Wayland outlines expanded student services, plans elementary co-teaching and new 18–22 transition program

Wayland School Committee members heard a broad update April 9 on the district's student services work, including program changes this year and two initiatives planned for 2025–26: rolling out co-teaching in elementary classrooms and opening a local transition program for students ages 18–22.

The update, delivered by Ronnie, a student-services staff member, summarized this year's priorities: expanding language-based programming at the high school, shifting middle- and high-school services from “org skills/LRT” toward a targeted skills‑based model, completing a districtwide migration to PowerSchool and adopting a new IEP format. Ronnie said the district will add a second teacher for the high-school language-based program and extend that program through 11th grade next year.

District officials framed the skills shift — moving from more general work-completion support to instruction targeted at students' Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals — as necessary but fast for some families. "Some of the feedback was maybe we could have started it slow," Ronnie said about the rollout; committee members said the district has adapted and will use lessons learned for future…