Suffield Schools Special Education Plans Make Progress

All any parent wants from a local school system is to do the best it can for their child. Two years ago, a group of parents reported that the Suffield system was failing their children. Now these same parents have expressed hope that Suffield is back on track to meeting their children’s needs.

At the Suffield Board of Education’s meeting on March 6, Dianna Kolodziey, director of pupil services, unveiled the progress report for special education improvement in town. The genesis of this report was a lengthy list of complaints lodged by parents regarding the treatment of special education students at all levels.

The concerns ranged from poor communication, inconsistent treatment and application of education standards to general treatment of special education students. In response, the board hired a consultant from the Capital Region Education Council (CREC) to review the parent issues and create a plan for improvement.

Kolodziey’s presentation was the first opportunity parents had to see the depth of the plan and the actual response to their concerns. Overall, the reaction was favorable; taking into consideration that successful change takes time. The informal consensus was that Superintendent Karen Baldwin and her staff have made a concerted effort to address concerns and there has been progress.

The CREC investigation found validity in the issues raised by the parents and the report identified areas of need at all levels in the school system. The bulk of the issues were at the elementary and high school levels, Kolodziey reported, yet there are several issues including the meeting of academic standards, social integration and parental communication that span all of the schools.

“These plans are complex and implementation is dense,” Baldwin said. “We are trying to make this better and the families are telling us we are.”

One of the areas targeted was improving the connection between district educational standards and the individual education program (IEP) for students. By gearing the IEPs to fit educational goals more closely, students will be more on track for higher performance on CAPT tests and SATs.

This task is made more complicated by the forthcoming changes in state graduation requirements. Baldwin noted that Suffield is on track to address these new standards and their needs of special education students will flow right along with the system-wide initiatives.

Moreover, teachers are working in greater collaboration with each other to improve overall learning and transition between grades and schools. Kolodziey explained that facilitating this communication was a key step in meeting the concerns of the parents.

“The transitions are an area of focus,” said Kolodzeiy. “Transitions from pre-school to kindergarten, all the way from high school to post-graduate life. We are making sure the teachers between grades and schools are all on the same page with regard to each IEP.”

The pupil services director added that all school principals have taken a lead role in improving social integration. Communication with parents has improved through workshops and trainings at the pre-school level as well as a creating a better schedule at the high school.

The special education improvement plan appears to be working, yet the proof will be found over the long term, with parents and teachers making sure Suffield schools continue to move forward and meet the needs of all students.