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Connecting IDEAS Project (CIP) The Washington State Improvement Plan:

to Support Local School Districts, Parents and Communities in their efforts

to Improve Results for Children and Youth with Disabilities

For further reading

By the Numbers: Rising Student Achievement in Washington State     Shirley Skidmore
OSPI Communications Director shares the successes of the Washington State Assessment of Student Learning (WASL).

"No Child Left Behind:" Implications for Special Education Students and Students with Limited English Proficiency   Mark E. Jewell
The Chief Academic Officer of Federal Way Public Schools describes how test scores of special education and ELL students can be improved through accommodations and preparation.

School Improvement Process Works at Hood Canal School    George Holmgren
A School Improvement Facilitator shows how school success results from hard work, dedication, staying the course and being intentional with the use of data to drive decisions.

Goals	Activities
Improve the academic performance of students receiving special education services	Promote promising practices into service delivery for all districts based on effective school research Identify and establish demonstration site/programs (Birth-21) to: Support preservice activities Disseminate promising practices information
Improve the post-school performance of students receiving special education services (for more information on this goal, see Center for Change in Transition Services website)	Provide training in system change using the Sequenced Transition from Education to Post School Setting (STEPS) model Identify county community councils (CCCs) in all counties Support training for CCCs Mini grants to support councils after trainings
Ensure that eligible special education students receive a free and appropriate public education	Use data collected to drive technical assistance, personnel preparation and parent training activities Monitoring findings Due process results Citizens complaints/decisions Mediation topics
Enhance preservice preparation opportunities for all personnel	Support institutes of higher education (IHE) alignment of curriculum to new endorsement standards Education incentives (www.esd112.org)
Enhance inservice preparation activities	Establish a clearinghouse for special education: WTC (Workshops, Trainings, and Conferences) Clearinghouse Maintain a training clearinghouse, materials catalogue, and calendar Link with Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) web page and other organizations
Retain and enhance skills of existing special education personnel	Special education mentorship projects training support stipends for mentors "Cadet teachers" Implement the competency based endorsement

This article is in the public domain and can be freely copied and used in trainings as handouts at parent and community meetings, and in creating your school or district programs. (Please cite all sources of materials you use.)

This information is provided by:
Office of State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Special Education
P O Box 47200
Olympia, WA 98504-7200
(360) 725-6088
Fax (360)586-1631
E-mail: dgill@ospi.wednet.edu