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Special Education committee reports 27 recommendations; district says 20 implemented so far
Summary
A superintendent-appointed Special Education Committee summarized nine meetings and 27 recommendations to improve services and information for students with disabilities; staff reported 20 recommendations implemented, a compliance audit underway and plans for expanded parent outreach and a new long-term transition committee.
Members of Tempe Union High School District's Special Education Committee reported to the governing board that the group produced 27 recommendations after nine meetings, and that district staff have implemented 20 to date.
"We have 27 recommendations that were made to our district leadership team, and 20 of those have been implemented to date," Director Heidi Sinkovic told the board during the committee's update. She noted leadership changes in the special education department and an ongoing compliance audit that have affected workload and planning.
Committee members and staff summarized several concrete steps the district has completed or begun since the committee convened: a condensed, parent-friendly summary of the procedural safeguards notice posted on the special-education web page; an updated parent resource page with common terms and timelines; an expanded postsecondary transition page with curated resources; mandatory pre-school-year training for all teachers on IEP implementation; recorded and live training for counselors on course selection and nonstandard graduation pathways; paraprofessional training focused on inclusive practices; and a guidance document for teachers on implementing accommodations for district final exams.
The committee's work also informed draft revisions to special-education course descriptions and course titles, and staff said they are planning a new committee in 2025'6 focused specifically on long-term transition services, instruction and programming that will include broader parent and community representation.
Public commenters urged continued attention to parent engagement and individualized transition planning. Jody Hernandez, a parent and Unified advocate, asked whether parent representatives who left the committee had been replaced and whether resources from the former program "Success University" had been redistributed. Brenda Walsh, who identifies herself as a special-education consultant, told the board, "Failure to provide and implement appropriate transition services constitutes a denial of FAPE." She urged the board to examine transition planning and individualized services closely.
Sinkovic told the board the special-education page now includes the procedural safeguards summary and lists of resources, and announced a Raising Special Kids presentation on turning 18 and legal options scheduled for April 29.
District staff reported that the district's vocational rehabilitation (VR)/transition-supported-work partnership (TSW) program currently serves under 100 students and that the district has about 1,100 students receiving special-education services overall. Staff said TSW program capacity has been written for about 80 students (roughly 30 students per campus) and that district goals include increased VR participation and expanded transition planning.
Ending: The board received the committee update as an informational item; staff will return with additional work products, data from the compliance audit when available and plans for a long-term transition committee.
