School psychologists, HCEA and RTI spotlight special-education staffing and workload in Howard County

Members of Howard County’s school-psychologist workforce delivered a string of public comments at the March 13 Board of Education meeting, pressing the system to adopt pay parity, larger stipends for nationally certified school psychologists and structural changes to reduce excessive workloads.

The appeals coincided with a midpoint update from Research Triangle Institute (RTI), which the board commissioned last fall to review special-education programs, staffing allocations and organizational structures. RTI told the board it is still collecting data but presented preliminary findings showing Howard County’s per-pupil special-education spending has increased and is higher than several comparable districts, and that Howard’s IEP-hours–based staffing model differs from other nearby counties.

Why it matters: school psychologists are a core part of eligibility determinations, crisis response and behavioral threat assessment teams; staff and union representatives warned that persistent understaffing and uncompensated out‑of‑hours work risks program quality and staff retention. RTI’s review is intended to guide short‑term fixes and a longer redesign that could affect hiring, caseload models and program placement.

School psychologists’ testimony

Dr. Kevin Hughes, vice president of the Howard County School Psychologists Association, told the board psychologists help “identify conditions like dyslexia, autism, and ADHD” and support crisis response and behavioral threat assessments. Hughes said nationally certified school psychologists receive no supplement in the district’s current proposed COLA plan and that psychologists receive only 14 reimbursed out‑of‑hours hours compared with 28 hours for other related-service providers. “I respectfully request that you recognize our efforts,” Hughes said.

Several other psychologists described the time required for evaluations and IEP work. Cheryl Levy said a single comprehensive autism evaluation can take 25 hours or longer, and that her school had consented for 48 psychological assessments this year. Emma Smith and other early-career psychologists described frequent interruptions from crises that force them to pause legally mandated assessment timelines.

HCEA special-education committee presentation

The Howard County Education Association’s (HCEA) special-education committee — a 25‑member group of school-based special-education staff — presented a consolidated set of short-, mid- and long‑term recommendations. The committee report emphasized that special educators are effectively performing two full-time jobs (case management plus classroom instruction) and offered structural proposals, including:

- short-term: designated case‑management days each quarter and streamlined quarterly progress reporting; - mid-term: focus groups of special-education teachers to pilot implementation changes and increased compensation to recruit and retain staff; - long-term: a redesign of the continuum of services (including more in‑district options to reduce out‑of‑district placements), improved school space for regional early‑childhood programs, and adoption of more efficient IEP software.

Committee co‑chair Toni Ann Maniscalco and teachers from regional programs urged the board to cap caseloads and create consistent co‑teaching planning time in master schedules. The HCEA proposal included a “designated case manager” staffing model as one option: instead of every special educator splitting duties, a subset would serve primarily as case managers while others focused primarily on instruction.

RTI preliminary findings and process

RTI representatives said their work is a midpoint progress update, not a final report. RTI’s Dr. Robin Wisniewski and project lead Sofia Farmer described the evaluation framework and early, sample findings:

- Data collection methods: RTI reported five primary data streams — statewide and district administrative data, surveys (staff and community), focus groups, classroom observations and document review (including IEP audits). - Survey status and response counts: RTI reported roughly 1,300 staff responses and about 280 community responses to date; the staff survey was reopened through March 28 to boost response rates. RTI said response-rate calculations were pending closure of the surveys. - Observations and sampling: RTI said it visited a subset of sites (10 classrooms at 5 elementary schools, additional middle and high school classrooms and some regional programs) and planned further observations; the team emphasized the sample is not yet comprehensive. - Staffing-model comparisons: RTI described Howard County’s IEP-hours–based model and noted that nearby Montgomery and Prince George’s counties use hours-based approaches with explicit allowances for collaboration and planning time, while other districts use caseload or ratio formulas. RTI also noted Maryland has not adopted uniform, statutory staffing formulas and said that variability across districts makes direct comparisons difficult. - Spend and enrollment trends: RTI showed that Howard’s per‑pupil special‑education spending has risen (more than $500 over five years) and that a concurrent increase in the share of students with IEPs — up more than 23% from 2018–2023, per MSDE figures cited by speakers — helps explain some of the spending growth.

RTI emphasized that these are preliminary, thematic findings and that a final report with recommendations and IEP audits is due in June 2025.

Board and administration response

Deputy Superintendent and special-education leaders told the board RTI’s early findings will inform both short-term operational changes and longer-term redesign. Superintendent Barnes said the district intends to act where evidence is sufficient and that some changes may be “budget neutral” or implementable quickly (for example, repurposing current vacancies to create clerical/case‑management positions). He also said more structural changes will require planning and may appear in future budgets.

Clarifying details from the meeting

- RTI survey dates and counts: staff responses ~1,300; community responses ~280 at time of presentation; survey closed March 28 (dates as reported by RTI). - RTI site visits: 10 classrooms at five elementary schools plus selected middle/high/regional classrooms (RTI described this as an initial sample, not exhaustive). - IEP trend cited by speakers: HCPSS students with IEPs increased “over 23%” between 2018 and 2023 (as cited by Dr. Hughes referencing MSDE data). - HCEA committee membership: 25 members representing a cross section of special-education roles (teachers, support staff, related-service providers).

What the board asked for next

Board members pressed for close coordination between RTI and district staff and for the inclusion of parent and CCAC (Special Education Citizens’ Advisory Committee) input. Several board members urged RTI and the district to look beyond Maryland for staffing and program models and to present options that could be implemented for fall 2025. RTI reaffirmed that the final report (including IEP audits and recommendations) is scheduled for June 2025.

Speakers

- Dr. Kevin Hughes — Vice President, Howard County School Psychologists Association (school psychologist) - Cheryl Levy — School psychologist (HCPSS) - Emma Smith — School psychologist (HCPSS) - Roselyn Shepherd — School psychologist (HCPSS) - Toni Ann Maniscalco — Special-education teacher; co‑chair, HCEA Special Education Committee (HCEA) - Katie Merdza — Special-education teacher (Worthington Elementary) - Beth Krakauer — Regional early childhood team leader (Talbot Springs Elementary) - Kristin Meadows — Infant/Toddler services (HCPSS) - Jody Duff — Teacher (Cedar Lane School) - Lisa Guth — Academic life skills teacher (Bonny Branch Middle School) - Dr. Robin Wisniewski — RTI International (advisor) - Sofia Farmer — RTI International (project lead) - Dr. Jeffries — HCPSS staff who introduced RTI

Authorities

- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) — referenced in discussion of protections and IEP requirements - Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) data cited for enrollment/IEP trends - Board policy 2040 (public forum) — governing public comment

Topics and tagging

- Primary topic: special-education-review - Tags: special education, school psychologists, staffing, RTI review, HCEA, IEPs, early intervention

Why this matters

The RTI review and the on‑the‑record testimony from school psychologists and the HCEA special‑education committee together crystallized two linked problems: rising demand for special-education services and local staffing and workflow arrangements that staff say are creating unmanageable workloads and morale pressure. RTI’s final recommendations will shape short-term staffing choices and potentially a multi‑year redesign of special-education service delivery in Howard County.