Dr. Zhang and members of the district's special education and early learning team presented results the board described as measurable progress in inclusive early learning.

Kelsey Tischey, the assistant director of special education, said the district's work on Indicator 6 (educational environment for preschool students with IEPs) included targeted supports, partnerships and practice‑based coaching that expanded access to universal instruction. She told the board that Indicator 6a — the share of preschool students with IEPs who attend a regular early childhood program and receive the majority of their special education services there — increased from about 29% (2021–22) to 45% as of Oct. 1, 2025. The district's percentage now sits above the state value and above commonly used targets.

Tischey said the decrease in indicator 6b (students taught in separate special education settings) was similarly notable, falling from about 15% four years ago to roughly 2% as of Oct. 1, 2025. She attributed gains to continuous improvement steps the district took after being invited to participate in Wisconsin DPI's Early Learning Technical Assistance and Implementation (ELTAI) grant, adoption of the Benchmarks of Quality, strengthened partnerships (including Western Dairyland Head Start) and targeted professional learning on embedded instruction and universal design for learning.

Presenters outlined staff and program counts: the early learning special education program serves 117 preschool‑age students with disabilities through 26 certified staff and 12 special education assistants; Prairie Ridge and 16 community sites provide locations for services. Lori House, early learning principal, and classroom teachers described practice changes such as co‑teaching, activity matrices that embed instruction into routines and visual regulation tools used to help students remain in classrooms with same‑age peers.

Board members asked how the work would support transitions into kindergarten and whether the district would track longitudinal outcomes through elementary grades. Presenters said the district has transition processes and intends to replicate inclusive practices beyond preschool where feasible, noting that each IEP is individualized.

No formal policy change was adopted at the presentation; the session served as a monitoring update aligned with OE‑4 objectives.