Equity: Access Matters

Across the nation school leaders have been working for decades to address the persistent performance gaps that exist for students with disabilities, English language learners, and other subgroups.

There is no shortage of programs marketing themselves as the way to close such gaps. I have developed a systemic approach to increasing access for students with disabilities that can be replicated for English language learners and result in improved outcomes for them as well as students in all other subgroups. This is a process not a program.

Give me a call to schedule time with your leaders to begin the inclusion journey towards improved outcomes for students with disabilities in your district or school. (When students with disabilities do better all students do better.)

As you identify your priorities for next year, here are some questions to consider:

What does equity look like in your school or district? Are your students with disabilities spending as much time as they need in general education classrooms accessing rigorous instruction alongside their peers without disabilities?

Take a look at the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) three year trend for one Colorado district below:

• October 2017 General Class LRE: 52.3%

• October 2018 General Class LRE: 68.18%

• October 2019 General Class LRE: 75%

• October 2020 General Class LRE: 82%

Additionally, consider the following::

• What does your district’s LRE data look like?

• Considering each of your schools, what does their LRE look like?

• What does your district’s LRE data look like by Race/Ethnicity?

• Do you notice any LRE trends by Elementary (Title/Non-Title), Middle, HS?

Please contact me to get started on a tactical plan to increase access and equity for the upcoming school year.