Centerville special-education profile: district meets disproportionality indicator for first time but misses graduation measure
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Summary
The district’s special-education coordinator reported first-time compliance on the SPP disproportionality indicator but said the graduation indicator was not met, in part because IDEA counts certificates separately from regular diplomas; an indicator analysis and improvement plan are due to the state by April 3.
The Centerville City Board of Education heard a special-education update on Feb. 3 showing mixed compliance results and planned next steps to address graduation outcomes.
Megan Furby, the district’s special-education presenter, walked the board through the Special Education Profile (SPP), explaining the six indicator areas used to measure IDEA compliance. Furby said the district met the disproportionality indicator for the first time since the metric began in 2021, calling that "amazing news" and crediting district-wide efforts.
But she told the board the district did not meet the graduation indicator tied to students exiting special education. Furby explained the statutory and reporting tension: under IDEA students may remain in school until age 22 and may receive certificates rather than regular diplomas; the state counts certificates differently, which affects the district’s graduation indicator even when the district seeks the best outcome for individual students.
Furby described the next steps required by the state: an indicator analysis and an improvement plan. She said the district’s indicator-analysis team (high school administrators, the special-education coordinator and intervention specialists) will meet and complete an improvement plan to submit to the state by April 3 and provide required evidence by Sept. 11.
Furby outlined concrete data points: the 2023–24 graduating-class cohort reflected 68 students who exited special education that year (by aging out, graduation or dropout), and two students in that count were dropouts; several students were noted as receiving certificates after IEP exemptions because they could not pass end-of-course exams. She emphasized the district’s commitment to do "what's best for kids" even when reporting rules produce unfavorable indicators.
Board members asked how the district intends to target students earlier and Furby said staff will examine categories such as absenteeism, transient status, failures and progress toward course completion to identify students who need intervention sooner. She noted planned follow-up discussions and that the district will return with an improvement plan.
The board received the SPP report and acknowledged the required timeline for indicator analysis and improvement planning.
