Madison schools report progress and persistent gaps in three‑year special education plan

Superintendent Mike Gothard and MMSD special education leaders presented a year‑two update of the district's three‑year special education plan at the Instruction Work Group meeting, summarizing progress and gaps and asking the board to expect supplemental reports in coming weeks.

District leaders said the district serves about 4,100 students with individualized education programs (IEPs) and that 83 percent of those students spend 80 percent or more of their school day in general education settings, above the state average of 76 percent. The presentation credited expanded multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS), stronger school‑level routines and coaching for program support teachers for much of the improvement.

The update matters because inclusion, early supports and accurate evaluations drive academic and post‑school outcomes for students with disabilities. Dr. Nancy Molfenten, MMSD associate superintendent of special education, said the district is using new anti‑racist pre‑evaluation processes and monthly professional learning communities to reduce inappropriate referrals and address disproportionate identification of Black students.

"We do serve approximately 4,100 scholars with an IEP in the Madison Metropolitan School District," Molfenten said. She told the board MMSD has launched family feedback surveys, an anti‑racist pre‑evaluation process and a mentoring program for provisionally licensed special education teachers to improve assessment and inclusion.

School presentations described how those district initiatives are applied on the ground. Marquette Elementary Principal Becky Petersen described weekly MTSS meetings, regular SSI (student support and intervention team) meetings and systems that require teachers to document supports before a referral. "The MTSS process helps us identify and address the individual needs of students," Petersen said.

Emily Durst, Marquette's program support teacher, told the board that historically about 30 percent of SSIT referrals led to special education evaluations; this year that rate has dropped to less than 1 percent, which school staff attributed to stronger universal instruction and targeted interventions. Marquette staff also identified social‑emotional resources as a gap: they said academic intervention materials are widely available but that more evidence‑based social‑emotional interventions and staff time are needed.

Olson Elementary Principal Christine Barone described school scheduling and planning systems that prioritize specially designed instruction (SDI) minutes for students with IEPs and detailed how the school balances SCA (special classroom assistant) scheduling and safety needs. "We have exited five students with IEPs since September 2024," Barone told the board, citing early literacy gains and targeted small‑group instruction as reasons for those exits.

At the high school level, Assistant Director Julie Everett said MMSD is working to place specially designed instruction so students remain in general education classes as much as possible. Everett said the district's Campus Connect program, a postsecondary inclusive pathway in partnership with Madison College, enrolls up to 45 students per semester and had 44 active participants at the time of the report.

District figures and staffing snapshots drew repeated questions from board members. Gothard said the state underfunds special education services statewide and stated a district estimate of a statewide shortfall: "the state of Wisconsin is underfunded specialized services in our state by $1,800,000,000," he said. Board members asked for follow‑up data the district will provide, including IEP students' proficiency in reading and math, longitudinal trends for Campus Connect and middle school‑level detail.

Molfenten and staff displayed risk‑ratio charts supplied by the Department of Public Instruction showing variation across years in disproportionality measures. The DPI calculation compares the likelihood that a Black student is identified for a special education classification to the likelihood for white students on a single snapshot date (third Friday count). Molfenten said the district is adding both percent and risk‑ratio views in supplemental materials to give the board a fuller picture.

Staff also outlined program‑level numbers and constraints: about 42 special education teachers currently hold provisional licenses; the district reported roughly 34.75 occupational therapists and 9.6 physical therapists districtwide; and program leaders said recruitment, staff retention and SCA supply remain persistent challenges that affect day‑to‑day implementation.

Board members pressed for more middle‑school data, clearer tracking of who can access SSIT notes across systems such as EduClimber and Infinite Campus, and more disaggregated student input for transition planning. Staff said they will deliver a supplemental packet within two weeks containing additional analyses and middle‑school specifics.

The presentation closed with staff reiterating both the district's investments in special education and remaining constraints. Molfenten said the district will return with updated materials and invited further board questions.

Looking ahead, the board indicated it will review the supplemental data package and discuss resource and staffing implications during budget development and upcoming Instruction Work Group meetings.