Bringing Everyone to the Table: A Special Education Advisory Council

By Kim Baxter, Director of Special Services, McAlester Public Schools

For the second year, a bill to establish a Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) in every school district is being considered. This year SB148, sponsored by Carri Hicks, would require the creation of a Special Education Advisory Council in every school district. The purpose is to increase the involvement of parents and legal guardians of students with disabilities in the school district board of education policy-making and decision-making. As the Director of Special Services for McAlester Public Schools, the idea of bringing together different viewpoints about practices and policy was intriguing.

We rarely let others outside of education behind the curtain to see the work to create programs, move staff, and make curriculum choices. Like most in the field of education and specifically special education, decisions are filtered through the lens of our experience and training. Asking parents and district staff to the table to consider their thoughts about established practices and policies was intimidating.

A survey was posted on the district website and sent to staff seeking individuals interested and available to attend monthly meetings. A surprising number showed interest, and only some of those that completed the survey were asked to serve. The criteria to be met were that the members of the Council would need to be varied, willing to speak up and share, and those that haven’t always agreed with the direction we have taken in the past. The final Council consists of parents, certified staff, certified staff who were a parent of a student with an IEP, administration, and non-certified staff.

Meetings are held once a month and once in the summer. Before each session, Council members are sent an agenda and information they were asked to bring. The school year’s first meeting is a “State of the Department” report. Information is presented about the number of students served, staff, current programs, changes to state laws, and needed modifications to policy and practices that school year. The Council is encouraged to ask questions and bring ideas to the table. Before the first meeting, the Council was asked to complete guiding statements and discuss the different points of view. The guiding statements included:

■ I believe special education should teach…

■ I want my school to become a place where…

■ A successful special education student is one who…

■ The kind of school I would like to teach in is…

■ An effective special education classroom is…

■ A productive school faculty is one who…

■ A quality special education instructional program includes…

Although the guiding statements helped the Council understand the group’s different perspectives, there needed to be a way to determine a consistent direction based on needs and resources.

Logic models are an invaluable tool for teachers and administrators to visually represent a program’s structure, process, and goals. The Council used the model to identify resources, practices, and activities the Special Services Department was currently making. The process also highlighted areas of need and addressed what the Council thought was the program’s direction. Using this tool, all members of the Council, whether in education or not, had a common language and were able to make the intention behind our program clear.

A plan for the school year was developed based on the Logic Model and input from the Council. A list of priorities was decided upon and the following three focus areas were identified for the 2022/2023 school year:

1. An increase in Professional Development for all staff and parents. Specific areas identified were:

■ Helping general education staff understand the students they are working with and ways to support them

■ Assisting parents in understanding the IEP process.

2. Expanded sensory/calming rooms in all school sites

3. Accessibility for students in areas that are not just academic (extracurricular, playgrounds, lunch, recess, drop off, fun days)

With the priorities as a focus, the special services department has increased the opportunities for professional development for general education staff. It has developed a plan for parent universities starting this summer. All school sites will have a play therapy or Calm Room for the 2023/2024 school year. Furthermore, this year will be the first Explorers Day which will allow our students to try extracurricular activities in a safe environment. At IEP meetings, conversations about how the student will access and participate in all activities are considered.

Special Education is about inclusion and parent involvement. The Special Education Advisory Council is the next step in bringing everyone to the table. ■