A consultant's report on Iowa's local education agencies suggests that Iowans pay significantly more for special education than other states, yet receive less in terms of student outcomes. are doing.
The study, released Monday by the governor's office, involves nine local education agencies in Iowa. AEA provides special education services to schools across the state, as well as media supplies and services, and specialized training for teachers.
Consulting firm Guidehouse notes that school districts are required by law to “cooperate” with the AEA in providing special education instruction programs, and that the AEA “has little oversight from the school district or the state of Iowa, “The school has extensive control over the education of children.'' of education. “
Although Iowa spends $5,331 more per student on special education than the national average, consultants report that Iowa students with disabilities perform below the national average. Guidehouse notes that the AEA was created by law as an “effective, efficient, and economical means” to serve students with special educational needs, noting that the same students are now ” “They have a harder time achieving academically than students with disabilities.” Nation. “
Additionally, the federal government's annual performance audit shows that Iowa's AEA is a factor in Iowa's failure to comply with certain federal standards. The report lists Iowa as one of only 13 states that have been classified in the “needs assistance” category in some area of federal compliance for two or more consecutive years.
The Iowa Department of Administration hired Guidehouse last year to conduct an analysis of special education performance and education service agencies in the 50 states, analyzing the current state of Iowa's special education system, and specifically the state's AEA. As part of its work, Guidehouse has developed recommendations aimed at improving student achievement for all Iowa students, including students with disabilities.
In recommending changes, the Guidehouse said Iowa's AEA special education system “has not led to improved academic performance.” Rather, the academic performance of students with disabilities in Iowa has declined over the past two decades and is below average compared to the rest of the country. ”
Specifically, students with disabilities in Iowa score on average more than 40 percent lower than all students on educational assessments in both English language arts and math. “Despite investing more than several thousand dollars per student in Iowa's special education students, the performance of Iowa's students with disabilities remains below the national average,” the report states. There is.
In 2022, Iowa spent $14,387 per student on special education, compared to the national average of $9,056. Despite that additional investment, Iowa's special education students performed below the national average, with fourth graders ranking her 41st.cent According to the report, the school ranked 32nd in the nation in reading and 32nd in mathematics.
Guidehouse notes that although the AEA collects funding directly from the school districts in its jurisdiction, school district officials (including the district's superintendent) are prohibited from serving on the AEA's board of directors and have no formal access to the AEA's board of directors. They point out that there is no proper oversight or accountability. AEA.
Based on the findings, the Guidehouse has made a series of recommendations, including:
Local control: School districts should be allowed to opt out of the AEA's special education delivery system and given control over how state and local funds are used to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
Narrower focus: AEA should focus on students with disabilities rather than media services such as van delivery or printing.
Funding changes: By focusing AEA services on special education, Iowa could redirect AEA funds spent on media and professional development to school districts and the Iowa Department of Education to support special education and state oversight. Masu.
Accountability: Guidehouse points out that states that outperform Iowa in academic achievement for students with disabilities have superintendents who oversee special education and ensure that the AEA meets the needs of their districts. It calls for “additional state and local-level governance and oversight mechanisms.”
The recommendation is in line with some of the comments Gov. Kim Reynolds made in her State of the Nation address earlier this month, saying each school in Iowa should be able to “determine how best to meet the needs of their students.” Ta.
Reynolds said schools that “like AEA's services” should continue to have access to them, but schools that prefer services from nearby AEAs instead should pursue that option or hire professionals to ” They should be able to “step outside the AEA system.” Private companies provide services such as speech and behavioral therapy.
In an earlier version of the bill proposed by Reynolds, the AEA would focus solely on special education services and eliminate the media services and professional development functions it currently provides. After the proposal met fierce resistance in the Iowa Legislature, Reynolds amended the bill.
The amended bill currently being considered would allow AEA to provide other services only at the request of a school district. Other types of services not related to special education may only be provided with approval from the Iowa Department of Education.
Families of children with special needs are speaking out in defense of AEA's services.
Kate Fairfax, a speech therapist and mother, said at a Democratic press conference in early January that the AEA has been an important support in raising her twin daughters, who were born prematurely. Agency staff helped ensure the proper development of daughters Madeline and Audrey from the time they were born. Audrey suffered complications from a brain hemorrhage, resulting in her hearing loss and cerebral palsy.
Fairfax said 6-year-old Audrey now has a physical therapist, occupational therapist, audiologist, special education consultant and deaf teacher supporting her at school.
“Honestly, I don't know what her day would have been like without AEA,” Fairfax said. “So I know how important they are, and I hope others know that too.”
House Minority Leader Jennifer Confirst said lawmakers have received thousands of emails from Iowans across the state telling them how the AEA is positively impacting their families' lives.
“I have not received any emails regarding the governor's proposal to change and water down the AEA,” Confirst said. “I have not received any emails supporting it. There have been no public comments supporting this on this bill. This is not what anyone asked for, this is what Iowans are asking the governor to stop.”
In 2022, Reynolds used $994,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay Guidehouse for a report on how best to reorganize Iowa's government. The governor's redistricting plan was approved by the Legislature last year.
A spokesperson for the governor's office did not respond to questions from the Iowa Capital Dispatch this month about the cost of Guidehouse's AEA investigation.
Robin Opsahl contributed to this report.
Iowa Special Education System Report_FINAL
