Special education director says district seeing more "complex learners," outlines AI pilot and literacy accreditation bid

At the New Canaan Board of Education meeting on March 16, 2026, Special Education presenter Bill Tesper told the board that the district’s special‑education identification rate has remained roughly steady — about 12.2% in 2019–20 and roughly 13% in 2025–26 — while the number of students the district classifies as "complex learners" has climbed from 23 in 2019–20 to 40 this school year. Tesper delivered the report alongside special‑education administrators Kevin Ryan, Bob Russo and Alex Raowski.

Tesper said the district’s Response to Intervention (RTI) program helps keep overall identification rates steady. "The consistency of our rate is due in a large part to the strong RTI program led by Dr. Cari," he said, describing how interventionists and specialists work to support students in general education before special‑education identification is considered.

He outlined the district’s least‑restrictive environment continuum and its in‑district pathway that begins in preschool, moves through intensive resource and access programs, and concludes with the 18–22 'launch' transition program at the secondary level. "Our goal is always to maximize the amount of time a student spends in the general‑education setting," Tesper said.

Tesper described complex learners as students who spend the vast majority of their day (>80%) in special‑education settings and who often require one‑to‑one or paired professional support and additional nursing or therapy services. He said the district has developed in‑district programs to reduce reliance on out‑of‑district placements and to bring students back into the system when appropriate. On out‑of‑district tuition he explained that timing of move‑ins can cause year‑to‑year swings in actual tuition expense versus budgeted projections.

Tesper also reported progress on the literacy academy: the district’s application to the Orton‑Gillingham Academy has been accepted and a site visit is scheduled for next fall. He said Jen Tilla, the district’s OG fellow, has been certified to streamline local training. "If successful, we will be the only public school in the country" to achieve that accreditation, Tesper said, describing how the academy has improved early literacy outcomes and reduced the number of families seeking private placements for literacy concerns.

On legal and financial risk, Tesper said a high‑profile court case from Michigan that "went all the way to the Supreme Court" and a change in Connecticut due‑process procedure (which now requires districts to present first in hearings) have increased settlement pressure and potential exposure under the Americans with Disabilities Act. That combination, he said, has contributed to higher settlement costs and puts upward pressure on special‑education expenditures.

Tesper described several technology initiatives. He said an AI pilot tool from Ed Advance — introduced to district staff after outreach by assistant technology specialist Ashley Trembley and run by Ed Advance representative Jody Manati — is being tested to help teachers analyze student data and draft IEP goals and objectives. "Teachers loved it," Tesper said of early feedback; he described the tool as helping staff tie multiple data sources together and write higher‑quality goals more efficiently.

Board members asked about staffing and referrals, and Tesper said the district continues screening candidates for several special‑education administrator roles and will convene a hiring committee later in March. On exiting students from IEPs, he reiterated that some students can be returned to general education after targeted intervention while many complex learners will require ongoing, higher‑intensity supports.

The presentation closed with Tesper reiterating the district’s objective to provide high‑quality, in‑district services that improve outcomes for students and reduce long‑term out‑of‑district tuition costs. No formal action was taken; the board moved next to a budget update.