School Improvement Through Integrated Special Education with Dr. Kate Anderson Foley

In this episode, Jethro Jones interviews Dr. Kate Anderson Foley, founder and CEO of the Education Policy and Practice Group. They discuss the integral role of special education in school improvement, the double helix approach to support systems, and the importance of tailoring instruction to student needs. Dr. Foley shares insights on the necessity of breaking down silos in education and promoting a student-centered approach that prepares learners for adult life.

• Tight instruction specifically for special education students. 
• Double Helix
• Designing lessons that are comprehensively situating the adults and students.
• Almost half a million students are identified as special education. 
• Ban the Tiers! 
• Nimble and responsive instruction. 
• Not working in isolation anymore. 
• Double Helix as a replacement for the RTI/MTSS
• Strength-based system - foundation of school improvement process. 
• High expectations of staff. 
• Accountability is measured by evidence of impact. 
• Data that is used to inform and adjust. 
• Shared accountability. 
• Collaboratively working on improvement. 
• Discussion about explicit instruction vs. non-explicit instruction. 
• Blooms and scaffolding. 
• The scaffolding needs to be done
• How do we scaffold that skill so they demonstrate it in novel ways? 
• Explicit instruction is 15 minutes and then you transfer that skill. 
• Understand the concept of AM & PM. 

About Dr. Foley:
Kate Anderson Foley, Ph.D.

Founder & CEO of the Education Policy & Practice Group, International Keynote, McLean Affiliate of Harvard Medical School Institute of Coaching Fellow, Thought Partner, Author.

 Kate Anderson Foley is a transformational leader with significant experience leading public school districts and states toward equitable and integrated services for all learners. Her work has been grounded in social justice and breaking down barriers for children who have historically been marginalized. She has led organizational change utilizing a strategic framework that ensured guaranteed and rigorous learning leading to college and career readiness for all students.

Kate began her career as a special education teacher pioneering inclusive practices for students at risk and with disabilities. Her work focused on creating conditions that fostered high expectations of adults for students and innovation which catalyzed equitable opportunities for each learner. Kate's deep commitment to creating nimble and responsive systems that supported the whole child led her into administration where she advocated for local, state, and federal reform. That experience with large-scale reform led to improved academic and social-emotional outcomes for students, fair funding models, innovative healthcare models, and efficient operations.

 

As a senior educational leader for the State of Illinois, Kate's vision of fulfilling the promise of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was nested within the Every Student Succeeds Act. She was an expert contributor to the State Plan where the deficit-based system was interrupted and a preventative and nimble system was created that intentionally addressed opportunity gaps of all learners, regardless of background or circumstance. Her deep understanding of equity-based school funding also contributed to a legislative reform model for the state of Illinois.

 

As the founder and CEO of The Education Policy & Practice Group, Kate partners with local, state, national, and international organizations, education agencies, and various industries providing her expertise with the improvement process, professional learning communities, strategic planning, asset-based education policies and practices, special education, coaching, and consulting. Kate is a Roslyn Wolf Lecturer with the Levin College of Public Affairs in Urban Education. Kate teaches a graduate-level Special Education Law course to aspiring superintendents and principals. Kate works closely with senior leadership across various sectors providing executive coaching aimed at creating growth-minded organizational cultures (www.edpolicyconsulting.com). Kate is the author of numerous articles and books including Ida Finds Her Voice and Fearless Coaching. Kate's new book, Radically Excellent School Improvement: Keeping Students at the Center of it All presents a model for ambitious improvement and tireless focus that ensures every student grows, thrives, and achieves to their fullest potential. It provides district and school leaders with a bold blueprint for designing,

implementing, and monitoring a comprehensive school improvement process for radical excellence (https://us.corwin.com/books/radical-excellence-289045).

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.