Part B Annual Performance Report for 2007-08 - New York State
February 2009
Revised April 2009
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Overview of the Annual Performance Report Development:
See Overview of the Development of the Annual Performance Report (APR) in the Introduction section, page 1.
Monitoring Priority: FAPE in the LRE |
Indicator 1: Percent of youth with individualized education programs (IEPs) graduating from high school with a regular diploma.
(20 U.S.C. 1416 (a)(3)(A))
Measurement:
Measurement for youth with IEPs should be the same measurement as for all youth. Explain calculation.
New York State’s (NYS) Measurement:
Percent of “total cohort” of students with disabilities who graduate with a high school diploma (Regents or local diploma) as of June 30 after four years of first entering 9th grade or for ungraded students with disabilities, after four years of becoming 17 years of age. NYS will begin using the performance of the 2004 total cohort for accountability under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.
NYS’ Calculation:
NYS has set its targets based on the performance of the “total cohort”. See below for the definition of the 2004 total district cohort.
The 2004 district total cohort consists of all students, regardless of their current grade level, who met one of the following conditions:
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first entered grade 9 (anywhere) during the 2004-05 school year (July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005); or
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in the case of ungraded students with disabilities, reached their seventeenth birthday during the 2004–05 school year. Ungraded students are included in the 2004 cohort if their birth date is between July 1, 1987 and June 30, 1988 (inclusive).
Students who have spent at least five months in district schools or out-of-district placements during year 1, 2, 3, or 4 of high school are included in the district total cohort unless they transferred to another diploma-granting program outside the district. For the 2004 Total Cohort, Year 1, 2, 3, and 4 are the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, and 2007-08 school years, respectively.
A student will be included in the district total cohort if the student’s enrollment record in the district shows that the student was enrolled for:
- at least five continuous (not including July and August) months and the Reason for Ending Enrollment in the district was not one of the following: transferred to a school in another district, a nonpublic school, or a school outside New York; died; transferred by court order; or left the US.
- less than five months and has an ending reason indicating that the student dropped out or transferred to an Alternative High School Education Preparation Program (AHSEPP) or High School Equivalency Preparation Program (HSEPP) program and the student’s previous enrollment record in that district (assuming one exists) indicates that the student:
- was enrolled in the district for at least five months (not including July and August); and
- dropped out or transferred to a AHSEPP or HSEPP program.
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FFY |
Measurable and Rigorous Target |
FFY 2007
(2007-08 school year)
(2004 total cohort) |
The percent of youth with IEPs graduating from high school with a regular high school diploma within four years, as of June, will be 38 percent. |
Actual Target Data for FFY 2007:
The percent of youth with IEPs graduating from high school with a regular high school diploma within four years, as of June 2008, was 41.3 percent.
Total Cohort, As of June 30, Four Years Later |
Cohort Year |
All Students |
Students with Disabilities |
# in Cohort |
Graduation Rate
(Number/Rate)*
|
# in Cohort |
Graduation Number/Rate* |
2000 |
199,312 |
67% |
21,262 |
46% |
2001 (new baseline data) |
212,135 |
66% |
26,281 |
38% |
2002 |
210,910 |
67% |
27,453 |
37% |
2003 |
220,332 |
68.6% |
28,528 |
39.3% |
2004 |
223,953 |
70.4% |
31,304 |
41.3% |
* NYS is adding the number of graduates beginning with the 2004 total cohort.
Total Cohort Analysis of Students with Disabilities’ (SWD) Graduation Rates
for New York City, Large Four Cities Combined and Rest of School Districts
|
Need/ Resource Capacity Category |
2001 Total Cohort of SWD |
2002 Total Cohort of SWD |
2003 Total Cohort of SWD |
2004 Total Cohort of SWD |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
New York City |
7,627 |
17.6% |
7,587 |
18.6% |
8,407 |
19.8% |
10,112 |
22.6% |
Large Four Cities |
1,784 |
21.7% |
1,862 |
20.5% |
1,536 |
22.5% |
1,612 |
26.3% |
Urban/Suburban High Need Districts |
2,487 |
30.4% |
2,619 |
28.8% |
2,778 |
31.7% |
2,633 |
34.8% |
Rural High Need Districts |
2,165 |
32.5% |
2,240 |
31.2% |
2,323 |
35.9% |
2,408 |
36.1% |
Average Need Districts |
8,733 |
48.1% |
9,366 |
45.6% |
9,563 |
49.0% |
10,221 |
51.7% |
Low Need Districts |
3,459 |
74.0% |
3,740 |
74.1% |
3,873 |
72.4% |
4,102 |
74.4% |
Charter Schools |
11 |
15.4% |
39 |
15.9% |
48 |
6.3% |
127 |
37.0% |
Total State |
26,266 |
37.9% |
27,453 |
37.5% |
28,528 |
39.3% |
31,304 |
41.3% |
Total Cohort Analysis of Students with Disabilities (SWD) Graduation Rate by Need/Resource Capacity Category of School Districts |
Group of School Districts |
2001 Total Cohort of SWD |
2002 Total Cohort of SWD |
2003 Total Cohort of SWD |
2004 Total Cohort of SWD |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
# in Cohort |
Grad. Rate |
Big Five Cities |
9,411 |
18.4% |
9,449 |
19.0% |
9,943 |
20.2% |
11,724 |
22.9% |
Rest of State |
16,855 |
48.7% |
18,004 |
44.7% |
18,585 |
49.6% |
19,580 |
52.2% |
Total State |
26,266 |
37.9% |
27,453 |
37.5% |
28,528 |
39.3% |
31,304 |
41.3% |
Discussion of Improvement Activities Completed and Explanation of Progress or Slippage that occurred for FFY 2007:
Explanation of Progress or Slippage
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Graduation rate of students with disabilities for the 2004 total cohort after four years as of June 30, 2008 improved by two percentage points compared to the 2003 total cohort rate, from 39.3 percent to 41.3 percent.
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The total number of students with disabilities in the total cohort has continued to increase each year, primarily as a result of improved accuracy in data reporting. There were 2,776 more students with disabilities in the 2004 total cohort compared to the previous cohort.
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The graduation rate for the 2004 total cohort improved in every Need/Resource category of school districts.
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The range of graduation rates for the 2004 total cohort by Need/Resource Category of school districts was between 22.6 percent in NYC to 74.4 percent in the low need school districts.
Improvement Activities Completed during 2007-081
The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) accessed technical assistance to further inform their activities to improve the graduation rates of students with disabilities. This included a review of Information and resources, including but not limited to information available through the Federal Resource Center for Special Education (FRC), Academy for Educational Development, Northeast Regional Resource Center (NERRC), Learning Innovations at WestEd, National Center for Culturally Responsive Educational Systems (NCCRESt), and the Access Center: Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8. In addition, VESID staff participated in various State and national meetings, conferences and webinars.
The State Education Department (SED) worked with the New York Comprehensive Center, funded by the United States Education Department (USED), to develop the capacity of SED and its networks and agencies to assist districts and schools in improving achievement outcomes for all students - see http://nycomprehensivecenter.org/events/.
Activities Completed:
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NYS' criteria for identifying school districts as needing assistance or intervention under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) includes a measure of graduation rates for students with disabilities in relation to the State's graduation target for that school year.
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Through a regional planning process, resources were directed to these identified school districts including focused monitoring reviews by the Special Education Quality Assurance (SEQA) Regional Office and/or quality improvement technical assistance provided by Special Education Training and Resource Center (SETRC) professional development specialists or other technical assistance networks funded with IDEA discretionary funds.
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In September 2006, based on 2004-05 data, 58 school districts were identified as needing assistance and 17 districts were identified as needing intervention. VESID continued to provide technical assistance to these identified school districts throughout the 2007-08 school year.
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In June 2007, based on 2005-06 data, 69 school districts were identified as needing assistance and 31 districts were identified as needing intervention. As a result, 45 school districts that received VESID monitoring and/or technical assistance services in the 2006-07 school year improved their graduation rates of students with disabilities, dropout rates of students with disabilities and/or performance of students with disabilities on State assessments. Thirty-six of the 45 school districts that received such assistance were no longer identified in the 2007-08 school year as at risk of identification or as needing assistance or intervention.
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In September 2008, based on 2006-07 data, 57 school districts were identified as needing assistance and 26 districts were identified as needing intervention. Of the 83 school districts identified as needing assistance or intervention based on 2006-07 data, 56 were identified as a direct result of their graduation rates for students with disabilities (38 as needing assistance and 18 as needing intervention). Directed work with these school districts was initiated in the fall of 2008.
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VESID substantially increased the amount of its IDEA discretionary funds available for Quality Improvement Implementation grant awards to school districts identified as needing assistance or intervention. In January 2009, VESID provided approximately 65 school districts with grant awards to implement activities focused on improvement in instruction for students with disabilities and to address compliance issues identified through the focused review monitoring process. Many of the activities were directed to improve graduation rates of students with disabilities.
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VESID's
Quality Indicator Review and Resource Guides2 were further developed to guide the work of SETRC in school districts identified as needing assistance or intervention to improve the district’s instructional programs in the areas of literacy instruction, behavioral supports and interventions and/or special education instructional practices.
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Professional development to enhance the expertise of SETRC to inform their school improvement work was provided to the SETRC network during the VESID statewide meetings with a focus on:
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small group and intensive behavioral interventions for students with serious social-emotional/behavioral difficulties;
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explicit strategy instruction – research based strategies in special education;
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formative assessment, including data and progress monitoring; and
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school quality improvement strategies.
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The focused monitoring review process was further refined to specifically focus on compliance issues most directly relating to graduation rates for students with disabilities.
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In addition to focused reviews in school districts identified as needing assistance or intervention, slightly more than 10 percent of Boards of Cooperative Educational Services’ (BOCES) special education programs were reviewed in 2008.
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IEP educational benefit reviews were added to the monitoring review process.
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In 2007-08, New York City (NYC) SEQA conducted 63 High School Graduation Rate Focused Reviews, which were designed to evaluate the interventions implemented in low performing secondary-level schools and their impact on the rate that students with disabilities earn Regents or local diplomas. This newly developed focused review was also used in other regions of the State with eight focused reviews regarding graduation rates initiated, completed or planned during the year with school districts whose student graduations were farthest from performance targets.
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Seven new regional positions were created through VESID's federally funded State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG) to identify a cadre of “Effective Practices Schools” throughout NYS. These regional staff will document the practices in successful schools to promote the sharing of identified practices with low performing school districts.
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The Board of Regents approved new regulations on integrated co-teaching (a special education teacher and general education teacher providing instruction together) to promote greater access and participation in regular classes for students with disabilities.
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NYS regulations were amended, effective July 2008, to provide autism specific requirements for special education teacher preparation programs; to establish standards under which SED will approve providers of this training; and to require that all teachers applying for certification in special education titles on or after September 2, 2009, complete course work or training in the needs of children with autism. NYS Education Law also requires that school administrators and supervisors assigned on or after September 2, 2009 to serve as special education administrators must complete training in the needs of children with autism as soon as practicable after their assignment, and certified school administrators/supervisors assigned to serve as special education administrators prior to September 2, 2009 are required to have enhanced training in the needs of children with autism by such date.
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Representatives from 72 NYS institutions of higher education (IHEs) met on a statewide and regional basis to discuss personnel preparation issues and research-based instructional practices to improve results for students with disabilities. Seven summer symposia were sponsored by VESID funded Higher Education Support Center (HESC) on literacy instruction, behavioral supports and/or special education instructional practices. With HESC funds supporting their work, IHEs worked directly with school districts to address low performance issues through improved instructional practices. In addition, HESC formed three study groups with IHE representatives from across the State to align personnel preparation programs for special education teachers with the research-based instructional practices identified in VESID's Quality Indicator Review and Resource Guides.
Examples of Effect of VESID interventions:
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In 2008 as a result of SEQA reviews, Oswego County has taken on several initiatives to increase graduation rates for student with disabilities including: destination diplomas to help all students achieve a Regents or Local Diploma; staff training for teachers in conjunction with State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego; writing prioritized curriculum; and establishing credit-bearing special classes in districts as well as in the BOCES.
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As a result of participation in the High School Graduation Rate Focused Reviews, in 2007-08 the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) received IDEA discretionary funds to assist in implementation of activities to improve instructional practices in the targeted high schools. Schools were required to use existing data systems to track student attendance and academic achievement. In addition, NYCDOE implemented a Special Education Lead Teacher Program in low performing high schools to foster mentoring relationships within a school and draw upon the skill and competence of experienced special education teachers to help improve instruction.
Revisions, with Justification, to Proposed Targets / Improvement Activities / Timelines / Resources for FFY 2007:
Revision to Improvement Activities:
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VESID substantially increased the amount of its IDEA discretionary funds targeted for grant awards to school districts to implement systemic improvements to their instructional programs and behavioral supports for students with disabilities. These awards will be available annually from 2009-14 to school districts identified in that year as needing assistance or intervention and those at risk of such determinations directed by VESID to receive technical assistance.
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Chapter 57 of the Laws of 2007 was enacted to enhance SED's accountability system for all students. These laws require SED to develop an interim, modified accountability system for schools and districts that is based on a growth model; and to require certain school districts to enter into Contracts for Excellence and spend a portion of their Foundation Aid increase for school year 2007-08 on certain allowable programs and activities. Each Contract for Excellence requires performance targets for students impacted, particularly for its neediest students including students with disabilities, to reduce the percentage of students in specific populations who are not proficient in the major subjects. The contracts allow spending that is targeted at class size reduction, longer school day measures, improved teacher and principal quality, middle and high school restructuring, and full-day prekindergarten and kindergarten. Fifteen percent of the spending can be targeted at research-based experimental programs.