Effective Practices in High Performing Districts Serving Students in Special Education

Overview & Synopsis

Through a rigorous selection process based on special education performance over four years, this study identified eight unified districts in California that showed unusually strong academic performance for their special education population compared to similar districts in the state. Researchers conducted interviews with these districts' special education directors to identify the policies and practices they credited for their districts' success. Ultimately, the study team selected four districts to profile. Descriptions of all four districts, with a special emphasis on one of the districts--Sanger Unified--are included in this article. The main themes that emerged across the districts are consistent with the research and literature on effective practices that lead to improved student achievement for students in special education: inclusion and access to the core curriculum (four districts), collaboration between special education and general education teachers (four districts), continuous assessment and use of Response to Intervention (RtI) (three districts), targeted professional development (three districts), and use of Explicit Direct Instruction (EDI) (two districts). The authors believe that these districts can serve as models for others struggling to improve the performance of students in special education. (Contains 2 tables, 2 figures and 4 footnotes.)