Copyright 2000 The Hartford Courant Company
THE
HARTFORD COURANT
December 7, 2000 Thursday, 4N EASTERN
SECTION: MANCHESTER EXTRA; Pg. 1
LENGTH: 458 words
HEADLINE:
SPECIAL EDUCATION UNDERGOING IN-DEPTH REVIEW
BYLINE:
ANN-MARIE ADAMS ;Courant Staff Writer
DATELINE:
MANCHESTER--
BODY:
State Department of Education
consultants will conduct an in-depth review of the district's special education
program.
That's because for the first time the department's bureau of
special education is looking beyond whether the district complied with the
requirements mandated by the state and federal laws, said George Dowaliby,
bureau chief of the special education division. In the past, some educators
believed that the periodic evaluations were superficial. This is not the case
any more.
This comprehensive review requires state consultants to survey
parents, examine individual student files and talk to teachers and principals.
"We wanted to make this more meaningful," Dowaliby said.
For the
2000-01 school year, all the districts in the Capitol Education Region,
including Manchester, will be reviewed. The state normally conducts a review
every six years in each region. State department officials will tour the
district in January.
The state's quest to make these reviews more
meaningful is a part of a nationwide call for changes to special education
programs. Since Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act 25 years ago, there have been problems that need to be
addressed, some experts said. They believe that the percentage of special
education children has increased because children are being misidentified as
needing special education services.
As of Oct. 1, approximately 924
students, or 12 percent of the student population in Manchester, were
categorized as special education students.
Special education students
include students with intellectual disabilities (also known as mental
retardation), hearing impairments, visual impairments, autism or serious
emotional disturbances.
Under state and federal laws, each special
education child must have a program tailored to his or her specific needs. The
program is called the Individual Education Plan or IEP. Students must meet with
a Planning and Placement Team. The PPT involves guidance counselors, special
education students and other staff members, who determine each student's
eligibility, design each IEP and write evaluations.
The Manchester
School district welcomes this comprehensive review, said Martha
Hartranft,director of pupil personnel support services.
"We consider
[the review] helpful," Hartranft said. "We have a continuing reviewing process
to make sure we're following the proper procedures."
The Manchester
School district's special education department, however, does not comply in some
areas, she said. Specific shortcomings were not available.
In
mid-spring, the district is expected to receive either a commendation,
recommendations for improvement, or a notice that corrective action must be
taken.
LOAD-DATE: December 8, 2000
