DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) - An Iowa Department of Education audit has found the Davenport school district’s special education programs include a disproportionate number of minority students and that many of them are subjected to disciplinary actions.
The audit found the district was in “systemic non-compliance” with multiple parts of the federal law that oversees the education of students with disabilities, the Quad-City Times reported . The department visited the district in January and February.
Violations included not providing adequate prior written notice for placement changes as well as insufficient functional behavior assessments and intervention plans. The audit also found that students special education students were being placed in educational settings not included in their individualized education plans.
The department ordered the district work with an adviser selected by the state to address the issues.
Many of the identified problems were related to documentation issues, said Patti Pace-Tracy, the district’s director of special education services.
“We look at this as an opportunity to really beef up and improve our IEP documentation and practices in the district. We’re going to spend a lot of time providing a lot of support to our teachers,” she said.
The audit did find challenges the district needs to address, Pace-Tracy said. The district needs to examine its process of identifying students who need special education services, which done in partnership with the Area Education Agency, she said.
African American students on individualized education plans were more likely to be suspended for the 2015-16 than other students, the report found. The district plans to investigate what might be causing the disparity, Pace-Tracy said.
“As a district we don’t take suspensions lightly and we don’t take expulsions lightly,” she said. “If you get suspended or expelled, it’s for a very serious infraction.”
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Information from: Quad-City Times, http://www.qctimes.com
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