In the spring of 2023, Educational Services facilitated a Special Education Review to gather input and feedback from various stakeholders related to special education supports and services within the school district. As the needs of our students change, it is necessary to review and sometimes revise resources, supports, and services that are provided to students. This review occurs every 5 years and is part of our ongoing process to ensure programs and services continue to meet the needs of all Limestone students in safe and inclusive learning environments. As with previous Special Education Reviews, goals of the review are to examine resource allocation, strengthen partnerships, leverage supports, and identify professional learning opportunities for staff.  

Limestone students, staff, families, community members, and community stakeholders were consulted through an online survey platform, Thought Exchange, to collect a wide variety of data on the question, “What key supports and services are important for students with special education needs to experience success at school and reach their full potential?”  

Two sets of data were gathered during the review.  Initially, students with special education needs and their families were surveyed in order to elevate and prioritize the voices of those directly impacted by our support and services.  2,934 participants responded to the question, sharing 3,569 unique thoughts and providing over 66,000 ratings.  Following this, additional information was gathered from staff, students, families and community partners.  474 participants responded to the question, sharing 510 unique thoughts and providing over 10,000 ratings.  Additional focus group data was gathered through school visits and student, guardian and staff interviews.  The input shared by our students, families and school communities through the survey and focus groups was important and impactful. 

Four key themes emerged as important to the greatest percentage of respondents and resonated with participants:  

1. Staff Support/Human Resources (e.g., Individual Help, Support from Staff)  

2. Inclusive and Supportive Culture (e.g., Classroom Culture, School/Home Connection)  

3. Individualized Supports and Accommodations (e.g., Regulation Tools and Strategies, Technology)  

4. Programs and Programming (e.g., Specialized Programs, Small Group/Peer Support)  

The Educational Services team continues to reflect on the data gathered and examine how our current goals and priorities align with feedback from our school communities. Areas for exploration, growth and improvement will be identified and embedded in the 2023-24 monitoring plan.  

Additional information on Limestone’s Special Education programming, Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), Special Education Plan 2022-2023, previous Special Education Reviews, and our Special Education Support Model is available on our website.