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Agawam special education director outlines changing needs, new Massachusetts IEP rollout and EMPowered program review
Summary
Director of Special Services Aaron Wallace told the School Committee student needs are increasing despite stable special-education enrollment (~18%). He described listening sessions, rollout of the state’s new strengths-based IEP, a grant-funded training, and an EMPowered program review including 64 classroom visits and upcoming focus groups.
Aaron Wallace, Agawam’s director of special services, delivered an extended special education update at the School Committee meeting that outlined changing student needs, district responses and an external program review.
Wallace said the district’s special education enrollment has hovered around 18% of students — slightly below the statewide average of about 20% — but that student needs have intensified, with an increase in social-emotional needs and in students requiring intensive autism supports. He said the district opened an additional ABA classroom at Phelps and has two teachers in the intensive learning classroom this year to meet higher needs.
Wallace summarized three main initiatives: a series of staff listening sessions, mandatory statewide adoption of a new Massachusetts IEP form this past fall, and a program review conducted by EMPowered, an…
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