Significant Disproportionality Summit
During our first Significant Disproportionality Summit on November 9 and 10, 2021, IDC brought states and districts together to discuss strategies, processes, and infrastructures related to significant disproportionality. The Summit included a keynote session followed by six plenary sessions focused on topics such as cultivating robust stakeholder teams, conducting root cause analysis, addressing different types of disproportionality, and evaluating improvement strategies. For each session, we present the session title and description, the recorded video, and the link to the PowerPoint slides.
Significant Disproportionality Summit
Welcome From IDC
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Presenters: Julie Bollmer, IDC
IDC’s Director welcomed participants to IDC’s first Significant Disproportionality Summit and gave an overview of what to expect during the two half days of sharing, learning, and networking around significant disproportionality.
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Keynote—Reflecting Back and Looking Forward: A Conversation With Michael Yudin
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Presenters: Shawn Petty, IDC; Michael K. Yudin, The Raben Group
In this very special keynote session, IDC’s Shawn Petty hosted a conversation with Michael K. Yudin, J.D., former Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. Mr. Yudin shared his unique and powerful perspective on why attention from states and districts to significant disproportionality matters. He has devoted decades of his career to influencing policy and changing mindsets to promote equitable educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Mr. Yudin discussed the vision behind the development of the significant disproportionality (Equity in IDEA) regulations. This conversation provided participants a contextual foundation for understanding and addressing long-standing systemic issues they are seeking to change through innovative initiatives for ensuring equity for all students.
Session 1—Call to Action: Cultivating Robust Significant Disproportionality Stakeholder Teams
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Presenters: Amy Bitterman, IDC; Fred Edora, IDC; Anne Nixon, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Dreama McCoy, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Amber Stohr, West Virginia Department of Education
Significant disproportionality is often the result of systemic issues that cannot be solved by any one individual. Addressing these complex challenges requires a team of diverse stakeholders who bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to the work. Participants heard about strategies for creating and bringing together motivated and committed stakeholder teams that analyze and use data, identify contributing factors, and create action plans. Presenters highlighted the IDC Success Gaps Toolkit teaming approach and data visualization techniques to help states and LEAs implement a robust process for building and maintaining effective significant disproportionality stakeholder teams.
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Session 2—Set Yourself Up for Success With Root Cause Analysis
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Presenters: Joanna Bivins, IDC; Rachel Wilkinson, IDC; Elizabeth Graichen, New Hampshire Department of Education; Hannah Krajcik, New Hampshire Department of Education
The wealth of data states and LEAs collect can be invaluable in pinpointing root causes. This session explored how states and LEAs can analyze their data to successfully identify contributing factors of significant disproportionality. Participants learned about a systems planning approach to guide data analysis and use, as well as a process that states and LEAs can use to delve deeply into data to generate questions and hypotheses. Using this approach can help ensure confidence in the identified root causes and help in the selection of appropriate comprehensive coordinated early intervening services to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
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Session 3—Not All Significant Disproportionality Is the Same
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Presenters: Tom Munk, IDC; Heather Reynolds, IDC; Mindy Duell, Fayetteville Public Schools, AR; Natasha Dunn, Watson Chapel School District, AR; Jody Fields, Arkansas Division of Elementary & Secondary Education; Kristine Peters, Appoquinimink School District, DE; Susan Veenema, Delaware Department of Education
Are you interested in hearing how districts are working to address significant disproportionality in the areas of identification, discipline, and placement? In this session, participants heard directly from states and the LEAs they identified with different types of disproportionality. State and LEA staff described why the LEAs were identified and the strategies the LEAs are implementing to address the root causes of the significant disproportionality.
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Session 4—Beyond Significant Disproportionality: How Identifying Gaps in Graduation and Dropout Rates Can Lead to Better Transition Planning
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Presenters: Nancy Johnson, IDC; Erin Lomax, IDC
Significant disproportionality looks at overrepresentation with regard to identification, placement, and discipline data—but what other types of data can states use to identify disparities in student outcomes? Presenters discussed analyzing data to examine gaps in graduation rates and dropout rates across different groups of students. Identifying differences in these data can help states guide transition planning to ensure that all students receive the support they need to meet their transition goals.
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Session 5—Best Practices for Evaluating Improvement Strategies Implemented for CCEIS
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Presenters: Kim Schroeder, IDC; Carol Seay, IDC
Have you been implementing comprehensive coordinated early intervening services (CCEIS) to address significant disproportionality, but you’re not sure whether they’re making a difference? In this session, participants learned about best practices for evaluating CCEIS plans. Presenters discussed how to evaluate whether improvement strategies are generating the desired short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes.
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Session 6—Bringing It All Together: Promising State Practices
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Presenters: Renée Ecckles-Hardy, IDC; Bradley Quarles, IDC; Mary Bruhl, Medfield Public Schools, MA; Brian Coonley, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Alisa Fewkes, Idaho State Department of Education; Jarrod Slone, Kentucky Department of Education; Debi Smith, Idaho State Department of Education
During this session, IDC brought together a panel of states to tell their stories about promising practices that are helping LEAs move in the direction of real change. Participants heard about strategies that included providing state support directly to districts and preventing at-risk districts from being identified with significant disproportionality in the future. This session provided fresh ideas to address significant disproportionality to ultimately ensure equitable opportunities for all students with disabilities.
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