Special education leaders describe instructional shift, inclusion gains and STAR adoption

Kathleen Gerber and members of the district special education team gave an extended presentation on how Clover is restructuring instruction to provide more inclusive, standards-aligned learning for students with disabilities.

Gerber and colleagues described a continuum of services from itinerant preschool supports to high-school functional life-skills programs and detailed steps taken to strengthen teacher capacity, including coaching, induction programs and a summer ‘‘boot camp’’ model for new special-education staff.

Special education consultants highlighted a district goal to align specialized instruction with grade-level standards while preserving individualized IEP supports. "We reduced special education teacher turnover by 45% in 3 years," Suzy Cybert said, pointing to coaching and structured induction as key factors in retaining staff and improving classroom instruction.

Langley Morrell described a curricular shift in multi-categorical classrooms to use Clover's Guaranteed Viable Curriculum alongside individualized supports so students accessed grade-level content. Heather Parker outlined plans to standardize evidence-based practices using the STAR Autism Support Curriculum across multi-cat 2–3 classes and emphasized communication strategies—augmentative devices, picture systems and visual schedules—to increase participation.

Speakers also described transition work for older students (college programs, vocational rehabilitation and career-pathway planning) and gave examples of district efforts to make classroom instruction more collaborative through co-planning and parallel teaching strategies.

Board members asked questions about resources and implementation; staff said they will continue data-driven monitoring as programs expand. The board did not enact a new policy at the meeting; the presentations were informational.