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Committee hears proposal for external special‑education review focusing on preschool and substantially separate programs
Summary
Superintendent proposed commissioning an external review of special‑education programming to examine preschool services, substantially separate placements and future needs; the committee expressed directional support and staff said a vendor could begin data review this summer and conduct interviews in the fall.
The Westwood School Committee discussed a proposed external review of the district’s special‑education programs at the May 8 meeting. The superintendent presented the concept as a discussion item and sought the committee’s directional support to proceed with procuring an external reviewer.
The proposed review would examine current programs and projected needs with two focal areas: preschool programming and substantially separate programs (students who receive the majority of instruction outside general education classrooms). The scope would include data analysis of district trends and student profiles, interviews with staff and families, and consideration of capacity, program alignment and future placements. The superintendent said the review would help the district shift from reacting to demand toward proactive planning and would also inform space and budget planning related to special education needs.
Committee members who spoke supported the idea and said an external review would provide evidence‑based information to inform future decisions. Staff suggested a selected vendor could begin district‑level data review over the summer and schedule interviews and stakeholder meetings in the fall. The superintendent said the proposal had been discussed previously with the district parent advisory group (CPAC) and had received positive informal feedback.
No formal vote was taken; the committee signaled directional support for staff to pursue a request for proposals and select an external reviewer, with the intent to report findings to the committee when work is complete.
