Houston ISD Paying $300K For Special Ed Audit

HOUSTON, TX -- The Houston Independent School District plans to contract with the American Institutes for Research to audit the district’s special education program to ensure students are properly identified and served through the program.

The although the district has not officially contacted the American Institute for Research, Houston ISD plans to pay the organization $300,000, once the two can align their goals in accordance with the district’s needs.

In 2016, the Houston Chronicle reported that school districts in Texas denied access to special education services to thousands of eligible students. (Sign up for Patch’s daily newsletter for your neighborhood.)

The district slashed hundreds of special education positions, dissuaded evaluators from diagnosing disabilities until second grade and created a list of "exclusionary factors" to disqualify students.

Only 7.3 percent of the district's students get these services, compared with the national average of 13 percent, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Concerned parents are invited to connect with district staff at upcoming town hall meetings April 19 and May 17.

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