EDUCATION BRIEFS
News from Austin ISD, Pflugerville ISD & Round Rock ISD
AISD to improve special education training, supports
AISD considers affordable living
SPECIAL EDUCATION FOCUS
Austin ISD exceeds the state average for special education students meeting expectations. Officials aim to increase this percentage to 60% by 2026.
All AISD students
All Texas students
AISD special education students
Texas special education students
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL
50% 60% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
AUSTIN ISD On Feb. 13, district officials provided more informa- tion about the affordable housing planned at the Anita Ferrales Coy site, located at 4900 Gonzales St., Austin. AISD Director of Real Estate Jeremy Striffler said although the district will own the land, it will not be the landlord, nor will it col- lect rent. Striffler said the district will prioritize teachers, staff and families for the units, but they would not be reserved exclusively for the district. The next step in the process will be March 9 at the informational and voting sessions of the board of trustees, he said. As for teachers and staff who own their homes but need help, Striffler said the district is looking at other ways to support them beyond just building afford- able rentals.
BY AMANDA CUTSHALL
AUSTIN ISD Leaders in the district will receive additional training as Austin ISD focuses on improving special education scores. The most recent data shows 26% of special education students in kindergarten through eighth grade met or exceeded grade-level expectations in the 2021-22 school year in AISD. While that is slightly higher than the state average of 24%, district officials said it is not good enough. “This is nowhere near the level of excellence that we need for our stu- dents,” said Dru McGovern-Robinett, assistant superintendent of special education programs. Robinett said district officials must provide the right structure and support to teachers and students
2020-21
2021-22
2018-19
STUDENTS WERE NOT TESTED IN 2019-20 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
SOURCE: AUSTIN ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
to reach the district’s goal of 60% exceeding grade-level expectations by 2026 for special education students in grades K-8. Frances Stetson of Stetson & Associates Inc., the educational consulting firm helping the district with special education scores, said there are “districtwide issues and department issues.” “We’ve begun robust efforts to train leaders, including principals, and we’re asking them what needs to be done to address this,” she said. Stetson said 125 leaders in the
district were brought together to seek out solutions and find strategies that enrich instruction while not putting a burden on teachers. “We are launching foundational training that we found, across the country, results in systems changes that improve instructional outcomes for all learners,” Stetson said. “We will train every school in the district by the end of the spring semester.” Stetson said this will result in a common vision and common vocabulary to meet the goals set out by the district.
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