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Marshalltown school leaders outline special‑education task force and classroom strategies at Lanahan
Summary
District staff told the board they have formed a special‑education task force at Lanahan to address low Iowa School Performance Profile results for students with IEPs, using Solution Tree PD, a Yes We Can book study and data‑driven MTSS work to identify actionable steps for instruction and supports.
Marshalltown Comm School District leaders told the school board that a new special‑education task force at Lanahan Intermediate School is the district’s central strategy to raise outcomes for students with individualized education programs (IEPs).
Dr. Theren Shudy and building staff said the effort was launched after the district’s Iowa School Performance Profile showed Lanahan was targeted for students with IEPs. The team completed an MTSS self‑assessment and participated in Solution Tree professional development; they are applying the Yes We Can book study to identify concrete “start, stop, keep and improve” actions, the presentation said.
Special‑education staff described classroom practices they are implementing. Lisa Nhouse said teachers and special educators meet in professional‑learning teams to focus on learning, collaborative culture and getting results. Rebecca Kerr described a “backmapping” process that maps a student’s IEP math goal to prerequisite standards in the Number Worlds curriculum to create efficient, focused instruction rather than reteaching whole grade‑level units. Kim Gascal outlined reading supports including decodable HD Word materials, the Amira reading assistant for realtime feedback, and targeted scaffolding during small‑group instruction.
Staff identified near‑term next steps including clarifying shared learning expectations for all staff, expanding collaborative planning that pairs general‑education and special‑education teachers during PLCs, and implementing data checks to measure progress. The district said it will monitor outcomes and report back to the board as the action plan is executed.
Board members thanked staff for the work and for inviting the board to observe interventions in action. The report noted that Lanahan’s work is part of a districtwide emphasis on MTSS and targeted professional development to improve learning for students with special needs.
The board did not take a vote on the presentation; staff said the task force will meet again and the district will return with progress updates and data.
