Special Education Funding Committee

Studies

(1530 § 1) Consider studying special education teacher shortages, circumstances, and collective needs. The study must include a review of special education teacher workload, including significant and inequitable disparities in caseload numbers and complexities between educators; addition of students to a special education's workload throughout the year without consideration of impact on students' needs and teachers' workload; lack of a subjective formula for teaching, workload, and case management assignments; unsatisfactory policies and formulas adopted without special educator involvement, adequate training, or with general or vague language; and burdensome workloads threatening compliance with student individual education plans and state and federal law. The study must include special education student and staff safety, including the unmet need for accessible, understandable, and effective emergency and crisis plans, procedures, protocols, and trained personnel available to implement them; lack of training in de-escalation techniques and preventative strategies and necessary protective equipment; lack of training in the use of protective equipment and restrictive procedures; uncompensated time for planning and implementing behavior intervention plans separate from teacher preparation time; lack of adequate space to meet the needs of students demonstrating violent behavior; the unmet need for additional highly qualified paraprofessional support in situations involving students with violent behavior; and the inequitable treatment of injured staff who must use sick leave or unpaid leave due to injuries that occurred at work. The study must include a review of special education paraprofessional management duties, including an additional expectation that education, training, and professional development of paraprofessionals are an obligation of the special education teacher; an additional requirement that special education teachers schedule and annually evaluate paraprofessionals; the inadequate availability of highly qualified paraprofessionals; inadequate training in management of paraprofessionals; and failure to provide additional time and compensation for paraprofessional management duties. The study must include a review of special education paperwork requirements and supports, including the lack of compensation for extensive federal, state, and disability-related required paperwork; the lack of compensation to attend individual education plan evaluation meetings outside the teacher's workday or during teacher preparation time; and the lack of additional time, training, mentoring, administrative and professional support and assistance necessary to manage mandatory reporting, compliance, and due process issues and requirements. The study also must include additional or broader considerations, pertinent data review, and plans for remediation of inequities, including projected costs and implementation timetables.

(1547 § 1) The Legislative Management shall establish and provide staffing to a committee to study special education funding. The committee may include eight members of the Legislative Assembly, four members from the House of Representatives and four members from the Senate, appointed by the Legislative Management; two multiunit special education directors; one large school special education director; one special education coordinator; one superintendent of a large school; one superintendent of a small or midsize school; one business manager of a large school; and one multiunit special education business manager. The study must include a comprehensive review of special education funding models, including student contracts, high-cost students, residential placement, and reimbursement under the Medicaid program.

(4019) Consider studying reading and mathematics proficiency rates among students in the state with disabilities and the effectiveness of current educational policies, programs, and resource allocations in addressing any disparities. The study must include an examination of academic disparities, analyzing the latest student performance data on statewide reading and mathematics assessments to identify trends and disparities affecting students with disabilities and comparing the subgroup performance to overall state proficiency rates; an identification of contributing factors, evaluating systemic barriers contributing to low proficiency rates, including funding for special education services, limited access to trained teachers and support staff, geographic disparities between rural and urban areas, and accessibility of evidence-based curriculum and instructional strategies; an assessment of existing policies and programs, reviewing the implementation and impact of current state and federally funded programs and identifying gaps in policy, funding, and program effectiveness; the engagement of stakeholders, soliciting input from parents and families of students with disabilities to ensure parent involvement in decisionmaking, educators, school administrators, special education professionals, and advocacy groups focused on disability rights; research of best practices, examining successful models and initiatives in states that have effectively reduced proficiency disparities and exploring innovative approaches in early literacy, numeracy, and equitable education practices; and consideration of actionable policy and funding recommendations aimed at reducing proficiency disparities, expanding access to high-quality, evidence-based educational programs, enhancing transparency in costs and resource allocation, and improving accountability and data transparency.