SPECIAL EDUCATION PLC:

DATA TEAMS
A CHANGE INITIATIVE
KELSEY HOEKSEMA
EDL 271
 Brubaker Elementary School Vision
Des Moines Public Schools

Brubaker Elementary School will provide a safe and nurturing environment with diverse
opportunities designed to build a strong foundation for optimal
life-long learning for all students and staff. The diverse needs of all students will be met through
effective use of resources provided by a supportive staff, district, and community.
All stakeholders will foster high expectations in all areas of our childrens education.

Brubaker Believes:
all children have potential to learn and are the focus of the educational process.
that instruction will be supported by effective use of resources, services, and ongoing
staff development based on assessment analysis.

Source: http://www.dmschools.org/brubaker/about
 School Enrollment Data
East Side of Des Moines on E. 42nd and Easton Ave.
694 Students Enrolled
18% of students receive special education services to support
academic and/or behavior goals
128 special education students
74% Free Reduced Lunch Population
 Models for PLC
JB Young (K-8) School
Bell to Bell Day Clinical Hours
Principal Marianne Corbin
Accountability
Processes
Student Achievement
Louis & Kruse, 1995
Collaborative
Shared Leadership
Reflective Dialogue
DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, &
Many (2010) Systematic
Approach
 Michael Fullan- Change Process
Understanding the Change
Process
Strategizing vs strategy
Pressure and support
Know about the implementation
dip
Understand the fear of change
Appreciate the difference between
technical and adaptive challenges
Be persistent and resilient
 Brubaker Elementary School Staff
Total - 90 Staff Members
Office Staff (6) Staff Percentages
Administrators- 3
Nurse, Office Manager and Clerk
Office
Special Education (29)
Specials 5%
Teachers 13 12% Classroom
Teachers Classroom Teachers
Support Staff 4
34% Gen Ed Support
Associates 12
Special Education
General Education (55) Specials
Special
Classroom Teachers 30 Education Office
33% Gen Ed
Interventionists 8
Support
Support Staff 6 16%

Specials 11
 Professional Learning
Communities Focus
An intense focus on learning of each student
Collaborative and Collective Effort
Ongoing Assessment and Analysis of Evidence of Learning
Proactive Analysis to avoid Reactive Teaching

We cannot achieve quality learning for all

students until quality development is attained and
sustained for all teachers (Fullan, 1994)
 Current Meeting Format
Currently meet twice Concerns Voiced, Late or
monthly Little response
Leader directed meeting Limited Teacher Trust/
Present v. Participating Experience Usage

No Collaboration Time Reactive v. Proactive

Little conversation of Special Education
agenda items Knowledge Only Lack of
Communication to Gen Ed.
Rationale Review:
IEP Small Group Instruction for Writing
4th Grade Students 18 students Need Writing Instruction
4 Different Groups
3 Different Teachers
3 Writers Checklist Rubrics
Common Core Based Instruction from Supplemental Curriculum &
Resources
Topic/Instruction at Teacher Discretion/ IEP Data
 Mini Example: 4th Grade Writing
Student A
30 minutes of writing instruction
Reads at 3rd grade level
Primary Spelling Inventory: 4/26
words
Basic Writer Checklist
Mrs. J Roster
Student B
15 minutes of writing instruction
Reads at 2nd grade level
Primary Spelling Inventory 2/26
words
Basic Writer Checklist
Miss H Roster
 What 4/5th grade class rule do we
need to work on most?
Student A Writing Student B Writing
 2nd-3rd Grade Level Writing Checklist

Basic Writers Checklist

 Basic Writing Checklist

A B
Instruction focusing on Instruction focusing on
Paragraph Writing sentence formation
Scoring 50% on current Scoring 55% on current
checklist checklist

Data Team Document*

 Current System
Teacher Discretion
New System
PLC Data Team Model
 Instructional Decision Making
Teacher Discretion:
Scoring
Instructional Strategies
Content
No Team Input
Little Communication with General Education Staff
 Logistical Information
Wednesday Data Team
Meetings
Added Teacher hired
would not take away student
minutes
Scheduled Data Team into
Teacher Schedules
Teacher Focus Teams
K-2
3-5
Schedules created to support
all grade levels with
appropriate staffing choices
Teachers observe others and
Lead takes plan for the block
Special Education PLC Data Meeting
Defined Staff Roles and Norms
Collaborative and Meaningful
6-Step Process with Data
Driven Decision Making Focus
Instructional Coach Led
Alternating Meetings planned
for Special Education
Professional Development
Teacher Preparedness
Group Created Scoring
Rubrics- Proficient, Close,
Targeted, Intensive
Follow Through Plans
 Projected Timeline
Winter 2015/2016 Create Team for Brubaker SPED PLC
January 2016- Proposed Plan begins
Calendar Created for 2016-2017 School Year for Professional Development
Building Wide: General Education/Special Education/ Specials
Building, District, Teacher
Lead Teacher SPED Position Created
Hiring Winter 2016
Spring 2016- Current SPED Teacher Training in Data Teams and PLC
Summer 2016
New Teacher Training
Schedule Adjustment for Enrollment Changes with Special Education Students
 Personnel
Special Education Lead
Teacher (K-5)
2 Positions (1.0 FTE)
Time Teaching/
Instructional Coach
Change Initiative Team for
SPED PLC
Lead Teachers rotate 6 Weeks
in classroom and 6 weeks as
Special Education Instructional
Coach
As Instructional Coach:
Leads Data Team Process
Models Instruction For Teachers
Assists with IEP writing and goal
monitoring
Leads PD for SPED Teachers
 Budgeting
Items for Additional Data Team Book Study
Budgeting Data Team Training
PLC Professional Development
for 15 Teachers
Added 2 Lead Teachers
Professional Development for
Instructional Coaches
 Communication
Internal External
BLT conversations about SPED Within District:
instructional improvement Support Request
Common Core, Grade Level, Rationale/Purpose Statement
Shared student Ownership for the Purposed Initiative

Staff Survey for SPED Teachers Grants

PLC Professional Development
Data Teams Focused Grant Request
 References
Fullan, M. (1994). Change forces: Probing the depths of
educational reform (Reprint. ed.). London: Falmer Press.
Fullan, M. G. (1999). Change Forces: The sequel. Philadelphia,
PA: Falmer Press.
Ellsworth, J. B. (2000). Surviving changes: A survey of
Educational change models. Syracuse, NY: ERIC
Clearinghouse.