ARLINGTON, Va. — Improved parent-school relations and ongoing professional development in Louisiana's East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools has led to greater participation for students with disabilities in general education classes as well as in extracurricular activities, district leaders said Tuesday during a panel discussion at the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs annual conference.
The district also made other changes like hiring parent liaisons, prioritizing course schedules for students with disabilities, proactively considering assistive technology supports, and planning nearly a year in advance for staff hiring. These adjustments contributed to better graduation rates, fewer self-contained classrooms and improved academic achievement for students with disabilities in the district, the leaders said.
But this was no overnight transformation: The work began nearly 10 years ago and district officials acknowledged challenges, like a shortage of certified special educators, along the way. Even the district's five-year partnership with the federally funded PROGRESS Center — which stands for Promoting Rigorous Outcomes and Growth by Redesigning Educational Services for Students With Disabilities — was initially rocky due to uncertainty of how best the center could help the district.
"It did not start off easy. There were some struggles initially," said Pamela White, a special education instructional support specialist in East Baton Rouge Parish schools. White is also an educator-in-residence at the PROGRESS Center.
The center and district eventually found a rhythm by focusing on strengthening the development of students' individualized education programs through trainings for special educators. That work evolved to include professional development for support staff, general educators and administrators. Educators also had access to IEP development workshops and coaching.
"Our relationship has definitely evolved and expanded over time, and we have been able to reach multiple areas, not just our special education teachers," White said.
Tessie Bailey, the PROGRESS Center's director, noted lessons learned from the center's partnership with East Baton Rouge Parish schools. For instance, the center needed to demonstrate the relevance of its work to the district's needs. Bailey also said the center learned "how to go slow to go fast" by targeting smaller improvements first and then scaling those efforts.
"I think too often, we make assumptions that everybody knows what they need to do, so then we start trying to do the cool, shiny things," said Bailey. Instead, the core features of success should first be discussed, she said.
Janet Armelin Harris, executive director of exceptional student services for East Baton Rouge Parish Public Schools, pointed to more work ahead.
"Our exceptional student services department is looking at effective customer service" for parents and students, she said. "I think our parents have made us stronger.”
