October 01, 2009

Mayor Fenty Announces Accomplishments, New Initiatives in Special Education 

Contact: Jennifer Calloway | (202) 535-1096

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WASHINGTON, DC - Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, joined by Chancellor of the District Public Schools (DCPS) Michelle Rhee and Director of the Office of Special Education (OSE) Richard Nyankori, announced today that the District has increased the efficiency and quality of services offered through the OSE. The District’s expedited implementation of hearing officer determinations (HODs), in addition to new evaluative and support initiatives, demonstrates a rising standard of service for the District’s special needs students.

“A world-class education system meets the needs of every student it serves,” said Mayor Fenty. “Building on our progress, we will remain committed to ensuring targeted, efficient, and effective services for the District’s special need students and their families.”

Increased Efficiency in Special Education Services
OSE has taken steps to streamline its hearing determination and documentation processes. In December 2007, the District committed to eliminating a backlog of over 1000 hearing officer determinations (HODs). As of July 2009, the District has achieved an 84 percent timeliness rate for implementing HODs and settlement agreements, with 255 open cases and 75 cases in the backlog. To speed delivery of services recommended in students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), OSE developed a centralized database containing all student records. The database will bolster educators’ management of student cases, ensure documentation of all services that are provided, and improve administrative access to student records.

“Following decades of widespread dysfunction, DCPS has finally made critical inroads in creating the systems and processes necessary to begin offering our special education students and families the level of service and support they deserve,” said Chancellor Rhee. “Our students demonstrated tremendous progress this year with special education DC CAS scores increasing across the District. It remains our responsibility to continue working at this pace in order to foster more academic growth, and to move us closer to full compliance with our court orders.”

To ensure that the progress of students with disabilities is properly assessed, and that students with special education needs receive the full benefit of District special education funding, OSE evaluated the appropriateness of read aloud accommodations included in student IEPs. Following this evaluation, the number of students with a read-aloud accommodations included in their IEPs was halved, declining from 2171 to 1053. This represents a 51% reduction in the number of students receiving a read-aloud accommodation.

“This is truly an exciting time for special education in the District,” said Attorney General Peter Nickles. “The District is investing in the most effective special education programs, and is allocating resources toward students most in need of support.”

New Initiatives in Special Education
New programs through OSE will accommodate a range of special needs, reaching students at crucial developmental stages from early childhood to employment. Through these programs, District special needs students will have access to one-on-one evaluation and support services.

• The Early Stages Center - The OSE’s Early Stages Center will open its doors to District families on October 5, 2009. The Early Stages Team received intensive training from local and national experts, preparing them to deliver outstanding service and support to young children and their families. It will offer free developmental screenings and evaluations for children age three to five. Research indicates that early intervention is critical to ensuring future educational success. Through the Early Stages Center, young children with disabilities will receive needed support early in their academic careers. Early Stages is developing a multimedia outreach program, including a new web site, www.earlystagesdc.org, to provide parents and health care providers with additional information.
  
• Partnership with First Home Care - Beginning May 5, 2009, DCPS partered with First Home Care (FHC), an organization specializing in behavioral support for at-risk youth, to assist students transitioning from restrictive education environments to District public schools. FHC acts as a liaison between DCPS, parents, and schools to ensure a successful transition. The partnership provides students with wrap-around services and monitors each student’s progress upon entry into their new school.
  
• Partnership with Project SEARCH - Twelve District students will finish their final year of high school at the Department of Labor (DOL) as part of Project SEARCH, a nationally acclaimed school-to-career project for youth with disabilities. Project SEARCH combines education and career training to prepare students for competitive employment. The students will spend their entire school day in a DOL classroom with a DCPS teachers and job coaches provided by the District’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the Kennedy Institute. The District’s program is the first project of its kind in the federal government.
  
• Special Needs Services for Incarcerated Youth - DCPS and the Department of Corrections have collaborated to improve special education services for incarcerated youth. Students participate in a 30 hour per week program with specialized instruction, related services and general education curriculum. Read 180, an intensive reading intervention program, has been incorporated into the Incarcerated Youth Program to improve reading comprehension. DCPS and DOC created a school-wide behavioral plan outlining clear rewards and consequences for behavior in school and throughout the youth’s incarceration.

“My vision is for our school system to enable our students with disabilities to become adults with meaningful careers, engaged in their communities, and living independently,” said Director Nyankori. “The many successes we have outlined today are part of our efforts to correct inequity and achieve this important goal.”

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