Charles County Board hears positive early results from SOAR special-education reset

Larry Johnson, director of special education for Charles County Public Schools, told the Board of Education at its Feb. 23 work session that the district reorganized elementary SOAR classrooms so most rooms now contain one or two grade levels rather than three to five, a change officials say has eased planning for teachers and improved student outcomes.

Johnson said the district's most recent child count shows just over 3,500 students with individualized education programs, an increase of about 351 students over the past several years, and that preschool-aged students (ages 3'5) increased roughly 33 percent. He said those trends required additional staffing and prompted the roster changes. "We needed a reset," Johnson said, adding that transportation and other logistics were coordinated so about 85 percent of reassignments produced equal or shorter bus rides.

The district presented fall-to-winter I-Ready growth for SOAR students and reported gains in English-language arts from 44 percent to 60 percent and in math from 51 percent to 58 percent year-over-year for comparable administrations. Johnson noted one area of concern: fifth-grade math progress fell from 56 percent to 44 percent and the district will work with the Office of Accountability to drill down into domains and subpopulations to determine causes and next steps.

Johnson also reported behavioral improvements: through Feb. 17 last year five students accounted for 25 suspension days in the elementary SOAR program; this year one student accounted for four suspension days. He attributed that decline to earlier intervention and expanded professional learning for staff, and said the district has provided 52.5 hours of Ukiru and CPI training (September'Feb. 1), eight hours of targeted training for new teachers and 24 hours focused for instructional assistants (IAs).

Teacher testimony reinforced the district's presentation. Caitlin Mullins, a SOAR teacher at William Diggs Elementary, described teaching three grade levels in prior years with class sizes of seven to nine students and many students requiring behavior intervention plans. "This year I have one grade level, fourh grade, and five students," Mullins told the board. She said smaller, more balanced classes have improved engagement, allowed targeted interventions and reduced suspensions in her classroom: "I haven't had one [suspension] in my classroom this year," she said.

Board members praised the reset and asked clarifying questions. Vice Chair Samichi Thomas and other members expressed appreciation that families were included in planning and that open houses were offered to ease transitions. Member Smith asked whether the 351-student increase covered ages 3 through 21; Johnson confirmed it did. On staffing, Johnson said the district had four teacher vacancies and six IA vacancies countywide as of Feb. 1 and is pursuing recruitment through job fairs and a "Grow Your Own" grant (application due March 2) that would create pathways and cover costs for IAs and conditionally certified teachers to complete certification.

Johnson emphasized implementation priorities going forward: targeted instructional coaching, clearer day-to-day expectations, and additional professional learning to support both compliance (IEP timelines and documentation) and instruction. He said the district will follow up with more detailed data analyses for the board on fifth-grade math trends and subpopulation outcomes.

The board did not take formal action on the SOAR program during the work session; members directed staff to continue monitoring outcomes and to return with follow-up reports as available.