Study Looks At Special Education In West Orange

WEST ORANGE, NJ — How can special education services be improved in West Orange? This was the main question that powered a recent look into the district’s compliance with N.J.A.C. 6A: Chapter 28.

The study was conducted by the firm of Bryant, Gemza, Keenoy and Kozlik under the auspices of the West Orange Public School District, and can be seen online here.

While the study was generally favorable to the district, its authors also recommended ramping up “professional development” and oversight to make sure correct procedures are being followed. The report also expressed concern over the staffing splits between direct instructors and support staff, noting that the one-to-one student-aide ratio is high, which raises the cost per pupil of West Orange’s special education classes.

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Another recommendation in the study? Keep parent nights in the district going.

“Parent and teacher education in the referral and programmatic areas can be very helpful in improving communication and relationships. The use of parent nights to discuss the referral and evaluation process could prove beneficial in addressing the disparity between appropriate referrals at the different grade levels while forging a strong partnership between parents and school. A better understanding of eligibility criteria and placement should lead to less conflicts with administration and more consistent utilization of appropriate criteria.”

• See related article: West Orange Teachers Boycott Back To School Night

The study also recommended:

“Child Study Team members should receive comprehensive training on determining eligibility for special education and related services. Determining eligibility for Communication Impaired, Multiply Disabled and Specific Learning Disabilities must be a major district focus. The district should also develop procedures for determining a child eligible for services under the classification category of Specific Learning Disability (SLD). This can either be a severe discrepancy formula or response to intervention model but must be consistent throughout the district.”

The report commended the district’s central administration, administrative staff and Board of Education, as well as staff members and teachers, who were “eager to share their thoughts.”

Here’s what different stakeholders in the district had to say about West Orange’s special education programs:

MORE RESOURCES, PROGRAMS- “The staff expressed a need for additional resources and programs to further address the needs of lower functioning students. All staff expressed the need for more behavioral support and training in working with social/emotional needs. Greater clarity in roles and responsibilities was also an identified area of need, particularly with respect to the paraprofessionals. Consistency and continuity across and within buildings was a repeated theme, as well as helping building administration understand the roles of the Child Study Team and Related Services providers.”

LACK OF COMMUNICATION - “A lack of adequate communication in all areas is a primary concern of parents and the SEPAC committee. Regular monthly meetings between the co-chairs of SEPAC as well as a group email system for contacting parents of special needs students is recommended. Additionally, a system of regular contact between home schools and parents of students placed outside the district should be developed.”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - “A common theme surfacing in all surveys was the need for additional professional development. Few teachers demonstrate adequate knowledge in any of the decision-making process involved in special education referral, identification or placement. This lack of understanding leaves them feeling like outsiders in the system without guidance as to the source or solution to student issues.”

READING DIFFICULTIES - “The most common area for child study team referral identified by both staff and parents was reading difficulties. Considering the many special education programs for alternate reading instruction, it would be beneficial to provide additional training to general education staff in additional techniques when teaching reading in their classroom. As students learning styles are better identified, general education teachers, with the support of the special education department, can reach more students within the general education classroom.”

BETTER TRAINING - “The need for additional staff and supports was suggested by all groups, however, the type of staff varied group to group. Increased staffing is the most common suggestion for improvement in nearly all districts however better trained staff is usually a better and more efficient solution.”

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