PCIAL DUCATION Thouand of tudent till wait for pecial education ervice or don’t receive them at all, cit figure reveal Alex Zimmerman azimmerman@chalkeat.org PULIHD: Novemer 1, 2016 - 5:18 p.m. DT COMMNT ( Photo Alan Peterime ) New data releaed Tueda how that New York Cit i till truggling to provide required ervice to man of it tudent with diailitie. Aout 30 percent of tudent had to wait longer than the two month allowed under law to e aeed for education plan that outline the ervice the cit i required to provide them, according to data from lat chool ear. Meanwhile, 41 percent of tudent were offered onl partial ervice required on thoe plan — or no ervice at all. PONOR Tueda’ report i onl the econd time the cit ha releaed comprehenive tatitic on how well the cit i erving it roughl 212,000 tudent with pecial need. Advocate and legilator had long complained that the cit withheld crucial information aout thi population, a group that itelf would e roughl the eventh larget chool tem in the countr. With ome exception, numer from the new report how a relativel tatic trend in how well the cit i erving tudent with diailitie compared with the 2014-15 chool ear. Jut 59 percent of tudent received the full range of ervice required on their individualized education program, or IP, compared with 60 percent the previou chool ear. And 33 percent, or roughl 58,000 tudent, received onl partial ervice — down from 35 percent. The numer of tudent who received no ervice, depite eing recommended for them, roe from 5 to 8 percent, or almot 14,000 tudent. “That’ reall diheartening,” aid Maggie Moroff, a pecial education polic expert at Advocate for Children. “ut I think it’ alo a ig wake-up call. The fact that the’re doing the reporting and that it’ pulic and people are looking at it i a good thing.” law, the cit ha to hold IP meeting within 60 da of a parent giving conent; the are ued to develop a tudent’ annual goal and upport. Thi pat chool ear, 71 percent of tudent got their IP within the legall required timeframe, compared with 69.5 percent during 2014-15. “While we continue to make progre in improving our pecial education procee and tem,” wrote education department pokewoman Toa Holne, “we have a lot more work to do to reach our goal of enuring all tudent are receiving the upport the need.” ut, a in the pat, the cit iued a warning aout it own tatitic. Due to major flaw with the cit’ pecial education tracking tem, which ha parked litigation, official warned the data ma not e completel reliale. “We are aggreivel working to addre the data concern that preented challenge in lat ear’ and thi ear’ report, and for the current (201617) chool ear,” Holne wrote in an email. The cit pointed to other right pot: The numer of tudent receiving related ervice uch a peech and occupational therapie increaed to 94.8 percent, according to the cit. And graduation rate for tudent with diailitie ha increaed roughl 10 percent ince 2011-12 to 41.1 percent. “We’ve een important progre and I’m encouraged the preliminar information we’re eeing,” DO Deput Chancellor Corinne Rello-Anelmi, aid in a tatement. “We’ll continue to work tirelel to enure the data collection i accurate and expand program and provide chool with the reource the need to provide a high-qualit education for all tudent with diailitie.” IN THI TORY: IP, PCIAL DUCATION : Alex Zimmerman azimmerman@chalkeat.org Alex Zimmerman joined the Chalkeat team in 2016. He wa mot recentl a taff writer at the Pitturgh Cit Paper and previoul reported for the Pitturgh Pot-Gazette. Hi work ha appeared in the Village Voice, Vice, Atla Ocura and the invetigative nonprofit Pulicource. FOLLOW CHALKAT NW YORK @chalkeatn faceook.com/chalkeatn COMMNT Leave a Comment
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