Oh, the Things You'll Learn (Part Three)

The last Student Services, Curriculum & Instruction Committee meeting was held on August 18th. 

Reviewing the minutes of the last SSC&I meeting on June 8th, a couple of items of interest:

- There apparently was discussion on summer/fall learning and the pilot for virtual option. Director Harris asked if this needs Board approval but it would seem not.

- There was a discussion of K-5 math materials around waived materials and funding source. As I previously reported, there are some schools that have approved waivers, some that simply didn't bother and apparently the district pays for the materials for all these waivers, approved or not. I call BS on this one. 

- There was a report on the Ethnic Studies program. 

Alekzandr Wray is the new Ethnic Studies Program Manager and Anita Koyier- Mwamba as the new Black Studies Program Manager.

0. Director DeWolf asked staff to illustrate the work that has taken place since the approval of the School Board Resolution in 2017. Dr. Scarlett identified staff changes as one obstacle prior to her taking lead on the work that posed some challenges. She will do some research on the work of the former Ethnic Studies Program Manager, Ms. Castro-Gill. Mr. Wray noted that since the passing of the Resolution in 2017, three Ethnic Studies courses and Black studies were developed and approved. He also highlighted the number of professional development courses and summer institutes offered to teachers.

   Looking ahead to the next school year, Ms. Al-ansi provided an overview of the four focus areas: expanding the Black Studies course to a year-long offering, developing and providing resources for middle school implementation, professional learning opportunities, and alignment with internal and external stakeholders.

 That's a great word salad there on the former Ethnic Studies manager. But good to know the district is making great progress on this important program.

- Native American Studies

Director Harris repeated her request for the position of Native American Education Program Manager to be elevated to a Director position. She specifically requested to have a conversation with Superintendent Jones to address this request. Superintendent Jones acknowledged Director Harris’ comments.

 - The agenda for the meeting on August 18th had approval of more grant money for the SBIRT screener. As you may recall, this is a screener developed at UW for middle school students to check their mental health. I have serious concerns about this invasive screener. To note:

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment” but the word to “Treatment” was removed and replaced with “Services” in order to more accurately reflect where students were being referred, which was most commonly to a school counselor or youth engagement programs.

So I guess it is now SBIRS. 

- Another item on the agenda was a BAR (Board Action Report) about Special Education funding for private school students:

to ensure the provision of equitable services to parentally-placed private school students attending approved non-profit private schools, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), with any minor additions, deletions, and modifications deemed necessary by the Superintendent, and to take any necessary actions to implement the contracts.

The total amount is over $1M. 

Background

IDEA requires that a proportionate share of the federal special education funding allocation be set-aside for the provision of equitable services to the group of eligible parentally placed private school students attending approved, non-profit private schools. Agencies selected through the RFQ process provide these services on behalf of SPS, via contractual agreement. An annual count of eligible private school students is used to calculate the set aside amount, which must be used toward the provision of equitable services to the group of parentally placed private school students. 

There are currently 713 private school students eligible for special education and attending approved, non-profit private schools located within the Seattle School District. Of those students, 275 are receiving equitable services. 

The District is not obligated to provide services to all eligible students and there is no requirement that services be provided for the entirety of the school year; once funds are expended, services are discontinued. Determination regarding the provision of equitable services for the following school year is made in collaboration with private school representatives and parents each spring.

The district is also required to give service to Special Education pre-K and kindergarten students so there is a different BAR for that group.

This Board Action Report details the interagency agreement in the amount of $1,816,377 that will provide special education services for up to forty-two (42) preschoolers and seventeen (17) kindergarteners with IEPs during the 2021-2022 school year, as well as technical support and training for the Early Learning department on inclusive practices. 

- There was also a very impressive BAR on CTE (Career and Technical Education). I'll try to get a link for that. I can say that the work of the head of CTE, Dr. Caleb Perkins, has brought this program forward in leaps and bounds.

- This item on the agenda - Rename and Amend Board Policy No. 3246, Restraint, Isolation, and Other Uses of Physical Intervention - has been needed for a long time.

Changes

1. Banning the use of isolation (seclusion) under all circumstances.

2. Adding language to make clear that the use of restraints is a prohibited practice

   and may be used only in situations involving imminent likelihood of harm.

3. Adding definitions to clarify key isolation and restraint terms.

4. Adding language to support behavior and mitigate for racial bias and requiring

   staff to use trauma informed de-escalation strategies before any restraint may be

   used.

5. Adding language to support the postvention review process to better understand

   the incident and develop supports and strategies to prevent or further reduce the

   future use of restraints.

6. Adding language to align with data collection requirements of OSPI as well as

   utilizing the data collected to support changes in practices to further reduce the use of restraints.

- Board policy 3207, Prohibition Against Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying, is also being changed.  

The major substantive changes to 3207SP are as follows:

          Change numbering and title of policy: From 3207SP.A to 3207SP as there is no longer any other

procedures related to Policy 3207. Title of policy to “Prohibition of Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying – Students” (emphasis added) to highlight the delineation that harassment, intimidation, or bullying are three different behaviors, rather than promoting a conflation of all three behaviors into one category of HIB or “bullying.”; and to differentiate between 3207SP and Policy 5207/5207SP, the District’s policy/procedure regarding staff-to-staff HIB.

In Section B Definitions:

o Properly define retaliation claim. Previous procedure already incorporated change in language from“perpetrator” or “offender” to alleged aggressor or aggressor.

Addition of Section C. Behaviors/Expressions - Explicit statement that “harassment,” “intimidation,” and“bullying” are separate, but related behaviors and that each behavior must be addressed independently.

Change to Name of Section E to identify all provisions contained in that section

o Within Section E.3. – the addition of the mandated requirement for designated Student HIB

Compliance Officer to attend OSPI training at least once.

Changes to various provisions within Section F. to comport with WSSDA model policy detailing the responsibilities of the District’s Student HIB Compliance Officer

Changes in Section I. to address common questions and issues that District staff have found, which have arisen over the course of responding to HIB reports,

o Under Step 3 - Detailing the intersection with the student code of conduct (“Students Rights &

Responsibilities”; SRRs). This is a reason why the majority of reports will be processed at the school level due to school leader’s sole authority to impose discipline – if that is the determined to be the appropriate corrective action – to students per state law and the SRRs.

o Under Step 5 – Direct referral of an appeal to a hearing examiner versus first review by the Student HIB Compliance Officer to address conflict of interest in those cases where HIB Compliance Officer provides direct guidance and assistance to school leader during a HIB investigation.

o Under Step 6 – inclusion of WSSDA model procedure language regarding imposition of corrective action toward employees.

- There was a report from the director of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Eric Anderson. Items include (partial):

• Included in the focus for this year is a 3rd grade reading goal for African American boys at 13 "priority schools."
• Began planning a new Early Literacy Collaborative partnership with the Office of AAMA and UW researchers to launch next year
• Analysis of equitable access to accelerated honors courses for students proficient in prior year state tests
• Planning for Student Success Tracker pilot evaluation study
• Youth Participatory Action Research

YPAR is a youth-led research effort that began with student leaders from the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Board in January 2021. Although there have been numerous “student voice” projects and initiatives in the district, the SAB students suggested a different tactic, wherein they lead conversations with their peers – they design the project, collect and analyze the data, and then present findings to district leadership. The role of Research & Evaluation staff is to support student-led efforts through facilitation and guided research training.

The broad goals at the outset of the project were:
o Elevate student voice
o Support district planning for return to school
o Demonstrate what student-led research can be so that others might replicate the strategy in their schools/central office
• AAMA Kingmakers/Mentoring Programs - This project aims evaluate how Kingmakers of Seattle supports social and academic success and positive school experiences for Black boys and teens, and how the program overall has impacted practice change across the system. Findings will contribute to our understanding of culturally responsive mentorship, uplift new asset-based measures (e.g., racial identity) and evaluate best practices in supporting mentors, families and partnering with Black-led CBOs.
CDC Grant: Promoting Adolescent Health - R&E is the lead evaluator for the Behavioral Health Department’s CDC grant that supports programmatic efforts in Sexual Health Education (SHE) and Sexual Health Services (SHS). Research activities include analyzing survey and student outcomes data and mixed methods evaluation of professional development and new programs, with a focus on LGBTQ students.*

* I'll have to learn more about this grant and what data it collects from students.