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New director of related services outlines special-education services, family engagement and speech-pathology grant
Summary
Karen Knopf, the district’s director of related services, described her role, service delivery models, staffing levels, a procedural audit and a two-year speech-pathology grant proposal during the April 3 Student Services Committee meeting.
Karen Knopf, director of related services for the Waukesha School District, described the scope of related services and outlined ongoing work on family engagement, procedural compliance and a speech-pathology professional‑development grant at the Student Services Committee meeting on April 3.
Knopf said related services are provided as part of Individualized Education Program (IEP) decisions and listed services that help students access education, including audiology, speech-language pathology, orientation and mobility, physical therapy, nursing, vision services and assistive technology. She told the committee the district employs 29 speech-language pathologists, four occupational therapists, two physical therapists and three staff who support deaf and hard‑of‑hearing students; vision and audiology services are contracted through the Waukesha County Special Education Consortium.
Knopf said the department is conducting a procedural compliance self‑audit (PCSA) that will include an indicator‑8 family survey and random reviews of IEPs and evaluations to check both documentation and in‑school implementation. She said the PCSA occurs on a five‑year cycle for Wisconsin districts.
Knopf described a proposed two‑year grant to support speech‑language pathologists: $20,000 in the first year and $12,000 in the second year (amounts cited in the meeting). The grant would fund monthly modules and associated activities for SLPs, plus periodic visits from the grant team; Knopf said a neighboring district reported "significant growth" among speech staff after a similar program.
Knopf also said she is working to rebuild family engagement supports, including reinstating family liaisons, community roundtables and partnering with Parents United and state family engagement groups. She said the long‑term aim is earlier and more consistent transition planning for students with significant disabilities so families receive information repeatedly over time rather than only at high‑school age.
Committee members asked about timelines, the PCSA reporting process and how Waukesha Transition Academy students are supported; Knopf said she would coordinate with existing program staff and bring PCSA findings to the board when available.
The discussion was informational; no formal action was taken.
