Longview staff outline plans to align secondary special-education courses and resources
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Summary
Longview School District special-education leaders presented work to align course codes, curricula and instructional resources across secondary schools, highlighted programs such as the Transition Academy and Access Cafe, and flagged legal constraints around use of alternate curricula.
Longview School District special-education leaders presented a multi-part plan to align secondary special-education courses and instructional resources during the Jan. 12, 2026 study session.
Dr. Elizabeth West, executive director of special education, said the district has been auditing course codes and curricula across its high schools to reduce differences in offerings and improve continuity for students with individualized education programs (IEPs). She told the board that staff discovered both similarities and differences across high schools and that aligning course codes and curricula will help students who move between campuses.
Presenters described existing programs and proposals: Mark Morris currently reports roughly 18% of students in special education, RA Long approximately 16%; the district—uilt a Transition Academy (about three years old) serving students ages 18'1 to provide community-based training; Access Cafe is a student-run coffee operation tied to extensive Math 1; and the district partners with ESD 112 nd the YES program for pre-employment transition services and summer internships. Staff noted that some curricula are teacher-created while others use adopted materials such as Envision, HMH, Reading Horizons, CommonLit, News 2 You and Scholastic News. They proposed adding intensive algebra and geometry options, splitting higher-level ELA courses by grade band, and exploring shared curricula so both high schools can offer similar pathways when student demand requires it.
Dr. West also reminded the board that federal law limits use of fully separate alternate curricula for most students with disabilities, so the district—ocuses on providing access points and accommodations so students can make progress on grade-level standards. "Federal laws do not permit totally separate curriculum," she said in the presentation.
Administrators described supports intended to increase inclusion: co-teaching models, resource and extensive programs, community job sites (Walgreens, Farm Dog Bakery, Red Leaf), a winter carnival and other cross-campus social events, and coordinated PLCs where teachers share materials and strategies. Paul Beck (assistant principal at Mark Morris) described the Transition Academy and community-based instruction, and Lacey Griffiths (assistant principal) outlined job-site partnerships and an expanding extensive program.
Next steps include continuing crosswalk work, coordinating with Carrie Montgomery on the district doption process for math (a needs assessment in February was mentioned), aligning course codes across secondary sites, and returning to the board with implementation timelines and updates.
