Special-education director outlines plan to standardize services, reduce pending IEPs

Special Education Director Worthington told the Banning Unified School District Board of Trustees on Feb. 6 that the district will standardize processes across sites, improve tracking and expand staff development to ensure consistent delivery of services to students with disabilities.

Worthington said the department will produce a handbook and training modules so staff and paraeducators can follow consistent operating procedures. He described the district's "full continuum" of special-education options, from specialized academic instruction to occupational and physical therapy, and emphasized transportation's role in access to services.

Worthington highlighted several data points: a districtwide high-school graduation rate for students with disabilities of 82.4 percent (up 13.5 points from the previous year), a suspension rate under 10 percent for students with disabilities, and that there were 40 pending IEPs at the time of the update. He said the department had 79 percent paraeducator participation in a recent hybrid training module provided with a partner organization, and described broad next steps to "sharpen, streamline, sustain and scale" practices by fall.

Board members asked for more granular data about referral rates and why certain grades — especially third and sixth — showed higher pending and eligible counts. Worthington said he would audit the timing and provide additional details, noting that assessment timing and the transition period around those grades can affect referral counts.

Worthington closed by returning to a personal anecdote and stressing the district's commitment to be the "ladder holders" for students so they can access education and succeed. Trustees thanked Worthington for the presentation and requested follow-up metrics on referrals, SSTs and eligibility outcomes by grade level.