Boston Public Schools has initiated a comprehensive plan to revamp its special education program, according to NBC Boston report. This initiative, launched this week, aims at enhancing the education quality for special education students and English language learners, considering a possible takeover by the state due to persistent concerns.
Presented by Superintendent Mary Skipper, the plan serves a roadmap for offering inclusive and equitable education in the least restrictive environment possible for all students. The district pledged to overhaul its special education practices last year under a state-mandated improvement plan, as a measure toward off-state receivership.
The centerpiece of the proposal is the gradual introduction of inclusion classrooms over the next three years, educating students with disabilities and English language learners in general education classrooms when appropriate. The district, as reported by the Boston Globe, aims to enroll all disabled students in inclusive settings across all grades and schools within three years.
Superintendent Skipper addressed the ongoing systemic racial disparities harming equitable access for historically underserved students, stating, “This work is complex. It’s urgent. We must confront more than 100 years of systemic racial disparities that historically restricted equitable access and outcomes for our historically underserved students.”
The transformation required to attain these goals, is based on four major shifts highlighted by Superintendent Skipper. The first shift is ensuring all students have access to grade-level content and high-quality instructional materials. The second shift is providing inclusive delivery of interventions, supports, and services. Team-based planning and collaboration form the third shift's backbone, while re-establishing the district's infrastructure with support and accountability systems comprises the final shift.
Schools will begin forming their inclusion-planning teams this fall, with implementation slated for next spring. The district aims to place all English language learners in inclusive settings by the 2025-2026 academic year, according to the Boston Globe.
