The graduation rate for special education students on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) rose nearly 8 percent in the Lincoln County School District for the 2017-18 school year. according to data released Thursday.
The 2017-18 LCSD grad rate for special ed students increased from 46.6 percent to 54.2 percent from the previous year, according to the Oregon Department of Education’s Special Education Report, which provides information on how well a district’s programs are serving its students and families.
SPECIAL EDUCATION REPORT CARDS
An IEP is a written document that’s developed for each public school child who is eligible for special education. The IEP is created through a team effort and reviewed at least once a year.
According to a news release from LCSD, 64.6 percent of its students are being served in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), up from 63.2 percent.
Other metrics that show improvement include students on IEPs who enrolled in higher education within one year of leaving school (7.9 percent, up from 7.1 percent), and those enrolled in higher ed or competitively employed within one year of leaving school (57.9 percent, up from 57.1 percent).
In the area of secondary transition, LCSD fell from 87.5 percent to 28.6 percent. For this particular metric, the data indicator includes eight areas that must all be met to achieve compliance.
While a folder being reviewed under this indicator may have had only a single item missing from the eight that were checked, for the report card this means the folder counts as 0 percent correct.
Two of the seven folders reviewed were at 100 percent compliance for the eight areas checked, while the other five folders had at least one of eight areas not in compliance. This resulted in the 28.6 percent (two folders/seven folders = 28.57) overall score.
LCSD offers a continuum of services and placement options for students with special needs.
The IEP team, comprised of teachers, administrators and other school personnel, as well as parents or guardians, meets annually to review the IEP and make a plan for students based on their individual needs. The goal is to provide instruction and services targeted at student success in both school and life.
District staff members continue to receive professional development to address compliance issues and improve processes to meet the needs of every child within the LRE, as mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
For more information about LCSD Special Education programs, contact Stefanie Gould, Special Programs Administrator for Special Ed, 504, and TAG, at 541-265-4419.
