Special-education director highlights paraprofessional training, IEP progress-monitoring and 'Spartan Early Learners'

Dina Hague, the district’s director of special education and student services, told the board the department has several accomplishments and ongoing challenges.

Hague introduced the department’s new secretary and billing specialist, Wendy Giseng, and described continuing professional development for paraprofessionals. She said the district will hold a second annual paraprofessional training day on Feb. 10, a voluntary six-hour professional-development event that drew strong turnout in prior sessions.

Hague described implementation of a new IEP goal progress‑monitoring system and said initial reporting showed very high compliance, which she said should help teachers and families see progress sooner and adjust instruction. She summarized a DPI paperwork compliance assessment that began with a self-assessment and required corrective actions and training; the district completed the corrective steps and reported no further action.

On early-childhood services, Hague described Spartan Early Learners, a district program that serves 3‑year‑olds with IEPs at Bryant and Cooper. "The growth that we saw for those little 3‑year‑olds ... was out of this world," she said, adding the program yields strong developmental gains and provides services in small-group and appointment-based formats where needed.

Hague also flagged ongoing challenges: serving students with the highest behavioral and mental-health needs with limited regional external supports. She said the district continues to craft individualized programs to meet complex needs and will keep working on resource partnerships.

Board members asked about participation and turnout for paraprofessional training; Hague said prior optional sessions drew about 55 of approximately 90 paraprofessionals and that an August training had full participation when it was scheduled as work time.