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District presenters and families say inclusive special-education changes improved attendance and behavior
Summary
District staff presented data and families gave testimony supporting the district's shift to inclusive special-education practices, saying students are attending more, suspensions are down and students with disabilities are making measurable academic progress.
Tiffany, who led the district's inclusive-practices presentation, told the school board the district has intentionally moved special-education services into neighborhood classrooms and expanded case management so "special education is a service, not a place." She said early local data show improved results for students with disabilities and benefits for their peers.
"When we talk about special education services, it's really a civil rights issue," Tiffany said, framing the district's work as both legal obligation and educational practice. She reported that attendance rose, that a foundational reading assessment and iReady showed gains for students with disabilities (iReady "up significantly, 6%" for that group, she said), and that out-of-school suspensions and major office-discipline referrals declined.
Parents and students then spoke in a set of short testimonials and a recorded video. Rosabella Nocheva, a mother of a Phoenix High ninth-grader, described inclusion as "an opportunity for growing, and belonging, and dignity," and said her son had developed socially and academically after being included in general education classrooms. Multiple family speakers described similar improvements in confidence, attendance and peer relationships.
Board members and staff asked clarifying questions about the data. One board member asked whether the percentage changes were comparing the first semester of last year with the first semester of this year; Tiffany confirmed it was a year-over-year first-semester comparison and said local data were pulled to address that question.
Tiffany and several support staff also described program changes that preceded the data: creation of a RISE program, expansion of transition programming, moving some part-time positions to full-time, and cross-district peer coaching and observation. They emphasized that educators are working to individualize supports through IEPs and classroom strategies rather than placing students in separate, segregated programs.
Why it matters: The district's report links programmatic changes to measurable early outcomes and family testimony. The board heard both the data and the lived experience of families, and members asked for clarifications about the measurement windows and specific statistics.
The presentation closed with the board taking a short recess and resuming business on the published agenda.
