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Lawndale highlights special-education gains, adopts dyslexia screening and outlines referral steps
Summary
Superintendent Castro and district staff described measurable gains for students with disabilities, the district’s tiered identification process and introduction of a dyslexia screener this school year.
Superintendent Virginia Castro and district staff told attendees that students with disabilities in Lawndale showed “phenomenal” growth on state and alternate assessments and described steps the district is taking to identify and support students earlier.
Castro said that special education students showed a 5 percentage-point increase in English language arts and a 6-point increase in math on the metrics the district presented. She said Director of Special Education Sharon Osman had presented the data at a recent board meeting and that the growth prompted recognition and celebration.
Regarding identification, Castro described the district’s use of MTSS: classroom- and school-level interventions are Tier 1 and Tier 2; if those are not effective a child is referred for Tier 3 special-education assessment. She said the Student Success Team (SST) is often the first formal referral point and that language acquisition and attendance are considered before referring for special education.
On screening policy, Castro said, “This year, we actually implemented a dyslexia screener. So teachers were trained, and they will be implementing that.” She also referred to “Child Find,” the federal obligation to identify children with disabilities, and explained that English learners must have time to acquire language before being assessed for a disability.
A parent asked about screening and early identification; Castro described the multi-step process (SST, MTSS, assessment) and invited parents with continuing concerns to contact Director Sharon Osman for case-specific follow-up.
The district emphasized supports and interventions before formal special-education assessment and noted that some barriers — including chronic absenteeism and English-language proficiency — can delay eligibility assessments.
