Dr. Al Oberman, director of special education, told the Education Committee on Oct. 30 that the Pennsylvania Department of Education will conduct cyclical monitoring of the district's special education program this winter. Oberman said PDE last reviewed Council Rock in 2020 and that the forthcoming review will examine student files, district policies and procedures, staff training records, parent and stakeholder input, and outcome data such as least restrictive environment (LRE) placements and graduation.

Oberman explained the PDE review process: the department will request a set of student files for on-site review (districts receive notice and provide the documents), use a standardized rubric to score compliance, interview randomly selected parents, teachers and administrators, and review district-level policies and training documentation. If PDE identifies deficiencies, the district will develop corrective action plans and must submit evidence of progress; Oberman noted that corrective actions may require multi-year follow-up.

Oberman said the district will host PDE reviewers on-site in February and expects final results by May or June, allowing the district summer months to plan any corrective actions. He said PDE will also review indicators such as participation rates in state assessments and LRE percentages and may request additional documentation about district procedures.

Separately, Oberman described steps to restructure the Special Education Parent Advisory Council (CPAC). After an Oct. 8 kickoff meeting attended by about 30 parents, staff and board members, the district circulated a questionnaire on Oct. 23 to recruit a transition committee composed of diverse parents (elementary, middle, high school; different programs). Oberman said the objective is a parent-led CPAC that sets its own mission and agenda while partnering with the district for speakers, resources and meeting logistics.

Oberman emphasized the district's intent to increase parent engagement and to draft a CPAC mission, vision and core values. He asked interested parents to complete the questionnaire and said administrators would support a transition committee and provide space and presenters when requested. No formal actions or votes were taken during the presentation.