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Dallas ISD Special Education Program
Thanks to a team collaborating and working together, Dallas ISD has successfully eliminated a backlog of about 2,000 unprocessed referrals for Special Education services.
Nearly 400 Dallas ISD employees have worked since late May to process the backlog.
As part of the district’s ongoing commitment to educate all students, last spring, Dallas ISD discovered the backlog of about 2,000 unprocessed evaluations and referrals for Special Education services. The program is one of the district’s fastest growing areas.
To process the backlog, the Dallas ISD Special Education team reached out by phone, email and in-person to connect with every family with an unprocessed evaluation or referral. Parents then decided whether to consent or decline a student evaluation for Special Education services. The district has up to 45 days to complete the evaluation after the parent consents, but is working to complete evaluations much sooner.
“There is still a lot of work to be done, but it’s amazing how a team with a common vision, goal and deadline can race to the finish line together and pick each other up along the way,” said Gena Koster, assistant superintendent of Special Populations. “We are committed to not only processing the backlog, but also to revising processes, inputs, and expectations that have led to this problem.”
Dallas ISD has partnered with Stetson & Associates, a nationally recognized firm that supports special education departments across the country, to help redefine the district’s processes and procedures.
Koster added that the district will diligently work to ensure such a backlog never happens again.
“We’ve turned the first corner, but we still have room to grow and improve,” Koster said. “But thanks to a team that is dedicated to helping meet every student’s needs, we are confident that we will ensure all of our students CAN!.”
Resources
To make a referral for special education services or for any other questions, use Let’s Talk or call (972)581-4120.
Backlog Tracker (updated 9/17/21)
Updated Weekly
| 2017-2018 | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of Backlogged Referrals | 275 | 370 | 818 | 681 |
| % of Referrals processed | 100% | 100% | 100% | 99% |
% of Referrals processed means that case has moved onto informed consent, evaluation, and/or ARD. It also includes cases that have declined evaluation or withdrawn from the district.
2020-2021 data is based on the original capture of cases taken in May. It does not currently include cases received over the summer.
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Cumulative Progress
This represents the overall percentage of completed backlogged cases from prior years, not including 2020-2021. 465 cases were referred in 2020-2021 between 05/27/2021 and 07/31/2021. Those cases do not qualify as backlogged at this time and continue to be processed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How did Dallas ISD discover the backlog?
A recent internal review of services provided by the department led to the discovery of the unprocessed referrals.
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What caused this backlog?
We believe there are several reasons this backlog developed. Certainly, the challenges of COVID and students not being in the classroom played a part. A recent internal review of services also discovered the need for improvements in monitoring, data analysis, staffing, structure and communications with program staff and our campus-based leadership. The district is aggressively working to make the changes necessary to improve our performance in each of these areas.
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What’s being done to fix the backlog?
We are temporarily reassigning staff and retaining contractors to work through this backlog to assure that pending referrals and evaluations are conducted as quickly and thoroughly as possible. And, of course, having the reporting, accountability, and other operational changes in place to prevent such a backlog in the future.
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How many students does this affect?
Currently the backlog affects some 2,000 students, and this number is being reduced on a daily basis.
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What can a principal or teacher expect in the way of positive changes?
We expect to hire additional staff – direct employees and contractors – to address the backlog and implement needed changes. We expect that campus leadership and faculty will see more rapid evaluations and reporting, greater consistency, and improved communication from the entire SPED team. This transition and the continuous improvement efforts have already begun and will continue through the 2021-22 school year.
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When is the backlog expected to be rectified?
Our goal is to have this process completed and the backlog eliminated by mid-September.
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Is the TEA aware of this?
Yes, we reported our findings and our corrective action plan to the TEA, and the agency has been supportive of our efforts. We are scheduled to make a formal report on our progress to TEA in January 2022.
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Why are we learning about this now?
Leadership in the program has been working to gain a full picture of the issues involved and determining the best course of action in eliminating the backlog and putting the reporting, accountability, and other operational changes in place. We wanted to be sure that the true scope of the problem was defined, and the necessary structure was in place to address this issue. We appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience.
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How do students and their families make up for lost time?
We are working with families to provide compensatory services so that students can “catch up” from the time when they should have been evaluated for Special Education services. We’ll monitor this process closely until the gap caused by this backlog is closed.
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Who is responsible for this backlog?
There were several operational issues, together with the challenges of COVID, that contributed. Our focus is on making the necessary changes to make this right, and better serve those families and students.
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How are you monitoring progress?
The Special Education department now has several improved processes in place. There are robust data tracking systems to monitor each referral, and new reporting structures to review the data, discuss current caseloads, and make adjustments as needed to honor our obligations to students and families. In addition, the department is increasing transparency and communications around these processes.
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Where can I find the corrective action plan?
Our corrective action plan is available here
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How should the referral system work?
Typically, the referral begins with a review of data regarding student performance and other relevant indicators. If that evaluation indicates an educational need requiring special services, a referral is made so that parents can be informed and provide informed consent for further evaluation and services. This period between receiving a referral and obtaining informed consent from a parent is where the backlog developed.
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Where can I go for more information?
