Parents of children with individualized education plans or an education accommodation plan known as a 504 have a chance to join an advisory task force with the Columbia Public Schools Board of Education.
Task force creation was discussed at Monday's board meeting following the June 20 board retreat special meeting. This is separate from the special education advisory committee formed by CPS Superintendent Brian Yearwood, which is made up of staff.
Board members seek parents and even staff members for its task force and while the timeline is too tight for it to provide the board feedback and suggestions for the district's special services plan due by Oct. 1, it could render its recommendations for next year's plan.
Yearwood's committee "sent a survey to all families with an IEPs and we took that data and ... came up with our objectives based on those areas where there seemed to be (areas) where parents wanted more information, needed more clarity," said board member April Ferrao. "The idea is to have a good representation of families that have 504s, IEPs, families with students in small contained classrooms, families with students in regular education a majority of the time and everything in between and (all age groups and backgrounds)."
The board will issue a parent interest request form July 15 to all families with IEPs and 504s to gauge interest for task force membership. Reminders then will be sent two more times this month ahead of the survey's closure Aug. 1. The first time the task force will meet likely is in September.
Task force objectives include a recommendation on communication that would improve the experience of families receiving special services, suggestions for streamlining and improve the evaluation process and identifying a consistent interpretation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act for districtwide application.
Ferrao expects the work of the task force may take up the entire school year and hopes to receive an update by at least February.
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Board member Blake Willoughby had suggestions for language used in the objectives. He had an issue with how some of the verbiage made the objectives "value laden," pointing to the first objective.
"They might pinpoint a preferred means of communication we already do. That's not an improvement, but there can be a reconfirmation of that type of preferred communication," he said. "By not having a value-laden statement from the board, it allows the task force to really frame how they are sharing their recommendations, preferences, options."
He then provided suggestions on different verbiage for all three objectives that would not have what he said is value-laden language.
Ferrao took his suggestions under consideration relating why the current verbiage was chosen was based on results of the special education advisory committee survey.
"Ultimately, it is administration and the special services department that will have to take the information (from the task force) and decide," what is logistically possible, Ferrao said.
A purpose of the task force is to ensure there is districtwide clear communication and consistent messaging, regardless of school or classroom, she added.
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Yearwood commended the board for creating a task force that brings parents in.
"We know that is a critical part of the education process, that parent voice," he said. "We definitely are always going to be open and welcome to learning and hearing about how we can get stronger and better as a school district."
Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia school board wants parent input on special education
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