New Rochelle updates special education action plan; district reports early gains and continuing challenges

The New Rochelle City School District on Tuesday presented a detailed update on the district's special education action plan, reporting early progress in quality assurance and stakeholder engagement while outlining a five-year roadmap to address 37 recommendations from an external evaluation.

Board President William Iannuzzi invited Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ollivine F. Roberts and the district's newly appointed PreK-12 director of special education, Michelle O'Brien, to brief the board on progress since the Public Consulting Group (PCG) evaluation that informed the action plan.

The presentation summarized the plan's scope: 11 focus areas including MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports), referral/eligibility practices, inclusive services, Committee on Special Education (CSE) and Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) processes, family engagement, data reporting, policy and staffing allocation. District leaders said the work is being carried out as a multi-year effort and that last year served as a foundational year for planning and initial implementation.

"We are in this together," Michelle O'Brien told the board and community as she described accomplishments from the first year, which she grouped under facilitation of CPSE/CSE meetings, continuum of services and board policy…