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A report from the California Department of Education measured disparities between different ethnic groups in the district and the number of students from each group who use special education services.
Among the findings were statistics showing that some ethnic minorities were overrepresented in special education when compared to their general population in the district.
While 22.1% of the district’s students are Latino, that group made up 35.9% of the special education population.
Native Americans and African Americans were also overrepresented in special education.
WHAT IT MEANS
There may be a problem in the way students are identified for special education that might contribute to these disparities, officials said.
The district will continue evaluating its process for assessing students for special education, officials said.
The district has an updated website that includes a flexible calendar feature, as well as a street finder for locating what homes fall under the attendance area of a specific school or group of schools.
WHAT IT MEANS
The added features will help reduce the amount of time staff members spend looking up residences on district maps to tell families where students would attend classes, said Linda Junge, the district’s public information officer.
The site’s consolidated source for event and activity information will also increase convenience for residents and district employees, Junge said.
