Director details special education expansion and new supports, cites growth in SEL groups

Charity Shea, the Portsmouth School District's director of student services, delivered a detailed update on the district's special education programs at the March 24 school committee meeting.

Shea said that, as of the district's Dec. 1 census date, 350 students were supported by individualized education programs (IEPs), representing about 15.8% of total enrollment; 8 of those students attend local private schools and 17 are in out‑of‑district placements. The district also supports roughly 240 students under Section 504 accommodation plans.

The presentation highlighted new and revised service models. Shea described Compass programs at the middle and high schools targeted to students scoring in the second, third and fourth percentiles in reading, writing and math; those self‑contained classes deliver grade‑level content with additional scaffolding. At the high school, the Patriot Blocks model centralizes specially designed instruction; Shea said the model has allowed the district to exit eight students from IEPs this school year and reduce services for roughly 25–28 additional students as they make academic progress.

Shea emphasized the academic support center, available during the school day to any student with an IEP or 504 plan, and said elementary classrooms are shifting away from full‑day co‑teaching toward a pull‑out/push‑in resource model. She credited teachers and support staff with helping pilot programs show early growth: "the teachers who are doing this work have done a phenomenal job getting a brand new program up and running," Shea said.

The presentation also covered professional development and mental health supports. Shea described three release days per level for focused professional development, training for new special education teachers (including Orton‑Gillingham level 1), and work to build a school‑based mental health system. She said the number of SEL groups run districtwide rose from 19 last year to 41 this year, driven by a combination of protecting sacred time for groups during advisory, principal support and targeted screening.

On early childhood and pre‑K, Shea explained that the district runs a half‑day preschool schedule because state ratios restrict full‑day placement: sections are capped at 15 students with a maximum of seven students who have IEPs, limiting seats available in a full‑day model. She also noted the district received an offer from the 4 Hearts Foundation to donate an adaptive swing for a pre‑K playground and welcomed community support for facility enhancements.

Committee members asked about supporting twice‑exceptional students (high IQ with disabilities), program materials for Compass, examples of SEL groups (friendship, grief, mindfulness, conflict resolution) and how the district scaled from 19 to 41 groups; Shea credited scheduling protections, principal support and clarifying that group meeting times are "sacred" to avoid pulling staff away. She said team meetings, itinerant services, and continued outreach to local preschools are all part of how the district balances service delivery and capacity.

The presentation concluded with next steps for professional development, continued monitoring of program outcomes, and an invitation to committee members and community partners to support classroom and facility needs. The committee did not take formal action on the presentation itself; subsequent agenda items proceeded to consent and budget decisions.