Special Ed Report Touches on Inclusion, Transitions

A new report shows Metro Schools have made strides in special education, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.

The report from the Mayor’s Task Force on Special Education points to a 12 percent increase in the number of students who spend most of their day in regular classrooms. Co-chair Wendy Tucker says that’s a important start.

“Kids with disabilities, especially kids with more severe disabilities were sort of shoved in the very back of the school, they didn’t really have interactions with their more typical peers, and that is changing now.”

Still, more than half of Metro’s disabled students spend much of their day segregated into special ed classrooms.

The report calls for a continued push towards widespread inclusion.
It recommends the district develop a standard protocol for dealing with academic and behavioral problems. And the report expresses a need for comprehensive programs to transition special education students into jobs or college.

Earlier: May Town Hearing Today
Later: Chihuly Sculptures to be Shown at Cheekwood, Frist and Symphony