Jul 18
5
Special education student grade rate on the rise!
Students receiving special education services in the KPBSD continue to find success!
In the most recent reporting year (2016-2017), 73 percent of students receiving special education services in the KPBSD graduated within four years! The State of Alaska graduation rate is 58.7 percent.
“A graduation rate this high is not something seen in the state of Alaska, and is high for anywhere in the United States. The reported graduation rate includes the three to five percent of students receiving special education services who stay past four years of school due to the significance of their disability, participation in secondary work transition program such as Project Search, or as part of a plan to develop more independent living skills prior to leaving school.” –Clayton Holland, KPBSD Director of Pupil Services
Statistically, students receiving special education services in the United States are significantly more likely to be at risk of receiving a long-term suspension (three to five times as likely for some subgroups). However, according to the most recent disproportionality in special education report, in comparison to other students, KPBSD students receiving special education services are less than half as likely to receive long-term suspensions.
Mr. Holland attributes both the high graduation rate and low student discipline rate to targeted and ongoing professional development and training, staff collaboration, and the development of a positive district culture that take responsibility for every student. Most importantly, Holland says, “we have teachers, paraprofessionals, related services providers, families, and community partners who believe our students can achieve and find success in school and in life, and then they take the steps to help that happen.”
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and has been able to show that the steps we take to provide positive outcomes for our most at risk learners also equates to increased success for all students, and for our community.
