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Kennedale ISD reports rising special-education caseloads and 100% compliance on key timelines
Summary
Director Tracy Gray told the board the district is serving hundreds of students through special education and Section 504, has completed more than 100 evaluations this year and is showing improved outcomes and procedural compliance; the district plans to submit additional evidence and continue coaching and monitoring.
Tracy Gray, director of special student services for Kennedale ISD, told trustees the district is seeing growth in both Section 504 and special-education caseloads while maintaining compliance and strengthening systems to support student outcomes.
"I am Tracy Gray, and it is my privilege to serve as the director of special student services here in Kennedale ISD," Gray began. She said the district this year is "currently serving 645 students to date" across special education and Section 504 supports and later provided a point-in-time count of 438 students receiving special-education services with a projection to reach 470 by the end of the year as pending evaluations are completed.
Gray said the district had completed 104 evaluations to date this year and had approximately 40 evaluations in progress. She described the evaluation work as time-intensive, requiring multiple days and substantial staff time per evaluation, and noted the district has added monthly crisis-intervention training for staff and strengthened coordination with contracted related-service providers.
On compliance, Gray highlighted the district's performance on federally tracked indicators: the district reported 100% compliance for SPP 11a (timely initial evaluations) and SPP 11b (initial ARD/IEP meetings within timelines), and a performance level 0 for multiple postsecondary/outcome measures. She credited intensified professional learning, more frequent campus walkthroughs, calibrated observations and stronger progress-monitoring systems for helping teachers and leaders implement improvements.
Board members asked about the gap between increased testing participation and unchanged performance levels; Gray said the district must raise the percentage of students meeting cut scores to move from one performance level to the next and offered to supply the board with the specific cut-rate targets.
The board did not take a formal vote on the update but expressed appreciation for the department’s work and asked Gray to provide follow-up information on the remaining steps to reach the next performance level and the specific cut rates that will determine progress.
