Marshalltown board hears progress reports on MLA and therapeutic classrooms

Marshalltown Community School District officials on Jan. 12 outlined outcomes and next steps for two alternative‑education programs, saying both programs are showing early academic and attendance gains and that the district is pursuing systemwide supports for inclusive special education.

Jordan Terry, assistant principal at the Marshalltown Learning Academy, said MLA’s enrollment stands at 103 students — an increase of 35 from earlier counts — and that the program’s advisor model and flexible scheduling are helping students earn credits faster. “Currently we have 103 students,” Terry said, and reported that first‑semester students earned a total of 223 credits with 17 credits earned through in‑person seminar work and 6.5 credits through Marshalltown Community College dual‑credit arrangements. Terry also told the board MLA’s average daily attendance is 81.5 percent, an 11 percent increase from the comparable period last year.

Terry described an adviser system that assigns every MLA student a teacher‑advisor who helps the student select two active courses (one core and one elective) to prioritize. “That advisor is helping to monitor their pacing and progress,” she said, describing daily check‑ins, goal setting and MTSS supports tied to individualized plans.

Staff also presented the district’s therapeutic classroom (TC) model for students with complex behavioral and mental‑health needs. Megan Stein, the program’s full‑time therapist, and Anthony Smith, behavior management coordinator, said TC serves 11 students in grades 2–7 with multiple IEP goals and a low staff‑to‑student ratio. Stein said the program is intended to provide therapeutic supports alongside full grade‑level academic access: “It’s not a disciplinary placement. It’s purposeful. It’s instructional and it has therapeutic support,” she said.

Program staff described how TC teams track regulation and behavior in individualized logs, often at 10‑minute intervals, and use that data to adjust supports and transition students back to comprehensive schools when appropriate. Program capacity was discussed: staff said classrooms are designed for six students each (18 total capacity K–8), and placement is decided through the student’s comprehensive‑school IEP team when data show the student needs services beyond what the home building can provide.

The board also heard a district plan to relaunch a special‑education guiding coalition — a reimagined advisory committee intended to turn conference learning into local practice. District presenters said they received more than 30 applications from staff and parents to join the coalition; meetings are planned to begin in February. Staff said the district has applied for a Department of Education grant (decision expected Feb. 2) that would fund a systems analysis and coaching partnership with Central Rivers AEA to strengthen inclusive special‑education practices.

Why it matters: MLA’s advisor model and TC’s targeted supports are intended to keep students engaged and reduce out‑of‑district placements, which can be disruptive and costly. The coalition and grant pursuit signal the district is attempting to scale inclusive practices beyond pilot classrooms.

What’s next: District leaders said the guiding coalition will begin meeting in February, and grant notification is expected Feb. 2. Program staff said they will continue to monitor attendance, credit attainment, and TC data for reintegration opportunities.