfor our ELA students
with disabilities notto be an afterthought
but include them from the onset.
(16:17):
My school, when we startworking on our master schedule,
we actually started priorto the next year coming up.
We create a list of all ourESE students, our ESL students,
you know, ELA students with disabilities,
and we work that masterschedule around them.
So they are like our primary students.
And then when we create that schedule,
so then instead of just pluggingthem in after the thought,
(16:39):
we consider them first.
So then we see where our needs are
and where we need to provide more support.
And so that's how ourmaster schedule is created
at our school,
and I'm part of that because I'm the ESL
and ESE rep at our school.
So I really hope and wish thatevery school will do that.
- From her experienceinterviewing the director
(17:00):
of exceptional programs
and the director of multicultural services
at a district that successfullybuilt their systems
of coherence between the two departments,
senior researcher atWestEd, Dr. Jamey Burho
agrees with Ms. Tardiothat communication was
at the heart of their success.
And building on thatcommunication was the relationship
and trust the leadershad with one another.
(17:23):
After attending IEP meetingsevery day for a month,
the director of multiculturalservices was the first
to recognize how the twodepartments were so siloed.
Dr. Burho explains what she found.
- She discovered that no representative
from English-learner serviceswas attending these meetings.
And she also discovered thatthere was a misconception
(17:46):
that special education trumpedEnglish-learner services.
And the only reason that she came
to those realizations wasbecause she was sitting
at those meetings trying tounderstand what was happening.
And based on those insights,
she reached out to her counterpart
in the exceptional programs, the director,
and they sat down and wentthrough every single IEP
(18:09):
in the district for studentswho were dually identified
and discovered that only 10%
of those IEPs were correctly marked
as representing a student whowas also an English learner.
- After noticing this separation,
the two directors worked oncreating incremental changes
which were conveyed through frequent
(18:31):
and consistent messaging thatmade sure everyone understood
why these changes were happening.
The leaders modeled collaboration
by attending state-level meetings together
and deliberately modeledthis collaboration
to state and district leaders.
Ms. Laine expands on theimportance of this modeling.
(18:52):
- So when leadership,
and to me from the statelevel, there is that emphasis,
deliberate emphasis on collaboration,
and that's being modeled.
I mean, an example could bewhen there are state plans done
or strategic plans.
So how do we pull everydepartment into it?
And then making sure that thenonce we have a final output,
that everybody's voice has been in it.
(19:14):
But it starts with the modeling,
where in the district level,
they modeled they wereeverywhere together, right?
So that when we have statewidemeetings, we also overlap.
So when leadership,
and to me from the statelevel, there is that emphasis,
deliberate emphasis on collaboration,
and that's being modeled.
I mean, an example could bewhen there are state plans done
or strategic plans.
(19:35):
So how do we pull everydepartment into it?
And then making sure that thenonce we have a final output,
that everybody's voice has been in it.
But it starts with the modeling,
where in the district level,
they modeled they wereeverywhere together, right?
So that when we have statewidemeetings, we also overlap.
- In addition to modelingand communication,
(19:57):
the directors empowered speechand language pathologists
to use their expertise
to ensure students aren't misidentified.
With the collaborativerelationship they created,
they were able to align all services,
including related serviceslike speech and language,
so that students weregetting a coherent program
(20:19):
of instruction.
Ms. Burho shares moreabout this relationship.
- Along with that relationshipthat these two directors had,
the relationship withthe students is critical,
and the relationship with theirschool leaders is critical.
Be with people was a messagethat came up consistently
(20:40):
in the interview.
You've got to be with people.
You've got to be in the buildings.
You've got to communicatewith the families,
with the students, with the teachers.
And they finished by saying,this really stuck with me
at the end of the interview,
that with strong relationships,you can move mountains.
- Relationships like the one
(21:00):
between these two departmentaldirectors does not happen
in a vacuum.
Meaningful collaboration requires trust,
shared responsibility,and clear understanding
of each person's role inpromoting success for students.
Ms. Tardio leaves us with some thoughts
about why it is important that we focus
on creating an environmentthat fosters collaboration.
(21:24):
- As we learn to focus onour students' abilities
and possibilities as individuals,
it's important that weapply the same logic
to our relationships as professionals
and pieces of the system
because we all have talentsand unique capabilities.
Communication is an investmentthat is gonna allow us
(21:46):
to do more with less, toeliminate distractions
and many times misunderstandings,
and to keep learning togetheras we adapt and stay flexible
and resilient through theever-evolving systems.
As Dr. Pruitt says, let'smake many engines of success
so we all have opportunities to contribute
(22:08):
and find ways to collaborate.
- As we've discussed in this episode,
a lack of coordination and communication
at the intersection ofour general education,
special education, andEnglish-language development systems
often leads to fragmented services
for English learners with disabilities.
(22:29):
This can be especially true
for large state systems withmultiple siloed departments,
misaligned systems, andspecialists working in isolation.
In the foundationalwebinar in this TLC series,
Dr. Alfredo Artiles cautioned
that intersectionality is an issue rooted
(22:50):
in our institutional structure.
In this episode, we'vediscussed some solutions
for overcoming these institutionalintersectional problems
and transforming oursystems to create coherence.
The backbone of this approachis to center students
and align our systemsaround a shared purpose
(23:11):
for serving Englishlearners with disabilities.
Leaders at every level,state, district, and school,
can achieve this functional alignment
by developing a strong vision statement
for serving these students
and modeling interdepartmentalcollaboration.
Through clear and consistent messaging,
(23:32):
leaders at every level canestablish consistent policies
and procedures for aligning services
and avoid duplication of effort.
Leaders can also support professionals
by making their roles andresponsibilities clear
and providing ample opportunities
for professional learning,sharing expertise,
(23:54):
and meaningful collaboration.
Family engagement is also critical
to these collaborative conversations,
since families offer invaluable knowledge
and insight about theirchild's evolving strengths
and learning needs.
At the school level, leaderscan increase alignment
by first considering theneeds of English learners
(24:14):
with disabilities when schedulinginstructional services.
Finally, policies foraligning services must account
for the immense culturaland linguistic assets
of English learners with disabilities.
One powerful way to recognizestudents' language skills
and to meet their language learning needs
(24:36):
is to include a languagedevelopment specialist
in IEP meetings.
Educators can value students' cultures
and multilingualism as immense assets
as part of IEP development
and take care that all subsequentinstruction is coherent
and aligned with studentsstrengths and learning needs.
(24:58):
- And that's all for this series.
Thanks for tuning in.
We wanna express our deepest gratitude
to our thought leadersfor their contribution
and passion for this work.
We are your hosts.
- Kate Nagle.
- And Swati Guin.
To learn more about the ThoughtLeader Series and the work
of the National Centerfor Systemic Improvement,
(25:19):
funded by the Office ofSpecial Education Programs,
or to watch the recording
of the full systems coherent session,
please visit our website@ncsi.wested.org.
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