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Special-education director reports high inclusion and graduation rates, flags disproportionality
Summary
Bridget Pritchard, director of special education, told the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek board the district is highly inclusive (about 73% of students with disabilities spend most of the day in general education), reports a graduation rate above 90% for students with disabilities, and faces a state-identified disproportionality in labeling of Black students; the district redirected 15% of federal IDEA funds toward early intervention.
Bridget Pritchard, the district’s director of special education, briefed the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek board on March 12 about the district’s special-education profile, upcoming state forms and areas of focus.
Pritchard said the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce is preparing updated ETR (evaluation team report) and IEP forms that the district expects to implement after the public release and statewide roll-out; she stated those forms would be released in 2028 and that state training will accompany the broader roll-out. The district plans internal staff development to align to the new forms and said the changes will not interrupt currently provided services.
On outcomes, Pritchard reported the district is "highly inclusive," with more than 73% of students with disabilities spending the majority of their school day in general education settings, and said the graduation rate for students with disabilities exceeds 90%, roughly 24 percentage points higher than the state target.
Pritchard also outlined a continuing concern: the district has been identified for significant disproportionality in the identification of Black students with specific learning disabilities. As a corrective step required by state guidance, the district has redirected 15% of its federal IDEA funds toward coordinating early-intervention services to address identification practices before formal special-education referrals.
The director said the district will focus on strengthening literacy supports (especially in grades 4 and 8), refining identification practices, and improving transition-to-work outcomes. Pritchard noted the district will use new indicator reporting (including Indicator 14) to follow students after graduation and to track employment and community participation.
Board members asked clarifying questions about how the district tracks post-graduation outcomes and how the state’s disproportionality formula applies to small districts; Pritchard said the district is conducting a deep dive into identification and evaluation procedures.
