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State education office outlines RFP‑backed plan to expand special education supports and coaching
Summary
Special education leaders told the board of a multi‑contract plan — funded through state and federal sources and run through competitive RFPs — to expand professional development, coaching, and transition services for students with disabilities.
Department special education leaders summarized a multi‑piece plan to expand supports for students with disabilities statewide. The department said it reorganized teams to improve monitoring and technical assistance and then used a competitive RFP process to select external partners to deliver training, coaching, and parent‑engagement supports.
Key components: - Professional development modules (math and ELA) and a coach‑and‑playbook model that pairs online modules with on‑the‑ground coaching, district playbooks, and measurable implementation steps. - Transition‑focused supports and a “transition playbook” to help students and coaches use interest inventories and work‑readiness inventories tied to college/career pathways. - Contracts with vendors and partners for dispute‑resolution help, an RFP‑based practice test replacement (after Sunsetting of a vendor platform), and capacity building for novice special‑education directors and paraeducators.
Doctor Chambers (special education services lead) and staff emphasized the program is evidence‑driven: the contracts will include data collection and measurable outcomes so the department can report how the work changes student results. Chambers said the department will track outcomes, run a data‑driven validation and provide periodic reports to the board.
The presentation noted continuing fiscal complexity: districts must still meet federal maintenance‑of‑effort requirements if they accept supplemental state funding for high‑needs students, and the department said it will publish guidance and an application process for supplemental state grants for high‑cost students.
Why it matters: the plan focuses on high‑leverage classroom practices and regional coaching as levers to narrow the longstanding proficiency gap between students with disabilities and the general student population. The department framed the approach as a multi‑year capacity‑building investment rather than a one‑off program.
Next steps: selected contractors will begin delivering modules and coaching as contracts are finalized; department staff will publish reporting metrics and an online hub for modules, and the board asked for periodic updates about measurable student outcomes and program scale.
