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Special education leaders report inclusion levels, CPAC urges outreach as families report anxiety
Summary
District special education staff reviewed program structure, inclusive placements, MCAS outcome snapshots and new supports; CPAC asked the committee to keep communication channels open and offered continued partnership.
Duxbury special education officials and the district’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) briefed the School Committee on April 2 about program structures, current identification trends and supports for students with disabilities.
Director of Special Education Theresa Skinner presented an overview of in‑district programs — including partnership (therapeutic) classrooms, language‑based programs with Orton‑Gillingham instruction, transition programs for students with significant needs and the post‑secondary transition program for 18–22 year‑olds — and the district’s emphasis on inclusion. Skinner described inclusion as the default setting when appropriate and said roughly 87.5% of students with IEPs receive services in inclusive settings; about 6.4% of students with IEPs were in out‑of‑district placements in the October snapshot cited to the committee.
The presentation included MCAS snapshots showing a mix of meeting and partially meeting outcomes for students with disabilities across grades; district staff noted student growth percentiles as an important complement to single‑year proficiency percentages.
CPAC co‑chair Kate Reynolds said parents and caregivers are “afraid” and asked the committee to maintain lines of communication and to resist rhetoric that stigmatizes students with disabilities. CPAC asked for more systematic data reporting to the committee and wider outreach so families know where to go with questions. Reynolds urged the committee and administration to protect services and public education and offered CPAC as a partner in improving communications and problem‑solving.
Why it matters: special education programs and inclusion practices determine services for students who require individualized instruction and supports. Several committee members requested more frequent, visual data on outcomes and trends so governance decisions are informed by clear metrics.
Operational details and staffing: Skinner described central office monitoring of out‑of‑district placements, a part‑time coordinator who is documenting visits and program oversight, and a continuing emphasis on professional development for co‑teaching and executive‑function supports for students. The district also noted recent investments in curriculum tools and training (for example, i‑Ready and consultant support from Landmark School for high school literacy and middle school implementation).
Next steps: CPAC and district staff said they will continue monthly liaison meetings and that CPAC will return with a more comprehensive report and recommendations. Committee members asked for additional periodic briefings showing longitudinal outcome data, discipline rates, graduation outcomes and transitions data to inform resource decisions.
