Objective

Impact/Outcomes

Evidence

1.1.1 Provide up to 108 days of consultation statewide.

Eighty days of consultation has been provided between July 1, 2000 and April 30, 2001. Of the 19 TA visits 6 were primarily for assistance with PBS, 2 were primarily for transition issues and 11 were around issues for students identified as having severe disabilities, deaf-blindness or autism. It is important to note that there is some overlap and that some requests for transition were with a student with severe disabilities.

-Consultation reports

-Billing invoices from FBCs districts

1.1.2 Provide oversight committees for each content area: recruit members, develop working procedures and meet regularly

The original oversight committee decided to expand rather than create separate committees for each content area. To represent the content areas the following people were added: transition (Wendy Blauuw), pbs (Rachel Freeman, Dawn Hunter, Rosie Cooper). Monthly oversight meetings have been scheduled through December 2001. Additionally and oversight listserv has been created to facilitate frequent contact.

-Oversight Committee Meeting Minutes

-Proceedings of the Oversight Committee listserv

1.1.3 Recruit and select up to 18 qualified FBCs

The oversight committee decided to more strategically recruit FBCs in the fall of 2000 to address the content areas of transition and positive behavior support and for FBCs located in central and western Kansas. This decision was based on a close examination of the previous two years of TA consultations and evaluation data.

Additionally, the oversight committee decided to change the timelines for recruitment to accepting applications year-round with review periods of applications occurring bi-annually.

Two applications were submitted since July 1, 2000. Both applications were reviewed in January 2001 and selected. The applicants were notified and will attend the Summer Institute 2001.

-FBC application procedures listed on the INKs website and mailed to districts

-FBC portfolios

1.1.4. Build mission among new and former FBCs

This objective will be completed in Year 2

-None

1.1.5. Advertise availability of consulting and technical assistance services

A project brochure was mailed to all LEA directors in the fall of 2000 and the project mission, professional development schedule, and request for TA can be viewed at www.ukans.edu/~inks. Additionally the KSDE website has a link to our webpage. Finally, the project presented and had a poster session at the special education administrator’s meeting in July 2000.

-INKs website

-KSDE website

-brochure

Objective

Evidence

Impact

2.1.1 Unify coordination methods and consultant procedures across all content areas.

Professional development directed to the FBCs during the Summer Institute and Fall Seminar was devoted to rectifying any discrepancies between the consultant procedures and the Network coordination. Additionally, 5 FBCs participated on a subcommittee to update our evaluation procedures and addressed this issue as well. The FBC procedural manual was revised in January 2001 to reflect the subcommittees changes and verified with the FBCs at the Spring Seminar in March 2001.

-Minutes from Summer Institute FBC meeting

-Minutes from Fall Seminar FBC meeting

-Minutes from Spring Seminar FBC meeting

-Minutes from Evaluation Subcommittee meeting

-FBC Procedural Manual

2.1.2 Accept technical assistance and professional development requests.

The Network receives requests through a number of channels including the Kansas State Deaf-Blind Services Project, KSDE, Student Supports Services and the Child Development Unit at KU Med and the field at large. The Network between July 1, 2000 and April 30, 2001 received a total of 34 requests. Of those 34 requests 18 were generated from the Deaf-Blind Project’s Needs Assessment survey, 14 were from the field at large, 1 was generated by the CDU at KU Med and 1 was made by KSDE. Of those 34 requests 20 have been completed, 2 are still in progress, and the remaining were terminated by the person making the initial request for different reasons (the parent did not consent; the site did not complete the preparatory paperwork, etc.)

-TA requests

-Phone logs

-TA request records

-TA reports

2.1.3 Match consultant to technical assistance (TA) request and negotiate TA agreements.

The Networks continues to use the same procedures of relying on the Coordinator to determine an appropriate consultant, describing the consult and transferring the contacts and information to the selected consultant. The Oversight Committee discontinued the use of a TA agreement after reviewing expressed dissatisfaction project data collected from sites.

-Phone logs

-Email correspondence logs

-FBC procedural manual

2.1.4. Update existing procedural materials as needed.

At the Summer Institute FBC meeting in Wichita during June the FBCs discussed changes to the procedural manual based upon a presentation of data summarized from the first two years of the project. As a result of this discussion an Evaluation subcommittee was created to follow-up on recommended changes using the work of Chenowyth (2000). The committee presented draft changes at the Fall Seminar and the manual was revised and disseminated in January 2001.

-Updated FBC procedural manual

2.1.5. Secure employer agreements for FBC participation in Technical Assistance and Professional Development components of INKs

Employer agreements were completed by October 2000 for the 2000-2001 school year. Each FBCs employer was contacted by one of the Project Directors. Each employer agreed to allow each FBC to consult up to 5 days during the school year and donated 2 days for professional development through the Network.

-Letters to each FBC employer

2.1.6. Maintain payments to employers and consultants.

While securing employer agreements a payment schedule was agreed upon. In all cases the employer agreed to invoice for reimbursement of the FBCs consultation time in December and May of each year. This timeline was at the request of the Life Span Institute who oversee the Network’s budget. One of the Project Directors writes a letter to each of the employers listing the FBCs consultation activity for the specified time to be reimbursed.

-Employer letters to signal invoice preparation.

2.1.7. Provide communication among all Network participants and partners.

A listserv was established in the fall of 1999 and serves as a highly effective, timely and active means of communication among all FBCs and Oversight Committees.

Employers of each FBC received correspondence from the Network three times since July 1, 2000, describing their FBCs contributions, Network updates and upcoming professional development.

-Listserv proceedings

-Correspondence to FBC employers

Objective

Evidence

Impact

3.1.1 Develop annual plan to provide results-based professional development on best practices within 3 content areas.

Upon initial funding of this proposal the oversight committee elected to follow the following schedule to provide professional development in three content areas following awareness, demonstration and integration levels. It was determined that Summer Institute would address the content areas of SMH/DB and PBS, Fall Seminar would address PBS and transition and Spring would address Transition and SMH/DB. Additionally it was determined to provide awareness, demonstration and integration levels for all sessions.

Consequently during the Summer Institute two sessions were offered entitled, Designing Effective Behavior Intervention Plans and Nonsymbolic Communication for Learners with Severe Disabilities II. For the Fall Seminar entitled, Designing Effective Behavior Intervention Plans II and co-joining with the Transition Trainer of Trainer workshop occurred. For the Spring Seminar the Network partnered with KSDE’s state transition workshop for professional development in the content area of transition and offered a session entitled, Family Partnerships.

Summer Institute, Fall Seminar, and Spring Seminar brochures, agendas, handouts, evaluation data

3.1.2 Partner with IHEs, state agencies, state and federal projects, and state organizations to co-sponsor the professional development array.

The Network has partnered with KSDE’s transition efforts for the Fall and Spring Seminar, KSDE’s Deaf-Blind project for the Summer Institute and OSEP’s National Technical Assistance Center for PBS for the Fall Seminar. The Network provided stipends to 5 faculty from KSU, Emporia State, Wichita State and Hays to attend the Fall Seminar.

Additionally, most professional development offered university credit. At the Summer Institute Designing Effective Behavior Intervention Plans offered 1 hour of undergraduate credit through ACCK for no additional assignments or 1 hour of graduate credit through the University of Kansas, Department of Special Education with extra integration assignments. Nonsymbolic Communication for Learners with Severe Disabilities II offered CEU for participation and was sponsored by Kansas ASHA. For the Spring Seminar the session entitled, Family Partnerships offered 1 hour of graduate credit with additional integration assignments.

-Network brochures

-Professional Development handouts

-Stipend records

-course enrollment records

3.1.3 Promote awareness of effective and best practice in each of the 3 content areas through partnerships with IHEs, state organizations, and grant projects

For all professional development activities described in Objective 3.1.1 a workshop evaluation was collected at the consultation. For all sessions the attendees indicated that attendance at the workshop would provide beneficial and that the activities increased their knowledge of the content subject.

-summarized evaluation for each of the 6 professional development activities

3.1.4. Promote demonstration of skills in each of the 3 content areas through partnerships with IHEs, state organizations, and grant projects

For all professional development activities described in Objective 3.1.1 a workshop evaluation was collected at the consultation. For all sessions the attendees indicated that the activities increased their understanding and skill of the content area.

-summarized evaluation for each of the 6 professional development activities

3.1.5. Provide professional development designed to integrate skills into proficient/excellent practice, through mentoring and coaching.

Two of the professional development activities, Designing Effective Behavior Intervention Plans II and Nonsymbolic Communication for Learners with Severe Disabilities II were directed to increasing participants ability to integrate the content into their practices. Follow-up assignments were offered to provide additional direction to participants who implemented the practices within his or her employment situations.

All 3 days of professional development for the FBCs were directed to either integration or transfer.

-Class assignments

-Course syllabi

-Professional development agendas

3.1.6. Provide support for FBCs to transfer their skills and knowledge to others in the Network through support for consultation and mentoring/coaching.

All 3 days of professional development for the FBCs were directed to either integration or transfer. Additionally all FBTA conducted by the FBCs were to transfer their skills and knowledge to the sites. For 15 of the TA requests completed 18 family members, 120 school personnel were recipients of the FBCs skills and knowledge.

-Professional development agendas

-FBC consultation records

Objective

Evidence

Impact

4.1.1 Secure commitment(s) from IHEs to sponsor mini-courses and workshops, present best practices as inservice topics, and/or to lead discussion groups as innovative professional development for practicing educators and parents

The University of Kansas, Special Education department and ACCK have sponsored professional development at the Summer Institute and Spring Seminar. Beginning in Year 2 the Network, as described in this proposal, IHEs will be more involved in the integration and transfer levels of professional development

-Course enrollment

-Summer Institute and Spring Seminar brochures and agendas

4.1.2 Jointly plan IHE participation in statewide professional development promoted or provided by the Network

This objective is being postposed until Year 2. During Year 1 faculty at Wichita State, Emporia State, University of Kansas, Kansas State, Ft. Hays, Pittsburgh, Washburn and ACCK were invited to all professional development activities.

-Professional Development sign in sheets

4.1.3 Develop resource sharing agreements to support shared professional development for the Network

While resource-sharing agreements were not formally developed, ACCK provided the following resources for the Summer Institute, speaker fees, hotel costs, conference packets. OSEP’s National TA Center on PBS contributed speaker fees, hotel costs, meals and KSDE contributed speaker fees, hotel costs, meals, conference packets to the Fall Seminar. KSDE again contributed speaker fees, hotel costs, meals, conference packets to the Spring Seminar.

-Invoices

4.1.4. Collaboratively link FBCs with IHE programs

This objective will be addressed in Year 2 through the Professional Development plan.

Objective

Evidence

Impact

5.1.1 Create unified evaluation processes and targets across content areas that address systems improvement and student outcomes.

Following the professional development schedule described in 2.1.4 new procedures created a menu approach for FBCs to select some uniform outcomes (to aid in project impact summary) and individualized outcomes for systems and individual students was adopted in March 2001. A shell for a report format was created to allow for sharing the formative evaluation with the TA recipients.

-Revised FBC Procedural Manual

5.1.2 Ensure that FBCs and others collect data needed for project evaluation, including levels of implementation and student change data.

New evaluation procedures described in 5.1.1 were adopted in March 2001 to allow the project to better summarize the project to measure impact and provide formative feedback to the TA recipients. Data is collected on 1) number of students who are recipients of the TA (directly and indirectly), 2) number and role of the persons who are recipients of the TA, 3) number of single and repeat visits, 4) content of the consultation, 5) number of recommendations made and implemented 6) satisfaction of the recipients with the consultation.

Additionally, beginning in June the Project Coordinator and Directors will conduct interviews with the recipients of the 20 FBCs to gain feedback on satisfaction with the process, long-term impact and child change.

The Oversight Committee made preliminarily changes about the scope and format of the Professional Development in April 2001 based on evaluation data findings. At the next meeting further revisions will be discussed.

-Revised FBC Procedural Manual

-Oversight Committee Minutes

5.1.3 Summarize evaluation data from Field-Based Technical Assistance and Professional Development activities.

These data describe in Objective 5.1.2 will be summarized beginning in June. At this point one more site visit is scheduled for May 3 and data have been reported for 15 of the 19 consultations

-Individual FBTA data and reports

5.1.4. Bi-annually meet oversight committees to review and interpret evaluation data

Instead of a bi-annual presentation of evaluation data, discussion of evaluation data for project operations, coordination, FBTA and FBPD are addressed at monthly meetings.

-Oversight Meeting Minutes

5.1.5. Revise network operations, coordination efforts, Field-Based Technical Assistance and Professional Develop Activities based on evaluation

Revisions to the FBC procedures were made during Year 1 as described in Objective 2.14.

Revisions to the Professional Development activities are described in the Year 2 proposal and are based on recent decisions of the Oversight Committee after reviewing evaluation data collected at professional development.

Revisions to coordination and operations efforts are described in the Year 2 proposal and based upon the resignation of the existing FBC coordinator.

-Revised FBC Procedural Manual

-Oversight Meeting Minutes

-Coordinator Position Announcement

5.1.6. Annually create individual and Network improvement plans based on evaluation.

Oversight members met with each FBC during the Summer Institute 2000 and collected ways to create individual improvement plans in conjunction that aligned with their work plans. Decisions for implementation of this will be made at the Summer 2001 Institute.

Data from Year 1 professional development has been summarized and will be reviewed by the Oversight committee this summer to write the initial Network Improvement plan.

-Professional Development Workshop data