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MCPS: post‑COVID gaps in early intervention are surfacing larger special‑education needs; staffing is a constraint
Summary
MCPS said declines in infants-and-toddlers enrollments during COVID created a surge in students needing special-education services now; the district said data collection, careful evaluation under IDEA and staffing shortages mean immediate, systemwide solutions are limited.
MCPS and the Office of Special Education told the committee they are seeing a downstream effect of reduced early‑intervention enrollment during the pandemic years: students who missed infant and toddler services are entering kindergarten with greater unmet needs. "When we look at our data for the number of students who were enrolled in infants and toddlers programs 4 years ago... the numbers dropped drastically," Diana Wiles, associate superintendent for special education, said.
Officials emphasized that identifying students for IDEA services requires careful data collection and that many students still receive accommodations under Section 504 while evaluations proceed. District staff said filling open positions — school psychologists, related-service providers and others — is essential to deploying supports faster; they also said the bulk of students with IEPs (about 70%) remain in general education classrooms, which underscores the need for professional learning for all teachers.
